Creatures Of Habit

Both Birders and Barn Owls appear to be creatures of habit. This morning I set off early as I often do and followed my well known route across Stalmine Moss. I don’t have a driverless car yet but I think that maybe mine does this route so often that it could probably do it right now, without help from Google. Right on time and in the correct spot at the road junction was Mr Barn Owl, or maybe Mrs Barn Owl; the sexes aren’t easy to tell apart, especially in the half light of a cloudy morning. 

Barn Owl

Barn Owl

I stopped at the rainwater flood on Rawcliffe Moss where yesterday’s rain had topped up the water level a little. There didn’t appear to be much doing at first with approximately 400 Starlings splashing around the shallows and a couple of Swallows flitting over the surface. A shoot on nearby land did the trick as first 2 Buzzards and then a dark Marsh Harrier appeared over the distant trees, the harrier in particular flying quite fast and south. It’s just a mile to the River Wyre and where to follow its course would take the harrier to the coast. 

Two Black-tailed Godwits flew over heading west. Then a flock of about 60 previously unnoticed Meadow Pipits took to the air and scattered in all directions before settling down again in the grassy field. In a further field and in amongst a dozen or more Wood Pigeons were 6 Stock Dove. 

I stopped briefly at Braides Farm where an annual flood has yet to materialise despite the rain of recent weeks. All that I found here were singles of Curlew, Buzzard, Grey Heron and Little Egret. 

The hundreds of Lapwings at Conder Green are now a thing of the recent past. I counted a mere handful before seeing that a couple of thousand and maybe more had panicked into the air, a grey mass of Lapwings beyond the railway bridge and directly above the distant River Lune. Only a Peregrine could perform that trick.

Compensation for the low count of Lapwings on the pool came with a good selection of other birds; 18 Redshank, 6 Greenshank, 6 Curlew, 3 Snipe, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Goosander, 3 Wigeon, 18 Teal, 3 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Pied Wagtail and a Kingfisher. The Kingfisher was yet another fly by, and although I watched it fish from the edge of a far island, this one seems not to come near the birder’s watch point. Little Grebe numbered 17, the same count as my last visit but short of the nineteen counted two weeks ago. 

Curlew

Over towards the railway bridge I noticed a gaggle of 19 very wary Greylag Geese, not a species which is at all common at Conder Green, at least not on the ground. The geese fed on the marsh for a while and then made their way into the creek when I noticed that one wore an orange neck collar inscribed with black lettering of “SDB”. 

Greylag Geese

Later, a quick look on the Internet revealed that the goose may have been captured on the Orkney Islands, some 450 miles north of here, and where between 2008 and 2012 hundreds of Greylags were marked with either an orange neck collar with three characters or a white plastic leg ring with three black characters. 

The Orkney Ringing Group - “The number of Greylag Geese in both the summer (c10,000) and winter (c70,000) are increasing on Orkney. The national Goose Science Advisory Group (GSAG) has identified the marking of Greylag Geese a priority in Scotland. Little is known about the movements of these birds after the breeding season. No catching has been undertaken during the winter months when the summer stock is joined by up to 60,000 winter migrants from Iceland. The degree of mixing of the two stocks is not known.”

Linking to Anni's Birding Blog.

More news and views soon. 

Shades Of Green And Grey

My weekend was rather uneventful when a visit to the hills near Oakenclough and a mooch around the ringing plantation proved somewhat disappointing. I’d hoped to locate a few Willow Warbler nests but not taken into account how cool, wet, windy and changeable the Lancashire uplands had been during my two weeks in the warm Mediterannean. 

In the course of getting very wet feet I managed to locate at least 12 Willow Warbler territories without more than a sniff of where a few nests might be located. The first week of June is the historical peak of nesting activity with over the years c400 Willow Warbler nestlings ringed. A week or ten days of dry weather should see more intense activity as well as making the site more negotiable. 

Willow Warbler

During the watching and listening I ringed 3 Willow Warblers, all three showing the necessary signs of breeding activity. A Stoat ran across the road and into the ringing site. I hope it has a dietary preference for voles rather than Willow Warbler eggs or nestlings. 

