Another bright and breezy morning dictated no ringing, instead a drive to and then a walk over the local patches of Fluke, Pilling Water and Lane Ends, with another quiet morning and very little sign of spring migration. It was so quiet I lumped all the sighting together under headings “Lane Ends/Pilling Water” or “Fluke” but regular readers will readily associate the sightings with a particular spot
Lane Ends/Pilling Water: 2 Little Grebe, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 6 Little Egret, 2 European White-fronted Goose, 12 Greylag, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Greenfinch, 1 Greenshank, 6 Skylark, plus 20 grounded Meadow Pipits.
Now the shooting season is finished grey geese in general are easier to approach, although many of the pinkfeet have been in the quieter parts of Staynall and Stalmine for a week or two.
Fluke: 40 Dunlin, 35 Lapwing, 125 Golden Plover, 10 Oystercatcher, 18 Curlew, 8 Skylark, 6 Meadow Pipit, 8 Linnet and 22 Twite. Although both the Twite and Meadow Pipits could be migrants, the Twite are probably part of the flock that wintered between Pilling and Knott End, the Meadow Pipits not visibly migrating but hanging about in the area of the midden with 2 Pied Wagtails.
Back home the local Great-spotted Woodpecker was busily drumming away beyond the village hall with the regular Mistle Thrush in full voice. In the garden Goldfinches have dried up, no sign of Siskins but a Goldcrest made a brief appearance.
With a high pressure sitting over us the weather forecast looks better for a spot of ringing tomorrow, even though it may turn out to be a “blocking” high.
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