It's All In the Viz...12th April 2009

I have been so busy going out birding recently, and unfortunately not ringing, that I am behind with my postings hence the date in the title. This means that I can pretend that I have just come back from the Nature Park and Rossall School and posted this immediately. The chances of doing any ringing before I start checking any Pied Flycatcher boxes is virtually nil as I am struggling to find a Spring ringing site. I could go on an lament the sites that we have lost in the past, but I won't, instead I will go back to the 12th April and report!

It was the Nature Park for me this morning again and once again my spring traps would not be used in anger. My first birds were singing Gropper and Reed Warbler, and in addition to yesterday there was a singing Sedge Warbler. Out on the pools it was business as usual with 21 Coots, 7 Little Grebes, 7 Moorhens and male Ruddy Duck. Very little else about so it was off to Rossall School.

It was a cracking morning and the picture below shows the view from the sea wall at Rossall across Morecambe Bay to the Lakeland Fells.

As you can see from the above picture it was very clear and as a consequence there was very little grounded; all the activity was overhead in terms of vis. Heading north I had 2 Goldfinch, 32 Meadow Pipits, 43 Linnets, 7 lesser Redpolls (or Redpoll agg. to be precise) and 2 Siskin. On the sea were a handful of Eider, 18 Sandwich Terns and a Black Swan flew south with two Mutes!

In fact I was so bored I took a picture of the Lesser Celandine in the copse (see below).