With 25 mph westerly winds and a morning tide the only thing to do was to go seawatching and I joined Ian at the Point at first light. It was a little slow to start with but then it picked up mainly in the form of Kittiwake numbers. We had been counting groups of 8, 4, 2, 5 etc when a cargo ship headed into Morecambe Bay stirring up the water in its wake and this drew the Kittiwakes to it and we could see that there were at least 150 of them.
The supporting cast on the sea included 22 Cormorants, two Pintails, three Eiders, six Little Gulls, a Wigeon, five Common Scoters, ten Auk sp., ten Great Crested Grebes and a Red-throated Diver. At 0840 Ian picked up a falcon heading south across the Bay but gaining height at the same time and as it came closer we could see that it was a Peregrine. It then stooped at another bird and we could see that this was a small falcon, in fact it was a Merlin. The 'Peg' stooped at the Merlin a couple of times, but the Merlin was having none of it and had a go back at the Peg and in the end the Peregrine gave up and both birds slowly headed south across the bay towards us, one to the west and the other to the east.
The best bird of the morning came at 0930 when Ian shouted "Shearwater" and there close in was a Manx Shearwater shearing to the west giving as good a view of a Manxie as you ever get off the Point. We thought this would be the latest ever record for Lancashire and a quick look in the 'Birds of Lancashire' shows one record later by a day of 80 off Formby on 4th November 1979. Manxies are distinctly uncommon even in October and I therefore question the validity of this record, particularly the numbers involved!
A nice flock of 150 - 200 Sanderlings was on the shore and Ian managed to photograph two leg flagged birds. It will be interesting to find out where these birds were from as we have recorded a number of leg flagged birds here now and have sighted birds ringed in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and Mauritania.
A Meadow Pipit west at sea was the only 'vis' and a female Stonechat in the dunes was a bird that has been around for a while.
It's a trip to the feeding station tomorrow for me and the weather is looking good enough for a wander round.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Saturday, 2 November 2013
North To Northumberland
I have just got back after spending a few days in Northumberland with my good friend George. George invited me over to talk to Alnwick Wildlife Group, of which he is the Chairman, about the BTO ringing scheme. In fact I would recommend the Alnwick Wildlife Group's blog and you can find it here
On my way up to Northumberland I called at my feeding station for a quick 'splash and dash' and there were eight Chaffinches and 57 Tree Sparrows eagerly waiting to be fed!
On Thursday morning George and I decided to visit a few coastal locations and we started over the border at St Abb's Head where for some time there has been a male Sardinian Warbler. We had brief views of the Sardinian Warbler, but better than that was the spectacular landscape. Fieldfares, Redwings, Starlings, Siskins and Skylarks were continually going over head and Thrushes arriving 'in-off' the North Sea continued all day.
The supporting cast to the spectacular scenery at St Abb's included a Raven, two Peregrines, two Chiffchaffs, eight Whooper Swans and a male Blackcap.
We then dropped south of the border back in to Northumberland and on to George's sea watching location of Stag Rocks just north of Bamburgh Castle. The most impressive birds for me was the flock of thirty Purple Sandpipers as on my patch I am lucky to get one or two a year. Large numbers of Turnstones and a flock of 45 Knots were with the 'Purps' and on the sea were six Red-breasted Mergansers, 155 Common Scoters and a Red-throated Diver. A fly past Little Egret and an adult Mediterranean Gull were also enjoyable.
Before heading home on Friday we headed to Fenham Flats opposite Holy Island for a couple of hours birding on the incoming tide. There were large numbers of wildfowl that I didn't count including Wigeon in their thousands. We had 350 Barnacle Geese, but could only see three pale-bellied Brent Geese, and the highlight for me was the fifteen Long-tailed Ducks that we had.
This morning I made a quick visit to my feeding station before the rain came in and I was pleased to note that the Tree Sparrow numbers had risen to 120 and at least thirteen Chaffinch were with them. I had a flock of five Whooper Swans and four Grey Partridges flushed from the feeding area when I approached.
The weather is looking a bit lively for tomorrow morning, but there is a morning tide, so I might just get some sea watching in.
