...............for six Cormorants and 16 Common Scoters? As the wind was forecast to be WSW 20-25 mph I headed for my reserve sea watching spot at first light due to the state of the tide. I had decided to give it a couple of hours before strapping myself to my desk for the rest of the day. In the end I only gave it just over an hour because in that time all I had seen was the above.
As I was driving home I received a text from Ian to say he had had a Leach's up the coast at the obs! However, when I rang him he said other than the Leach's he had seen b*gger all.
Was it worth it? I would say yes because you just never know! It looks as though we're gong to get more of the same for the rest of this week, but I will try.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Neither Here Nor There
As predicted yesterday the wind caused it to be one of those in between mornings. The wind wasn't strong enough for a decent sea watch (too much north in the west as well) and it was a little too strong for any migration. although there was a smattering of grounded migrants and some 'thin' vis.
I headed for the obs and changed my routine slightly and went straight to my seawatching/vis observation point. As mentioned earlier the sea was 'dead' other than a handful of Common Scoters, Cormorants and the odd Auk sp.
Along the sea wall were three Wheatears and a Goldcrest! That's right a Goldcrest perched on the sea wall. As I walked up to the front I heard a Goldcrest calling from the herb garden and whilst looking at the sea I kept hearing one call and couldn't see it, until it popped up on to the wall!
Walking back through the coastal fields and hedges I had a calling Willow Warbler and the light vis consisted of 11 Meadow Pipits, an Alba Wagtail, four Grey Wagtails and six Goldfinch. I had two Sparrowhawks near the copse and an adult Med. Gull was in the front field with 45 Black-headed Gulls.
As there were a few grounded migrants around I decided to have a look in the cemetery and it was more Goldcrests totalling four individuals. There was some light vis that included ten Greenfinch and single Grey Wagtail.
There's some heavy rain coming in tomorrow, but the timing of it will dictate what happens bird wise. I'll keep you posted.
I headed for the obs and changed my routine slightly and went straight to my seawatching/vis observation point. As mentioned earlier the sea was 'dead' other than a handful of Common Scoters, Cormorants and the odd Auk sp.
Along the sea wall were three Wheatears and a Goldcrest! That's right a Goldcrest perched on the sea wall. As I walked up to the front I heard a Goldcrest calling from the herb garden and whilst looking at the sea I kept hearing one call and couldn't see it, until it popped up on to the wall!
Walking back through the coastal fields and hedges I had a calling Willow Warbler and the light vis consisted of 11 Meadow Pipits, an Alba Wagtail, four Grey Wagtails and six Goldfinch. I had two Sparrowhawks near the copse and an adult Med. Gull was in the front field with 45 Black-headed Gulls.
As there were a few grounded migrants around I decided to have a look in the cemetery and it was more Goldcrests totalling four individuals. There was some light vis that included ten Greenfinch and single Grey Wagtail.
There's some heavy rain coming in tomorrow, but the timing of it will dictate what happens bird wise. I'll keep you posted.
Herring Gull in the cemetery
Grey Dagger moth caterpillar, taken in my garden last week
Friday, 14 September 2012
Leach's For Breakfast
I knew the conditions had the potential of producing a Leach's Petrel or two this morning, but I didn't have a great deal of time available to spend seawatching. I just had about an hour and a half spare this morning from first light so I headed to my reserve seawatching location of the sea front at Cleveleys.
My usual sheltered spot wasn't so sheltered in the 30 mph WNW wind so I was buffeted around a bit as I scanned the sea. First up was a Bonxie, close in, along the surf and not long afterwards a lone Leach's Petrel battled it's way southward. My time ran out as I had another Bonxie yet again giving stonking views as it flew south along the beach.
The wind is easing over night, but not enough to be able to go out ringing tomorrow unfortunately, and not remaining strong enough for more Leach's. It's one of those in between winds that is neither use nor ornament to the birder!
