More Fieldfares

I couldn't think of a more inventive title for today's blog entry, but it perfectly sums up the avian highlight for me on Rawcliffe Moss this morning. The northerly wind was a little bit too strong for any ringing at the obs this morning so I went to Rawcliffe Moss to feed after I had watched a slow, but later entertaining Korean GP.

The weather was glorious with clear skies and 'pin sharp' light. A number of Pink-footed Geese were arriving from the northwest and dropping onto the moss and I had 1,035 in total. As you will probably know there is/was a Red-breasted Goose with the Pink-feet at Pilling today and it seems that a number of people are getting quite excited. Why on earth you can get excited about a Red-breasted Goose amongst Pink-feet I'm not sure. It might stand a better chance of being genuine if it was amongst dark-bellied Brent Geese on the east coast, bit not over here with Pinkies. Mind you it will give all the 'listers' a target bird to go for. 

Pink-footed Geese

There seemed to be a few more Skylarks around this morning compared with recent days and I had 80 in total mainly on the 'big' and 'top' fields chasing each other around and over the stubbles. A few Meadow Pipits were amongst them, perhaps a dozen, and I had 5 Reed Buntings on my walk round.

At the feeding station itself Tree Sparrows numbered 50 together with a few Chaffinch and Tits. As I headed up the '97' hedge I had 2 Song Thrushes and then the first of the Fieldfares. The Fieldfares were coming and going and moving in different directions. I don't think I double counted any, but it is possible, and in total I had 946. The biggest groups were two groups of 274 and 280. Interestingly I only had 3 Redwings and 2 Blackbirds on my walk round. It would seem that there are a lot of Redwing still to come.

 Distant Fieldfare

I had the odd finch over such as Lesser Redpoll, Linnet, Siskin and 7 Goldfinch in the plantation. Phil and Will were ringing in the plantation and when I stopped to chat with them for a few minutes they 'gripped' me with a male Bullfinch that they had seen in the plantation earlier. This is a first record for the site and they are a fairly scarce bird in the Fylde full stop. I had a look in the plantation for the Bullfinch but only had 2 Goldcrests and a Kestrel hovering above the field to the west.

 Bracket fungi in the L Wood

Foxglove providing a late nectar sorce for insects

On my way home I stopped off at Town End to have a look on the Wyre and all I had was a female Goosander. The weather looks okay again tomorrow and I am going to have a ringing session at the 'obs' before work. I'll let you know how I get on.

The River Wyre at Town End

Goosander