I don't what it has been like where you are, but here in the north-west of England, it has been a trickly start to spring. We have had some half-decent days, weather-wise, but it has been cold, and bird migrants have been thin on the ground.
It was more nest boxes for Gail and I mid-month, but this time boxes for Tree Sparrows at our good friend’s farm near Nateby. We carried out a maintenance check, replaced a couple, and put a couple of new boxes up.
New nest box
There was plenty of Tree Sparrow activity, with birds moving around calling. A Chiffchaff was singing from the woodland, and we found a female Mallard incubating six eggs.
Mallard nest
A few wildflowers were adding splashes of colour, with some Honesty, Red Dead-nettle, and Lesser Celandine causing us to pause and smile.
The following day, it was a solo effort, and I was at Rossall Point for first light, under 6 oktas cloud cover, with a 10 - 15 mph south-easterly wind.
There was some visible migration, including (all east unless otherwise stated) 44 Meadow Pipits, 73 Woodpigeons, 27 Linnets, 69 Turnstones, two Goldfinches, two Carrion Crows, two Lesser Redpolls (that should be just Redpoll now, but old habits die hard), five Whooper Swans north, two Alba Wagtails, a Kestrel at sea, 107 Dunlins west, three Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, and a Siskin.
Meadow Pipit
Waders were at a premium as the tide had yet to run in, but I did have 43 Oystercatchers, 16 Ringed Plovers, a Curlew, 156 Sanderlings, 107 Dunlins, and a Grey Plover.
I was there for two and a half hours, and a male Stonechat sang, and displayed all the time I was there. He was singing from on top of perches, climbing up, and singing whilst he attempted his best hover, and he raced backwards and forwards along the line of the dunes covering several hundred linear metres with his song. I was exhausted just watching him!
I was there for two and a half hours, and a male Stonechat sang, and displayed all the time I was there. He was singing from on top of perches, climbing up, and singing whilst he attempted his best hover, and he raced backwards and forwards along the line of the dunes covering several hundred linear metres with his song. I was exhausted just watching him!
Not the best photograph of a Stonechat, but you can see that he is singing his
heart out!
The sea was quiet, with just 18 Eiders, seven Common Scoters, three Shelducks, and three Cormorants.
I had my first Wheatear of the spring, with a lovely male on the golf course.
I called in at the cemetery, but there were no grounded migrants, other than a single Goldcrest.
Back home I checked the light trap in our garden, and it contained two moths of two species; Common Quaker and Dark Chestnut.
I had my first Wheatear of the spring, with a lovely male on the golf course.
I called in at the cemetery, but there were no grounded migrants, other than a single Goldcrest.
Back home I checked the light trap in our garden, and it contained two moths of two species; Common Quaker and Dark Chestnut.
Common Quaker
It’s worth reporting that we have lots of frog spawn now, a pair of Blackbirds are nest building, and we have a pair of Woodpigeons on eggs.
On the 19th March, I had a walk along the Wyre from Jubilee Quay late morning, and it was warm enough for short sleeves! I just caught the last Redshanks, 123 of them, before the tide pushed them off the last area of mud.
The warm sunshine was providing the energy for three Small Tortoiseshell butterflies to be on the wing, and I enjoyed a good few minutes in their company. A Chiffchaff was singing from the area of the old ferry car park, and as I didn’t encounter any more insects, I decided to have a look in the dunes.
The warm sunshine was providing the energy for three Small Tortoiseshell butterflies to be on the wing, and I enjoyed a good few minutes in their company. A Chiffchaff was singing from the area of the old ferry car park, and as I didn’t encounter any more insects, I decided to have a look in the dunes.
I was looking at some Danish Scurvygrass when I heard some Coal Tits calling from some vegetation on the edge of the Marine Gardens. A quick scan with my bins revealed that four had dropped in, and they quickly moved on. Coal Tits are not a classic migrant species, but young birds do wander, and they can be irruptive migrants in autumn. Interestingly, two days earlier one of our ringing group members, Andy, ringed 28 Coal Tits at a site near Oakenclough, and they were all second calendar year birds!
Danish Scurvygrass
In addition to the 28 birds that he ringed, another bird was already ringed, and this bird had been ringed in Hightown, Merseyside, in October last year, 52 km SSE of Oakenclough. A classic example of a wandering young bird.
