Dull and Grey....

....and not a good day to decide to do 'The Walk' but that's exactly what I did and got quite wet during an hour of rain on an otherwise dull and grey day.

I have no appropriate pics associated with today's birding but an Egyptian Goose is causing quite a stir at the moment, it is now at Cockerham Quarry SD461529 but is of Jeremy Lane fame at its first sighting and the image above is by kind permission of Phil Slade....Thanks Phil.

The leg work started at Skerton Bridge from where I could see 4 Little Grebe upstream towards the weir along with six Goosander, between here and Marsh Point I saw only 3 Goldeneye and checked a few hundred Black-headed Gulls to no avail otherwise. At the point were c.320 Black-tailed Godwit, and on Freeman's Pools the redhead Smew was soon found and I also noted just 2 Gadwall, 2 Goldeneye, 8 Tufted Duck, and a drake Wigeon, a Roe Deer was also seen here. On Aldcliffe Marsh, c.350 Pink-footed Geese and a Little Egret were seen, and a Green Sandpiper was on the flood viewed from Aldcliffe Hall Lane. At Stodday 52 Redshank had found a good food supply in the horse paddock by the water works.

Now I'm becoming depressed as the rain - which had been threatening all the time - finally set in and continued all the way to Conder Green....I'm mentally at my worst when out walking in the rain....deep breath, and count to fifty! 

On the entire route I saw just 4 Blackbirds in stark contrast to the 43 recorded on 31 December, also noted 2 Song Thrush (22 on 31 December) 2 Mistle Thrush, 6 Long-tailed Tits, a Dunnock, a Reed Bunting, and a Treecreeper. With what time I had left at Conder Green before catching the Lancaster bus at Glasson Dock, I noted a Greenshank in the channel, and also 3 Little Grebe. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock I noted a drake Goosander and a Goldeneye.

So five hours after leaving Skerton Bridge......my bus is here!!

BTG's and a Kestrel.

On Wednesdays these days I only get to take a look at anything of interest in the bird world for a couple of hours along the promenade at Morecambe and today there was at least 560 Black-tailed Godwits off Broadway to note. So my records for the day taking up such a small space on the blog I thought to fill the gap the Kestrel below would be of interest.

Well if you thought this was a Common Kestrel then you're not quite as clever as you think because its an image of the Lesser Kestrel and was taken at Madrigalego in Spain and I'm grateful to Chris Batty for allowing it on to here, another photograph helping to make Birds2blog quite a lot more interesting....Thanks Chris.

Other than the adult male - the ID of which is pretty straightforward - other plumage's are a real nightmare to the extent that a bird in Cornwall in 1979 was eventually abandoned by the BBRC because the evaluation of several conflicting sets of descriptions. I think the image above clearly illustrates the difficulties of ID.

Unless I'm not quite up to date there are seventeen British records of the Lesser Kestrel. The very first record is that of a bird which had been flying around a farm for several days before being shot and subsequently identified as a 2nd year male in November 1867.

This species is an extremely rare vagrant very high on most twitchers 'wanted list' but is now even more less likely to become a 'tick' for these birders owing to a worrying decline in its breeding populations. For example in Spain where this photograph was taken, its decrease is thought by many to be perhaps from over 100,000 pairs to half that number over a ten year period by the 1970's and again perhaps to as low as 4,000 pairs by 1990....and that's dramatic don't you think, and in France from a possible 100 pairs to just 10 pairs in the 1980's makes this story become even more dramatic and worrying.

Well some of the human population of this planet still choose to shoot birds - making them no better than the man in 1867 - which are already under many other threats such as pesticides and habitat loss making them as vulnerable as ever to becoming extinct. How very sad that when we are looking at the picture above it is that of an endangered species. 

A Bleak Zero.

Wintering male Stonechat at Cockersands courtesy of Phil Slade.

