Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Gulf Matters

Almost three weeks had flown with very little birding and even less ringing to brighten grey days. Our last ringing session at Gulf Lane had been 9th January with an embarrassingly low catch of Linnets. We’d pencilled in a day last Wednesday but when overnight temperatures dropped to -6° with freezing rain, we chickened out from skating on ice. 

My blogging/birding pal David Gascoigne in Ontario tells me that on one day last week he woke to a healthy -19°. Undeterred, his group ventured out for their customary Tuesday Ramble! 

This Wednesday promised slightly better for us, without the freezing rain but still 0° with maybe a snow shower or two, but hopefully time to make amends. I met Andy at 0800 and we set the nets then waited for the Linnets to arrive. 

An hour long snow shower didn't help matters when the circa 200 Linnets disappeared from sight. It was only when the snow stopped and the sky brightened that they returned and we managed to catch a couple - two first winter males. So it’s back to the drawing board for now. 

Linnet 

Linnets 

Other birds seen today – 16 Whooper Swans and over towards the sea wall, a single Barn Owl. 

Whooper Swans

Today's snow was the first, and hopefully the last of the winter.

Snowfall - 30 January 2019

Stay tuned. There's birding ringing and pictures when the snow clears.

Linking today to Anni's Blog and Eileen's Saturday.



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17 comments:

  1. eileeninmdJanuary 30, 2019 at 2:40 PM

    Hello,

    Love the Linnet and Swan photos. My car looked much the same yesterday. Stay warm and safe. Wishing you a happy Wednesday!

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  2. Margaret Birding For PleasureJanuary 31, 2019 at 5:53 AM

    NO snow here and I love the shot of the Swans

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  3. italiafinlandiaJanuary 31, 2019 at 10:04 AM

    In my place in Finland the minimum temperature was 28.6 C below. So far.
    Thanks for sharing your adventures and your beautiful shots.

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  4. RhodesiaJanuary 31, 2019 at 8:50 PM

    Hi Phil, I hate the cold. We drove home through very snowy and miserable conditions in France yesterday but we are glad to be home and in one piece.
    Love the photos especially the linnets in flight, I want to see some :-)
    Keep warm and hope the ringing soon improves. Diane

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  5. eileeninmdFebruary 2, 2019 at 11:43 AM

    Hello, Phil

    I wanted to stop back and say thanks for linking up and sharing your post. The Linnets and Swans are both beautiful. Great photos. I am looking forward to some warmer weather this week. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend.

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  6. sandylandFebruary 2, 2019 at 1:56 PM

    all those linnets super

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  7. Jenn JilksFebruary 2, 2019 at 3:24 PM

    Such beautiful birds, you do good work.

    (ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!

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  8. Jenn JilksFebruary 2, 2019 at 3:25 PM

    Phil, David's link doesn't work. There is an 'l' missing on the end to make it html !!! Thought you should know.

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  9. A Colorful WorldFebruary 2, 2019 at 5:57 PM

    Freezing rain is so miserable! Glad you were able to get out this week. Loved the photos. We have had little snow ourselves, which is very different from two years ago and even last year's snows.

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  10. JeannaFebruary 2, 2019 at 9:26 PM

    I believe it went from -14 to maybe 17 above and it was like Spring Break up in here. Those linnets are precious, such a sweet photo of one perching on someone's hand. When I got home today we heard a chorus of birds very excited about something. Maybe because it went from 48 below to 30 above, but it sounds like spring outside.

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  11. KBFebruary 2, 2019 at 11:55 PM

    Lovely photos. Hope the snow stays away for you.

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  12. David M. Gascoigne,February 3, 2019 at 3:04 AM

    Hello Phil: I am still in Costa Rica, with hot steamy conditions, so the snow on your car looks pretty good. Will be home on Thursday and should be back to blogging by the weekend, so will look forward to catching up then.

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  13. Anni February 3, 2019 at 9:49 AM

    I am no longer a 'fowl' weather person. And snow is one thing that I can live without. You DID better than I could do by meeting Andy with temperatures hovering around freezing & snowfall.

    Thank you very much for joining us this weekend at I'd Rather B Birdin' and sharing your birding experiences! Love the swans.

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  14. Sallie (FullTime-Life)February 4, 2019 at 11:54 PM

    I’m glad you got out and glad that it wasn’t minus 19 degrees... David and his group are better people than I am fore sure, I don’t know how they do it! The swans are wonderful. And the linnets. I wish I could get half as good pictures of tiny birds. I had fun watching them last week though.

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  15. NCSueFebruary 5, 2019 at 12:04 AM

    I agree with the comment above - I can do without the snow! I've fallen on snow and wound up with a left wrist fracture (in 6th grade) and a right wrist fracture (in my 60's). I now avoid going out in the stuff if at all possible.
    Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/02/time-for-tune-up.html

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  16. AngieFebruary 5, 2019 at 3:44 AM

    Phil - we went from a very mild day on Saturday to below 0F temps and high winds on Sunday - everywhere was a sheet of ice! It doesn't seem to keep the chickadees, nuthatches and downy woodpeckers from frequenting the feeders! Love the picture of the swans. I hope for better birding days ahead!

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  17. Anne (cornucopia)February 5, 2019 at 9:19 PM

    Great bird photos! I especially like the ones on the fence.

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