Making Hay

Thursday. Sitting in the shade of the old apple tree with a cup of PG Tips while reading more of Unnatural Selection felt like a good plan.

But then the dawn of yet another sunny day set me off on a trip over the meandering lanes of Stalmine moss. Eight weeks of this fine weather means we’ll pay big time when it finally breaks but in the meantime it’s “make hay” for birders and sun-worshippers alike.

Stalmine, Fylde 

There’s been a Corn Bunting or two singing of late but no firm evidence of breeding intent, and I know from experience the Corn Bunting is very secretive when it comes to giving away their ground nest hidden in an expanse of monoculture. A needle in a haystack has nothing on a Corn Bunting nest. But, there was a bunting singing from directly above the road only 40 yards away from the regular song post; if it’s the same male of course!

Corn Bunting 

Another car came along and then as it whizzed by, the bunting flew off. So yet again there’s real no evidence that this species has bred in our area or that it ever will again.

I’d briefly seen a Little Owl a few days ago in a location new to me. Early July and Little Owls have all finished breeding now so I reckoned this was a young one that might let me take a little look. As it shuffled along the ledge of the broken down shed it wasn't for letting me too close but made a mental note for year listing. Not.

Little Owl 

 During the winter most birders, including me complained that Conder Pool was too full of water, overflowing almost. Well now there’s very little and a fair bit of green algae on the surface but it looks ideal for a wader or two. Good shout as I spotted a single Snipe patrolling the muddy margin and then two black-bellied Dunlin.

Dunlin 

Oystercatchers were busy with their usual piping and running along the margins plus several Redshanks. But they all know to stay away from the mud nearest the public viewing spot, except any little ones that can’t yet fly and/or choose to hide away from the hot sun.

Oystercatcher with chick 

Otherwise things: dozens of Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 14 Tufted Duck, 3 Little Grebe, 12 Lapwing, 2 Curlew and 2 Teal, the latter the first of the “autumn” arrivals. And there were the usual Common Terns but no Avocet today.

Sedge Warblers got off to a slow with reduced numbers start this year but I've seen and heard half-a-dozen of them on every look around Moss Lane, Jeremy Lane and up to Cockersands.

It was the same today with both Whitethroat and Reed Bunting on view but very quiet and unobtrusive. My theory is that the reduced numbers of singing males results in wider territories than normal years  with less need to sing.  That’s my notion so shoot me down in flames if necessary.  It’s not quite the same with Reed Warblers which do seem to be in small numbers even now – just two singing males at Conder Green but none along the reed fringed lanes. We can but hope that the record breaking weather of 2018 allows birds to produce lots of youngsters.

Sedge Warbler 

Sedge Warbler

Reed Bunting 

That male Reed Bunting is already showing signs of post-breeding moult, black head losing colour, wear on feather tracts and tail. I wonder where it’s been to get that ring on the right leg? It may have come from our own ringing at Glasson, half a mile away last winter.

That’s all for now folks. I'm off to sit in the sun for a while.

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

Little But Not Often

Some news from Europe about the Little Owl, Athene noctua, sýček obecný, recently chosen by the Czech Society for Ornithology as their “Bird of the Year”. 

Though common in Europe, Northern Africa, parts of the Middle East and Asia, population numbers of the owl fell significantly over the last half century in the Czech Republic, as birds disappeared from farmland areas; as a result the Little Owl is on their endangered list. 

The Czech Society for Ornithology wants to make the public aware of the bird’s plight and that population numbers of the once widespread species fell dramatically over recent decades. 

Little Owl

The society’s Martin Šálek: “We chose the Little Owl because this is an owl which not long ago was very common and widespread. We wanted to reveal the plight of the bird and other animals which live in the vicinity of arable land, where bird and other population levels have dropped. 

“At the beginning of the last century the Little Owl was widespread; today it is on the edge of extinction. We wanted people to know about the danger.” 