My usual sheltered spot wasn't so sheltered in the 30 mph WNW wind so I was buffeted around a bit as I scanned the sea. First up was a Bonxie, close in, along the surf and not long afterwards a lone Leach's Petrel battled it's way southward. My time ran out as I had another Bonxie yet again giving stonking views as it flew south along the beach.
The wind is easing over night, but not enough to be able to go out ringing tomorrow unfortunately, and not remaining strong enough for more Leach's. It's one of those in between winds that is neither use nor ornament to the birder!
Sunday, 9 September 2012
No Two Days The Same
Yesterday Ian and I split up and 'worked' different areas of the obs to try and increase the number of birds ringed. It's a good job we did as neither of us caught very well! At first light I was greeted with full cloud cover with a light southwesterly wind. The weather had been the same throughout the night and was responsible for a lack of grounded birds and very little vis.
The only vis I had was in the form of 12 Meadow Pipits, 31 Swallows, an Alba Wagtail, three Grey Wagtails and five House Martins. I had no grounded migrants and only ringed three Wrens and 2 Greenfinch.
What a difference this morning as the conditions were perfect for a scattering of grounded migrants and classic for some good early autumn visible migration. The wind was southeasterly, perhaps 15 mph, and horizontal visibility was a touch murky.
I always start off by looking through the Gulls that feed on a field close to where I park my car and amongst the 83 Black-headed Gulls, five Herring Gulls, six Lesser black-backed Gulls and four Common Gulls was an adult Med. Gull.
The vis started almost straight away and was all southerly in direction. In total I had 12 Goldfinch, 12 Grey Wagtails, 126 Meadow Pipits, 15 Alba Wags, 175 Swallows, 30 House Martins, two Siskins, a Reed Bunting and a Redpoll sp.
Four Kestrels were hunting the farm fields and I saw one successfully catch a vole. I am assuming these are the birds that we ringed from a nest box in this locality.
Grounded migrants consisted of 10 Wheatears, a Goldcrest and a Willow Warbler. The sea was fairly quiet but I did have my first Pink-footed Geese of the Autumn with 70 heading south into Liverpool Bay. Another autumnal first for me were two summer plumaged Red-throated Divers heading south. In addition to this the sea produced 410 Knot, 12 Gannets, two Auk sp., three Common Scoters, a Grey Plover and a Shelduck.
The forecast for the coming week is for it to be unsettled with westerlies. It is going to be windy, but whether it will be windy enough for a good count of Leach's Petrels I'm not sure.
The only vis I had was in the form of 12 Meadow Pipits, 31 Swallows, an Alba Wagtail, three Grey Wagtails and five House Martins. I had no grounded migrants and only ringed three Wrens and 2 Greenfinch.
Greenfinch
What a difference this morning as the conditions were perfect for a scattering of grounded migrants and classic for some good early autumn visible migration. The wind was southeasterly, perhaps 15 mph, and horizontal visibility was a touch murky.
I always start off by looking through the Gulls that feed on a field close to where I park my car and amongst the 83 Black-headed Gulls, five Herring Gulls, six Lesser black-backed Gulls and four Common Gulls was an adult Med. Gull.
The vis started almost straight away and was all southerly in direction. In total I had 12 Goldfinch, 12 Grey Wagtails, 126 Meadow Pipits, 15 Alba Wags, 175 Swallows, 30 House Martins, two Siskins, a Reed Bunting and a Redpoll sp.
Four Kestrels were hunting the farm fields and I saw one successfully catch a vole. I am assuming these are the birds that we ringed from a nest box in this locality.
Grounded migrants consisted of 10 Wheatears, a Goldcrest and a Willow Warbler. The sea was fairly quiet but I did have my first Pink-footed Geese of the Autumn with 70 heading south into Liverpool Bay. Another autumnal first for me were two summer plumaged Red-throated Divers heading south. In addition to this the sea produced 410 Knot, 12 Gannets, two Auk sp., three Common Scoters, a Grey Plover and a Shelduck.
The forecast for the coming week is for it to be unsettled with westerlies. It is going to be windy, but whether it will be windy enough for a good count of Leach's Petrels I'm not sure.
