Saturday, May 26, 2018

Back On Patch

There was a stiff north-easterly wind as I set off over the moss roads. It had been three weeks without birding the local patch so I was keen to see what had taken place in this “silent spring”. Via the Internet I’d read local blogs and bird club pages where all agreed that a number of species were down or even missing – Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers, Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Reed Warblers; the same names kept cropping up on the list of absentees. 

Until this morning I’d not seen a Swift in the UK, just several thousand in Menorca over a week ago. It was almost 1030 this morning before I saw my first 2 UK Swifts of the year, both heading purposefully into the wind and out over Morecambe Bay. 

The early start gave a number of Whitethroats, both singing but also skulking as they do. Maybe they are just trying to catch up with the days they lost on the way here? But less than a dozen Whitethroats for almost four hours of birding in suitable habitat represents a poor show. 

Whitethroat 

At least the recent dry days gave farmers a chance to catch up and for now the flash floods are gone.  Many a field is ploughed & seeded or stripped bare by the first cut of silage. 

Rawcliffe Moss, Lancashire 

The moss roads produced an interesting mix. I checked out the Buzzard nest of some weeks ago where the foliage now almost completely hides the nest. The two adults were very close by but silent and I’m pretty sure there are small young up there in the tree tops. 

Buzzard Nest 

Buzzard 

Close by was a singing Lesser Whitethroat, a Kestrel and on nearby fields, 6 Stock Dove. There was a Curlew displaying too, an upland breeding species that nests in very low numbers here on the coast.  
An hour or two around the Cockerham, Conder Green and Cockersands area proved to be inconclusive. I saw lots of Sand Martins at Cockerham but Swallows and House Martins were noticeable by their low numbers, even absent from regular spots along Moss Lane. 

In this part of Lancashire our Swallows have suffered a series of poor, short summers of rain, cool temperatures and the loss of many traditional nesting sites. The cumulative effect of these changes is that two or three broods have not been possible in a season and there are less young available to fly to Africa in the autumn. The additional pressures of the Swallows’ long and hazardous migration mean that the numbers of Swallows returning to breed in our Northern summer declines each year. Swallows are stuck in a vicious circle from which they struggle to escape. 

I managed to see and hear about six Sedge Warblers, plus a handful of Whitethroat but not a single Reed Warbler in the phragmites ditches alongside the lanes. I'm hoping the lack of visuals of both Reed and Sedge Warblers is down to a late start and the females laying low while on eggs. 

Sedge Warbler  

Brown Hares have done well this year where perhaps the farmers’ reluctance to enter their fields in the wet spring helped hares progress. Skylarks may have benefited in a similar way and it was a very visible but not necessarily vocal species this morning with a good number seen along Jeremy and Moss lanes. Skylarks too are mostly at egg stage in late May and I didn't see any carrying food today.
  
Brown Hare

Skylark 

Along Moss Lane I saw two broods of young Lapwings, adults with three good sized chicks and then adults with but a single youngster. Sadly I also saw the beginnings of a post-breeding season gathering of 15-18 adults whereby both failed or non-breeders join together in a loose flock to compare notes and discuss what they might do different next time. 

Lapwing 

There’s good news from Conder Green where a second pair of Common Terns have claimed the island spot vacated by the Avocets of early May that upped sticks and went elsewhere. The other pair  of terns still claim the man-made pontoon.

Common Tern 

Also here – 5 pairs of Oystercatcher, 3 pairs of Tufted Duck and 2 pairs of Redshank.



15 comments:

Ana Mínguez Corella said...

Beautiful series of pictures Congrats..

Rhodesia said...

Love the lapwing, what a lovely bird. Great shot of the buzzard, I struggle with birds of prey here in France they just do not hang around long enough for me. South Africa was so much easier :-) Have a great weekend Diane

David M. Gascoigne, said...

It’s a bit of a shock to the system to see that vast field representing industrial farming, with wind turbines in the background, neither one friendly to birds. I despair as I see more and more habitat being converted and I really think we are close to the tipping point.

Wally Jones said...

Welcome home! I know you're happy to be away from that bright sunshine.

I really enjoyed your post. Your description of visiting your patch after a time away reminded me of returning to a house after a long vacation and wandering from room to room to ensure all was well.

Unfortunately, it sounds as if all is not well for some species. Sad to say it is a world-wide problem that is beyond my reckoning as to what can be done to fix it. I read an apparently serious article the other day which accurately described the problem as human beings. The fix was to eradicate that species. Sounded a bit extreme, but what do I know.

Happy to hear you and Sue made it home safely and the feathered population of Lancashire are, no doubt, rejoicing at your return.

We are battening down a bit as a "sub-tropical" storm is scheduled to pass offshore in the coming days. No big deal, just more rain.

Have a good week!

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Welcome back yes we are destroying our own planet and I do believe it is near the tipping point also. Love all your photographs Phil. Have a great week ahead.

Angie said...

Sounds a bit discouraging, Phil. Sorry to hear it. In the meantime, I am enjoying your photos as always, especially the sedge warbler in full song!

Mary Howell Cromer said...

WOW, I wonder what happens that these counts of so many species remain low...when they should be doing their normal visits. I hope the numbers shall improve soon. Oh what a marvelous nesting site for the Buzzards, they are so pretty. Maybe you will be able to keep up and possibly get some images of the young in coming weeks. That Hare... I always enjoy when you post about them~

Stewart M said...

Nice birds - Its been interesting tracking the arrival of swifts via a whole series of blogs.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

It's interesting that the 'failed' adult lapwings congregate together in that way -- your interpretation of what they are 'discussing' seems quite logical!

Our canal is quite high because we're on the edge of a tropical storm and the swallows who have built a nest in an abandoned pipe hole at the top of the Canal wall across from us have probably lost their nest -- makes me sad. (I tried all season to get a picture of one darting into or out of the hole, but they are always too quick for me; now I am kind of glad I didn't.)

eileeninmd said...

Hello, it is sad to hear some species are not doing well. The Lapwing is one of my favorite birds. I hope they can recover. Great birds and photos. Enjoy your day and week ahead.

Hootin Anni said...

That nest is HUGE...love the Lapwing photo!!! Come by & see the DR. bird

NCSue said...

I do so wish we had lapwings here - they're such interesting creatures!
Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/05/check-our-catbirds.html

Fun60 said...

I do like to see the lapwings. Don't see them in as many numbers as i used unfortunately.

woolypear said...

I want to draw the lapwing and the bird you have on your header! cheers, kidcandoodle

Liz Needle said...

A really interesting post and wonderful pictures. I do like your Lapwing - a very handsome fellow. Curios to know about moss roads?

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