Doing The Rounds

I started off at Rossall School this morning just as it was coming light. The most obvious thing was the amount of Thrushes in the hedge and ditch alongside the track; I had 16 Blackbirds, 12 Redwings, 2 Fieldfares and 2 Song Thrushes. I carried on walking along the eastern hedgerow, heading towards the sea wall. Finches were heading south and I had at least 2 Siskins, 8 Bramblings and 20-30 Chaffinch. These are absolute minimum numbers as I obviously missed birds as I was walking and also if you hear a call/calls if you can't see the birds because they or so high it only goes in the notebook as 1-2 birds, when there probably would be a lot more.

When I got to the sea wall I headed south to have a look in the reeds and roses by the dunes. About 12 Greenfinch were feeding on the rose hips and in fact over recent weeks when we have caught Greenfinch at the 'obs' some have had rose seeds stuck to their upper mandibles.

The reeds were attracting Reed Buntings down from the sky and they seemed to flock together in the reeds before heading off south together in small groups. I had 19 birds head off south from this location. I had a couple of Rock Pipits go over and a few Alba Wags winged south as I headed back north along the sea wall. I had a quick look on the sea but it was quiet.

My next 'port of call' was the cemetery and as at the 'obs' Chaffinch, Bramblings, Siskins, Redwings and Goldfinch were going over. Some of the Chaffinch were stopping off in the taller Sycamores and I had stonking views of a female Brambling. A party of 11 Long-tailed Tits moved through the Sycamores and I gave them a good grilling in case there was anything 'stripey' or 'winged-barred' amongst them, but there wasn't.

 Long-tailed Tit

Further round towards the north end of the cemetery I had a Chiffchaff that only called in response to my 'pishing'! I then headed to the southern end to look amongst the willows and I had 13 Blackbirds and a single Goldcrest. A Sparrowhawk caused a stir as shot along the length of the willows.

As I slowly headed home I called in at the Nature Park. It was living up to its alternative name as a dog toilet as there were numerous dogs being exercised by their owners. One of them shattering the peace and quiet by incessantly shouting his badly behave mutts name. All I could hear was "willow, willow, willow". Why on earth do people give their dogs such stupid names.

I came across the ubiquitous bag of dog shit hung up on the railings that the lazy dog walking feckers couldn't be bothered to drop in the shit bin or take home!

 We've been here before I know; but why can't these filthy people take their 

dog's filth home?

A quick look on the pools revealed a male Shoveler, 14 Pochards, 26 Coots and 17 Tufted Ducks. Raptors were represented by a single Kestrel.

 Black-headed Gull

Herring Gulls

This mornings Kestrel above & below

Tufted Duck scratching 

Yarrow providing a netcar source for late insects

Back at home this afternoon sat in my conservatory finishing off 'Bird Migration' I watched a Chiffhchaff flitting around the garden with 9 Goldfinch and 6 House Sparrows on the feeders.