Revolution and a couple of pics.

R + L. Richard Shilling.



If you've been following Birds2blog for any length of time, you'll know that I don't allow politics or controversy on to the blog....well not too much of it if I can help it though there's lots of both surrounding the birds.

Richard Shillings latest post is really good both with regard to his latest creation and the excellent write up below his illustration above. In any case I've not 'plugged' RS's website recently so he was overdue this one which - as always - I'd recommend you take a look at HERE

And the pics....

Great-crested Grebes. David Cookson

This photograph of the Great-crested Grebes engaged in courtship display is both beautiful and brilliant. Thanks DC....nature at its most breathtaking. 

Otter. Ian Tallon.

And a nice pic of the Otter recently discovered in the Lakes at Ambleside. Thanks for this, I liked it so much that I edited the post to put it up....nice one Ian.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING....and hopefully will be for a couple of hours tomorrow.

Birds on the brink.

Please take a look at this interesting video on the Sociable Lapwing. It's four minutes long and mostly talk but I enjoyed what I heard and I think you will too.

This video also highlights some tracking studies being undertaken on the Sociable Lapwing. The species is one of around 200 critically endangered birds throughout the world. Fascinating stuff which we should all take an interest in albeit some methods in the high tech 21st century may have some of us wondering if we really should be interfering with nature to this extent.

If you use the link in my sidebar 'BirdLife International' you'll find plenty of interest with much more reading on the Sociable Lapwing including a record count for the country of at least 90 Sociable Lapwings found at Salalah in Oman on 25 December 2010, plus all manner of bird related things some subjects of which make for 'hard to take' reading. 

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!....but won't be until Monday at the earliest.

Set-aside.

A few brief notes about the Linnet and how they - and many other farmland species - could be helped but don't seem to be. 

Linnets. John Bateman.

The Linnet - a widespread though declining species in Great Britain - is referred to in our area as fairly common but scarce in winter. In Oakes day in Lancashire he considered it to be a common and widespread resident, particularly abundant on the coastal plains both north and south of the Ribble. Today there are many aspects of the status of the Linnet which remain unclear including the breeding status since the 1970's. The bird is recorded in most of  GB but not in the Highlands of Scotland, Shetland, and large parts of the Hebrides. Many Linnets remain around the breeding sites throughout the winter, whilst others undertake extensive movements to winter as far south as Gibraltar.

The Linnet is a bird with the need  for shrubby vegetation to provide safe communal roosting sites and for seeds which can be collected either in low-growing shrubs, herbaceous vegetation, or on the ground. The dependence of the Linnet on seeds has left them vulnerable to the effects of intensive agricultural intensification. But there is a great deal of confusion in the reasons behind the decline of the Linnet population and one of many suggestions is that hedgerow management - how tidy they all are when trimmed down to size - could play a large part in that nests are much less concealed and therefore more prone to predation.

Set-aside at Cockersands. Pete Woodruff. 

One thing for sure is that the almost tiny set-aside at Cockersands developed last summer - when I took the photograph above - has proved beyond doubt the importance of this kind of exercise. This small area of winter seed was initially taken up by Greenfinch and Linnet in mid October 2010 and a count of in excess of 100 birds was made by me on 15 November since which at least 70 Linnets have remained to this day whilst curiously the Greenfinch deserted the area completely.

So, can we have some more set-aside please, more to the point....why haven't we!

Two ones and a two!

Red-throated Pipit. Phil Slade   



This RTP is currently in my sidebar where it doesn't get the justice it deserves neither for the bird or the photograph. It's another of PS's fresh from Egypt, a smart bird and thanks Phil....I gave Conder Green an hour followed by the same at Glasson Dock, followed by a couple along the promenade at Morecambe from Teal Bay to the Stone Jetty.

