Thursday, August 13, 2015

“A” Good Day

These fine mornings are too good to waste, especially since we are promised a day or two of downpours next; so I set off early to make hay and visit a few regular birding spots. 

Morning Has Broken 

Swallows have been fidgety all week with small gangs of them along roadside wires and others more obviously moving south during the day. As I drove along Head Dyke Lane through Stalmine and Pilling I noted several groups of roadside Swallows, one of which numbered 100+ birds close to a likely looking roosting site. 

At Glasson Dock I found more than 30 Swallows feeding around the moored boats and over the yacht basin. While not a huge count it was more than I’ve seen there all year with my own observations suggesting that some Swallow pairs have managed to produce just one brood of chicks this year. 

 Swallow

Today the first signs of an increase in Coots with a count of 18 although Tufted Ducks remain at a handful. There was the usual Grey Heron fishing from the jetty and a Cormorant diving nearby but both fly off towards the estuary at the first signs of human activity. A couple of Pied Wagtails fed around the lock gates together with a handful of Goldfinches and the regular Collared Doves. 

I walked part of the old railway path and picked up on a dozen or so flighty Goldfinches, 2 Whitethroats and 2 Willow Warblers, the warblers being the first for a good number of days if not weeks of the species’ absence during our lost summer. 

Whitethroat

At Conder Green I glimpsed the Kingfisher in a fly past before seeing the standard wading fare of 160 Redshank, 90 Lapwing, 4 Common Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, 1 Greenshank and 3 Little Egret. Ducks and grebes etc - 3 Little Grebe, 4 Teal, 2 Shelduck, 1 Tufted Duck and 1 Wigeon. 

The Wigeon, in theory a winter visitor, has been around the pool throughout the summer and is perhaps missing the company of its own species by the way it trails in the wake of the local Mallards. It does though remain very wild and difficult to photograph at close quarters. 

Wigeon

On my way to Fluke Hall I called at Lane Ends, Pilling to have 5 Little Egrets, 1 Little Grebe and 1 Sparrowhawk. At Fluke Hall there was a Jay in the woodland together with 2 Buzzard, while along the hedgerows I found a Whitethroat and a Willow Warbler and then towards Ridge Farm a single Corn Bunting. 

This once abundant and common farmland species, and as advised a number of times on this blog, now clings to existence by a single thread in this part of coastal Lancashire. This area once grew crops which people could eat - carrots, potatoes and all manner of vegetables, and where the left over winter stubble would feed Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers and finches galore. Nowadays the same fields are crammed with cattle and sheep. Our bellies are full of meat but the birds have gone for ever. 

Corn Bunting

I spent a while enjoying the sunshine at Knott End and saw 100+ Sandwich Tern, 1400 Oystercatcher, 130 Dunlin, 28 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Grey Heron, 30+ Swallows on the move, and a couple of Eider duck floating on the flat iron sea. 

Now wasn’t that a good day’s birding? 

Knott End, Lancashire

By the way, did you know that Google has renamed itself Alphabet? But if you do a search tomorrow you will still find Another Bird Blog listed under “A”.

Linking today to Anni and Eileen's Saturday Blog.

30 comments:

Vandana Sharma said...

Amazing clicks and what a beautiful way to start the day.

PS: The morning picture took me to another realm , where I was lost in time, pondering about life, as if the time stood still.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Oh but you are a scoundrel and a killjoy! This refers to my Red-footed Falcon blog post, of course. To imply that the bird was too confiding and may not be a valid lifer is sacrilege in the extreme. Why it came right over to me, so it did, and whispered in my ear that it was born in Poland but tired of their dumplings, so came over to Britain to feed on insects stirred up by the horses, cattle and sheep now occupying the fields where vegetables used to grow. So put that in your burger and lump it!

Linda said...

What a beautiful surprise, Phil, to see your lovely photos gracing my screen today. Thank you so much for sharing.

Rohrerbot said...

