This morning wasn’t the best for birding or mist netting so I took the opportunity to catch up with the Swallows at Hambleton where after a late, somewhat delayed season three second broods were all at similarly ideal stages for rings. I ringed 15 youngsters from three nests with two other nests ready in three or four more days. By the end of this season it will have been an average one for productivity with about 60 youngsters from the small site, but a little later than normal and only a slim chance of third broods into September.
The weather improved towards lunchtime so I headed out to Lane Ends, Pilling. I took up pole position in the birder’s car park before setting off for a stroll then headed west along the sea wall where I noted 2 Willow Warblers in the trees below the car park. A wildly calling gull drew my attention to an overhead circling Buzzard gradually gaining height but also drifting east until it simply disappeared out of sight.
A single Wheatear was all I found between Lane Ends and Pilling Water but I sat on the stile to watch the just medium tide roll in and count just 4 Linnet, 1 Greenfinch and 6 Goldfinch. It now seems likely that the dozens of finches, mostly Linnets and Greenfinches, along here in early July were simply post juvenile flocks and not any genuinely autumnal gatherings, as the numbers in August remain stubbornly low.
Little Egrets returned today with two birds moving Broadfleet and the wildfowler’s pools where I also counted 30+ fast-flying Teal and 17 Shelduck.
The medium tide didn’t bring any large numbers of waders today, unlike Wednesday when I counted 900+ Curlew; today’s count was more like 300, with just 2 Golden Plover, 7 Dunlin, 8 Redshank, 5 Oystercatcher and 1 Greenshank. Also on Wednesday were Sandwich Terns when I managed a few pics, but unfortunately no terns today, just 300 Black-headed Gulls.
It was a quiet end to the day but also to the week and there’s rain forecast for Saturday and Sunday. But with luck there’s a gap or two between the raindrops and you never know, chance of a spot of birding and another post on Another Bird Blog.
17 comments:
Woah, woah, woah, I had just finished loading a blog entry and was going to wait until later to check blogs and then...there it was a lovely Swallow staring at me from my side bar, lovely, lovely, they are indeed lovely. Have a delightfully safe weekend~
btw, the Teals, and Gulls and remaining birds were also very wonderful;)
Hey Phil...Only 300 ...are you sure of that...no - or +???
What a happy cute little stinkers those babie Swallows are in the nest!!
Hope your weekend is special,and the weather is ideal to get the lawn mowed!!
Grace
Hi Phil: Like the Sandwich Tern shot.JWB.
Love the juvenile swallows shot. Not just the birds, but also the detail showing the process of the nest building. Nicely done.
The shots of the Little Egret and the Sandwich Tern are special. Birds in flight, and one can see the amazing design of their wings. Beautiful! Thanks Phil!
By the way, it is modest of you to call this blog, "Another bird blog", like it was just "another".
What wonderful shots!
Que bellas capturas amigo Phil, no me canso de contemplar tus bellas y nitidas fotografías, recibe un fuerte abrazo desde Menorca
You take wonderful shots of flying birds!
Great series!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
Cool pics. I like the egret especially!
Great birds! Love the Terns and the swallows are my favorite.
Hi Phil.
As MAry said woah woah!! Your flight shots are simply breahtaking!! I love your new banner too, this linnet is awesome...
Beautiful bird photos! As always.
Sweet captures. Your swallows are much different from those we have here. Much more colorful.
Awesome shots of the sea birds in flight. If I tried to count the birds at the ocean, I'd go nuts.
My first visit to your blog; lovely captures.
Hey folks, thanks for all your appreciative comments.
Fantastic Little Egret shot Phil. The capture shows a beautiful dancing flight. Excellent.
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