The Birds and Bees.

The Birds....

Chris, the only remaining tagged English Cuckoo, is still in Congo, close to the Likouala aux Herbes and the Ubangi river. He is just slightly further south (around 50km or 30 miles) than the same area in which he wintered last year. He is the only Cuckoo that the BTO have tracking data on for 2011 and 2012 and so this is the first information they have about site fidelity between years in the Cuckoos.

It also allows the BTO to look at the timings of his journey through Africa in both years. Chris arrived in Chad one week earlier in 2012 than in 2011 and spent about 9 weeks here, compared to 10 weeks last year. In both years, however, he has spent seven days in the Central African Republic before travelling to Congo, this year arriving just over two weeks earlier than the previous year. 

It has been fascinating to note that although he has migrated mostly on a very similar trajectory to last year, he has not used the same stop-over sites. It will be even more interesting to see whether he travels into the Democratic Republic of Congo again, as he did for around 3 weeks last December, before heading back to Congo.  

The underlying story about these 14 satellite tagged Cuckoos is a pretty sad one as there are now just 5 birds left from the initial 14. Tags have failed along the way at varying dates and stages of migration since the first tagging of 4 Cuckoos in England in the summer of 2011, the other 10 were tagged in Wales and Scotland during this summer of 2012. If I've been following and reading accurately all the data sent back via these tags, in general once the tags fail to transmit it starts the process that something is amiss, though in the first place the weather is taken into account, then there is the fact that the tag also records the birds body temperature which indicates the bird is in trouble, in due course this leads to such readings that the bird is obviously no more.

The Bees.... 

Below is a copy from part of an e-mail I received recently, it saves me the trouble of any explaining to be done. I would also like to assure visitors to Birds2blog that I have no intention whatsoever to create it into a platform for daily rants by me, and petitions to 'Save the planet and its wildlife'....However it does all need to be addressed and I'd like to think I can play some small part once more in trying to save it. 

So here's another 'I Wonder'....would you consider signing yet another petition against this lethal act by these 'chemists' with the power to poison all and any wildlife they care to. 

And the e-mail.

The battle that is currently taking place at the European level can be critical to the survival of bees - and all our futures. 

Agro-chemical lobbies are about to impose three types of neonicotinoid pesticides known to be harmful to bees in all European countries. The only way to block them is that hundreds of thousands of citizens are mobilizing throughout Europe to force MEPs to intervene. 

Help us save the bees! Now sign the petition to MEPs in HERE . 

And, carrying on the tradition of a pic or two in every post on Birds2blog....

Snow Bunting. Geoff Gradwell.

Geoff recently visited Rossall Point at Fleetwood and got some excellent shots of the Snow Bunting, my personal favourite of which is this one.

Hen Harrier. Geoff Gradwell. 

He also visited Pilling Moss to achieve this record shot of the stunning male Hen Harrier in fading evening light. Record shot or not its good enough for me, as is any photograph of this raptor tragically on the road to extinction from our uplands, its downfall being that it has a liking for the odd Red Grouse as food for its survival....Much appreciated GG 

The Waxwings Are Coming....

....and I got out birding yesterday too.

Waxwing Brian Rafferty

An irresistible photograph of an irresistible bird, and early arrivals are already in the UK from Scandinavia, so I'll be taking particular note of anything with berries on it from now on. Thanks Brian....brilliance in a single image.

November Issue Out Now.

At Conder Green on Tuesday 23 October I had three sightings of the Kingfisher but no evidence I saw more than one bird, today I had the same number of sightings, this time I certainly saw two and possibly three birds. Also of note, a Spotted Redshank, Common Sandpiper, 8 Little Grebe, and 4 Snipe.

Short-reared Owl Christian Thompson

At Glasson Dock, a Short-eared Owl was quartering the marsh as viewed from the bowling green, an adult Mediterranean Gull was eventually found amongst a horde of Back-headed Gull, a Greenshank, Little Grebe and Little Egret seen, 8 Goldeneye were my first multiples this winter, and at least 100 Dunlin were of note. A female Scaup was seen again on the canal basin, with a Little Grebe noted, another Little Egret was on Glasson Marsh off Bodie Hill. Thanks for the SEO Christian....I can image the excitement you must have had taking photographs of this stunning bird.

