This is a first for me, another blog post just a week after my last one. I had better check that I am feeling okay!
When I was loading my kit into my car last Tuesday (7th) morning at 6:15 a.m., I could hear a Chiffchaff singing from the pond at the end of the road, 150 Pink-footed Geese headed north, and a Ring-necked Parakeet flew over noisily, and I thought that maybe I would have a few birds this morning. Incidentally, Ring-necked Parakeet was a new species observed from my home, taking the total number of bird species we have seen from the house to 77.
I called at the farm fields at Larkholme first, and there was a little bit of vis (all north) in the form of 152 Pink-footed Geese, 19 Meadow Pipits, 39 Linnets, a Skylark, four Siskins, and two Lesser Redpolls.
I called at the farm fields at Larkholme first, and there was a little bit of vis (all north) in the form of 152 Pink-footed Geese, 19 Meadow Pipits, 39 Linnets, a Skylark, four Siskins, and two Lesser Redpolls.
Meadow Pipit
Even though it was clear, with a stiff south-easterly breeze, there were some grounded migrants; three Wheatears, a Chiffchaff, and three Willow Warblers. For me, the song of the Willow Warbler epitomises spring and summer.
Canadian prog-rock giants, Rush, almost describe Willow Warbler song in their musical masterpiece 2112, even though it’s the description of the sound of an ancient guitar that the character in the song has found:
“See how it sings like a sad heart
And joyously screams out its pain
Sounds that build high like a mountain
Or notes that fall gently like rain”
“See how it sings like a sad heart
And joyously screams out its pain
Sounds that build high like a mountain
Or notes that fall gently like rain”
In other news, Gail and I are going to see Rush next March (2027) when they tour the UK on their fifty-something tour. In fact, we are going to see them twice; Glasgow and Manchester. We can't wait!
fields.
I digress. A male Stonechat, and a singing Cetti’s Warbler were almost certainly breeders on the site.
I had one Willow Warbler singing in the cemetery, and two Siskins dropped in briefly before heading off east.
Back home in my garden light trap were singles of Hebrew Character, and Common Plume.
We received notification from the BTO, of the recovery of a Siskin that Andy, from our ringing group, ringed near Oakenclough on 4th March 2026. It was trapped by another ringer at Millhousebridge, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, 143 km NNW, on 30th March 2026. As is often the case with the these recoveries, they raise more questions, than they provide answers. Looking on Google Earth, there does look to be suitable habitat in the wider area for breeding Siskins in that area. The Birds of Scotland (2012) states that areas with high density breeding populations, include the large forest areas of Dumfries and Galloway. However, given the date of both ringing and recovery, it could equally have been heading further north.
I had one Willow Warbler singing in the cemetery, and two Siskins dropped in briefly before heading off east.
Back home in my garden light trap were singles of Hebrew Character, and Common Plume.
We received notification from the BTO, of the recovery of a Siskin that Andy, from our ringing group, ringed near Oakenclough on 4th March 2026. It was trapped by another ringer at Millhousebridge, Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, 143 km NNW, on 30th March 2026. As is often the case with the these recoveries, they raise more questions, than they provide answers. Looking on Google Earth, there does look to be suitable habitat in the wider area for breeding Siskins in that area. The Birds of Scotland (2012) states that areas with high density breeding populations, include the large forest areas of Dumfries and Galloway. However, given the date of both ringing and recovery, it could equally have been heading further north.
It was a solo ringing effort at the Nature Park the following morning (8th), as Gail had a dental appointment. I have been so used to Gail helping me, that it was strange putting the nets up on my own, and they definitely did not go up as quick!
I ringed 12 birds as follows (recaptures in brackets):
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Cetti's Warbler - 1 (1)
Blackcap - 3
Sedge Warbler - 1
Goldfinch - 1
Great Tit - 1
Chiffchaff - 2
All of the Blackcaps were carrying a considerable amount of fat, indicating that they had further yet to travel, and the Sedge Warbler was carrying a small amount of fat as well.
The Cetti’s Warbler recapture was a bird that I ringed as a juvenile on 29th September 2025 at the Nature Park, and it has obviously remained to breed, as when I trapped it, it was showing a cloacal protuberance, so it is now a he, and he is now in breeding condition.
