Greenland At Pilling

It was back to the other local patch today with a walk out Pilling Way trying to spot changes in the area during my two weeks enforced absence in Menorca. 

I started early at Lambs Lane/Fluke Hall where calls and song led to Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting and Cuckoo, singles of each except for at least 4 Whitethroat and 2 or 3 Willow Warblers. 

In Menorca Wheatears were still going through in the first week of May, rock-hopping along the shore on a number of mornings, so today I was keen to get to Lane Ends, hoping to find a few of the “Greenland” type. 

Wheatears weren’t the most obvious bird at Lane Ends, it was Swallows, dozens of them stretched out along the fence behind the sea wall, several House Martins mixed in and all likely looking migrants. One or two folk have said that although Swallows arrived during the past two weeks there should still be plenty to come, and this morning I reckoned that is exactly what was happening, even though it was a murky old morning, the rain and drizzle of yesterday barely gone. Into the notebook went "80+ “Swall” and 15 “Houma”, soon after adding "12+ Swift". 

Barn Swallow

The plantation had singing Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting, and on the water a pair of Greylag with 5 well grown young. The sea wall to Fluke found 8 Skylark, 6 Goldfinch, 5 Wheatear and a single Corn Bunting, the bunting in precisely the same stretch of fence line a pair used last year. The grass isn’t as far on this year so the buntings may have to wait if they choose to breed again. 

Of the 5 Wheatears, all were females and I could catch one only, a second year and definitely a “Greenland” type, a bulky individual with a wing length of 111mm and a weight of 38gms. 

"Greenland" Wheatear

Some of the Lapwings at the Hi-Fly fields have young hidden away but it’s a difficult place to find the young for ringing, the vegetation being a little high, not helped by the nesting Redshanks and Oystercatchers helping the Lapwings to spot the intruder. A wary male Shoveler on the pool was highly suggestive of a female hidden away close by. More Skylarks up here with one pair feeding young out of the nest, another female Wheatear and more Swallows trickling through and heading north as the cloud lifted. 

Shoveler

A quietish walk then, but good to get back to the other patch before heading home for the afternoon and a catching up with the family.

A Couple Of Wheats

Like other migrants the Wheatears have been thin on the ground so far this year, and before today the most I’d seen together was a trio just a couple of weeks ago, before the northerly winds set in. I doubled that count today when I found 6 along the sea wall at Pilling. 

Wheatear

The Wheatears gave me the run around for a while but eventually two of them succumbed to the temptation of meal worms. 

Wheatear

Wheatear

Wheatear

Both birds were probably Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa, one a rather chunky bird with a wing length of 106mm, the smaller bird a wing of 102mm, the latter a little in the overlap range. Both birds were quite bright with underparts a fairly extensive buff cinnamon, bearing in mind that oenanthe is very variable with the darkest birds similar to a pale leucorhoa. 

As I waited for the Wheatears to surrender the birding yielded 4 Swallow, 1 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 300 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Willow Warbler, 1 Chifchaff, 1 Reed Bunting, 6 Teal, 90 Golden Plover, 1 Greenfinch, 4 Linnet. 

Swallow

The forecast for the week ahead is a mixed bag of everything that a UK April brings - showers, rain, sun and wind. Just the stuff to drop some migrants from up high – here’s hoping.

Spring Fever

With a forecast of another day of 100% cloud cover to hold back migrants a break from mist netting and a bit of lie-in was on the cards today, a day for birders to store up energy in readiness for the big push when conditions are better, hopefully Saturday and Sunday: just like the spring birds themselves as they wait for ideal conditions then head north in stops and starts.

Following a leisurely breakfast with a glance at the TV news I definitely needed some fresh air after the BBC told me the UK “is in the grip of Royal Wedding Fever”. No, sycophantic Auntie BBC, lots of us have a real life, and at the moment are in the grip of what is known as Spring Fever which is totally unlike your media invented condition.

I shook off any vestiges of RWF then put a couple of spring traps plus tasty mealworms in my bag and headed off to Pilling where I might find a few Wheatears, and even better, one or two “Greenland” types, Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa. During April the Wheatears on our coast but heading north may be of both northern races and it is really only by catching and measuring them that individual birds can safely be assigned to Greenland leucorhoa.

The spring tent traps caught three birds this morning, two males and a female, all noticeably larger than Wheatears I caught in the last two weeks. Today’s adult male had a wing length of 105mm, so definitely of the Greenland race. The next male, a second calendar year, had a wing measurement of 102mm, and the female 97mm, both measurements that fit within the expected range of both races but lean towards leucorhoa rather than oenanthe.

”Greenland” Wheatear
”Greenland” Wheatear
”Greenland” Wheatear

As I waited on the stile to catch Wheatears the grey sky thinned at out about 11am and brought a few birds along, 15 House Martins, 4 Swallow, plus 7 Meadow Pipit and 9 Linnets coming from the west. A Greenshank came off the marsh and headed into the wildfowler’s pools to join the roosting Redshanks, a single Black-tailed Godwit and several Teal. Still 300+ Pink-footed Goose on the marsh, spooked occasionally by persistent microlights.

At Lane Ends it was a warbler morn with 3 Willow Warblers in song, and below the car park newly arrived Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler also in song. On the pools, the usual pairs of Little Grebe and Tufted Duck.

Back home it became clear, bright and even sunny, with calling buteos overhead. The all-conquering Buzzards spread to sleepy Stalmine.

Buzzard

Looks like a better day tomorrow, an early alarm, a spot of mist netting and those spring birds beckon.