Here’s a quickie report of two hours at Rawcliffe Moss, an inland haven from this morning’s strong and snow-threatening winds and the Pilling shoot on my coastal patch.
A good mixture of species fed along the main hedgerow, in excess of 140 Tree Sparrows, 15+ Chaffinch, 4 Yellowhammer, 4 Reed Bunting, 4 Blackbirds, 2 Fieldfare and a single Mistle Thrush. And boy that last species is hard to come by nowadays.
Blackbird
As I headed north for a walk the Tree Sparrows scattered ahead of me and more Fieldfares erupted from the Buzzard wood. There were 15/20 Redwings mixed in with approximately 100 Fieldfares, the whole flock heading off south with much calling. A couple of Fieldfares had found a circling Sparrowhawk, perhaps the reason they’d all left the trees rather than my presence. The sprawk quickly drifted off high and west and lost interest in the proceedings.
Fieldfare
A single Skylark was to be found on the big fields. ther's been a recent change of farming regime from stubble to yet more winter grass with supplementary sheep, the whole change looking like a bad omen for a birder looking to find more than one bird.
I walked to last year’s feeding station where Bramblings, Reed Buntings and an unexpected Little Bunting turned up. Another rarity today in the form of a Song Thrush, more Blackbirds and Chaffinches then an exploding Woodcock giving no clue until it burst from the deck and crashed through the trees.
Two Roe Deer sauntered across the wintry grass, pausing to look at me emerging from the trees, then they were gone and running for all they were worth.
Watching You Watching Me - Roe Deer
There is a stubble field on the way off the farm, a spot I found a huge flock of approximately 300 Linnets, more than I saw all summer. There were 5 Corn Buntings too, the whole flock sitting on overhead wires. They will be there another day for sure, so will I.
Linnet
At Town End I slowed the car to see 4 Goosander sat on the riverbank and a hovering Kestrel nearby.
The old notebook wasn’t exactly full but when you’re a birder there’s always something to see from an hour of two in the fresh air.
Log in tomorrow to see what transpired on Another Bird Blog.
hi Phil. es it is lovely to get out Iin the fresh air to see what birds there are around. you got some nice shot today.
ReplyDeleteLooks like another great outing, Your photos are beautiful as always!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birding!
Beautiful pictures.. Congrats.
ReplyDeleteThe fieldfare photo is a classic, Phil. Another calendar-worthy shot. Too bad the sparrowhawk (love that word 'sprawk') scared them off.
ReplyDeleteAnd then you frightened the deer! Although I'm fairly sure Alberta is more sparsely populated than Britain, our local deer aren't frightened much by people. They'll move off, but can't be bothered running.
On the other hand, there was a nice buck in our yard today, but my husband was less than quiet when he came into the kitchen looking for his camera. "Deer at window!" sez he, just in time for me to see the buck's back end retreating up the road.
The more I look at it, the more I like that fieldfare photo, with the red of its mouth matching the red of the fruit, which looks rather like our ornamental crabapples.
K
Your comment about there always being something to see if you're a birder is true, even if it is sometimes a surprising lack!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realised Linnets looked so like a female House Sparrow, so that is handy to know too!
I have to stick with that single image of the Blackbird on this one Phil, oh what a beauty and not quite so balck at all, such beautiful feather colouration. It looks so much like our American Robins, without the rufous red chest, of course. I love the expression that you captured on the face of this lovely. have a great day, stay warm~
ReplyDeleteWonderful fieldfare photo! I can never get close enough before they fly away!
ReplyDelete