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. 

Can't bird from a car!

Well you can't bird from a car but in fact I found some decent birds today from one. But first, here's a little beauty from Egypt....

Greater Sand Plover. Phil Slade

A smart little wader photographed by PS who thought he'd go there to help rid the country of its leader but found he wasn't required so had a holiday instead. 

Conder Green remains quiet but 2 Spotted Redshank, and 4 Little Grebe were in the channel and 5 Goldeneye on Conder Pool, a Kingfisher was a pleasant surprise flying off down the channel which has produced the Common Sandpiper recently. The first Kingfisher since 'the big freeze' and makes you wonder how these birds cope and survive in such conditions, remembering they have the need to fish in still - or at least quiet running - clear waters....amazing!

The Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock offered nothing to add to yesterdays birds save a larger number of 'gulls' amongst which I found a smart adult Mediterranean Gull. On Jeremy Lane 3 Whooper Swans were with c.24 Mute Swans. From here the rest of my birding for today was indeed done from a car and seeing a large group of 'swans' from the A588 opposite Sand Villa I pulled in to a gateway to find 19 Bewick's Swans and 8 Whooper Swans, an excellent record for the former.

Pilling Marsh was pretty well deserted but I did see a Little Egret distantly in flight. From Backsands Lane a Ruff was with a miserable count of 9 Golden Plover and a 'good number' of Lapwing. From Fluke Hall Lane another Ruff found in the stubble field currently in excellent condition....well, excellent for birds. At Fluke Hall my day ended nicely with a male Stonechat for company through the windscreen whilst I had a 'cuppa'. 

And finally....

Striated Heron. Phil Slade

Another Egypt special with thanks to PS for allowing them on to Birds2blog.

T for two!

The titles get worse.

I had just two hours to give to my birding today - isn't life exciting at times - and managed to give CG and GD as good a going over as possible in the time allotted. But to add a little colour and interest to the blog I first have to post a pic....

Pintail. Brian Rafferty

And I'm fortunate to have access to many excellent ones like this female Pintail showing some brilliant plumage detail.

Well the visit to Conder Green got off to a sluggish start when I had to sit out a heavy shower on my arrival with thoughts of 'Oh no not again' going through my head, but it cleared and the first bird found was last Thursdays male Stonechat, soon followed by the Common Sandpiper which - if you'd really like to see this bird - you'll need to look around for it as it gets about some, my last three visits have found it in the channel as you approach the right hand bend by the Caravan Park. The Conder channels were again void of any waders and in fact the circuit was void of anything of note. Conder Pool held 3 Goldeneye and 12 Wigeon to note. From here I saw c.250 Pink-footed Geese in the air over Jeremy Lane.  

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock I first checked the small group of 'swans' which turned out to hold 2 Bewick's Swans, a Spotted Redshank was soon found and the other 'estimated' wader counts went.... 5,000 Lapwings which I saw on Tuesday 8 February, 650 Redshank, 350 Golden Plover, 265 Dunlin, 245 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebe, and 3 Goosander.

And another pic....

Shoveler. Brian Rafferty

The drake Shoveler also shows some excellent plumage detail and I'm grateful once again to BR for allowing the photographs on Birds2blog.

MEGA NEWS.

A Rufous Turtle Dove (form orientalis) has been found today at Chipping Norton - it's been here before - in Oxfordshire. The bird is apparently in the garden at an address I don't think I'm entitled to publish here, but the instructions are not to park at the address but in the town centre and walk to it, you're allowed 5 minutes for viewing at this location at the cost of £5 per person and a queuing system is in operation, and if you go to see the bird on Wednesday and Thursday you'll be out of luck as there will be no access....Mmmmm!

The Great Auk.

The Great Auk is shown in the brilliant artwork of Thorburn, centre bottom in the plate below. 



Auks. Archibald Thorburn.

The Great Auk was a flightless North Atlantic sea bird, ancient remains of which have been found to prove it occurred  in the North Atlantic and Northern Britain for a considerable period of time. The bones of three adult birds were found below Viking level at the Jarlshof settlement, Mainland Shetland. In 1549 it was mentioned as being found on the Western Isles, and 240 years later in 1789 a Great Auk was said to have visited St Kilda. Bones found in old sea caves at Whitburn proved that it frequented the British coast, but by the mid 19th century it was on the verge of extinction which eventually came about through the activities of human hunting and persecution....The story of its last sighting gave me a distinct feeling of nausea.

Five men  - which I can only describe as idiots - came across a sleeping Great Auk on Stack-an-Armin, St Kilda in July c.1840. One of these men  - who were completely immersed in the beliefs and superstitions of the time - grabbed the bird by the neck and proceeded to confine the creature in a *bothy for three days. The bird was suspected of being a master of wind and weather and was blamed for causing a violent storm, it was cruelly clubbed to death with a large stone in a prolonged attack....executed as a witch! It was the last Great Auk to be seen alive in Britain. 

*A small hut or cottage for use as a mountain refuge.

Hunting With Eagles.

It may be three days before I get out birding again so meanwhile, please take a look at these two 'whats this got to do with birding' videos. I personally have some reservations about this first one, but who am I to want to see an end to age old traditions but....shouldn't the Eagle be Wild and Free.

This one is a short sneaky look at the new Madagascar series, the music might annoy you....it did me!



I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!

Hard at times!

