BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND......................................................MEDITTERANEAN GULLS CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF

Thursday 12 February 2009

A short story....

....about a topical subject at the moment
plus a moderate quality pic - totally
unrelated to the story - which I took recently at Glasson Dock and is of a gull stood on ice on the canal basin. The birds plumage is too pale for Yellow-legged Gull though that was the colour of its legs. Still a lot to learn and until I do some reading am at a loss, but not much new there......well on occasions anyhow.

We've been seeing some interesting and informative post's on the LDBWS website regarding Twite and the associated and ongoing ringing programme with the species. I personally have had a reasonable winter for this bird and could have observed more than 100 in one day this week if the Conder Green birds had obliged and added their number to the 62 already seen that day, but unfortunately they evaded me. I have already expressed my view that the Twite is an often difficult bird to get to grips with when it comes to reading ring combinations and a good deal of time and determination is needed to get a result from the exercise and so far this year I have gained absolutely nil in this regard.

But my most exciting Twite find was on 11 April 2005 when, whilst walking the the banks of the Rivers Wenning and Lune on the prowl to find my first Yellow Wagtail of the summer (not an easy task these days) I had reached just north of Loyne Bridge on the River Lune when I came upon two distant passerines which turned out to be Twite. These two birds were the first of the species I ever found off passage and away from places like Cockersands, Fluke Hall and the likes on the coast. But more excitement - and a bonus - was to come when I found one of the birds was ringed and on this occasion was easily read. Passing this news on to the appropriate people we were to learn that the bird had been ringed at Cant Clough in Lanc's and was one of about 32 ringed there on 26 July 2003, apparently someone had also had a 'similar bird' at Askam which brought about the comment, quote....' so you have at least some South Pennine birds coming your way'....unquote. The e-mail I received ended, quote....'definitely interesting stuff'....unquote. Well I certainly went along with that at the time and still do.

I have it on good authority that a single Waxwing was seen on Rowan this morning from Station Road in High Bentham.

And finally......My computer is going into hospital tomorrow until goodness knows when but hopefully not too long, though I doubt very much that anyone on the planet will be affected in any way at all by this news.
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2 comments:

  1. I for one will definitely be affected by the lack of your 'puter. Hope its not terminal. Like to keep up with your news from the northern-most outposts of our fantastically diverse county.

    Herring Gulls do sometimes show yellow legs - anyone else got any other suggestions?

    Keep up this great blog - computers permitting

    Cheers

    Dave

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  2. You're too kind with your comments Dave but thanks. It's good to know I was wrong about no one on the planet being affected by my computer hospitalisation, but hey....we are back!


    Pete.

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