Always willing to post a Stonechat pic but this isn't just any Stonechat pic this was the only surviving one - since this years return of the  ice-age - in our area and well beyond if the truth be known. You'll note the use of the word 'was' as I now have information on a Stonechat seen at Singleton on 17 February. But one thing for sure I saw not single bird again today in my four hour stint on Clougha/Birk Bank and there's a lot needs to be said about this if only in brief.

 

Bleak and empty up here today but what did I expect, this is Clougha and its February in the coldest winter in years. But the truth is that its the first January and February in more than ten years I've been coming up here and for the second consecutive visit have seen no Stonechats, but again the truth is I didn't really expect to.

In my view based on more than ten years observing and studying the Stonechat especially on Clougha - but elsewhere in many areas too - we are now back to pre 1999 and the upturn in the status of this species which was dramatic at first is now over.

The majority of our Stonechats remain to winter on or near to their breeding territories though some make longer movements within the UK.  A minority migrate to southern Europe and the coastal countries of North Africa, and during the mild winters we have been experiencing the population that remains have had the advantage over the migratory population in that they can commence breeding earlier. However, following this winters severe weather - when lets face it the resident population will no doubt have perished - the migrant population will have to take on the responsibility of getting the species back on track to build up the numbers to reach a situation whereby the sedentary part of the population regains the advantage of being in the position to start their breeding before the migrants return again which is precisely where the Stonechat has been for the past ten years at least until this winter of 2009/10. 

I think speculation was that global warming would allow the sedentary population to increase to such an extent that in the future the European Stonechat may become entirely resident in the UK. I'm no ornithological expert and don't think I need to be to hold the view that this winter has killed off that speculation and set it back at least five years....but what of next winter!

So the rewards for a four hour lonely trundle up Clougha/Birk Bank today were....15 Red Grouse, 2 Buzzard, and at least 80 Lapwings were noted in the fields off Rigg Lane.

   

The Four Hour Slot.

Sandwich Tern courtesy of Brian Rafferty.

Well a Sandwich Tern may seem a little out of season today but in five weeks time you may well be looking at one somewhere in the area.

Today I squeezed in four hours birding starting with a circuit of Conder Green which was all worth while if only for the excellent views of the male Merlin hunting over the marsh, but to be honest the area was pretty quiet with none of the CG specials showing including the Common Sandpiper which has gone missing again and hasn't been seen since 4 February. On Conder Pool I noted 19 Wigeon, 6 Pochard including a female by way of a change, and 75 Tufted Duck. counted no mre than 82 Teal in the channel. Of note on the Lune Estuary, c.2,000 Bar-tailed Godwit, no more than 40 Goldeneye seen today, 4 Bewick's Swans.

A Little Egret came out of a ditch again on Jeremy Lane, this bird has take a distinct liking to this area of late. On Moss Lane 19 Whooper Swan counted, and at Cockersands the circuit was quiet but I noted just 8 Eider by the lighthouse, and at the Caravan Park end the male Stonechat, 2 Song Thrush, 3 Greenfinch which has become a scarcity, and on the return via the road many Lapwings are on territory despite the cold weather, and I counted 21 Brown Hare in the best area I know for this creature.

I reckon this is the same Buzzard I saw on a fence post opposite the western end of Gulf Lane off the A588 this afternoon as seen and photographed earlier in the day by Phil Slade another one of those nice friendly Fylde birders I keep bumping into on my rounds....thanks for the pic Phil. I was more than a little disappointed in my visit here if only because I had just 30 minutes to grill up to 10,000 Pink-footed Geese before having to head off back to Lancaster but despite going through them twice as best I could I could find nothing accompanying them, 2 Little Egrets in flight below the embankment brought my short day to a close.

 

Savannah Sparrow courtesy of David Baker in BC Canada.

Paul Baker refers to this bird as the harbinger of spring....felt a long way off again today over here Paul....thanks for the pic David.

Notes.

Apparently the Black-tailed Godwit pictured in the post last Friday 'Good Birds/Poor Pics' was marked in Iceland otherwise no other details but this info is much appreciated and is an encouragement to keep looking.

