I couldn’t make it Monday, but on the very cold, frosty morning Will went to Out Rawcliffe on his own and caught thrushes, 18 Redwings, 4 Fieldfares and a single Blackbird from a cast of several hundred. It was the only morning for weeks when the early morning movement proved hefty enough for a good catch.
So with a less than perfect forecast we hoped to do the same today. But as we all know from the age old saying but which is actually based on a long-standing myth, “lightning never strikes twice in the same place”. But the maxim proved accurate this morning, the difference possibly due to the 100% cloud cover which provided a dank, dismal and occasionally drizzly morning when our sightings of Redwings and Fieldfares were counted at about 30 of each in the hour after dawn.
However we did manage a few bits and pieces of 13 new birds and 5 recaptures. New: 4 Reed Bunting, 3 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 1 Goldcrest and 1 each of the elusive thrushes Redwing and Fieldfare. Recaptures: 2 Goldfinch, 2 Great Tit and 1 Robin.
This morning’s bird watching, or more exactly goose watching, proved more enthralling than our quiet ringing session as wave after wave of Pink-footed Geese made their way from the Pilling direction and towards the surrounding stubble fields of Rawcliffe. From 7am to 11 am we counted approximately 15,000 geese heading our way then landing in several areas of the moss, and watched as at least five birds were brought down by forewarned shooters with expectant freezers.
In the overcast murk, other birding was predictably poor, but we saw our first Woodcock of the autumn, 1 Barn Owl, 4 Snipe, 2 Song Thrush, 3 Lesser Redpoll and 14 Reed Bunting.
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6 comments:
Phil, I have missed some of your posts. Hence, will have to catch up on some reading/pictures. Thrilled to see the flock of Geese; a different kind of picture. Also, very nice to see the Goldcrest. Sorry about the weather you are having. Oh, you saw the first Woodcock this autumn. Take care! Thanks for your good posts.
15,000 geese.
The mind boggles.
How could you possibly count them? Oh, I know birders have a method, but that's a lot of geese.
Glad you found some candidates for ringing and some recaptures to record.
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
Hey Phil,
We're really struggling for any numbers of thrushes down this way at the moment. We had one weekend where they were around, since then, they've dried up and we've had hardly any!
I'm jealous of your midweek sessions!
Hey Phil...good grief I thought you had got caught out there in the pucker brush in a thunderstorm...with that lightning title ..whew!
That Goldcrest is a darling little guy, and a nice gaggle of geese there!
I don't like the idea guns since my little incident with Mr policemen ...I wonder how those poor Geese feel when they hear that gun go of!!
It is deer hunting season here right now, I cringe when I hear a rifle shot out back in the woods
...I just can't get away from those crazed gun wheeling people!!
Grace
15.000 gansos, impresionante cantidad amigo Phil, un trabajo donde la diversificación es genial con tantas aves volando a vuestro alrededor, espero que el tiempo os acompaña, aquí ha estado lloviendo cuatros días seguidos y es una lata tanta agua. Un abrazo Phil
One Pink Footed Goose, or many of them, still a grand sight any day. Here is to better ringing ventures soon for you and Will~
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