Willow Warbler

There was a male Cuckoo doing the rounds all morning, flying over the fells, stopping off to “cuckoo” from the topmost point of a stand of pines, heading off towards Oakenclough and then circuiting the ringing station, a tour of a mile or two in the hope of attracting a female. There’s a regular Kestrel too and probably as a result of the number of voles amongst the heather and bilberry, the little animals darting back into the crevices as my feet sloshed through the heavy ground. 

I noted at least 4 overflying Lesser Redpoll, a pair of Pied Wagtails, 4 Swallow, 2 Bullfinch, 2 Mistle Thrush and 2 Song Thrush. 

Song Thrush

Two pairs of Greylags have 7 young between them and appear to be operating a crèche or “safety in numbers” system whereby 4 watchful and wary adults don't miss much. 

Greylag Goose

The Greylag or Greylag Goose Anser anser is the ancestor of the domestic goose and also the original “wild goose”, known in pre-Linnaean times known as the wild goose - Anser ferus. 

The Greylag, a native of northern and central Eurasia, has been domesticated and raised for meat and egg production for over 1,000 years. It can be white or completely grey like the wild form or somewhere in-between as a result of interbreeding with other geese. The often strange looking offspring from such marriages are guaranteed to cause confusion amongst those starting out as birdwatchers. 

The Greylag Goose is the only grey goose seen in numbers in the UK during the summer months. There are two breeding populations currently recognised - 1) the northwest Scotland (or native) population, which is the remnant of the population that once occurred more widely across Britain, and 2) the population of birds released primarily by wildfowlers during the period from the 1930s to the 1960s, birds which began the establishment of feral populations and a correspondent increase in the abundance and distribution of Greylags during the 20th and the early 21st centuries. 

Greylag Goose

So because Greylag Geese might be of uncertain provenance they are mostly ignored or treated with suspicion by the average UK birder. Birders prefer to spend time looking at wholly migratory and “authentic” grey geese like Pink-footed Goose or White-fronted Goose. It’s rather a shame because Greylags are certainly a characterful and handsome goose but with an unfortunate lineage. 

Half-term and grandad duties with Olivia and Isabella on Tuesday, Theo on Wednesday.

Back for more birding soon with Another Bird Blog.

Linking today to Stewart's World Bird Wednesday in Australia.

Birding Saturday Morn

This morning’s three hours birding at Pilling found a few bits and pieces but after continued Northerly winds new-in migrants were hard to find. 

I stopped first near the sewage works where a Stoat appeared as if from nowhere, took a look around and then crossed the track and out towards the Broadfleet, or Pilling Water as the locals know this ditch that drains into Morecambe Bay. 

Stoat

There was a single male Wheatear along the fence line and it too watched the Stoat sneak down the bank and out of sight. In the sewage works compound a pair of Pied Wagtail and the male Kestrel from the nearby pair.  Like many Spring migrants, the male Wheatears arrive before the females, a strategy which allows males to claim and set up territories for when the females arrive. 

Wheatear

Wheatear

Fluke Hall was quite sheltered, even warm but lacked the now overdue Spring song of Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler or Blackcap. Instead came the chattering of Tree Sparrows, Goldfinches and Greenfinches and the loud song of four Song Thrushes, the number a welcome improvement on recent years. I caught a glimpse of one of the Nuthatch pair, the birds having gone very secretive almost to the point that until this week when they collected nest material, I thought they had left the area. 

Another Kestrel sat high in the tree tops close to the nest box where by now the female has probably laid at least some of her clutch of 5 eggs. The resident Pied Wagtails were on their usual rooftop feeding spot along the lane, and about 40 or more Woodpigeons clattered their way through the wood. 

There was nothing at the car park so I followed 2 Little Egrets along the sea wall towards the seaward end of Pilling Water. Along here were a pair of Reed Bunting, 7 Meadow Pipit, 7 Skylark, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Snipe, 2 Teal, 18 Shelduck, 43 Redshank, 20+ Lapwing, 12 Oystercatcher, 2 more Little Egret and a single Whooper Swan. The swan flew up and out into Morecambe Bay where on a clear day it’s possible see Walney Island to the North West, the route the swan should soon take towards Iceland. 

Pilling sea wall

Whooper Swan

A pair of Greylags have set up territory about here and I found them lording it over their patch where there’s not much competition save for a pair of Mute Swan. Who’s going to argue with these two heavy weights? 

