Wednesday 11 November 2009

Mid-week Update

Well I say mid-week update, but I haven't got much to report other than a few 'padders'. Padders, now that's a word I haven't used for a while. I wonder if it is still used in twitcher's parlance?

I haven't had much at home this week, well because I have been at work. You know what it's like, out before light and home after dark! The other morning I noticed that the House Sparrows still liked to spend time in the hawthorn in my front garden and I had 6 as I got in my car to go to work. Mentioning House Sparrows at all is a sign of the times. As you all know they used to be very common and I can remember a time that the BTO would frown upon us if we ringed too many. Back in the early 80s the ringing group used to catch Greenfinches in a roost on the island at Fleetwood Marine Lake and with the Greenfinches roosted House Sparrows. Can you believe it that we used to ring the Greenfinches and chuck any House Sparrows that we caught! In fact I was looking at the notes section of some old field sheets recently and a member of the group wrote "desperate Eaves ringed a House Sparrow, sensible Slade threw one a way"! Now, who was the sensible one!

My office feeders have been busy with Nuthatch and Coalt Tit all week and on Monday I could hear that 2009 autumn rarity, Goldcrest, calling from the woodland! Pink-footed Geese have been a feature every morning and I have had birds going over heading south to feeding grounds from their Morecambe Bay/River Wyre roosts.

I called at Moss House Farm yesterday to top-up the feeding station, but it was virtually dark when I called so obviously I didn't have too much. In fact all I had were a calling male and female Tawny Owl. I did note that the flood waters had receded a little, but the fields were still very wet.

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