Turnstone David Cookson 

At Cockersands, with difficulty I counted up to 40 Turnstone on the stony Plover Scar and perfectly camouflaged, 4 Red-breasted Merganser were off here. With the exception of c.60 Dunlin and probably 250 Redshank on the shoreline the vast majority of waders were otherwise in the fields here, with 'large' numbers of Curlew, Lapwing, and Redshank seen. Short of making any attempt to count the rest in the fields I'd put the figure at 250 Golden Plover and 2 Black-tailed Godwit. Inland birds only amounted to 7 Greenfinch, a 'few' Tree Sparrow, and a Reed Bunting. Thanks for the Turnstone David, I can't achieve anything photographically like this any more.... that's if I ever could!

I spent in excess of four hours at Cockersands and nearly walked as many miles, but as can be seen above was poorly paid for the effort, but.... mustn't grumble!

And finally....

Painted Lady Noushka Dufort 

This photograph of the Painted Lady should have accompanied Sundays post on the subject, but I had no access to it then. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction for this Noushka....WOW!

A Mystery Solved.

 Red Admiral Noushka Dufort

The secrets of the Painted Lady (PL) have been unveiled, until now it was never known where  they went to in the autumn and the big discovery is, that just like its close relation the Red Admiral it makes its return journey to Africa at the end of summer. 

Through more than 60,000 public sightings during 2009, plus scientific and research studies, it was discovered that the PL did migrate south each autumn, but made the journey at high altitude out of observer views on the ground. When the PL's select the right conditions radar records showed that the average southbound altitude was at 500m whilst clocking speeds of up to 30mph. Findings have also revealed that this butterfly undertakes the truly staggering round trip from Tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle, a journey totalling 9,000 miles which represents almost double the length of the famous migrations of the Monarch butterfly in North America.

What is brought to light here is that this tiny creature weighing less than a gram, a brain no bigger than a pinhead, and with no opportunity to learn from experience, undertakes an epic migration in order to find plants for its caterpillars to feed on, a combination of observer, scientific, and modern technology have shown this butterfly to be a truly sophisticated traveller. 

As noted in my post on Sunday about this amazing creature, the PL entered the UK in the spring of 2009 to reach a total of around 11 million, the figure leaving the UK in the following autumn is said to be that of 26 million. The man in the street, the scientists, and researchers with 21st century technology, gathered the evidence they needed to uncover the long standing puzzle of what exactly happened to the PL at the end of summer in the UK, and furthering the proof that migrant insects amaze as they are capable of carrying out the most remarkable journeys. 

Once thought to be at the mercy of the wind and into a dead end in the lethal British winter, the Painted Lady has now revealed what an extraordinary butterfly it really is. 

With the appalling weather of 2012 in the UK it will be a different story than that told about the amazing 11 million invasion of Painted Lady's in 2009....and many other species too I imagine.

And....

Bearded Tit Marc Heath

If we're going to end with a pic it has to be this one of the Bearded Tit - though shouldn't it be called the Moustached Tit - star birds of Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve in Lancashire. But this one has arrived here from Kent via the internet....Thanks Marc, a brilliant image, much appreciated and thanks for getting in touch recently.

Another MEGA.

Spanish Sparrow Ana Minguez

A Spanish Sparrow was found today in a garden at Newchurch on the Isle of Wight. Thanks for the image of your very own Spanish Sparrow in Spain Ana....much appreciated. 

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING....Tomorrow with any luck!

....and some excellent cloudscapes!

Apologies, but this is a 'no birdie pics' post as I couldn't resist pretending I still 'did' photography with some excellent cloudscapes to be seen at Cockersands yesterday where I took all three of these pics on another of my 'escape for the afternoon' days. Not for the first time recently, weatherwise there was an element of risk attached to leaving the car at Cockersands as the pic above shows just after I arrived....clik the piks if you like to see a bigger picture. 

But I had started the rounds at Conder Green where I found 2 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, and a Snipe. Seven Little Grebe was the best of about six counts of this 'up one minute, down the next' bird. Two female Scaup were with c.55 Tufted Duck on the canal basin at Glasson Dock, with a drake Pochard of note. 

On Jeremy Lane 12 Whooper Swan included six juvenile which made for pleasant viewing. On Moss Lane I managed to count at least 60 Fieldfare this time as opposed to 'uncounted' from a moving vehicle on Monday. 

At Cockersands, where the skies weren't quite as threatening when I took this pic as they were when I got here. 

