Now some good news....

Pheasant. Warren Baker


I was pleased to see the good news that the BASC have called for restraint on the shooting of wildfowl, geese, and waders during this severe cold weather we are suffering at the moment, though in 5 days time it will become illegal to shoot at all. I'd like to point out that as a birder with a moral responsibility towards the welfare of all wildlife I shall report any shooting activities I witness - as you can too using a contact form on the BASC Website - until this weather improves and the subsequent ban is lifted. I'm not sure the poor Pheasant will be protected by all this. I'm damned if I know off hand what a 'pure' Pheasant should look like but thanks to Warren for the excellent 'mug shot' of the bird above.

As expected I got no birding done today but I live in hope for tomorrow. Meanwhile another opportunity to look at a couple more excellent photographs like....

Black Redstart. Phil Slade

This one from Phil taken on his recent trip to places exotic. And this one....

Crimson-mantled Woodpecker. Colin Bushell.

Of the Crimson-mantled Woodpecker taken by Colin on his recent trip to places exotic. Unlike the Black Redstart Phil photographed which you can find in this country, I wouldn't be inclined to hold your breath until you see this 'woodpecker' here in the UK.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!

   

Now the bad news....

The bad news for me is....I'll get no birding done today or probably tomorrow, nor will I get any blogging done today save this short piece. This evening we attend a much looked forward to concert in Liverpool....'Human League'....thats if the roads/weather allow us to get there, so fingers crossed as it doesn't look too bad at the moment.

Meanwhile....

Sparrowhawk. David Cookson

An excellent image of the Sparrowhawk....thanks David.

Brambling. Colin Bushell.

Another excellent image, this one of the Brambling which is a 'finch' sometimes known as the Cock 'o the North, seen by Colin at Hesketh Out Marsh yesterday.

The Brambling has curiously been trailing behind its Scandinavian relative the Waxwing - here in their thousands - for some strange reason, but looks like it has arrived in numbers now with 1,000 in Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria in the past few days and other records now beginning to filter through....Thanks for this Colin.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING! 

More Pics Than Birds!

Well not quite more pics than birds but some excellent photo opportunities today - I don't get too involved anymore these days - especially with the hoar frost holding all day long.

High tide at Conder Green looking towards the Stork Hotel on a brilliant but freezing cold day, Conder Pool  of course was a solid white mass.

And again looking towards the old railway bridge....

....and yet again looking towards Glasson Dock.

In truth I shouldn't have been birding at all today and barely had the time to look in at Cockersands and - to save myself from a death by freezing - walked along the headland from the lighthouse to Cockersands Caravan Park and return. It was almost impossible to stand around assessing and counting birds, not that there was many birds to assess and count, though quite a few Lapwings in particular were stood around in fields giving cause for concern for their well-being and heading for starvation if this continues.

I did get the best count I ever had at Cockersands of 9 Grey Plover, thats not suppose to be a sarcastic comment either and I've yet to see a double figure of the species here. Also noted, at least 38 Turnstone difficult to see foraging amongst the shingle/stones, c.55 Dunlin flew SW past the lighthouse, and 74 Pink-footed Geese flew over going south, there was only around 85 Oystercatchers on Plover Scar, and the best bird of the day was the Rock Pipit, a species no more than uncommon and certainly a bird you're not likely to encounter on every coastal visit in our area. Not the day for trying to get an accurate ratio on the set-aside 'finches' but c.45 Greenfinch/Linnet got away with it - if only this time - when a Sparrowhawk - which didn't like the look of my car - flew off in the opposite direction from them having been perched close by checking out which one to go for.

Looking across the River Lune Estuary towards Overton and Bazil Point from Bodie Hill.

The Snow Bunting.

Iceland Gull. SP.



A few brief notes with no photographs of the Snow Bunting but to add some interest to the post this image of the juvenile Iceland Gull currently either on Bourbles Pit or Cockers Dyke in the Knott End area is an excellent substitute with my thanks to SP.  

It only takes a glance at the 2009 LDBWS Annual Report to see the Snow Bunting (SB) is a scarce winter visitor to our area with just two birds - both male - seen in that year which actually could very easily have been the same one in both records nearly two months apart.

In Lancashire as a whole the bird is regarded as a 'fairly common winter visitor' with the average number recorded over 22 years to 2005 being 120 annually. However, the SB is a bird prone to wandering during the winter and some duplication is very likely. You have to search back in history to find numbers like the 200 SB's found at the West Lancashire coastal hamlet of Hundred End over 80 years ago in 1929.

The SB visits habitats along the coast in Lancashire and on moorland summits, during a notable influx in 1984 a sighting of 50 birds was recorded on Clougha Fell, this was in the days when I myself totally disregarded this area which - for over more than 12 years - has become one of my most favourite upland birding haunts. As far as the coast is concerned the only place I personally ever found the SB is at Cockersands.

