Surprise surprise. We survived Storm Debi, a “storm” hyped up by the usual suspects quoting 70 mph gusts from well-known exposed sites on cliff tops and unprotected coastal locations. Here in flat windswept Fylde the gusts turned out to be nothing more than the typical weather we experience for days at a time every autumn. Strong winds with bouts of rain, before everything returns to normal a day or two later.
We know of course why they do it – to crank up climate alarmism for people who have yet to realise that the “climate emergency” is one big scam designed to part them from their money.
Clearing our garden of neighbours’ sycamore leaves is a yearly event come rain or shine but inventive doom mongers have yet to claim that the late falling leaves of 2023 are due to global warming.
Autumn Leaves
Early this week we pencilled in the only suitable day, of Friday for a ringing session at Oakenclough near Garstang. Will visited a week earlier with moderate success that included the catching of four Common Crossbills, a few Redwings and other bits and pieces.
Yours truly, Will and Andy met up at 0730 to rain but forecasts of brightening skies and afternoon sun; before planning a ringing session we make it a rule to check at least two weather forecasts as they hardly ever agree. About an hour later the rain relented and we set to the job in hand and landed a good variety of species, 18 birds before packing in about 1100 when things turned suddenly quiet.
We caught no more Crossbills, a rarely encountered species that would have enlivened the usual autumn fayre of 4 Blue Tit, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Great Tit, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Siskin, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Goldcrest.
Chaffinch
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Siskin
Siskin
Lesser Redpoll
As autumn turns effortlessly to winter, so do the birds, with little in the way of numbers that punctuate September and October ringing sessions.
Noted today, small numbers of Jackdaws, Woodpigeons and Starlings. Otherwise let’s hope that some of the influx of Waxwings, & Short-eared Owls to Scotland and the east coast of England can find their way westwards.
Both species pictured below from previous winters in the Fylde.
Waxwing
Short-eared Owl
Enjoy your weekend folks. Stay safe, warm and sane then come back again to Another Bird Blog for news, views and photos.
Linking this Saturday to Eileen's Saturday Blog.
12 comments:
I do agree with you about the over-hyping of the weather situation these days. It's reached some crazy levels of hysteria. Nice to see a Siskin in the hand, and the Woodpecker. Caught up with my first Waxwings of the earlier this week, but this was in the East in Norfolk. I'm hoping some followed me home.
Hello,
I am glad you survived the storm! Beautiful bird photos, you have a great variety and I enjoyed all your birds. The Woodpecker, Siskin, Redpoll and the Short-eared Owl are favorites. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.
Beautiful photos and thanks for the cartoon!
The waxwings are such regal and beautiful birds! We usually see them in January. Love that owl...not even sure I've heard of this one. What a beauty in flight!
I am glad the weather allowed you to go out and do some ringing. I have not seen a chaffinch for several months, we usually have several around the feeder. Here the weather has been awful except for today Saturday. Rain is forecast again for tomorrow.
I hear the Little owls on a daily basis, but I have not seen them for ages, Now the leaves are dropping they may not be so successful in keeping hidden!
Have a good Sunday, cheers Diane
I'm glad you managed to get out and photograph those birds for us.
Nice to see someone getting good photo's during this weather we've been having.
Keep it up,
Mike.
I'm glad to hear that you survived Storm Debi without incident. Thank you again for sharing your wonderful stories and photographs.
beautiful photos as usual - I love seeing them on your fingers
We went the extra mile (1.6 km) to empathize with your weather situation and sat out last week due to catastrophic storm conditions. Okay, so we only had a couple of rain showers last Tuesday and one on Thursday, but it could have been Doomsday.
All the same, we are happy to discover you survived the wrath of Storm Debi and her minions in the climate alarmism industry.
Working in the yard can be good exercise for the body. Going birding is good exercise for the soul.
You managed a nice selection of birds to ring. Couldn't Will have pocketed a couple of those Crossbills to include in your Friday session? More training may be called for.
All is reasonably well over here. Big seasonal banquet and the daughter's digs later in the week. Good outings lately with nice numbers of migrants.
Gini and I will try to save you a turkey sandwich and cranberry sauce, but the son-in-law becomes surly when we attempt to sneak food out of the house.
All the best, y'all.
So glad you survived the storm and were able to capture those amazing bird shots for all of us to enjoy!
Happy Tuesday, Phil!
This time of year there are always too many falling leaves :)
Great photographs.
I especially like the siskin, waxwing and wonderful short eared owl.
All the best Jan
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