The Blackcaps and Sedge Warbler were new in, and in addition to the birds that I ringed, I had three Willow Warblers, another Sedge Warbler, and three Chiffchaffs.
At first light when I was putting the nets up, I flushed a Redwing from the Willow scrub, and a Water Rail was calling from the reeds. There are probably six Cetti’s Warblers singing on site, but it is hard to be sure, as they are so mobile.
There was a little bit of vis in the form of a handful of Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Lesser Redpolls, and Siskins heading north.
I called in at the cemetery late morning on my way home, and had my first Small White and Speckled Wood butterflies of the year. A Chiffchaff was singing, but that was it for migrants, so I spent some time looking at, and admiring some of the common, but no less gorgeous, wildflowers.
The Blackcaps and Sedge Warbler were new in, and in addition to the birds that I ringed, I had three Willow Warblers, another Sedge Warbler, and three Chiffchaffs.
At first light when I was putting the nets up, I flushed a Redwing from the Willow scrub, and a Water Rail was calling from the reeds. There are probably six Cetti’s Warblers singing on site, but it is hard to be sure, as they are so mobile.
There was a little bit of vis in the form of a handful of Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Lesser Redpolls, and Siskins heading north.
I called in at the cemetery late morning on my way home, and had my first Small White and Speckled Wood butterflies of the year. A Chiffchaff was singing, but that was it for migrants, so I spent some time looking at, and admiring some of the common, but no less gorgeous, wildflowers.
I was heading along the dunes at Rossall Point just after 6:15 am on Friday (10th), towards my watch-point, into a cold north-westerly wind, and I could hear lots of Stonechat vocalisations. The reason being, that there was a new male in town! The regular male had now been joined by another male, and they were trying to drive each other off. One would sing from the top of some Gorse, or a fence post, and the other would come charging in like some black and orange missile, and attempt to topple their rival. The singing male would then be chased by the attacking male, and the attacking male would perch and start to sing, and be attacked by the other male, who was now the attacking male, and this went on, and on, and on… I left them at 6:25 am, and they were still at it two and a quarter hours later when I came back the other way!
Male Stonechat
I suspect the new male is a young male, as he wasn’t as bright as the ‘old’ male. Obviously trying his luck…
The Young Pretender
There was some vis, but it was light, just 12 Meadow Pipits, 15 Swallows, 19 Goldfinches, 11 Linnets, and a Reed Bunting.
The tide was falling whilst I was there, so the only sizeable group of waders were a flock of 220 Sanderlings, with four Dunlins mixed in.
The sea wasn’t great, but two dark morph Arctic Skuas heading into the bay were my first of the spring. They were doing what Arctic Skuas always do here in spring, climbing high as they moved east, presumably to head over land to the North Sea.
The best of the rest was 12 Auk sp., seven Sandwich Terns, eight Red-throated Divers, two Gannets, and nine Common Scoters.
It was quiet in the cemetery, with just one Willow Warbler that was in the grounded camp, so I headed to Jubilee Quay.
The tide was falling whilst I was there, so the only sizeable group of waders were a flock of 220 Sanderlings, with four Dunlins mixed in.
The sea wasn’t great, but two dark morph Arctic Skuas heading into the bay were my first of the spring. They were doing what Arctic Skuas always do here in spring, climbing high as they moved east, presumably to head over land to the North Sea.
The best of the rest was 12 Auk sp., seven Sandwich Terns, eight Red-throated Divers, two Gannets, and nine Common Scoters.
It was quiet in the cemetery, with just one Willow Warbler that was in the grounded camp, so I headed to Jubilee Quay.
Dove's-foot Crane's-bill
I was surprised, and pleased, to see that there had been a small arrival of Painted Ladies, and I had four of these gorgeous butterflies. It was interesting to note that they were all foraging on Dandelion or Ragwort, and it shows the importance of these flowers in the spring for early insects.
Painted Lady (above & below)
I had then had a pleasurable few minutes in the company of a Goldfinch, as it munched on Willow catkins. The tide had long gone from the quay when I was there, so 22 Redshanks were all that was left feeding on the mud.
The following four pictures show the Goldfinch that was feeding on the Willow catkins.
Whether I will manage to do another bog post in about a week remains to be seen. It will depend on how much time I am out in the field, and how well I pull my finger out...
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