On my way up to Northumberland I called at my feeding station for a quick 'splash and dash' and there were eight Chaffinches and 57 Tree Sparrows eagerly waiting to be fed!
On Thursday morning George and I decided to visit a few coastal locations and we started over the border at St Abb's Head where for some time there has been a male Sardinian Warbler. We had brief views of the Sardinian Warbler, but better than that was the spectacular landscape. Fieldfares, Redwings, Starlings, Siskins and Skylarks were continually going over head and Thrushes arriving 'in-off' the North Sea continued all day.
Sardinian Warbler
The supporting cast to the spectacular scenery at St Abb's included a Raven, two Peregrines, two Chiffchaffs, eight Whooper Swans and a male Blackcap.
Whooper Swans
We then dropped south of the border back in to Northumberland and on to George's sea watching location of Stag Rocks just north of Bamburgh Castle. The most impressive birds for me was the flock of thirty Purple Sandpipers as on my patch I am lucky to get one or two a year. Large numbers of Turnstones and a flock of 45 Knots were with the 'Purps' and on the sea were six Red-breasted Mergansers, 155 Common Scoters and a Red-throated Diver. A fly past Little Egret and an adult Mediterranean Gull were also enjoyable.
Before heading home on Friday we headed to Fenham Flats opposite Holy Island for a couple of hours birding on the incoming tide. There were large numbers of wildfowl that I didn't count including Wigeon in their thousands. We had 350 Barnacle Geese, but could only see three pale-bellied Brent Geese, and the highlight for me was the fifteen Long-tailed Ducks that we had.
This morning I made a quick visit to my feeding station before the rain came in and I was pleased to note that the Tree Sparrow numbers had risen to 120 and at least thirteen Chaffinch were with them. I had a flock of five Whooper Swans and four Grey Partridges flushed from the feeding area when I approached.
More Whooper Swans
The weather is looking a bit lively for tomorrow morning, but there is a morning tide, so I might just get some sea watching in.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Velvet Morning
It was calm enough to do some ringing at the obs this morning, but yet again the forecast of the previous evening was for it to be a good deal windier than it was! At first light I had complete cloud cover with a light SSW wind.
I did my usual walk around the patch and it was fairly quiet. There were very few grounded migrants around, or at least they weren't obvious (quite a few Dunnocks, Robins and Wrens; but were they migrants?), other than three Song Thrushes that spiralled out of the sky and a single calling Goldcrest in the dunes.
Visible migration was similarly lack lustre with just four Alba Wags, 26 Meadow Pipits, four Chaffinches, twelve Starlings and a Reed Bunting. 'Other' birds included just 14 Pink-footed Geese dropping into the farm fields to feed, a single Kestrel flying the only raptor flag and a flock of 26 Greenfinches in the Japanese Rose patch.
Out on the sea the best bird was a male Velvet Scoter drifting out on the falling tide. In fact the only other bird I had on the sea other than two Cormorants was a single Guillemot and a 'none bird' in the form of an Atlantic Grey Seal.
I'm not sure yet what to do in the morning as the weather is a bit iffy and being a bit of a 'petrol head' I want to watch the Japanese Moto GP and Indian F1 GP. I'll have to give it some thought and consult the weather Gods!
I did my usual walk around the patch and it was fairly quiet. There were very few grounded migrants around, or at least they weren't obvious (quite a few Dunnocks, Robins and Wrens; but were they migrants?), other than three Song Thrushes that spiralled out of the sky and a single calling Goldcrest in the dunes.
Visible migration was similarly lack lustre with just four Alba Wags, 26 Meadow Pipits, four Chaffinches, twelve Starlings and a Reed Bunting. 'Other' birds included just 14 Pink-footed Geese dropping into the farm fields to feed, a single Kestrel flying the only raptor flag and a flock of 26 Greenfinches in the Japanese Rose patch.
Pied Wagtail
Out on the sea the best bird was a male Velvet Scoter drifting out on the falling tide. In fact the only other bird I had on the sea other than two Cormorants was a single Guillemot and a 'none bird' in the form of an Atlantic Grey Seal.
