Top Of The Moss

I grabbed a couple of hours birding this morning at Rawcliffe Moss before the family visited us with gifts for Sue on Mother’s Day. Glad I went out earlier because although the wind blew a fresh north westerly that made it feel pretty cold, I saw a nice selection of birds and had the place to myself.

First stop was the ivy clad trees at the Rawcliffe end of the road where I had seen Stock Doves a couple of times recently around a likely looking cavity, and there they were again, mating out in the open on a handy branch. So that goes down in Birdtrack as a positive and I really must load my ladder on in a few weeks time to check them out properly. I think I only ever ringed one or two Stock Dove previously. Further down the lane I imagined the Little Owl wouldn’t be sat out in the open in such a breeze, and I was right as it sat only partly visible, huddled up in the lee of the ivy. Just as well I took plenty of pictures during the frosty spells when it obligingly sat away from the ivy.

Little Owl
Towards the winter feeding track a Kestrel perched on the overhead wires but flew off as I approached which caused a single Snipe to flush from a muddy patch of ground. It’s getting a bit late for Snipe now but of course they are just as liable to be migrants as other species we see in March. In the fields alongside the road I counted 5 Roe Deer and at least 6 Brown Hares doing a little of their mad March thing but not quite at full pelt. At the track I walked out towards the big field via the Pheasant feeder where the Yellowhammers hang out, and there were still 5 around as well as a couple of Chaffinch plus the usual Blue Tits and 2 Reed Buntings. After brief snatches of song last week I haven’t heard much of the Yellowhammer's song “Little Bit of Bread and No Cheese”, but I hope it won’t be long before I do.

Kestrel
Kestrel
Snipe
Yellowhammer
There were still 8/10 Tree Sparrows along the hedge hanging out for free grub but they really need to get on with claiming a nest box soon as many have done, because when I walked through the wood and then along the “97” hedge their chippy calls near boxes betrayed breeding plans. Further up the hedge I found a flock of 18 Linnet, a group of 5 Goldfinch and a 2 more Reed Buntings in the area they nested last year. Then when I rejoined the main track 2 Corn Buntings sat together on a spindly bush, one singing. Also up here on top of the moss, 2 pairs of Grey Partridge, 2 Buzzard, a second Kestrel, an incoming Shelduck, more singing Chaffinch, an overflying Pied Wagtail, a Great-spotted Woodpecker in the fir copse and at least 40 Woodpigeon crashing noisily from the trees.

Corn Bunting
Buzzard
I’d had a good couple of hours and there’s nothing quite like quitting when your ahead. Even better to see all the family together later in the day.