There wasn’t too much flowering in the dunes, other than the Danish Scurvygrass, and Common Whitlow Grass, but I could see that the Biting Stonecrop and Sea Spurge were itching to get going. It was just pleasant to be walking through the dunes in the warm sunshine, with the constant calls of Meadow Pipits, and the odd Chaffinch, as they moved high overhead.
There wasn’t too much flowering in the dunes, other than the Danish Scurvygrass, and Common Whitlow Grass, but I could see that the Biting Stonecrop and Sea Spurge were itching to get going. It was just pleasant to be walking through the dunes in the warm sunshine, with the constant calls of Meadow Pipits, and the odd Chaffinch, as they moved high overhead.
Sea Spurge
It was an early start for Gail and I the following morning as we headed to the Nature Park for a ringing session, and this time we managed to ring three birds; a pair of Greenfinches and a Chiffchaff.
Including the ringed Chiffie, there were three on site, as we could hear two singing as we were ringing this individual. Five Cetti’s Warblers were singing as we put the nets up, and a Water Rail was calling. Visible migration was limited to a handful of Meadow Pipits and Chaffinches, and a Sparrowhawk that headed east.
Have you ever tried getting Frog spawn into a sandwich box? We have, and it is hard work. At the end of one of our net rides was some Frog spawn in shallow water, that we knew would dry up in a week or two. We wanted to move it to an area of more permanent water, and the only vessel that we had that was large enough was our sandwich box.
I tipped the sandwich box underneath the Frog spawn, and it flowed into the box lovely, but every time I tried to lift the box out of the water, with said Frog spawn, it flowed out of the box as easily as it flowed in! Eventually, after using the sandwich box lid as some kind of scoop, we managed to persuade it into the box, and it was safely translocated to a less risky location!
Including the ringed Chiffie, there were three on site, as we could hear two singing as we were ringing this individual. Five Cetti’s Warblers were singing as we put the nets up, and a Water Rail was calling. Visible migration was limited to a handful of Meadow Pipits and Chaffinches, and a Sparrowhawk that headed east.
Have you ever tried getting Frog spawn into a sandwich box? We have, and it is hard work. At the end of one of our net rides was some Frog spawn in shallow water, that we knew would dry up in a week or two. We wanted to move it to an area of more permanent water, and the only vessel that we had that was large enough was our sandwich box.
I tipped the sandwich box underneath the Frog spawn, and it flowed into the box lovely, but every time I tried to lift the box out of the water, with said Frog spawn, it flowed out of the box as easily as it flowed in! Eventually, after using the sandwich box lid as some kind of scoop, we managed to persuade it into the box, and it was safely translocated to a less risky location!
After checking our garden light trap on 21st March, and noting down the two Common Quakers, we headed out to do our WeBS count. We did our first section, that incorporates Fleetwood Docks and Jubilee Quay, and recorded just 22 Redshanks, a Black-tailed Godwit, and four Oystercatchers. The only wildfowl we had were four males and four female Teal.
The odd Meadow Pipit and Siskin headed east in the hazy sunshine, and three Goldcrests flitted through the Willows. The Willows were equally as attractive to the half dozen or so Buff-tailed Bumblebees that we recorded. A flock of 82 Pink-footed Geese came in high from the north, and headed south.
The odd Meadow Pipit and Siskin headed east in the hazy sunshine, and three Goldcrests flitted through the Willows. The Willows were equally as attractive to the half dozen or so Buff-tailed Bumblebees that we recorded. A flock of 82 Pink-footed Geese came in high from the north, and headed south.
Buff-tailed Bumblebee (above & below)
We then headed to our second WeBS section, the reservoir next to the Wyre estuary. Walking along the public footpath to the river, we had two Chiffchaffs singing, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a female Brambling.
One of the Chiffies would preen, and then sing in response to the other Chiffie on the other side of the path, and then preen some more.
One of the Chiffies would preen, and then sing in response to the other Chiffie on the other side of the path, and then preen some more.
Chiffchaff (above & below)
Out on the reservoir were four Moorhens, two Cormorants, two Coots, two Mute Swans, two male Mallards, and nine males, and three female Tufted Ducks.
Gail and I then had a look in the grassland and scrub to the north. There were lots of Colt’s-foot flowering, and we noted them down as being ‘frequent.’ Gorse and Common Field-speedwell were also in flower.
Gail and I then had a look in the grassland and scrub to the north. There were lots of Colt’s-foot flowering, and we noted them down as being ‘frequent.’ Gorse and Common Field-speedwell were also in flower.