Greylag Goose

Greylag Goose

Back home there seems to be more Goldfinch about the feeders, perhaps a sign of new birds and warmer weather? I also saw a pair of Treecreepers searching up and down our largest apple tree. That’s quite a good but not unprecedented sighting for the garden so let’s hope it’s a good omen for Another Bird Blog. 

Linking today to Stewart's World Bird Wednesday and Anni's Blog.

Back To Pilling

There’s been a lot to do Rawcliffe way so it has been weeks since I went in the direction of Pilling, especially since the road was closed and the sea wall out of bounds from Boxing Day until the end of the shooting season. This morning was too breezy for ringing so with a couple of hours to spare I turned left at the main road, Pilling bound. 

The berry-laden bush at the Fordstone Road junction has lain untouched by birds most of the winter. The hawthorn is smack bang on the corner of the busy junction, where pedestrians and/or cars are virtually non-stop, enough to scare off the local Blackbirds, and now into March the berries have nearly all dropped to the ground with any that remain turned now to a dark red colour. There must be some goodness left in the berries because there were two Waxwings there this morning, even as the local kids trooped noisily past on their way to school; the children could almost have reached out and touched the birds had they noticed them. I grabbed a couple of shots of the Waxwings as they moved around the other side of the hawthorn, intent on staying near their breakfast. 

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Lambs Lane had 2 Kestrels, so more pictures to add to my recent run of Kestrel shots. The local population of Kestrels seems very high this winter and things are looking good for the breeding season. 

Kestrel

From Backsands Lane I walked up to the sea wall, just to check it was still there after my enforced absence. Out of sheer habit I peered down at the Wheatear rocks where in two or three weeks the Wheatears will be; none today and no passerines either but there was a Greenshank, a Redshank and an Oystercatcher on the wildfowlers pool. There was a Greenshank in December, and I’m guessing it’s the same one wintering here. 

Greenshank

The flood at Backsands held a good number of geese and waders: 900 Golden Plover, 350 + Lapwing, 40 Curlew, 45 Dunlin, 14 Redshank, 5 Teal, 1500+ Pink-footed Goose and 10 Greylag. Overflying or in the United Utilities compound I noted 4 Goldfinch, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Mistle Thrush and 2 Pied Wagtail. 

Pink-footed Goose

Synchronised Landing - Pink-footed Goose

Greylag Goose

Not a bad result for a couple of hours work. Log in soon to Another Bird Blog for more news and views of birds and birding. 

Today the blog is linking to Stewart's Photo Gallery .

Soaking It In

I spent time out Cockerham way today, much of it taking in the spectacular sight and sounds of the grey geese and Whooper Swans, with another huge count of swans and this time many thousands of Pink-footed Geese. The count today - 11,000 Pink-footed Goose, 570 Whooper Swans and 15 Greylag Goose. 

They were packed tight today, the large, heavy, quarrelsome and hyperactive Whooper Swans to the fore and the slow, purposeful, marching, feeding grey geese to the rear. The main action centred upon the previously soggy depression in the peaty-black field, the dip in the ground a minor landscape feature which now before our very eyes changes to a sizeable pond, to later bear a passing resemblance to a muddy lagoon. 

Pink-footed Goose and Whooper Swan

Every so often a noisy farm vehicle would pass by, a prompt to quieten the swans, causing a number to stop feeding and check everything was OK, always leaving others to continue feeding; there are always enough lookouts to ensure a quick escape if needs be; a tried and trusted system of some millennia. 

Whooper Swan

If the swans are sensibly wary the geese are impossibly fearful; anxious and permanently on edge, hardly daring to relax and feed, the same transitory farm vehicles sending the birds off in waves of panicky flight to further away. 

Pink-footed Goose

Pink-footed Goose

 Greylag Goose

After such noteworthy spectacles the mundane birds of Cockerham Moss are something of an anti-climax: 30 Chaffinch, 10+ Tree Sparrow, 6 Redwing, 4 Skylark, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Kestrel, 1 Little Egret, 1200 Starlings. 

Starling

Plenty of waders on the fields at the Gulf Lane end - 240 Curlew, 330 Lapwing and 40 + Redshank. 

Curlew

That’s another day done on Another Bird Blog. Log in soon for another day somewhere.

This week Another Bird Blog is linking to I'd Rather Be Birding, Stewart's Photo Gallery, and Weekly Top Shot so take a look there too.