As some say 'nowabout'....I never do, though it was quite uninspiring today, but c.80 Golden Plover were off Crook Farm with singles of Bar-tailed Godwit and Grey Plover. A Little Egret flew up from behind me and continued following the coastline south. On the Cocker channel I counted up to 90 Black-tailed Godwit, and the only other birds to go into the book were 6 Greenfinch, a Sparrowhawk, and Kestrel.

As the sun went towards the horizon, the skies were slowly clearing, but 30 minutes after I took this pic the hail came crashing down in quite a heavy and prolonged shower.

I Wonder....

....if you would read below and consider signing the petition at the top of my sidebar to get this creature back to the sea where it belongs, and please note....you don't have to live in the UK to sign.

Killer Whales. Credit Unknown.

Morgan is a young female wild caught Orca, rescued by the Dolphinarium Harderwijk in June 2010 who gained a permit to rescue her on the condition she was released back to the ocean as soon as possible. This did not happen. Morgan was put 'on show' to the public within 5 weeks of her 'rescue'. It is a well known fact that when rescuing wildlife, the only human contact of any kind should be to improve the health of the animal and to rehabilitate and release back to the wild. They absolutely should not be on show to the public.

There are too many questions that remain unanswered, just a few of those questions are: 

1.Why were Orca experts prevented from entering Dolphinarium Hardervijk much earlier to obtain DNA and vocal recordings of Morgan to find her pod (all pods have their own dialect), eventually being allowed in after the first court hearing a year later (August 2011).? 

2.How did Sea World know about Morgan before Orca experts had chance to work with her? Dolphin Hardervijk sold another wild caught Orca, Gudrun to Sea World in 1987. (The sale of Orca is now illegal and there is no evidence that Morgan was exchanged for money although there are reports that dolphins may be on their way to DH).

3.Why is the media 'still' reporting that 7 'experts' brought in by Dolphinarium Hardervijk said Morgan's release would be 'too risky' when 4 of those 7, on gaining new information on Morgans vocals/call signals, switched sides and supported her rehab and release?

It has been said that Morgan was sent to Loro Parque in November 2011 as this was 'in her best interest', this is not true. Morgan was sent to Loro Parque due to loopholes in laws. There was, and still is a solid, well organized rehab and release plan for Morgan by some of the worlds top Orca experts. Her call signs have been matched to relatives and there is no reason why Morgan would not be accepted into this pod especially as she is a young female.

Magnetised....again!

I was magnetised towards Conder Green/Glasson Dock and Cockersands yet again yesterday. I often intend to spread my wings and move on to pastures new but invariably get so tied up with these areas that I've usually run out of time before I can.

The tide was at its height at 10.45am so I paid a brief visit to Conder Green to look over the pool before moving on. I was only be able to count 5 Little Grebe on the pool today, a Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, and 2 Snipe, a Wren was close by in the bush next to the viewing platform, two female Shoveler were very unusual on the pool. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock the female Scaup still here, and on Jeremy Lane the 'August' Whooper Swan was with 41 Mute Swans. 

Redwing Antonio Puigg  

Fieldfare David Cookson

On Moss Lane I found my first winter thrushes - uncounted from a moving motor - Fieldfare and Redwing, also a Great-spotted Woodpecker. 

Walkies on Plover Scar. Pete Woodruff.

At Cockersands, this idiot with nine dogs - most off the lead - came on the scene. OK the heavily cropped pic doesn't really show the problem but if you 'clik the pik' you can see at least six of them, take it from me this is bird disturbance at its worst.... that's the 'there for all eternity' monster Heysham Nuclear Power Station in the right hand corner of the pic by the way. 

But back to birds and birding....20 Herring Gull included R3RG which I found here earlier in the year on 22 May, I'll make enquiries to see if its history has progressed since I last reported it. The only waders of note today - before the above happened - were 12 Turnstone with a Little Egret on Plover Scar. On the estuary, 4 Eider, 10 Pintail, and 7 Red-breasted Merganser. Twelve Black-tailed Godwit were overhead at Crook Cottage, up to 60 Skylark were flighting over fields at Abbey Farm, c.15 Greenfinch noted and a Kestrel.  

Looking to Bowland. Pete Woodruff.

The weather was as unpredictable as ever - 'clik the pik' and it looks even worse - when I called in at Glasson Dock on the way back to Lancaster to find an adult Mediterranean Gull, and noted c.2,500 Golden Plover, a Greenshank, a Grey Plover, and 2 Little Egret.

The Otter and the Dog Problems.