Colt's-foot
We came across a large group of recently hatched Common Frog tadpoles, many with external gills still showing. Unfortunately, they were in some very shallow water, that will undoubtedly dry out in a fairly short time. And we had no sandwich box with us to move them this time!
Common Frog tadpoles in very shallow water
We had two more singing Chiffchaffs, and another Goldcrest, and a flock of 43 Woodpigeons feeding in an open area that we considered were also migrants. A few pairs of Skylarks were displaying and singing, and we also noted singing Reed Bunting, Stonechat and Cetti’s Warbler. Looking across to the saltmarsh, we could see the incoming tide lifting Dunlins and Redshanks, and Wigeon floated further up the flooding creeks.
Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies were on the wing, and two Roe Deer rounded off a pleasant couple of hours in the sun.
Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies were on the wing, and two Roe Deer rounded off a pleasant couple of hours in the sun.
The following day, I headed down to the old ICI Reservoir next to the river again, and had a look at some of the surrounding grassland and scrub. It was quite cold, and consequently few insects were on the wing, other than a few Buff-tailed Bumblebees.
There were plenty of Chiffchaffs singing, and I heard nine different songsters, and four singing Cetti’s Warblers is worth mentioning. A couple of Jays were active in the young woodland, or is that mature scrub, with one perched up giving that lovely Buzzard-like call that they sometimes give. I estimated that at least five pairs of Skylarks were scattered around the site, and they were busy climbing into the sky.
As there was very little sunshine, the myriads of Colt’s-foot were keeping their heads down, and flowers closed, unlike the gorgeous Blackthorn I stumbled upon, that was in full flower, and whiter, than white. It looked as though it was covered in snow, and really lit up the sepia background of the Common Reeds.
There were plenty of Chiffchaffs singing, and I heard nine different songsters, and four singing Cetti’s Warblers is worth mentioning. A couple of Jays were active in the young woodland, or is that mature scrub, with one perched up giving that lovely Buzzard-like call that they sometimes give. I estimated that at least five pairs of Skylarks were scattered around the site, and they were busy climbing into the sky.
As there was very little sunshine, the myriads of Colt’s-foot were keeping their heads down, and flowers closed, unlike the gorgeous Blackthorn I stumbled upon, that was in full flower, and whiter, than white. It looked as though it was covered in snow, and really lit up the sepia background of the Common Reeds.
Blackthorn (above & below)
I came across an area of Great Horsetail, and these plants fascinate me, looking so primitive, which of course they are, an ancient plant.
Great Horsetail
On the reservoir were a group of eight Shelducks, probably pushed off the estuary by the 9.9 metre hight tide. There was a lot of squabbling and displaying going on between them, with a fair bit of vocalising, and they were a joy to watch.
One of my regular walks from home for exercise purposes, includes the Towers Woodland, and during recent walks when I have been walking through there near dusk I have recorded Ring-necked Parakeet. I hear it first, and then see it flying through the tree tops. I still can't get used to seeing them.
Gail and I headed to my clients farm near Slaidburn on the 26th March, to drop a Barn Owl box off with one of the guys, to be put up in the straw barn. We already have two pairs of Barn Owls on the farm, so we are not sure whether the bird in the straw barn is one of the birds from the existing pairs or not. But it certainly will not do any harm to put another box up.
We wanted to check whether a new scrape that 'we' put in last week in one of the hay meadows was still holding water or not. Besides still holding water, it was holding a pair of Curlews!
Gail and I headed to my clients farm near Slaidburn on the 26th March, to drop a Barn Owl box off with one of the guys, to be put up in the straw barn. We already have two pairs of Barn Owls on the farm, so we are not sure whether the bird in the straw barn is one of the birds from the existing pairs or not. But it certainly will not do any harm to put another box up.
We wanted to check whether a new scrape that 'we' put in last week in one of the hay meadows was still holding water or not. Besides still holding water, it was holding a pair of Curlews!
Curlews feeding on the spread spoil from the new scrape
Then we had a drive round some of the main breeding wader fields, and there were good numbers of waders already starting to build up. We estimated that six pairs of Curlews, two pairs of Redshanks, and ten pairs of Lapwings were setting up territories, with more to come.
Lapwing
Other bits and pieces included a nice flock of eight Reed Buntings, with lots of Siskins on the feeders. Four Buzzards and a male Kestrel were also noted.