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Swallow Storms up the Charts to Number One
Over on the right you will see that I have updated the ringing totals for Fylde Ringing Group for 2012. To date we have ringed 2,455 birds of 62 species and we are only 381 down on last years total at the same time of the year. This is pretty good considering the summer we have had and this is down to the hard work of Ian ringing almost daily at Fleetwood Bird Observatory, Phil and Will's tape luring of Chaffinches in particular out on the Moss and Paul's continued ringing of Tree Sparrow pulli from boxes.
Two new species for the year were added in the form of a Sand Martin ringed at the Swallow roost and four Tree Pipits trapped at the obs and out on the moss.
This months movers and shakers are as follows:
1. Swallow - 317 (up from 4th)
2. Tree Sparrow - 258 (down from 1st)
3. Blue Tit - 217 (down from 2nd)
4. Goldfinch - 179 (down from 3rd)
5. Chaffinch - 150 (up from 6th)
6. Great Tit - 125 (same position)
7. Lesser Redpoll - 113 (down from 5th)
8. Willow Warbler - 89 (straight in)
9. Reed Warbler - 85 (straight in)
10.= Meadow Pipit - 68 (down from 7th)
Whitethroat - 68 (straight in)
Knocked out of the top ten were Blackbird (66) and Greenfinch (53). Just bubbling under are Wren (55), Dunnock (54), Robin (56) and Sedge Warbler (54).
What will happen in September? I expect Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Meadow Pipit to move up the order, but this of course will be weather dependant. We'll have to wait and see.
Two new species for the year were added in the form of a Sand Martin ringed at the Swallow roost and four Tree Pipits trapped at the obs and out on the moss.
This months movers and shakers are as follows:
1. Swallow - 317 (up from 4th)
2. Tree Sparrow - 258 (down from 1st)
3. Blue Tit - 217 (down from 2nd)
4. Goldfinch - 179 (down from 3rd)
5. Chaffinch - 150 (up from 6th)
6. Great Tit - 125 (same position)
7. Lesser Redpoll - 113 (down from 5th)
8. Willow Warbler - 89 (straight in)
9. Reed Warbler - 85 (straight in)
10.= Meadow Pipit - 68 (down from 7th)
Whitethroat - 68 (straight in)
Swallow
Knocked out of the top ten were Blackbird (66) and Greenfinch (53). Just bubbling under are Wren (55), Dunnock (54), Robin (56) and Sedge Warbler (54).
What will happen in September? I expect Goldfinch, Chaffinch and Meadow Pipit to move up the order, but this of course will be weather dependant. We'll have to wait and see.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
A Brief Late Morning Meander on the Moss
On my way back from a site visit this morning I called at my feeding station to drop some seed off in the feed bin. I haven't started feeding yet, but I am just starting to build up the seed supply in preparation. I had about three quarters of an hour to spare so decided to have a walk round the southern end of the moss.
First up was a juvenile Peregrine chasing a Woodpigeon and there was no chance that the Peregrine was going to catch the Woodpigeon as there was no element of surprise, but I suppose it is all good practise for a juv. bird.
A number of Hirundines were feeding over the Wheat crop and I had 78 Swallows and 17 House Martins. There was very little in the hedge other than a family party of four Reed Buntings and a group of ten Goldfinch flying up from the thistles.
As I walked across a muddy open area I put up 16 Snipe and a single southward bound Meadow Pipit went over. As I walked along the far margin I had a number of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and a single Silver Y moth. A number of Hoverflies (I think they were hoverflies) were virtually on every Dandelion flower. I have included a picture below in case anybody knows what they are.
As I headed back to my car I picked up two Corn Buntings and two Stock Doves. Not a great deal, but a pleasant interlude nevertheless.
Below are some recent pictures from my garden including the Garden Spider that caught the Migrant Hawker recently, an Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar and some other caterpillars that look a bit like Small Tortoiseshell to me, but I'm not sure. They were feeding on Willow sp. and I though Small Tort fed on Nettle. Does anybody know what they are please?
