Still Trying!

I spent the morning slogging round numerous coastal patches in the hope that these easterlies had brought an interesting waif in. First stop was Mount Park. As soon as I started walking through the park there was vis on the go; Meadow pipits, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Skylark were all going over. Robins were 'ticking' and a Goldcrest called from the conifers.

I bumped into Ian who was 'pishing' towards me and I towards him and we had a Chiffchaff calling but failed to get onto it. Just prior to me bumping into Ian 8 Coal Tits had 'dropped' in and these were joined by a further two as we stood at the top of the Mount looking down. A few Blackbirds were leaving the site and heading off high to the south and three Pink-footed Geese flew over low.

The next stop was Fleetwood Cemetery and the vis had started to get going and I recorded the southerly movement of 26 Meadow Pipits, 29 Chaffinch, 5 Siskins, 4 Greenfinch, 8 Linnets, 4 Alba Wags, 2 Grey Wagtails and a Swallow..

Grounded birds comprised of 3 Robins, 9 Long-tailed Tits, Chiffchaff, 2 Song Thrushes and a Goldcrest. From here I went onto a murky Rossall Point.

In the car park 2 Blue Tits and a Coal Tit dropped into the bushes next to the golf course. It's certainly been a good autumn for Coal Tits so far with good numbers of these cracking little birds turning up everywhere. There was still some vis, although it had quietened down, and I had 27 Meadow Pipits, 5 Alba Wagtails, Reed Bunting, Rock Pipit and 44 Linnets.

The waders were showing well, although the light wasn't as good as yesterday, and I had 90 Oystercatchers, 36 Turnstones, only 8 Sanderling and 34 Ringed Plovers. The sea was abysmal and completely 'closed down' with murk. All I had were 2 Common Scoters and 3 male Eiders.

My final port of call was Rossall School. I hadn't been round the 'obs' since we last ringed there on the 4th. The hedgerows were quite exposed to the blustery ESE wind and it was difficult to find stuff within them. The most sheltered area was the copse, but there was nothing in there at all other than a couple of Red Admirals sunning themselves in a sheltered spot.

There was a little vis still and this included 4 Greenfinch, 7 Alba wagtails, 6 Skylarks, Golden Plover, 4 Chaffinch and a Brambling. The only grounded migrants as such were a Song Thrush and 2 Goldfinch.

It was my intention to head up to the coast and walk behind the sea wall and look for any Wheatears but I decided against this because of the number of dog walkers. I have come to the conclusion that I hate dog walkers, they are all ignorant, selfish bastards! Well okay not all of them, but a good number of them. And why do they have several dogs? What's wrong with just one dog, why have 3 or 4?!

I didn't take any pictures this morning other than the Grey Squirrel below in the cemetery. I don't why I took a picture of it because I hate Grey Squirrels nearly as much as dogs!!!

Grey 'Vermin'

I haven't used any of Nigel's pictures for a while so let's have some gaudy black and yellow in the form of an American Goldfinch to brighten things up!

American Goldfinch

We received details from the BTO yesterday of a Fieldfare that we ringed at Rawcliffe Moss on 20th October 2007. It had been controlled in an orchard near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk on 11th January 2010. The distance between the two sites is 299 km. It's hard to read very much into this other than it's great news that the bird is at least 4 years old and still alive and well.