I have it on good authority that no Stonechats have been seen in any of the areas - and lots of them - checked in Bowland since before Christmas. Well I hope to get up Clougha/Birk Bank tomorrow and to hell with it.....another day talking to myself! 

Diversion.

Always willing to make a diversion from the birds if I can get a hold of excellent photographs to post like these three I recently acquired.

Not quite a diversion from birds with this first image of the Red-billed Tropicbird over Raso, Cape Verde Islands for which I have to thank Chris Batty for giving me permission to copy. This - and some more excellent images - can currently be seen on the Fylde Bird Club website which can be found here http://www.fyldebirdclub.org/  the photographs are currently linked from their website in the right hand sidebar of the homepage....Thanks Chris.

This stunning landscape is the work of Peter Guy who kindly forwarded me some of his images recently. This one is a truly impressive shot of Ingleborough taken by him on a recent visit to this beautiful and dramatic area of Yorkshire. From a photographic point of view take note of the professional way the two trees have been placed in the composition of this picture. If I know anything at all about photography this qualifies for top marks....Thanks Peter.

      

And its certainly time I showed another one of those amazing Landart creations of Richard Shilling's. This one he calls 'Endless Knot' and he describes it as one of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism. Richard has an interesting write up about this - and all his other creation's - on his website here http://jrlandart.blogspot.com/ ....Excellent as ever Richard and thank you very much for letting me post this image which is as creative as the art itself.      

  

                                          

Birdwatch - Arctic Tern migration revealed

Bearing in mind my post on 13 February re the Arctic Tern take a look at this in the link below.


Birdwatch - Arctic Tern migration revealed

Good Birds/Poor Pic's.

With JB/BT today 'cos its Friday and there was some good bird's around. Very unusual to have poor pic's on Birds2blog with the excellent contact's I have providing me with equally excellent photograph's, but this is my latest attempt at obtaining a decent pic of the Freeman's Pools redhead Smew which was seen this morning again and which was a little closer to us, also noted on the pools, 8 Gadwall, 2 Goldeneye, and a Little Egret.

At Conder Green I counted 110 Teal in the channels, on Conder Pool I noted a Spotted Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Wigeon, c.60 Tufted Duck, and 6 Pochard which included a female today by way of a change from the species seen always being drake's. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 3 Bewick's Swans, c.90 Black-tailed Godwit, c.1,700 Bar-tailed Godwit, 115 Golden Plover, and at least 165 Goldeneye. From Bodie Hill, 10 Whooper Swans, 5 Goldeneye, and a Merlin put panic into everything in sight and eventually flew close by us. On Jeremy Lane, 5 Whooper Swans, and c.260 Common Gull were of note. From Moss Lane, 5 Whooper Swans comprised of two adult and three juvenile, and in another field further up Moss Lane with poor views and no access c.6.500 Pink Footed Geese.

  

At Cockersands 17 Black-tailed Godwits included the ringed bird in the poor quality/little value record shot above in which the rings are not readable but be assured were....Orange over Red on both leg's above the tibia. Also noted here, 9 Eider, and a curious little flotilla of tightly grouped birds off Plover Scar consisted of, 8 Shelduck, 8 Mallard, 4 Wigeon, and a drake Pintail....'join the club'. The male Stonechat was again on the tide wrack at the Caravan Park end. 

From Gulf Lane a least 7,000 Pink-footed Geese were in a field in the area behind Sand Villa, and a Little Egret was seen to go into a ditch near Wrampool House. And on Pilling Marsh 96 Whooper Swans counted but distant and partially hidden for 100% accuracy, also 2 Little Egret.

An excellent day on which 116 Whooper Swans and 3 Bewick's Swans were seen along with an absolute minimum total of 13,500/14,000 Pink-footed Geese of which few were given the justified thorough grilling they deserved.

New Blog Title!