Conder Green remains quiet again today although three of the 'specials' showed well with 2 Spotted Redshank and a Greenhank in the creeks, also noted were c.120 Teal and the traditional Grey Plover. On Conder Pool - which is now a lake following the recent 10m+ tides - just 4 Goldeneye of note, from here I saw c.250 Pink-footed Geese over Jeremy Lane. The Lune Estuary from Glasson Dock produced nothing to add to my sightings on Tuesday but I noted at least 420 Golden Plover, 300 Dunlin, 350 Common Gull, 2 Goldeneye, and 3 Goosander.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Pete Woodruff.

Well you can tell by the quality its one of my photographic achievements of the seven 'Lesser Yellowlegs' on the groyne at the Stone Jetty this afternoon, and between here and Teal Bay I noted, 32 Eider, 21 Goldeneye, 9 Great-crested Grebe, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, and 3 Scaup one a drake.  

So when I look at the results from some serious five hours birding its not all that impressive if your out to 'collect some targets' and birds to make you jump up and down with glee and the need to 'get the news out', but thats not the be all and end all of my birding, and Morecambe Bay is never going to be the birding hotspot of the UK, so I'll settle for the achievements of what I saw which are all recorded here.   

Crocus. Warren Baker

ITS SPRING!!

Pics2blog....

But first another interesting  - if sad and tragic - read about the ever suffering Hen Harrier

Kestrel Young. Phil Slade

I came across - well searched for them actually - some more excellent photographs amongst which I found these two young little beauties which will one day become....

Kestrel. Phil Slade

Two smart little raptors like this male Kestrel.

Sparrowhawk. Warren Baker

Now this bird with the staring eyes you wouldn't want staring at you if you was a small bird, was the very same individual photographed a few days later in the garden of a birder in Kent - whose website I follow daily - and which was observed to take out another bird regular to the feeders in the same garden which was a....

Sparrowhawk/Great-spotted Woodpecker. Warren Baker

Great-spotted Woodpecker....Not a nice sight but nature at its rawest and the price to pay by the bird for visiting the feeder, and the price to pay by us for putting out the feeders. 

And a couple of 'gulls' I'm not likely to misidentify if/when I come across them....

Iceland Gull. Colin Bushell.

Yet another smart bird, an adult Iceland Gull on the Isle of Islay where Colin visited this very month. Thanks for this Colin....nice one.

And finally....

Slender-billed Gull. Phil Slade

I think I'm going to know this bird if I ever find one. I missed a Slender-billed Gull in Norfolk for one day on 5 May 2000, I arrived at Cley the following day. Another one of PS's Egypt specials on his recent visit there....Excellent photographs as ever Phil and many thanks.

Persistence.

Snow Bunting. Pete Woodruff.



A bit of persistence in birding nearly always pays off and a bit of it did do today at Cockersands where I located the 1st winter male Snow Bunting again, pity it had its back to me for the pic before flying off.

Rock Pipit. Geoff Gradwell 

Also 5 Rock Pipits two of which accompanied the Snow Bunting on the inland edge of Plover Scar. Other birds of note, 28 Turnstone, 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Goldeneye, 3 Eider, 12 Blackbirds in the horse paddock at Bank Houses, 4 Whooper Swans were seen from the headland in a field some distance inland. A Redshank 'screaming' as it flew past me had a Peregrine Falcon in pursuit and luckily got away with its life on this occasion. At least 70 Linnet were at the set-aside again.

On Jeremy Lane I could only find 2 Whooper Swans today an adult and immature, the Little Owl was perched quietly on one of the beams in the old farm building. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, 8 Goldeneye and 2 Pochard drakes were of note. On the Lune Estuary I noted estimates of 220 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Bar-tailed Godwit, and 200 Golden Plover, 3 Goosander, and 4 Goldeneye were also of note.

At Conder Green a crawl round the circuit revealed absolutely zero of note save a Spotted Redshank in the creeks, and on Conder Pool 5 Goldeneye, just 2 Wigeon drakes, 10 Tufted Duck, and 2 Canada Geese. 

And finally....

Twite. Geoff Gradwell

A nice little pic of the nice little Twite on the railings at Knott End. I know you will view the blog sooner or later Geoff and it was good to see you this afternoon to put a face to the name....Hope you like the pics and many thanks for them.