Reed Bunting
The following afternoon we had a walk along the estuary from Jubilee Quay. It was quiet from a bird perspective, but it was great to see six Small Tortoiseshells and a couple of queen Buff-tailed Bumblebees on the wing. That, and the following evening, we heard Common Scoters over our garden during darkness. This is an annual occurrence now, and of course we don't know how many, all we can work out is their flight direction.
At the end of the month, I had an interesting and frustrating morning at Rossall Point. I was there at first light, and it was dreich, but birds were on the move. The sea was quiet, and the dreich conditions didn’t help, but there was some visible migration.
Unusually for spring, the movement was mainly westerly (heading into wind) or northerly, with little heading east, which is the classic vis direction for this site in spring. My vis totals were, nine Linnets, 128 Meadow Pipits, 44 Chaffinches, three Carrion Crows, five Woodpigeons, a Swallow, a Lapland Bunting, 14 Goldfinches, four Rooks, seven Lesser Redpolls, a Siskin, and a Sand Martin.
Unusually for spring, the movement was mainly westerly (heading into wind) or northerly, with little heading east, which is the classic vis direction for this site in spring. My vis totals were, nine Linnets, 128 Meadow Pipits, 44 Chaffinches, three Carrion Crows, five Woodpigeons, a Swallow, a Lapland Bunting, 14 Goldfinches, four Rooks, seven Lesser Redpolls, a Siskin, and a Sand Martin.
Linnet
The Lapland Bunting was the best bird, and most frustrating, as it was calling overhead, heading west, and I couldn’t get on to it! It doesn’t make any difference to the record, but it would have been nice to see this chunky Bunting as it headed west.
I bumped into a lovely birder from the West Midlands (Ian W), old school as well, with a ‘Black n’ Red’ notebook (more important to me than my bins!), and we were lamenting about how scarce numerous bird species are today, including Lapland Bunting. I used to see good numbers in the winter, when I had a spell of living in Norfolk in the 1980s, but not anymore sadly.
The visibility was poor, so records over the sea were limited to 21 Common Scoters, 10 Eiders, six Red-throated Divers, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 200 Knot, a Little Egret (heading north-east across the bay), and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
A few waders were on the shore as the tide ran in, including six Dunlins, 174 Sanderlings, 20 Ringed Plovers, and a single Bar-tailed Godwit (a different bird to the one above).
I called in at the Cemetery on my way home, but there were no grounded migrants, so I spent some time photographing some common, but lovely, wildflowers.
I bumped into a lovely birder from the West Midlands (Ian W), old school as well, with a ‘Black n’ Red’ notebook (more important to me than my bins!), and we were lamenting about how scarce numerous bird species are today, including Lapland Bunting. I used to see good numbers in the winter, when I had a spell of living in Norfolk in the 1980s, but not anymore sadly.
The visibility was poor, so records over the sea were limited to 21 Common Scoters, 10 Eiders, six Red-throated Divers, three Red-breasted Mergansers, 200 Knot, a Little Egret (heading north-east across the bay), and a Bar-tailed Godwit.
A few waders were on the shore as the tide ran in, including six Dunlins, 174 Sanderlings, 20 Ringed Plovers, and a single Bar-tailed Godwit (a different bird to the one above).
I called in at the Cemetery on my way home, but there were no grounded migrants, so I spent some time photographing some common, but lovely, wildflowers.
Field Wood-rush
I was back at Rossall Point on the 1st, and it was another interesting and frustrating morning, with another heard only bird.
I set off to head to my watch-point, and as I climbed on top of the dunes, I heard a Ring Ouzel calling from the scrub at the eastern end of the golf course. I scanned the scrub, and the rough along the edge of the scrub, and couldn’t see anything (they can be very elusive as you know). I could still hear it, so I headed towards the area of scrub, and the calling stopped, so I headed back towards the dunes. I just climbed up again, and it started calling again. Another scan, no sign, so I walked the path alongside the scrub, but I failed to locate it. Another call only bird!
Visibility was better today, but the sea wasn’t really any better than yesterday. A couple of new species for me, for the site, for the spring, in the form of a Gannet and a Guillemot, and the other meagre totals were seven Cormorants, 13 Eiders, 15 Common Scoters, a Great Crested Grebe, 140 Pink-footed Geese, 150 Knot, 48 Dunlins, three Red-throated Divers, and two Red-breasted Mergansers.