The view to the left and right of the River Conder from the platform overlooking Conder Pool. I can assure you it is well worth a circuit of Conder Green on foot at low tide to check out all the nooks and crannies including the channel downstream from the old railway bridge....recommended birding.  

At this rate the blog will need to be renamed. When I looked out this morning the snow flakes were coming down the size of fifty pence pieces and were still doing so when I decided to take on another non-birding related task after which I'm now sat staring at the dreaded computer screen once again....Oh dear!

But lets cheer up and take a look through last years Portland Bill website to discover in nine days time in 2009 they were looking at the arrival of up to 30 Stonechats and I take note of some very interesting comments made regarding their suspicions about the presence of Continental birds amongst the British breeders - rubicola as opposed to hibernans -  'and a couple of males both looked to be good rubicola candidates as they were conspicuously whiter-bellied and whiter-rumped than hibernans' and other underpart colouration was noted. Unfortunately there's a rather blurred boundary between these forms and so in the 'is it or isn't it' stakes they can't really be elevated above the good candidate level. 

So I'm already looking forward to the beginning of March when I start to look for my first returning Stonechat probably - but not necessarily - at Fluke Hall.

Blue Tit courtesy of Peter Guy.

I came across an interesting behaviour note whilst rummaging through my files, the title was 'Resurrection of an adult Blue Tit' and read something like this....

On 1 February 2005 near Clapham Railway Station I found an adult Blue Tit on its back on a grass verge, for all intents and purposes the bird appeared to me to be dead. However, on taking a closer look I noticed its legs and tail were twitching and thinking a little human intervention may help I slid my hand underneath it to pick it up and hold it cupped in my hands hopefully as an aid to recovery. As I did so it alarmed me by taking to flight for a short distance before colliding with a wall, I now assumed the bird had been stunned when I first found it and as I approached it once more it took to flight again only to collide with the wall a second time. During this time I had seen nor heard any other bird's but from behind me another Blue Tit flew directly towards it and I couldn't help but notice made bodily contact with the bird on the ground and in an instant both flew off together.

It could well be claimed that I had merely witnessed a stunned bird making a rather quick recovery, but the question here was, had the second Blue Tit been observing what was going on before it made what was obviously the determined move to rescue this bird in trouble......another example of bird behavior not seen by me before.    

RSPB: It's time for Malta to stop slaughtering Europe's birds

Please take a minute to read this article by clicking on the link below.

Thanks Pete Woodruff.

RSPB: It's time for Malta to stop slaughtering Europe's birds

The Picture Gallery.

Its Wednesday and my birding is restricted to a couple of hours at Morecambe on Wednesday each week at the moment. It was a brilliant day for a check of the birds around the high tide the highlight of which was an adult Mediterranean Gull found off Teal Bay mid afternoon, also probably up to 200 Eider between here and Broadway of which 125 were at the end of the groyne NE of the yacht club slipway with 3 Goldeneye to note. I have it on good and reliable authority of a Green Sandpiper seen from the Lancaster Canal on 11 January c.1.5 miles south of deep cutting bridge on a beck running into the canal.

Brian Rafferty has been out and about with his camera recently which is good news for me and Birds2blog as I can fill my birding gaps with some more excellent photographs the likes of which we see in the one above of the Barn Owl. Photographically I think the composition of this image is spot on with the drooping barbed wire and broken down fence post's with the grasses growing up them to complete the perfect picture....Thanks BR full marks as ever.  

This is another of those Mike Watson's White-tailed Eagle images from his trip to Hungary when he visited the Hortobagy National Park. This bird is something else as is Mikes photograph of it....Thanks MW.

 

And again, another one of those Paul Baker's Ring-billed Gull images in British Columbia, Canada. Some smart gull this one, and some smart image of it too....Thanks PB.

Running up the rear is Colin Bushell's amazing Gretna Green Starling roost which Colin claims is one of the UK's most amazing spectacles and I'm not about to deny that....Thanks CB.