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

Saturday 29 September 2012

The Twite Are Coming.


Twite at Knott End Geoff Gradwell

It isn't all good news about the Twite, a species with a lot to say about too. I'll keep it brief this time to avoid any boredom, but the Twite is a rare and decreasing species, and as a consequence finds itself on the 'Red List'. But I'm hoping to find them this winter, anywhere along the coast between Aldcliffe and Knott End.

Just south of Burnley in East Lancashire, the Twite at Cant Clough are encouraged with all year round seed feeding station/s in an effort to maintain a local breeding population that has crashed over the last 20 years, but human intervention of putting out the seed has certainly been the reason why this population has remained here throughout the year rather than join their kin on the coast during the winter months.

Ringing at Heysham Harbour has proved that the Twite there are almost exclusively from Scottish breeding sites, Heysham has produced counts just reaching three figures at both ends of 2011 in January and November, also in January 2011, 90 Twite were seen at Glasson Dock. 

Perhaps worth while making some more notes in a later post, in particular about the demise of this smart little 'Mountain Linnet'.

The Inner Farne White's Thrush.

  

If you watched the video of this bird in my earlier post - and you're in my 'club' - you will have seen some behaviour not seen before of this species, at the time I was intrigued by this not ever having seen or heard of it, but with a little help from a friend and the Helme Identification Guides book 'Thrushes' I was enlightened by the quote from the book....‘has peculiar shivering or nervous bobbing or jerking gait recalling similar motion of Jack Snipe, apparently uses as a method to bring worms to the surface’....learning something new every day.

And finally....


Conder Creek. Peter Guy.

I'm grateful to PG - who I met at Conder Green on Wednesday - for sending me this photograph of the River Conder in flood, and....

Off Jeremy Lane. Peter Guy. 

....for this one of the floods off Jeremy Lane. Not good news for the farmers, but excellent conditions for migrant waders to drop in, some of which were seen taking advantage of these fields and those in Moss Lane, with Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff amongst the finds here this past week.


And definitely finally this time....

If its colour and a lovely songster - if you're wired for sound - you're looking for, take a look below....

3 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pictures and lovely video.. Have a nice wekeend.. A hug

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  2. preciosas ave la que aparece en el video.Saludos

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  3. Yes, quite amazing that a bird should adorn so much colour in its plumage and be blessed with such a sweet song.

    Thanks for the visit Ana/Isidro....Viva España.

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