This morning’s dilemma was whether another frosty morning would produce any birds out on the moss or if a walk out Pilling way would be more fruitful.
With the car windscreen just thawing about 9am I plumped on Pilling and began at Fluke Hall. From the tree tops Siskins greeted me with their “pinging” contact calls. There were at least five of the tiny green things moving through the branches and very difficult to see high up in the tallest trees. My attention switched to a Kestrel sat on the perimeter fence where it stayed for several minutes before flying off towards Ridge Farm.
Lots of Meadow Pipits were on the move near Ridge Farm, a continual movement of birds heading east and north, a flight path to be repeated later at Lane Ends. In all I counted over 400 mipits on the move this morning. There are Oystercatchers, Redshanks and Lapwings on territory now, particularly behind the sea wall on the Hi-Fly plots. With this year’s sowing and growing season being inevitably late I am hopeful of a good breeding season for the waders come May and June.
The main objective of the morning was to catch more Wheatears, a glance at Fluke Hall revealing none along the sea wall so instead I made the short trip to Lane Ends. There was a soaring Buzzard over Pilling village and a Kestrel hovering at the roadside at Backsands.
Kestrel
A short walk revealed 3 Wheatears in a similar spot to Monday, this time in a better catching situation but impossible to say if these were part of Monday’s gang of birds waiting for a southerly air stream.
Within five minutes I’d caught an adult male and an adult female, both drawn to the irresistible meal worm.
Wheatear
Wheatear
Wheatear
On the pools were singles of Spotted Redshank, Greenshank and Redshank with a small selection of wildfowl again - 4 Shoveler, 12 Teal and 4 Pintail. A small party of about 40 Golden Plovers flew over, a couple landing briefly before they too joined in the flypast. Around here it is impossible to get close to Golden Plovers, hence the heavily cropped shot which is as good as I’m ever likely to get of these spangled beauties.
Golden Plover
Also overhead, 2 Buzzards pretty high, still climbing and heading north over Morecambe Bay.
More news and maybe more Wheatears soon on Another Bird Blog - stay tuned.
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5 comments:
So good!!!.. I love this bird.. (The Wheather).. Regards..
the kestrel is so handsome and the wheatear beautiful also; lovely photographs again
Beautiful wheatears and kestrel! Funny it got its name from the color of its tail end, not a fondness for wheat on the ear!
The Wheatear is such a handsome bird!
Fantastic shot of the Golden Plover! I know, heavily cropped, etc., but as you say, it may the best chance you'll get!
Wonderful post which I really enjoyed, except for the thawing windscreen - I am allergic to cold weather. :)
Cheers. -- Wally
Hi Phil: Yes the Golden Plover are either in the middle of a field or are very wary & agitated making it impossible to get near them all you can do is take long distance shots of them even so a delightfull species especially in plumage.All the best JWB.
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