The Otters are putting the M6 link road proposals on hold....read 'a bit' about them Here 

I don't really want to labour this issue, but to compound the dog problem at Cockersands, two hours after the 'mutts' had gone two birders armed to the teeth with optics were engaged in the very same exercise of covering the length and breadth of Plover Scar by which time anything that had been present had disappeared....I give up!

The Painted Lady.

Painted Lady Steven Cheshire  

I remember 30 May 2009....and always will, it went down in my book as one of the many brilliant birding experiences I've had over the years which have that little bit extra about them, though this time it was a butterfly which brought about an amazing - maybe once in a lifetime - thrill. It was the day I spent five hours in the Clougha/Birk Bank area, nothing unusual about that in itself as this was a Stonechat stronghold in our area at the time and I was 'always' there, but this day in May was to be the day of the butterfly for me. 

On May 21 2009 there was the first indication of arrivals of the Painted Lady butterfly into Britain when members of the Butterfly Conservation began to notice large numbers off Portland Bill in Dorset. Following this date thousands were seen flying north at locations across southern England to East Anglia. There were sighting of hundreds in Central London, soon followed by more seen as far north as Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland.

These butterflies originate from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco where heavy winter rains had aided good germination of the caterpillar food plants, and hundreds of thousands had been observed emerging in February 2009, large numbers had been seen in Spain during April, then later in France a few weeks later.

So there I was on Clougha 30 May 2009 and over the next five hours I counted a truly staggering 149 Painted Lady butterflies as my contribution to the count of what was claimed to have been a mass invasion of 11 million Painted Lady butterflies into the UK during the summer of 2009. 

Perhaps we'd better have a couple of birdy pics for a basically birding blog....

  Shore Lark Marc Heath

You may need to do some serious searching - I'm always serious searching - if you want to find a Shore Lark in our area, though there was one stray individual last year, its anniversary is about now. If I'm really honest, I was hoping for one at Cockersands when I was there last Thursday....dream on! 

Penduline Tit Antonio Puigg

And another one in need of the same serious searching if you're hoping to find one in our area. The first record in Lancashire being of a bird at Leighton Moss eight years ago on 11 November 2004. The only other record of the species in Lancashire was of another bird also at Leighton Moss on 21 November 2011, this individual was deemed to have almost certainly been the same bird seen again this year in February and March.

Thanks for these excellent images MH/AP, much appreciated. 

According to the cover - in my sidebar - of the November issue of Birdwatch magazine, it looks like someone in the magazine has made some notes about the persecution of birds of prey, in particular the Hen Harrier judging by the photograph....a big up for the 'someone' and the magazine.

Once again!

I did a repeat of Tuesdays birding yesterday which roughly had the same results....but the enjoyment never fails. This time Conder Green took two hours off me including a good look around the picnic area, a positive haven for migrants though I don't recall the last time one turned up here, and it certainly wasn't 'positive' yesterday.

Despite several attempts I couldn't get the count to more than 9 Little Grebe today, also on the pool, 2 Greenshank and a Snipe. In the creeks, 2 Spotted Redshank and the wintering Common Sandpiper. A few Blackbirds were in the picnic area with at least ten seen. The big surprise here today was the 'August' Whooper Swan which was to be seen on the marsh opposite Conder Pool in company with a Mute Swan.

Scaup. Pete Woodruff.

The female Scaup was on the canal basin still with its Tufted female lookalikes, the two in the pic above were off Broadway at Morecambe on 3 February 2010. The variety of waders on the Lune Estuary was minimal but up to 900 Golden Plover were noted with in excess of 3,000 Lapwing, but the best wader count went to c.250 Dunlin a seemingly 'scarce' bird. The 'gull' numbers here must have verged on 1,000 including an adult Mediterranean Gull, I'm sure I failed to find more here today, 3 Little Egret were also noted.

Once again I spent the rest of the afternoon at Cockersands though I've been threatening to pay a visit to another location - a pretty productive flood - for a couple of weeks now but haven't yet carried out the threat always running out of time....time for a change of scenery!

I went towards Crook Farm again to see if Tuesdays Twite sighting could be improved upon but only found about a 50/50 mix of 40 in total Meadow Pipit/Pied Wagtail on the stony shore having found a food source of sorts. Up to 70 Teal off Plover Scar which  - unless my memory is completely falling apart - is quite unusual, also noted here were 8 Pintail, and....