Like yesterday the visible migration direction was mainly north or west, with few species heading east. Vis totals included, 87 Linnets, 55 Woodpigeons, 153 Meadow Pipits, and 23 Golden Plovers.
By the time I packed up, the tide still had a way to run in, so the only waders in any numbers were 184 Sanderlings, and 65 Oystercatchers.
The only grounded migrants I had, in addition to the Ring Ouzel, were two male Wheatears.
I had a look in the cemetery in case the Ring Ouzel had flipped over into there, but I didn’t record a single grounded migrant. A Peregrine over was noteworthy.
On the way home I dropped in to Jubilee Quay to see if there was any mud remaining, and if so, how many Redshanks were roosting. There was a small amount of mud left uncovered in the Quay, and on the edge of the dock channel, and 182 Redshanks were split between the two areas, with a single Turnstone, and a handful of Oystercatchers.
I set off to head to my watch-point, and as I climbed on top of the dunes, I heard a Ring Ouzel calling from the scrub at the eastern end of the golf course. I scanned the scrub, and the rough along the edge of the scrub, and couldn’t see anything (they can be very elusive as you know). I could still hear it, so I headed towards the area of scrub, and the calling stopped, so I headed back towards the dunes. I just climbed up again, and it started calling again. Another scan, no sign, so I walked the path alongside the scrub, but I failed to locate it. Another call only bird!
Visibility was better today, but the sea wasn’t really any better than yesterday. A couple of new species for me, for the site, for the spring, in the form of a Gannet and a Guillemot, and the other meagre totals were seven Cormorants, 13 Eiders, 15 Common Scoters, a Great Crested Grebe, 140 Pink-footed Geese, 150 Knot, 48 Dunlins, three Red-throated Divers, and two Red-breasted Mergansers.
Like yesterday the visible migration direction was mainly north or west, with few species heading east. Vis totals included, 87 Linnets, 55 Woodpigeons, 153 Meadow Pipits, and 23 Golden Plovers.
By the time I packed up, the tide still had a way to run in, so the only waders in any numbers were 184 Sanderlings, and 65 Oystercatchers.
The only grounded migrants I had, in addition to the Ring Ouzel, were two male Wheatears.
I had a look in the cemetery in case the Ring Ouzel had flipped over into there, but I didn’t record a single grounded migrant. A Peregrine over was noteworthy.
On the way home I dropped in to Jubilee Quay to see if there was any mud remaining, and if so, how many Redshanks were roosting. There was a small amount of mud left uncovered in the Quay, and on the edge of the dock channel, and 182 Redshanks were split between the two areas, with a single Turnstone, and a handful of Oystercatchers.
Redshanks and Turnstone
No grounded migrants here either, and only one moth, a Common Plume, in my garden light trap when I got home.
Thursday (2nd April) was the first morning for some time that the weather conditions were suitable for ringing, and they may be the last suitable conditions for the next couple of weeks, if the weather forecast proves to be correct! Gail and I headed to the Nature Park, and had a fairly short ringing session. There was lots of water in the reedbed and scrub, and our wellies only just coped.
We ringed six birds (recaptures in brackets) as follows:
We ringed six birds (recaptures in brackets) as follows:
Chiffchaff - 4
Long-tailed Tit - 1 (1)
Dunnock - 1
Chiffchaff
At least five Cetti’s Warblers were singing on site, as were four Chiffchaffs, probably in addition to the four ringed. There was very little visible migration, just 20 Woodpigeons, two Siskins, and 123 Pink-footed Geese all heading north.
It’s surprising the narrow flight-lines that birds use, particularly on the coast, as we bumped into Ian W later in the cemetery, who had been at Rossall Point, and there had been a fair bit of vis over there.
The cemetery was quiet, with no grounded migrants, and just a few Chaffinches and Siskins over.
It’s surprising the narrow flight-lines that birds use, particularly on the coast, as we bumped into Ian W later in the cemetery, who had been at Rossall Point, and there had been a fair bit of vis over there.
The cemetery was quiet, with no grounded migrants, and just a few Chaffinches and Siskins over.
My attempt to find some summer migrants this morning nearly drew a blank, as all I could find was a single female Wheatear at Jubilee Quay. I was hoping that the rain would drop a few migrants, but it didn't, and a trawl of the Cemetery and the Mount Park drew a blank. It was cold this morning, and I think that is part of the problem. It feels like it is going to be one of those springs where everything just filters in slowly, without any major arrivals or falls. But we'll see, it's early days yet.
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