WHAT??!!!! That is so weird! Google sure likes to come up with some interesting things. As for the Corn Bunting......that's a bummer. Buntings are normally pretty colorful so it's nice to see this one with more of the traditional garb:) The buntings over here have crazy coloring. I cannot believe how wild they can be. I know what you mean about observing our vanishing species. We can only hope someone is reading out there that can do something at the top.....

Ida said...

That first shot is just so beautiful and a great way to start your day. Nice bird shots as always and the shot at Knott End was really pretty.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Phil, awesome start to your day. The first shot is lovely. The swallows are so cute and the Whitethroat is a pretty bird. It is sad to see the decline of any bird, it is awful they are all loosing their habitat. Great post and photos, happy birding!

A Colorful World said...

Hi Phil...your dawn photo is wonderful! Loved seeing Knotts End, also and the corn bunting and other birds! Thanks so much for commenting on my Good Fences post! Have a great weekend!

Mary Howell Cromer said...

Swallows, Swallows Swallwos, always brings a smile. It has been another long week and I cannot believe that it is already Friday morning. Recent 11 DR appointments and other chores following the whole tree fiasco, still not done and all yard work getting further behind. It really is a mess! But, it is a new day and stopping by is always fun. that little Whitethroat sure is a little sweet one. Once again, Happy weekend Phil~

Hansedeern said...

OMG, Phil
so wonderfull photos! I like the birds and *the morning has broken*
Greetings from Hamburg to England
Britta

fredamans said...

That morning shot is pretty incredible!

Fun60 said...

You can't beat the early morning shot.

Hootin Anni said...

Corn Bunting...now that is a NEW one for me. Exciting to see it shared here.

And oh, that morning sky?!!! Spectacular.

chai-and-chardonnay.blogspot.com said...

What a glorious beginning to a day. Beautiful pictures - i love looking at the swallows high up in the sky.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Your first photo is stunning and the title reminds me of singing this in school. Love the Corn Bunting. Have a great weekend.

Viera said...

Fantastic photos of birds and beautiful water reflection on the Morning is mesmerizing...

eileeninmd said...

Hi Phil, just stopping back to say thank you for linking up your beautiful birds and post. Have a happy weekend!

Sandy Kessler said...

you have an exceptional camera that swift is clarity personified

Sandy Kessler said...

meant to say swallow

Small City Scenes said...

A beautiful way to start the day. Love the sweet little bunting.
MB

Janice said...

You have such wonderful posts!

Anni said...

It's great you stopped by to share the link this week at I'd Rather B Birdin'. Of course I had to take a 2nd glance at the neat bunting. AND the beautiful sunrise. Thanks Phil.

And as you know, Bud has the binoculars pasted to his eyes. lol

Adam Jones said...

Fantastic Corn Bunting. Sad to think that so many of our birds will be departing soon.

Adam Jones said...

Fantastic Corn Bunting. Sad to think that so many of our birds will be departing soon.

Hannah said...

The early morning sun transformed into a six-pointed star is awesome, and the golden mist. Swallows were nearly the only birds I saw on my last beach trip, which was fun but disappointing. Where were the shorebirds? I like the grebe shot, always interesting birds. That's sad about the Corn Bunting habitat disappearing. They should make verges along the road where they could grow plants that could provide winter forage for the birds, or along the hedgerows.

Stewart M said...

Nice post - that is a decent days birding - I suppose it won't be too long before the swallows head south (sorry to remind you!)

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Great shots and report, Phil. Sorry to hear about the Corn Bunting. It's an all-too-familiar story.
~

Unknown said...

Beautiful photo. The beautiful 'flower shaped' sun .

Latane Barton said...

I have to agree, you hit the jackpot in your birding efforts today.

Unknown said...

Lovely.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Great day of birding. Do you ever have any other kind though? The part about the corn bunting...the lack of habitat ... Made me so sad. Our meat-eating habits are killing us and our birds! And yet, I cannot make the complete switch to being a vegetarian. (We do eat less than we used to. )

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