Curlew David Cookson  

I counted 248 Curlew in a field by Bank Houses. Its never 'just' a photograph with DC, always one with a difference....Thanks David.

And finally....

American Goldfinch Tim Kuhn  

Here's a Goldfinch I'm not expecting to see any time soon....never to be honest. A North American migratory bird which ranges from Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and winters south of the Canadian border to Mexico. Thanks for this Tim, I know you look in on Birds2blog on occasions which I appreciate.

'Bits'....to fill the gap.

Yesterdays ten Twite at Cockersands gave me the added bonus of experiencing the birds at close range. I had initially seen these ten birds in typical bouncing flight from a distance as I walked towards Crook Farm and immediately supposed they could be Twite. Just after I confirmed my suspicion they disappeared from view but I soon found them at the edge of a small pool behind the banking separating the field from the road and high tides. 

Creeping up on the birds from below the bank I was able to observed them at close range eventually having the privilege of watching them with interest as they bathed on the edge of the pool to later leave the water to preen their feathers in the necessary way that birds do in order to maintain good plumage condition. This turned out to be one of the many added interests we can have with the birds if we watch them closely enough and cautiously stalk them to gain a good advantage point without disturbance to them.

And a couple of pics....

Red Deer Gary Jones

Gary paid a visit to Leighton Moss recently, he got there early morning before the sun rose and the mist was still around to achieve this brilliant image of the two young stags creating a stunning picture oozing with atmosphere....Thanks for this Gary, an excellent image with my appreciation as always.

Lapland Bunting Marc Heath 

Marc has recently had the enjoyment of at least three 'bonus birds' one of which was this brilliant little 'Laplander' yesterday on the shore at Coldharbour in Kent. I think the Lapland Bunting should be a feature on Birds2blog sometime soon....Thanks for this Marc, yet another excellent image - where does it all end - my appreciation once more.

The Stone Jetty Morecambe. Pete Woodruff.

Morecambe on the Med. Pete Woodruff.

Last Friday KT and I had to go to Morecambe in the afternoon which gave me the opportunity to  have a stroll along the promenade....with my binoculars round my neck of course. I think the weather was as good on the day as any other we have had during this summer of 2012 and to be honest it was like being in the Mediterranean as the couple of pics I took with my mobile show.

I decided to give a 'plug' to Bob Bushell  who should be an inspiration to us all. If you've already visited his website via this link please be sure to view his Profile 

Birding again tomorrow hopefully, but certainly can't be for a few days after that I'm afraid.

Twite....Alright.

I reckon the Twite at Cockersands this late afternoon qualified for the 'Bird Of The Day Award' they were virtually the last birds I saw on a long day with a short list for my efforts. I gave Conder Green an hour, with another hour here and there at Glasson Dock, and spent in excess of four hours at Cockersands turning over a few stones, but probably left quite a few unturned.

Black-tailed Godwit David Cookson

At Conder Green the number rises and today saw 11 Little Grebe on Conder Pool....thirteen reported on Sunday. A Little Egret also on here with a Kingfisher seen, I had two further sightings in different areas here but no evidence I saw more than one bird, 2 Spotted Redshank were in the creeks, with 9 Snipe, and 4 Goosander. The female Scaup was on the canal basin at Glasson Dock but beware of the 'distant' female Tufted Duck with a 'decent' white blaze. On the Lune Estuary, hardly heaving with birds but 2 Mediterranean Gull were both adult, 85 Black-tailed Godwit, c.250 Golden Plover, and 3 Little Egret were of note. 

Wigeon Geoff Gradwell

Seeing some small bird movement in a field off Moss Lane en-route to Cockersands I parked up and paraded up and down the lane to find 40 Meadow Pipit - and probably couldn't see twice that number - some good Robin song, and a Dunnock. At Cockersands another Little Egret on Plover Scar, off here c.750 Wigeon, a 'few' Pintail - I don't think reached two figures -  and 4 Eider. From the Caravan Park, a pair of Shoveler were very unusual in the Cocker channel with 4 Little Egret, and c.120 Dunlin were a joy to see....where are they all.  

 

Reed Bunting Brian Rafferty

Walking along the road towards Crook Farm I counted at least 300 Curlew and a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit on the sands, 5 Greenfinch, 3 Reed Bunting, and the last birds of the day....10 Twite. 

And the latest MEGA news in the UK is....

A Siberian Rubythroat Shetland, Fair Isle, this afternoon....OUCH!!