Saturday 30 March 2013

Another Frosty Slice Of Spring

It was too breezy for ringing again at the obs this morning which is becoming a bit depressing as we haven't had a ringing session there this spring yet. As I unlocked the gate this morning with a ground frost all around, and a 10 mph biting easterly wind, a Song Thrush sang from the copse. It was a joy to hear although it didn't make me feel any warmer!

The main feature of the morning would be the visible migration and cutting to the chase I had 141 Meadow Pipits, ten Woodpigeons, 12 Linnets, two Grey Wagtails, 14 Alba Wags, 14 Siskins, 500 Knot (south), two White Wagtails, two Goldfinches, a Greenfinch, three Great Tits and three Chaffinches all heading north. 

The sea was very quiet with just nine Cormorants, two male Eiders, a pair of Mallards, two Red-breasted Mergansers and two Red-throated Divers. A flock of 85 Turnstones fed on the rocks before the incoming tide covered them, the rocks that is!

The only grounded migrants I had were eight Coal Tits and a Goldcrest in the cemetery. Non avian signs of spring included frog spawn in the pumping station pond and lots of flowering Lesser Celandine in the cemetery.

 Frog spawn

Lesser Celandine

It looks like more of the same for tomorrow so it will be interesting to see what the vis is like and whether I can get my first Wheatear for the spring. I'll let you know tomorrow.

2 comments:

Stringer said...

Hi Seumus, how do you separate white wagtails from pied with birds flying overhead ? I know some people have claimed the calls are different but I've never really logged this.


The Hairy Birder said...

Hello G I cheated a little with these Whites as I had good views of them so I could see they were Whites. Sometimes in the spring I can seperate them from Pied, but not in teh autumn, but I am crap at describing calls in writing!