The Wrampool Stonechat.
Stonechat . Sharon Whitley The Rambling Artist
Any birding day which includes finding a Stonechat is always going to be a good day for me, and Tuesday started well with some nice Fylde bird variety found, including a smart male Stonechat seen at Wrampool. This bird has been here almost three months now, found with a female on 22 November and seen here until 2 January, since when - the female having disappeared - just the male has been frequently seen. AC kindly passed these records on to me, and I note a female found at Winmarleigh Moss quite close to Wrampool last Friday 12 February....the Wrampool female is my bet.
Lesser Redpoll. Martin Lofgren @ Wild Bird Gallery
Also at Wrampool, a flock of flighty finches appeared to all be up to 80 Linnet in and around a set-aside field. At Fluke Hall a Lesser Redpoll was with at least 80 Twite, also 40 Tree Sparrow, 15 Skylark, and 2 Chaffinch in the area. The Twite have been around for several weeks now and I recorded c.130 here on 29 December.
Also at Wrampool, a flock of flighty finches appeared to all be up to 80 Linnet in and around a set-aside field. At Fluke Hall a Lesser Redpoll was with at least 80 Twite, also 40 Tree Sparrow, 15 Skylark, and 2 Chaffinch in the area. The Twite have been around for several weeks now and I recorded c.130 here on 29 December.
I legged it along the coastal path to Cockers Dyke to find 180 Black-headed Gull, 32 Common Gull, and 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull. Along the way here I had seen Pilling Sands crawling with at least 1,500 Dunlin a good length of the way, also 2 Wren and a Dunnock noted on the sea defences.
Back on home territory, at Conder Green the resident Spotted Redshank was in the creeks, with 54 Curlew on Conder Pool, accompanied by a single Black-tailed Godwit presumed to be the very same individual I keep locating at Conder Green.
Legging it again from Conder Green to Glasson Dock, I found the Lune Estuary hosting another increase and peak count of 73 Goldeneye, otherwise the area was notably quiet, with c.130 Curlew, and just 45 Black-tailed Godwit of wader note, with a single Red-breasted Merganser seen. The canal basin produced the good record of a male and female Pochard.
Walking back to Conder Green, a Barn Owl flew towards me along the inner edge of the marsh below the footpath, did a u-turn to patrol the rough ground opposite the Caravan Park, then went on to the marsh at Conder Green, to then fly the length of Conder Pool at the back edge, then lost to view....I just hope this bird keeps clear of the very busy A588 and the equally busy B5290 to Glasson Dock which it obviously frequents on its hunting sorties.
Thanks to Sharon for her painting of the Stonechat, and to Martin for his image of the Redpoll, excellent on both counts.
Thanks to Sharon for her painting of the Stonechat, and to Martin for his image of the Redpoll, excellent on both counts.
I see that another petition against shooting (Lead Shot), is dribbling it's way to a poorly supported failure and has only just crossed the line that gets a run of the mill government response.
ReplyDeleteMakes me so envious when I read your species tallies Pete!
ReplyDeleteDerek....Your'e stating the obvious here about another petition going down the pan, but....you need to tell me if you support using led shot or not to have brought about pointing this out to everyone on Birds2blog, that way I'll have a better understanding about your comments.
ReplyDeleteWarren....Do you turn a horrible green colour?
Pete,
ReplyDeletePut simply, if, as there is, there is an alternative to lead shot, then all the time that there is an element of doubt about the effects on the health of both humans and wildlife from using lead shot, then I feel that it should only continue to be banned over the areas that it currently is.
Only when a comprehensive investigation proves that deaths or ill health are being caused by the ingestion of lead shot from eating shot birds, and that is currently not proven, should a total ban on lead shot be put in place and I would support it.