I'm not sure yet what to do in the morning as the weather is a bit iffy and being a bit of a 'petrol head' I want to watch the Japanese Moto GP and Indian F1 GP. I'll have to give it some thought and consult the weather Gods!
Friday, 25 October 2013
Tree Sparrow Numbers Increasing
It was pouring down again when I visited my feeding station this morning but just in case there was another goodie lurking I kept my bins with me and didn't leave them in the car. However I can report that I didn't see or should I say hear anything scarce!
It was pleasing to note though, that the Tree Sparrows had increased to 90 and there was also 10 Chaffinches and a single Great Spotted Woodpecker. Other single bird sightings were of a Buzzard and a Snipe.
I should manage a stagger around the obs tomorrow as the forecast rain isn't coming in until the afternoon, but it less clear what's happening to the weather on Sunday or Monday, other than a spot of seawatching might be in order!
It was pleasing to note though, that the Tree Sparrows had increased to 90 and there was also 10 Chaffinches and a single Great Spotted Woodpecker. Other single bird sightings were of a Buzzard and a Snipe.
I should manage a stagger around the obs tomorrow as the forecast rain isn't coming in until the afternoon, but it less clear what's happening to the weather on Sunday or Monday, other than a spot of seawatching might be in order!
Thursday, 24 October 2013
An Hour On The Estuary
I gave myself an hour or so off this morning and headed down to the estuary just after it got light. It was a glorious morning with clear skies and a fairly light southeasterly wind. The wind was lighter than forecast and I could have been out ringing this morning, but hey ho that's how it goes some times.
Walking along the Hawthorn path a number of Chaffinches and Robins were calling and as I looked over the field to my left a Barn Owl was hunting over the rank grassland and reeds. Just as I lifted my bins in dropped to the ground and presumably on to some prey item.
I bumped in to Ian who was ringing in a sheltered spot in the scrub but was surprisingly catching very little which made feel a little better about missing a ringing opportunity this morning. There were a few birds moving over and I thought that on the coast the 'vis' would probably be quite good. Over the estuary heading south and in the short time I was there I had 35 Meadow Pipits, three Goldfinches, a Chaffinch, 28 Skylarks, and two Alba Wags.
I walked across the saltmarsh to get a good view of the estuary and had 40 Redshanks, 162 Lapwings, 31 Curlews, 128 Pink-footed Geese, 194 Teal, 176 Wigeon and two Rock Pipits. I headed over to look on the pool and had a female Sparrowhawk being mobbed by two Carrion Crows, and on the pool the most numerous species was Little Grebe and I had a count of thirteen.
It was now time to head back home and do some work, which was a shame because I could have lingered on the estuary for hours as they are such magical places especially on a day like today.
The Estuary
Walking along the Hawthorn path a number of Chaffinches and Robins were calling and as I looked over the field to my left a Barn Owl was hunting over the rank grassland and reeds. Just as I lifted my bins in dropped to the ground and presumably on to some prey item.
I bumped in to Ian who was ringing in a sheltered spot in the scrub but was surprisingly catching very little which made feel a little better about missing a ringing opportunity this morning. There were a few birds moving over and I thought that on the coast the 'vis' would probably be quite good. Over the estuary heading south and in the short time I was there I had 35 Meadow Pipits, three Goldfinches, a Chaffinch, 28 Skylarks, and two Alba Wags.
I walked across the saltmarsh to get a good view of the estuary and had 40 Redshanks, 162 Lapwings, 31 Curlews, 128 Pink-footed Geese, 194 Teal, 176 Wigeon and two Rock Pipits. I headed over to look on the pool and had a female Sparrowhawk being mobbed by two Carrion Crows, and on the pool the most numerous species was Little Grebe and I had a count of thirteen.
Lapwings
Pink-footed Geese leaving their estuarine roost
It was now time to head back home and do some work, which was a shame because I could have lingered on the estuary for hours as they are such magical places especially on a day like today.
Couldn't you just linger here?
Monday, 21 October 2013
Feeding Station Surprise
I had no birding planned today as I had to go to the seed merchants, where I purchase my bird seed for the winter for my feeding station, and then at teatime I'm off to Manchester to see prog rock legends Camel in concert! On my way back from the seed merchants I called in at my feeding station to drop off a few of the sacks of seed and to do a feed.