Crossbills at Helsington Barrows.

Crossbill. Simon Hawtin

In the late-spring to mid-summer period of 1997 there was an exceptional influx of Crossbills in the North West Regions of Wales/Cheshire/Lancashire/Cumbria and including the Isle of Man, and a total of 1,340 birds were seen at 43 different sites. During this period some long staying Crossbills - 50 on one visit  made - were at Helsington Barrows near Kendal in Cumbria and John Leedal and I visited the area on a few occasions. John took several photographs over the visits and some of the results developed into something of much interest to us. Eventually I was in touch with an authority and made some comments in an initial letter which read something like....

'Through his photographs John Leedal and I have realised the presence of a male individual which displays it's odd distinctly yellowish feathers. In one picture this bird is perched next to a female Crossbill which gives the opportunity to compare and appreciate the greyish-green upperparts of this male, but the main features noted were the distinct yellow crown and mantle, the vent was also distinctly yellow and notably lacking in notches'.

Although 1st winter males are variable in plumage detail this Crossbill was in due course featured in an annual report in which it was referred to as a possible xanthachroistic male seen on five visits to Helsington Barrows showing yellow feathering around the body, with some hint of red, with the exception of the mantle, back and upperwings which are coloured as female.  

Over the years I've come to appreciate some adult males can resemble females as opposed to being mainly reddish, whilst others appear distinctly orange in tone. Even 14 years on this Crossbill at Helsington Barrows in 1997 remains intriguing to me.

Many thanks for the pic Simon....long time no see.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!....and hopefully will tomorrow at least for a couple of hours.

Running Late!

I was 'railroaded' into attending a family birthday party last night....managed to keep my 'pop' intake to an absolute minimum and kept my mouth firmly shut all evening on the politics of the day. But enough of this rubbish, my post is a day late.

Ruff. John Bateman.

With JB/BT yesterday we first paid a visit to Conder Green where the 10m tide was quickly submerging the entire area, but we noted 4 Little Grebe in the channel and Conder Pool holding just 4 Wigeon, 16 Black-headed Gull - they're brown-headed actually - and 19 Common Gull.

Away from here we pulled in off the A588 at Sand Villa where I counted at least seventy 'swans' - more distant than they had been when I called here on Tuesday - and found 19 Bewick's Swan's here again and at least 51 Whooper Swans. At Knott End c.70 Twite were very mobile off the esplanade. At Cockers Dyke c.45 Grey Plover and 650 Dunlin were of note. Off Backsands Lane 2 Ruff  - thanks for the picture John - appeared to be the two seen by me on Tuesday when one was here and the other off Fluke Hall Lane. On Pilling Marsh, more distant 'swans' were 15 Whooper Swans and a minimum of 4,000 Knot were spectacularly swirling around. 

Little Owl. David Cookson

On Gulf Lane 2 Little Owl seen today presumably a pair looking to the breeding season, also at least 4,500 Pink-footed Geese seen in fields here. Thanks for the pic DC.

Linnet. Ian Tallon. 

A brief look in at Cockesands gave c.70 Linnet at the set-aside, and on Jeremy Lane 3 Whooper Swans included the staying immature here. Thanks for the pic IT.

And finally....

Nuthatch. Brian Rafferty 

I was tempted yet again to show BR's excellent photographs of the Nuthatch including the brilliant one about to catch the airborne seed....Great stuff BR and thanks a bundle.

Some notes.    

The Slaty-backed Gull is still putting in appearances here and there and is/was at Pitsea Landfill Site in Essex. The Rufous Turtle Dove of the form orientalis is still at Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire....collecting the cash at £5 per person for a five minute gaze at the bird!

And I hear the planned Badger cull has been put on hold on the basis that fewer TB cases in cattle have been found in a recent study of the problem. As you were Mr and Mrs Badger....getting to live another day!

Now I'm off to make arrangements for a Siberian Rubythroat to visit my garden for a couple of weeks at £10 a time through the kitchen window!!

The climbdown....

....and some old records of interest.

