Catching Up

Before this morning my last notebook entry for Pilling was 26th April, so there was a lot of catching up to do after missing three weeks of birding there. 

Looking at blogs and web sites for the period I was on holiday, it seems I didn’t miss much at Lane Ends, but then not a lot of people bird properly there to find much; a sit in the car park, telescope the tide in, a bit of chat, and maybe a cursory walk to the gates 50 yards either way, but no searching of the trees before heading off to a target bird. Seems there was a Cuckoo a week ago but not much else throughout the whole of May! 

Two pairs of Lapwings had young this morning, two big “runners” and then two smaller ones with another pair of adults, the little ones too far away and too public for a ringer’s pursuit. In song in the plantation was a very loud Blackcap, with 2 untiring Willow Warblers and a Reed Warbler. Overhead a late presumed (Lesser) Redpoll flew over calling with a couple of Chaffinch giving “nest-nearby” warnings, plus a Great-spotted Woodpecker. The pair of Little Grebes still trill on the water while nesting Greylags control the island. 

Little Grebe

Pilling Water to Fluke was I admit fairly uneventful, save for 5 Wheatears, 2 Linnet and several pairs of Lapwing, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Skylark. I guess by now the Wheatears must be Greenland types, the one I managed to photograph a big and bright male. 

Wheatear

With seeing the young Lapwings At Lane Ends I decided to check out Braides Farm where I have permission to roam and where the RSPB carried out some ditching work in an effort to reinstate breeding waders. After a couple of dry, unproductive years re-profiling a few ditches this year has worked in the Lapwing’s and other species' favour; I found at least five broods of Lapwing chicks, 4 or five displaying Redshank, a couple of territorial Oystercatchers, 6+ singing Skylarks and a displaying Meadow Pipit. It’s not a good idea to search for Lapwing chicks to ring when inquisitive cows follow in your footsteps, so I left well alone content that here at least Lapwings are doing well. So full marks to the farmer and the RSPB that Braides is a now a shining example of wildlife conservation to this stretch of coastline and much of the Fylde. 

 Lapwing chick hiding

Lapwing

When I viewed west along the RSPB’s ditch to see the number of flowers growing in the meadow I thought for a moment I was back in Menorca, but I couldn’t see Cattle Egrets or hear Bee Eaters, just a Mute Swan on a nest. 

 Braides Farm

 Mute Swan

Cattle Egret

The illusion lasted a moment, broken by the sight of the herd of Belted Galloway cattle, a breed which originates in the harsh upland climate of the Galloway hills in beautiful south west Scotland. The “Beltie” as it is affectionately known is one of the most visually distinctive breeds of cattle, its many merits lie not only in its unique appearance and good nature, but also in its hardiness and top quality beef. 

 Belted Galloways - Belties

If I don’t get out birding tomorrow I’ll post pictures of breeding Hoopoes from Menorca.

A Stint Of Birding

Four days on from Menorca and I finally managed to get to Pilling for a look at the regular patch and a stint of local birding which began at Lane Ends.

Each year I complain about the lack of Lapwing success so it was great today to see two broods of chicks in the field closest to Lane Ends, one of 3 healthy sized young and a second family of 2 marginally smaller chicks. If only all the attempted nests could produce 3 flyers, the Lapwings might be able to maintain a foothold in the area.

Further up the sea wall I found another pair of Lapwings but with only a single chick, which while delightful to see, is simply not productive enough to sustain a population. The adult birds were as protective as can be but I caught up with the youngster crouching in the grass to ring my first chick of the year. Luckily I had taken my “goodies” bag containing spring traps and “A” rings in the event of tardy Wheatears and “D” rings for any Lapwings I encountered; and of course a camera, pliers, an apple, spare lens, notebook and sundry essentials. That old bag of mine just gets heavier and heavier.

Lapwing
Lapwing chick

My morning had started well and improved with that rarity a Cuckoo calling from the trees at Lane Ends, a single bird that equalled my count of Cuckoos in two weeks of Menorca watching where in May many migrant Cuckoos should pass through the island. The Cuckoo’s decline is not just UK centered, but seems universal and related to problems in its wintering areas in Africa.

Also singing well were Blackcap, Reed Warbler and Willow Warbler. On the pools were hidden but trilling Little Grebes and a single silent Tufted Duck, no doubt waiting for the emergence of its mate with ducklings. Weeks ago a couple of Greylags sat tight on island nests but today revealed the extent of their subterfuge when I counted a crèche of 26 young of various sizes that on closer inspection obviously came from 3 separate broods such were the differences in their proportions.

Greylag
Greylag

Out on the marsh a single Whimbrel looked out of place with Shelduck and Lapwings for company but no Curlew for comparison. I plodded on up to Pilling Water with marsh dwelling Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Redshanks for company, the oyks and shanks yet to produce young as normally they are a week or two later than the Lapwings.

I flushed a couple of Pied Wagtails from near Pilling Water, and a Grey Heron that exploded from the margins of the ditch, hidden from my view but obviously more alert than I could be.

There were more Lapwings and Oystercatchers on Hi-fly fields, some clearly sat on nests but with green shoots emerging and no further ploughing on the cards I think and hope there may be a little more wader success soon.

Oystercatcher

I found a couple of Black-tailed Godwit on the pool, and a Redshank, and then running around their gigantic feet a tiny excuse for a proper wader, a Little Stint. Trying not to disturb the birds but get at least a record shot I manoeuvred into a spot where I might get a picture. Against the light and into the pool reflections the pics aren’t perhaps too bad considering the amount of cropping. The adult bird was naturally much more wary than any juveniles encountered in August and September.

Little Stint

A very enjoyable couple of hours and spring is wonderful, but I wish the wind would drop and let us get ringing soon.