It was pouring with rain as I headed off with my bucket of seed and I was pleased when I found 51 Tree Sparrows, six Chaffinches and a Fieldfare at the feeding station. As I was putting the seed out a mixed party of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits moved along the hedge and then immediately behind me calling away from the hedge was a very vocal Yellow-browed Warbler (how different to the almost silent bird at the obs a couple of weeks ago). I caught a fleeting glimpse of it as it reached the end of the hedge and crossed over to another hedge perpendicular to this one and it headed south along the hedge with the Tits.
Not surprisingly this was a first record for the site and an unexpected bonus on a wet and dreary morning. The only down side was that I made the school boy error and left my bins in the car thinking I wouldn't need them!
It was pouring with rain as I headed off with my bucket of seed and I was pleased when I found 51 Tree Sparrows, six Chaffinches and a Fieldfare at the feeding station. As I was putting the seed out a mixed party of Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits moved along the hedge and then immediately behind me calling away from the hedge was a very vocal Yellow-browed Warbler (how different to the almost silent bird at the obs a couple of weeks ago). I caught a fleeting glimpse of it as it reached the end of the hedge and crossed over to another hedge perpendicular to this one and it headed south along the hedge with the Tits.
Not surprisingly this was a first record for the site and an unexpected bonus on a wet and dreary morning. The only down side was that I made the school boy error and left my bins in the car thinking I wouldn't need them!
Sunday, 20 October 2013
The weekend weather Gods..........
..........seemed to conspire against me this weekend leading to no birding yesterday and very little this morning. I attempted to bird my patch twice yesterday but each time I aborted because of heavy rain.
This morning when I got up it was dry but I could see cloud cover developing. By the time I was at the southern bit of the obs it was raining slightly. However, I set off on my walk and tried to make the most of it, but an hour in to my walk the heavens opened and I had to make a hasty retreat. 'Sod's law' dictated that back home the cloud cover would break and the sun would come out and it did!
Back to my wet relatively birdless walk then. At first light a few Fieldfare and Redwings were going over heading south and this was all I had on 'vis' other than four Meadow Pipits, 15 Alba Wagtails, a Reed Bunting, two Greenfinches, a Linnet, two Chaffinches, a Grey Wagtail and some Starlings.
The Starlings were perhaps the most interesting facet of the morning and I had 2,750, made up of five squadrons, come in off the sea and head in an easterly/southeasterly direction. The Pink-footed Geese I had this morning were all heading north and I had 480 in total.
By the time I got to my seawatching position, that isn't sheltered at all, the rain was really coming down and I headed back to the car and home.
It's looking a bit mixed weatherwise for the coming week although the wind is forecast to remain generally from the southeast and it will remain warm. I have got a bit of time this week so I will try and get out on a few mornings. I'll let you know how I get on.
This morning when I got up it was dry but I could see cloud cover developing. By the time I was at the southern bit of the obs it was raining slightly. However, I set off on my walk and tried to make the most of it, but an hour in to my walk the heavens opened and I had to make a hasty retreat. 'Sod's law' dictated that back home the cloud cover would break and the sun would come out and it did!
Back to my wet relatively birdless walk then. At first light a few Fieldfare and Redwings were going over heading south and this was all I had on 'vis' other than four Meadow Pipits, 15 Alba Wagtails, a Reed Bunting, two Greenfinches, a Linnet, two Chaffinches, a Grey Wagtail and some Starlings.
The Starlings were perhaps the most interesting facet of the morning and I had 2,750, made up of five squadrons, come in off the sea and head in an easterly/southeasterly direction. The Pink-footed Geese I had this morning were all heading north and I had 480 in total.
Pink-footed Geese heading north
By the time I got to my seawatching position, that isn't sheltered at all, the rain was really coming down and I headed back to the car and home.
It's looking a bit mixed weatherwise for the coming week although the wind is forecast to remain generally from the southeast and it will remain warm. I have got a bit of time this week so I will try and get out on a few mornings. I'll let you know how I get on.
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