....a missing Cuckoo, and the customary pic's.
Rustic Bunting Marc Heath
No idea what the record represents other than it is of 'mega' proportions in this area at least, and one glimpsed at Heysham this morning for 60 seconds. I know little about the Rustic Bunting, save I've never seen one, and reckon the likelihood is....neither have you! It's status is that of a rare vagrant and Marc Heath saw the individual in the photograph above in Kent April 2010.
Clement the satellite tagged Cuckoo has gone off the radar and his tag has produced no signal since 22 February. Not the first time there has been a gap in transmission, but a concern all the same. He was the second bird to leave the Congo heading west to Cameroon, fingers crossed this is a problem with technology and not with Clement.
The summer migrants are moving in a little nearer to us with - as I write - a Little Ringed Plover at Longridge, Wheatear at Marshside, and White Wagtail at Hilbre Island. Another excellent record is that of a drake Scaup on Conder Pool this afternoon, where you should be watching out for the Little Ringed Plover back on here again soon.
The summer migrants are moving in a little nearer to us with - as I write - a Little Ringed Plover at Longridge, Wheatear at Marshside, and White Wagtail at Hilbre Island. Another excellent record is that of a drake Scaup on Conder Pool this afternoon, where you should be watching out for the Little Ringed Plover back on here again soon.
Bean Goose. Copy Permitted.
An excellent mug shot showing the bill markings of a Tundra Bean Goose to good effect, giving people like me the opportunity to study the image so I'll maybe be able to ID one without having the benefit of seeing its leg colour.....well could you!
Treecreeper Tony Duckett
A smart little pic of the smart little Treecreeper....
Green Woodpecker Marc Heath
....and an excellent image of the Green Woodpecker, not a bird your likely to encounter on every venture out into the world of birding.
Must disagree strongly with the last Comment Pete ( read my blog today) :-)
ReplyDeleteHope Clement is ok !!
You appear to have a point here Warren. I hope Clement is OK too, apart from the fact I sponsored him, until we hear differently he's been left behind by the others in Cameroon.
ReplyDeleteMale Rustic Bunting: Hardly 'glimpsed' - if that had been the case, wouldn't have 'put it out' but would have treated it as a near miss consigned to the records dustbin. It showed very well for c10 seconds of the observation, less so for another c20 seconds on the deck, plus flight views and call. It was contact calling fairly continuously as befits a vis mig bird taking a short rest as it reorientated from a SSE to NNW heading to a SW to NE, probably to avoid heading out over the sea.
ReplyDeleteI'll post the full account which will be submitted to BBRC in the next few days
Massive Goldcrest movement through NW England today e.g. Hilbre/Walney/Heysham Obs data
Ive yet to get a good look at a Green Woodpecker, its on my list of birds to see this year, fingers crossed!
ReplyDeletePete.
ReplyDeleteThanks for comments and rundown on the sightings details of the Rustic Bunting. Perhaps a mis-use on my part of the word 'glimpsed' but equally perhaps taken a little too serious. Please rest assured if you said you saw any species of bird I'd be the very first to accept the claim/record. Thanks for your continued support of Birds2blog.
Linda.
Where have you been? I lost touch with you ages ago. Thanks for looking in on Birds2blog and your comment. Hope you see a Green Woodpecker soon.