It was a bit hard at times today and if the fog had been forecast I didn't know it had been, it played a major part in disrupting my efforts for a couple of hours at Conder/Glasson, followed by more than a couple at Morecambe around the tide again....but I did my best. Be warned there are three 'so whats this got to do with birds then' photographs to follow the one below, all credited to yours truly. 

Wood Pigeons. Logging off at Conder Green! 

Although it was hard work at times because of the fog my day was already made up ten minutes out of the car at Conder Green when I found a male Stonechat in the horse paddock on the left just past the Stork Hotel, almost certainly SP's 29 January bird. The place was virtually void of any waders today and the circuit produced just 4 Goldfinch, 2 Reed Bunting, and a Song Thrush heard in good song only. On Conder Pool, the Jeremy Lane of late  immature Whooper Swan was with 8 Mute Swans, also 4 Goldeneye noted. 

On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, 10 Goldeneye and a Great-crested Grebe. The Lune Estuary was almost blocked out by the fog but I managed to filter through it to find a Spotted Redshank, counted at least 100 Golden Plover, and 3 Goosander drakes through the murk. At Bodie Hill the fog lifted temporarily to see Tuesdays 120 Black-tailed Godwit and - surprise,surprise - a Little Egret on Glasson Marsh....long time no see here! On Jeremy Lane the Little Owl seen.

At Morecambe by 1.30pm I was confident the day had improved to become sunny but I was proved wrong and the fog banks kept coming and blotted out anything offshore rendering the birding a bit of a half hearted affair. But at Teal Bay where the tide was pushing the birds out of the fog and into view I noted 720 Lapwing 650 Curlew, 96 Bar-tailed Godwit, 75 Wigeon, 24 Eider, 6 Goldeneye, and 3 Great-crested Grebe, a Peregrine Falcon passed by at least twice.



This was what turned out to be the last fog bank to pass through Morecambe as seen from Broadway where I counted 120 Turnstone on the groyne, an excellent count for the species.

By the time I reached the Stone Jetty it had become a spring like late afternoon, thought the birding had fallen flat on its face unfortunately, but....

LR66 was looking good again in the brilliant sunlight and flat calm sea.

One or two bits!

A bit late this evening for posting and not having got any birding in today, nothing to report. However, you may have seen in my post on the Wheatear and my commenting the males will have already left their wintering quarters in Africa and that birds could be seen on the south coast by late February....a bit of an understatement if the report I got this afternoon can be found to be genuine when two Wheatears were seen today near Halton Lea Gate, Midgeholme, Cumbria.

Swallows. Cliff Raby

Well the Weatears in Cumbria may well be early but the sign of things to come like the Swallows above will need a little more time before we can witness this kind of amazing spectacle....Pretty impressive stuff Cliff and thanks a bundle for allowing them on to Birds2blog for us all to enjoy.

Blackpool Storm. Peter Guy.

So whats this got to do with birds then, obviously nothing it's just a brilliant piece of photography taken last week at Cleveleys with my thanks to PG.

And finally, I just watched David Attenborough's new three part series 'Madagascar'....if you missed it thats unfortunate and I strongly recommend you try to catch up with it if you can as it is excellent, and if you can receive it in HD....WOW!

Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Well there's never really any guarantee but always a satisfaction to any birding as far as I'm concerned and today I had the company of JB, a birder who sees birding and wildlife in very much the same light as I do which makes our association all the more interesting.

Short-eared Owl. Pete Woodruff.

I only once had the opportunity to get a pic of the SEO with the sort of third rate photographic equipment I have today and this is the result from a couple of years ago. JB and I had excellent views of one of these brilliant creatures today quartering a field, the bird has been seen previously by us on 21 January.



Conder Green was a little on the quiet side this morning with nothing more than a single Goldeneye in the Conder channel below the railway bridge with another four on Conder Pool where I decided to become a recorder extraordinaire - well not quite -  for a few minutes and noted everything in sight, 5 Tufted Duck, 16 Wigeon, 32 Mallard, and 12 Mute Swans, in the creeks at least 80 Teal. A return visit on the way home produced a Greenshank and a Grey Plover.

I kept my recorders hat on at Glasson Dock and on the Lune Estuary noted estimates of, 5,000 Lapwing, 400 Redshank, 450 Dunlin, 465 Golden Plover, 45 Curlew, 36 Bar-tailed Godwit, 14 Black-tailed Godwit, a Spotted Redshank, 325 Wigeon, 29 Shelduck, and 3 Goosander drakes. Off Bodie Hill I noted c.120 Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Goldeneye drakes.

At Cockersands on my second attempt I finally caught up with the1st winter male Snow Bunting which - thanks to me freezing still when I found it - came within touching distance below the embankment overlooking Plover Scar. Also noted here, 2 Goldeneye drakes, and at least 90 Linnet at the set-aside.

On Pilling Marsh, 10 Whooper Swans, c.300 Pink-footed Geese (PFG), a Little Egret, and a distant Peregrine Falcon. At Fluke Hall, myself and about a half dozen other birders made no contact with anything amongst the c.1,500 PFG. Off Lancaster Road another c.4,000 PFG and 45 Whooper Swans seen, and a trip down Union Lane produced just 5 Corn Buntings.  

And finally....

Great-crested Grebe. Cliff Raby

Another reminder of the season to come. Thanks for this Cliff....excellent and much appreciated.