Down On The Farm

I did get to the farm today but not the usual one, just Old Holly Farm at Cabus for a day out with our two granddaughters Olivia and Isabella. Apart from a few Pied Wagtails and domestic chickens we didn’t see many birds, only pigs, cows, goats, rabbits, horses and newly born lambs. Everyone say Aaah! 

Meanwhile back at the real farm and from last summer there’s a report of a Sedge Warbler recaptured in France. First ringed on 1st August 2010 it was captured by French ringers in Donges, Loire Atlantique on 27 August 2012, an elapsed time of 757 days and a distance of 730 kms, not counting the distance travelled in the intervening year, or the many miles this bird travelled once it reached Africa in both 2010 and 2011. We did not recapture this bird at Out Rawcliffe during the summers of 2011 or 2012 so it is safe to assume it originated further north of Out Rawcliffe.

Sedge Warbler - Out Rawcliffe to Loire Atlantique

Sedge Warbler

I did my top up of the feed yesterday and in the process clocked up much of the customary birds with a few extra goodies like a Short-eared Owl, a Merlin and the Hen Harrier making its way over to Pilling again. The harrier scattered a flock of Wood Pigeons although I don’t think it was actually hunting them, just passing through. It’s another distant shot; this bird does not like us humans, our vehicles or our buildings. 

Hen Harrier and Wood Pigeons

Short-eared Owl

The usual fare consisted of 1 Brambling on a niger feeder, 6 Chaffinch, 22 Goldfinch, 2 Snipe 15 Reed Bunting, 3 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 160 Woodpigeon and 14 Corn Bunting. 

Tomorrow its MOT day - the car not me. So with luck both of us will be out on Thursday. Stay tuned to see if we both get a pass.