The government have done a u-turn on the 'woodlands and forests issue' and there's nothing more needs to be said about that except....Alleluia. Lets hope the paperwork re the proposed sell off has been put down the toilet where it should have been. But first the traditional pic followed by another two excellent ones I couldn't resist....again!

Pintails. Brian Rafferty 

Another one of those 'pics with a difference' with thanks to BR. The drake shows off well the origins of its name. 

For some reason I couldn't summon up any enthusiasm for birding today, this is a worry and maybe perhaps I should consider psychiatric help. So I spent a positively idle morning raking through the 'old stuff' again with some interesting reminders including some which help to form my opinion about the old Dockacres Gravel Pits mentioned in yesterdays post when I hinted the preservation of an excellent wildlife reserve should have been the road taken instead of the plans to turn it into a fishing complex....Balls!

So I put a mere six Dockacres records up first from the dozens assembled over the years.

Red-crested Pochard 17 December 1994

Ruff 20 birds seen together 21 September 1994

Lesser Scaup 30 December 1994 

Snow Goose 4 March 1995

Yellow-legged Gull 20 March 1995

Pied-billed Grebe 28 May 1997

Red-breasted Merganser 50 seen together off Sandylands at Morecambe 21 January 1992....WOW!

Black Tern 40 together on Eric Morecambe flood 14 May 1992....WOW!

Great-crested Grebe 120 seen off Stone Jetty Morecambe 14 November 1992....WOW!

Smew drake on the River Lune off Golden Ball 21 December 1992 

Smew. Drake I found on Blea Tarn Reservoir 5 March 1993

Little Bittern Leighton Moss 30 April 1993

Curlew Sandpiper. 12 came down together in a fog on to the Allen Pool at Leighton Moss 29 August 1993

Little Bunting Fleetwood 16 January 1994....yes I do 'twitch' from time to time!

Kentish Plover Teal Bay 19 November 1994

Black Stork Quernmore 24 April 1995

And finally....

Water Rail. Cliff Raby  

One of the best Water Rail images I ever saw....a photographic opportunity well taken.

Snow Bunting. Ian Tallon.

Another photograph of the elusive Snow Bunting recently of Cockersands fame....Thanks for the pics CR/IT.

The Smew....

....and some pics.

Smew. Cliff Raby

It was always good to find the returning drake Smew on the old Dockacres Gravel Pits in the 1990's and although I'm not making accurate claims with dates here I recall my visiting one day in November to find it had done just that. Unfortunately this is all a thing of the past not least because the DGP's are - and have been for some years - now developed into a fishing lake, something which should never have happened in my opinion, but we'll leave the politics there for now. The bird is now regarded to be nationally in decline and in our recording area sightings are certainly few.

Smew. Pete Woodruff.

In 2009 just one bird was at Leighton Moss for two days in February, and in 2010 I recall only seeing one record on Freeman's Pools for a period, and the picture above is of this 'redhead' individual.

The Smew is a relatively short distance migrant with a breeding range extending from N.Sweden and Finland through Siberia to Kamchatka. The majority of the breeding population is to be found predominantly in European Russia with an estimated up to 15,000 pairs. N.W.Europe is thought to hold a wintering population of 15,000 pairs with up to 10,000 of these in the Netherlands. Only small numbers reach Britain during the winter, most of which occur in Southeast England and East Anglia, the bird is scarce in Wales and Scotland, and very scarce in Ireland. Adult male Smews are far outnumbered by female and 1st winter birds known as 'redheads' which make up more than 70% of all records.

And finally....

Greenfinch. David Cookson 

I can't resist this image of the Greenfinch, a bird seriously declined over the past couple of years. One day I'm going to 'dig out' my record to give a precise date of c.200 seen in the Silverdale area with my old friend and mentor John Leedal probably something like 25 years ago. Today you can claim an excellent record if you find a double figure flock.

Brambling. David Cookson

Nor could I resisit this image of the Brambling, a winter visitor to our area in variable numbers. Thanks for these DC, and to CR for his photograph of the smart drake Smew at the top of this post.