Ringing recoveries in Scotland seem to suggest the majority of wintering SB's are of the Icelandic race insulae but some have the opinion that birds resembling the Siberian race nivalis are also thought to occur. The only ringing recovery was that of a bird found dead in Liverpool in 1990 which had been ringed in Kent in 1988.

I've always had a liking for a gamble but one thing for sure, I'm not having a bet on finding a SB anytime this winter, though thats not to say I won't do.

Three interesting reports I've seen today are those of a Velvet Scoter on the River Lune in Lancaster, 1,000 Brambings in Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria, and even more interesting to me personally, a male Stonechat at Fluke Hall yesterday, thanks for that one BD, much appreciated.

And finally....

Buzzard. Gary Jones
  

More variation in the post with an excellent in flight shot of the Buzzard with my thanks to Gary.

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper.

Spoony Needs Your Vote



The video below has been highlighted on Birds2blog in August this year, but it's worthy of showing again for three reasons....the first being in case you didn't see it last time round....second....it's the best video of it's kind you are ever likely to see....and third....there may well be no more than 400 Spoon-billed Sandpipers left in the world about which you can learn much more via the link above. Thanks for drawing my attention to this once again CB, it is much appreciated and something we all need to know about and - wherever we can - do something about saving this brilliant little sandpiper. 

And whilst I'm here....Here are three excellent pics I've come across/been sent....

Starling. John Bateman.

John seems to be getting as many photo opportunities from his home as he does when he's out and about, this is an excellent image of the Starling, no doubt taken from his living room....Thanks John, hopefully the weather will allow you to be out birding again with me soon.

Rook. Tim Crossley.

Tim sent me this pic, another surprise visitor to the garden. Thanks for this Tim, an excellent shot of this large 'corvid', I don't think you'd want too many stabs from this bird with a bill like that.

Song Thrush. Phil Slade.

I 'found' this lovely Song Thrush on Phil's Another Bird Blog just look at those brilliant 'arrowheads'....nice one Phil and thank you.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING! 

The Red Kite.

Whilst I have never wanted Birds2blog to become a political platform and don't allow it to be, I make no apology for occasionally highlighting issues like the plight of birds of prey and the persecution they continue to suffer in the 21st century. 



If you would like to follow the link below you'll be able to read about a spate of killings by poisoning of Red Kites from an introduction scheme. You can see the choice of poison used by those targeting birds of prey as being that of Carbofuran,  banned in Britain, Europe, and the U.S.A. You can also see that the first of these birds found dead was on a shooting estate where I rest my personal case.

Red Kite. Copyright of Steve Ashton.

Please take a look at Friends of Red Kites. and follow the link to Breaking News on the Birdguides website to read about the latest tragic raptor persecution story.

For one reason or another my prospects of birding in the coming few days are not looking good which may result in some 'blanks' on Birds2blog, but I don't expect anyone's life to be changed in any way dramatically by that news!

Keep Moving....

....or freeze to death.

Freeman's Pools. Pete Woodruff.

I decided the best bet was to do the walk from Skerton Bridge to Glasson Dock, the alternative was to stand around counting waders/gulls/geese and freeze to death and I wasn't really up for that. Above was the view over the 100% frozen Freeman's Pools obviously a no go birding area until we have a thaw. On the perimeter fence I saw a Wren and couldn't help but wonder how long these tiny birds could survive this continuous frost. 

Herring Gull. Pete Woodruff.

This brute was on the River Lune at Green Ayre and I grilled a few hundred other 'gulls' between here and Marsh Point to no avail but found 4 Little Grebe, 26 Goldeneye, 3 Goosander, a Tufted Duck, and 4 Grey Heron. On Aldcliffe Marsh I found a similar number of 1,000 'geese' seen on Thursday 25 November, being c.650 Greylag and c.320 Canada Geese, 12 Barnacle Geese are also still here having decreased in number since sixteen were reported a week earlier on 18 November. Before I had any chance to grill these birds any further two 'tankers' with dogs decided to exercise them out on the marsh with the obvious result, c.10 Fieldfare were seen, and  from here I saw an estimated 2,000 Pink-footed Geese in the air over fields between the A683 by-pass road and Oxcliffe Road.

Between Aldcliffe and Conder Green I noted at least 54 Blackbirds, 6 Blue Tits, 5 Robins, and 3 Song Thrush, 2 Wren, c.160 Wigeon were on the river, and c.120 Dunlin noted below Nansbuck Cottage. At Conder Green, the Common Sandpiper put in an appearance, with 2 Greenshank, 4 Little Grebe, a Goosander, Snipe, and 10 Dunlin feeding in the creeks, 5 Long-tailed Tits were by the old railway bridge.

