A bright, sunny start but with still the nagging northerly that’s holding up a flood of birds just south of here. There was a hint of finches on the move this morning, nothing too obvious just a few Lesser Redpolls flying over, Siskins high in the trees and a Brambling, the latter a good find for April.
I’d started at Fluke Hall, checked the sea wall for Wheatears and pipits of which there were none but noted small numbers of both Linnets and Goldfinches moving along the hedgerow and the sea wall.
There seemed to be little genuinely “on the move” as distinct from local birds, so I then quietly searched the woodland and woodland edge as far as the “Keep Out” signs allowed, hoping for maybe a Ring Ouzel - just Blackbirds of course.
Blackbird
Bramblings have such a distinctive, nasal, wheezy call that if one or more is about there is no denying it. Likewise Lesser Redpolls and Siskins, two members of the finch family which have also have highly characteristic and unmistakeable calls. All three species were moving through the tree tops but I managed to see a Lesser Redpoll only. Into the notebook went “one” of each although later at Lane Ends there would be 3 Lesser Redpolls and 2 Siskin to add to the resident Chaffinches.
Brambling
Also here at Fluke Hall, a resident Pied Wagtail, singing Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, a pair of Kestrels at the box and 1 Little Egret on the marsh.
The maize fields which have proved a magnet for many birds during the winter have now dried to such an extent that they have been ploughed in preparation for planting with the result that the few birds which remain consist of several pairs of Shelduck and Lapwings.
Lane Ends produced the aforesaid Lesser Redpolls and Siskins, 2 Jays, singing Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, 2 Little Egret and 2 Little Grebe.
At Pilling Water - a Grey Heron, the Green Sandpiper, 15 Redshank, 1 Little Egret and on the marsh still 450+ Pink-footed Geese. Otherwise the birding was extremely quiet and unproductive and a change of wind direction would help bring in more migrants.
Grey Heron
There are more birds and birding from Another Bird Blog very soon. Call in again for a full of activity time.
Linking today to Anni's Birding Blog and Eileen's Saturday Blog.
Linking today to Anni's Birding Blog and Eileen's Saturday Blog.
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24 comments:
I only ever saw Ring Ouzel twice. Once on a Scottish hillside and again on top of an Alp in Bavaria. They must pass through the Ribble/Fylde but I never got one there...........
Pearler picture of the Blackbird. They were introduced to Australia and remind me of my time in Melbourne. Love the branch too. The Brambling is of course also quite distinguished and I've seen one or two in Japan.
Phil, it would be nice if the wind cooperated with our birding outings..Love the pretty Brambling! Have a great weekend and happy birding!
Sounds like a lot of birds and a good morning to me, but those Geese and Blackbirds all sound very exotic to someone on the other side of the world!
Hi Phil
You always manage to see quite a few birds for someone who says he hardly saw any today.
I thought I'd be sending you a duck photo to identify for me, but Wikipedia stepped up to the plate and told me it's an Eider Duck. We saw two pair, and caught one reflected in the water, so I posted it at http://unfittie.blogspot.ca/2014/04/reflections-in-reykjavik.html
I hope you don't delete comments with links in them. This is just a personal link, not a commercial one.
Cheers,
K
...I don't know how you manage to count, mist-net, document AND photograph the wonderful birdlife Phil. You achieve so much, and often in bitter weather. You're very passionate, which is an admirable trait; well done, cuedos to you. I enjoyed reading over the link you sent on mist-netting etc., thankyou.
Wonderful images of all your bird models, Phil! How DO you get them to pose so nicely?
Perhaps the early Brambling is a sign of good things to come.
Here's hoping the wind changes and the "flood" gates open!
Hope your weekend is off to a great start!
We have blackbirds nesting in our garden - they destroy the mulch!!
Nice pictures.
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Excelentes capturas.Un abrazo
Good Morning, Phil. Just stopping by to say thank you for sharing your post with the critter party. Have a happy weekend!
The brambling is quite nice looking in shades of golden brown with black and white.
Good morning Phil: I think this account really illustrates the point that a birding walk is never void of delights. You may not get what you hope for but there are always great consolation prizes. Migration is well underway here and something new seems to come to see me every day. Yesterday, at the shore of Lake Ontario in Mississauga, I saw a marvellous breeding plumaged Horned Grebe. I didn't have a camera with me - go figure!
I enjoyed the post and especially that pretty brambling : )
i loved that brambling... it's adorable. i've never seen this bird before. and, i've only seen the blue heron not the grey. it sounds like your in the best spot ever to see many birds. hope all is well. have a great day~
Hi Phil...just a quick note for you [I'll come back when my housework and unpacking is done to sit down and read your post]
But wanted to let you know the linking tool is now up and working properly. :-)
A beautiful serie. Interesting to study the details closer. So many birds!
Beautiful photos. It would be nice if the weather cooperated better. It seems it's sunny when I'm at work and cloudy or rainy on the weekends.
Beautiful photos and observations, my last trip was boring, I heard more than I saw.
Gorgeous shot of the Heron!
The brambling is so sweet . You saw more than 500 birds and still thought it was an unproductive birding day!! I wish I could tag along on one of your bad days))))!
...but you saw so many!! How wonderful. It's always good to have such a day filled with dozens of different birds...calling or spotting them, either way.
That brambling is a very handsome species. And your blackbird has an orange eye ring?---dramatic.
I'm glad I came back to read your post Phil...always interesting and love your narration.
Fantastic shots! Today we found a nest of Blackbird in forest with two nestlings and two eggs :-). We like this species :-)
Greetings
450+ geese would be enough for me. Your unproductive day sounds pretty good.
HI Wonderful critter post. Love the Brambling.
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