First up was a juvenile Peregrine chasing a Woodpigeon and there was no chance that the Peregrine was going to catch the Woodpigeon as there was no element of surprise, but I suppose it is all good practise for a juv. bird.
A number of Hirundines were feeding over the Wheat crop and I had 78 Swallows and 17 House Martins. There was very little in the hedge other than a family party of four Reed Buntings and a group of ten Goldfinch flying up from the thistles.
As I walked across a muddy open area I put up 16 Snipe and a single southward bound Meadow Pipit went over. As I walked along the far margin I had a number of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies and a single Silver Y moth. A number of Hoverflies (I think they were hoverflies) were virtually on every Dandelion flower. I have included a picture below in case anybody knows what they are.
Small Tortoiseshell
Hoverflies
As I headed back to my car I picked up two Corn Buntings and two Stock Doves. Not a great deal, but a pleasant interlude nevertheless.
Below are some recent pictures from my garden including the Garden Spider that caught the Migrant Hawker recently, an Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar and some other caterpillars that look a bit like Small Tortoiseshell to me, but I'm not sure. They were feeding on Willow sp. and I though Small Tort fed on Nettle. Does anybody know what they are please?
Garden Spider
Eyed Hawkmoth caterpillar
Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars?
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Winter Wildfowl
I started off at the southwestern end of the obs as usual this morning, as this is closest to home, and 'worked' the fields, hedges, ditches, reeds, dunes and looked on the sea. I had full cloud cover with a 15-20 mph WNW wind. The weather conditions weren't conducive to much migration and the sea was difficult as it was a long way out.
Fairly early on one of the regular Kestrels was hunting the fields and I picked a second bird up calling from a building later on. The only other raptor I had was an immature male Sparrowhawk that shot through as I was looking on the sea.
The only grounded migrants I had this morning were four Wheatears along the sea wall. I tried to get a few shots, as you will see below, but it was windy and the light was poor. That's my excuse for the poor quality anyway!
On the sea I had three Eiders and then I had nine Pintail head north followed by four Teal. I suppose my blog title should have been 'autumn wildfowl' but it didn't have the same alliteration effect! There was a trickle of 'vis' in the form of seven Swallows, a House Martin and a Grey Wagtail.
I didn't see a lot else and decided to check on the Woodpigeons nesting in one of our net rides. I could see that there was at least one well-grown young (the female was incubating 2 eggs) and it would fledge soon meaning we would then be able to get our 60 foot net up the next time we were out ringing here.
I then called at the coastal park and although it was sheltered there was absolutely no migrants. I decided to call it a day and headed home. The forecast is similar for tomorrow, so it is doubtful that I'll get any ringing done but I will be out birding as ever.
Fairly early on one of the regular Kestrels was hunting the fields and I picked a second bird up calling from a building later on. The only other raptor I had was an immature male Sparrowhawk that shot through as I was looking on the sea.
The only grounded migrants I had this morning were four Wheatears along the sea wall. I tried to get a few shots, as you will see below, but it was windy and the light was poor. That's my excuse for the poor quality anyway!
You can see how breezy it was
I'm not sure what it was looking at
On the sea I had three Eiders and then I had nine Pintail head north followed by four Teal. I suppose my blog title should have been 'autumn wildfowl' but it didn't have the same alliteration effect! There was a trickle of 'vis' in the form of seven Swallows, a House Martin and a Grey Wagtail.
I didn't see a lot else and decided to check on the Woodpigeons nesting in one of our net rides. I could see that there was at least one well-grown young (the female was incubating 2 eggs) and it would fledge soon meaning we would then be able to get our 60 foot net up the next time we were out ringing here.
I then called at the coastal park and although it was sheltered there was absolutely no migrants. I decided to call it a day and headed home. The forecast is similar for tomorrow, so it is doubtful that I'll get any ringing done but I will be out birding as ever.
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