A healthy walk taking in the birds which will continue to struggle as this weather looks set to continue in which case it may well become more serious than a struggle for them.

And finally....

Jackdaw. John Bateman.  

I readily rate this photograph of the Jackdaw as a winner. Thanks for this John....excellent.

The Polar Bear Problem....

Polar Bears. Copyright Angela Plumb.

There's some interesting reading on the WWF website - linked from my sidebar - on the plight of the Polar Bears directly linked to global warming. The photograph above is a way of conserving energy for the young bear during their ever increasing travels to find food, an amazing image. 

1st winter Grey Wagtail. John Bateman.

Well if the harsh winter weather keeps us indoors at least you can continue to get your photographs if birds  keep visiting your home like this Grey Wagtail does at JB's. This is the only urban Grey Wagtail I know which often appears in this residential area of Lancaster far from its usual habitat of fast/slow flowing rivers and streams with plenty of exposed rocks in and alongside the water.

Waxwing/Redwing. Mike Watson  

A rare opportunity for Mike to have these two Scandinavians together on the same berry supply recently at Preston.

Aythya Hybrid. Colin Bushell

And here's the odd one out, the Aythya hybrid on Southport Marine Lake and is a probable Pochard x Ferruginous Duck....I think I would be inclined to agree with that.

Thanks to JB/MW/CB for the photographs and for helping me out with my latest 'gap filler' until I can get out birding once again.

The Quick Dash!

Well not exactly quick but I didn't hang around too much, nor did I get too far either, the wind chill was something else again today. No pictures associated with today's efforts - nothing new there then - but....

Striolated Puffbird. Colin Bushell.

One of CB's Puffbirds from his recent birding trip to Peru. Thanks for this Colin, a new bird to me, and to Birds2blog....luvit!

I did the circuit again at Conder Green knowing well the pool would be frozen over when I got round to it, though there was a couple of small 'free' areas with just two Mute Swans holding on to one of them. In the Conder Channel below the railway bridge 2 Spotted Redsank, a Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Snipe, and c.320 Wigeon, a Song Thrush and c.30 Chaffinch noted along the coastal path, a Kingfisher flew out of the small pool as I approached it on the west side of the A588 opposite the Galgate Road junction, I wish I had a pound for every time I've seen a Kingfisher flying of this pool.

At Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary I noted just 7 Goldeneye at a location void of anything at all of note, quite amazing how you can visit an area holding thousands of birds one day and virtually deserted the next. On Jeremy Lane 3 Bewick's Swans with 15 Mute Swans, the Little Owl was on the roof despite the bitter wind which must have been blowing into it's face. The big surprise on this lane for November was at least 6,000 Pink-footed Geese which despite scanning through twice I found no 'hangers on' with them. I'd have been much less surprised to find these birds here in January, more likely in February or even March, but November and particularly in this number....very unexpected. 

Well I suppose you'd have to call that a....'Quick Dash' wouldn't you!

And finally....

This is such poor taste it hurts, and I think I may well loose some 'customers' through it's weak humour, but I just cannot resist this photograph I took today of....wait for it....Carr Bank.

This and that!

I didn't even get my four hours birding in today....woe is me!

Ice Cubes. Richard Shilling  

But I had an excellent chance to do some searching through 'This and that' including - as a brief diversion from the birds -  finding that RS has been out and about into the great unknown and come up with some more stunning and creative landart. I think this guy gets better as he goes along, click on his name below his 'Ice Disc's' - being Norwegian Maple at the top, Red Oak on the left, and Rowan on the right - and see for yourself how amazing he really is. Thanks for this Richard, brilliant as ever. I also dug out my 'Bird Behavior and other oddities' book and thought the following - chosen at random - might be of interest....

At Leighton Moss on 10 October 1998 I saw a female Ruddy Duck with four downy young, nothing spectacular about that if you didn't note the date.

A few years ago at Out Rawcliffe I observed and took note of a Yellowhammer singing for twenty minutes at the rate of eight times per minute, this individual sang a truly amazing 160 times in the twenty minutes I spent with it....some songster which I'd guess probably holds some sort of record at such vocals.

Two species I've encountered over the years doing mimicry have been, a Whinchat  - a particular master at mimicry - at Borrowdale in June 2005 which fooled me into thinking I'd heard a Whitethroat. And a Starling - another master at mimicry - was once outside our house on telephone wires and 'did' the Curlew to perfection.

At Barbondale on 7 May 2004 I observed the only female Redstart I ever heard in song, something it is only ocassionally known to do in the breeding season.

This is an excellent and interesting sound recording of Twite singing in the snow by Hugh Harrop....the higher your volume the better it sounds.