Fly Or Drive

Freezing fog and overnight ice stopped me joining the other lads at Rossall where they were going for another Turnstone catch this morning - I didn’t fancy a potentially hazardous drive at 0630, and the Turnstones can wait.

When the fog cleared about 1300 I put the garden net up for a while in the hope of catching a Goldfinch or two. The first of four Goldfinch was an adult male, already bearing a ring which I assumed was from previous occasions here in Stalmine. When I checked the IPMR database Ian had ringed the bird at Rossall on 16th March 2010, so in a sense I touched Rossall after all today. By road the journey is a tortuous 10 miles, but as the Goldfinch might fly it is but a flap and glide across the Wyre estuary.

Goldfinch – adult male
Fly Or Drive - Rossall to Stalmine

I caught another new Coal Tit today, and it’s not a complaint, just an observation, that while Coal Tits appear plentiful there seems to be a shortage of the Great and Blue variety in these parts.

Coal Tit
A couple of new Blackbirds male turned up in the net too, maybe as a result of the last of the apples put out for them.

Blackbird – 1st winter male

Here in the North West we seemed to escape yesterday’s snow but with more freezing temperatures on the way the birding or maybe even the ringing may get more exciting. Watch this space to find out.