Little Owl

According to Mr Šálek, there used to be tens of thousands of breeding pairs but by the 1970s the numbers had dropped around just 2,000. 

“At present the population is tiny: we have counted around 130 nesting pairs. They are limited to small areas of land around the country; whereas 30 years ago the owl was a common sight for our grandparents, now they are only located in isolated areas or “islands” of land primarily in the regions of Ústí, Central Bohemia and South Moravia.” 

One question is whether there are steps the public can take to help; the Czech Society for Ornithology’s Martin Šálek points out even simple steps can make a difference. “Our Little Owls have retreated from farmland into inhabited areas where they face numerous dangers. We studied where most of the Little Owls died and learned that some 40 percent died in so-called technical ‘traps’. These include barrels of water, or upright pipes that are not capped. 

“The owls are curious by nature and go inside to have a look and get stuck and can’t get out. For that reason, it would be good if all small cottage or garden colony owners who have rain barrels remember to but a float inside, so the bird can climb up and escape.Another thing each of us can do is to help the Little Owl is leave a patch of uncut grass on our property, so insects like butterflies which are part of the bird’s diet can remain and hide. A well-trimmed English lawn is not beneficial. If you leave 20 percent uncut, that can help.” 

Little Owl

This account from Czechoslovakia mirrors the story of the UK population of Little Owls. The BTO’s Common Bird Census/Breeding Bird Surveys trend for Little Owl in the UK shows very wide variation, but a downturn in recent decades suggests that a rapid decline lies behind the observed fluctuations. 

A figure of c. 7,000 pairs from the BTO/Hawk & Owl Trust's Project Barn Owl (Toms et al. 2000) was the first replicable population estimate for Little Owls in the UK. An independent BBS estimate is for c5,700 pairs in 2009, since when a substantial further decrease has occurred. 

Little Owl

The primary drivers for this rapid decline are thought to be decreased juvenile survival and the effects of agricultural intensification. 

Little Owl - British Trust for Ornithology

My own observations over the past 35 years in this part of Lancashire have seen the once very, very common Little Owl become something of a scarcity.  Once regular sites are now abandoned with few localities where the species may be found on a regular basis. 

The Little Owl is now so scarce, so infrequent that it is something of target bird for listers, twitchers and toggers at all times of the year. Where breeding localities are known by fieldworkers concerned for the species’ welfare, the locale has to be kept hush-hush so as not to subject the birds to constant and often unsympathetic attention. 

Little Owls

I understand that the BTO are looking to undertake a new national survey of the Little Owl quite soon. The way things look at the moment this could lead to the Little Owl being identified as at least Red-listed, if not endangered. Let’s hope not. 

Linking this post to World Bird Wednesday, Anni's Birding Blog and Eileen's Saturday Blog.

A Snowy Storm

Here in the UK there are two separate and quite distinct species - birder and bird photographer. And they don’t always co-exist in perfect harmony. 

Birders often use the disparaging epithet of “togger” to describe someone who simply takes bird photographs but has no real interest in birds as animals and their place in the Tree of Life.  In return I am sure that photographers use a similarly unflattering word to describe the many birders who simply want to look at birds but who have no desire to photograph them. I must admit I don’t know what the latter word is, but perhaps after today I might find out?  However, and as far as I am aware the two points of view haven’t come to physical violence just yet, unlike in Canada. 

The National Post of Canada of 9th February 2017 -  “In Ontario shouting matches and crude language have invaded a world of bucolic harmony”.

“The bird world has rival human factions: purists who admire birds from a distance, and some photographers who put out bait - live mice from a pet store to get the dramatic shot of a bird of prey swooping in. The two sides don’t play nicely. And conflict has grown since digital cameras opened up nature photography to amateurs, while cell phones, Facebook and GPS help crowds converge on rare birds. 

“It almost comes to blows sometimes if birders are going to see an owl and there are photographers there,” said Mike Runtz, a naturalist who teaches biology at Carleton University. “There’s a real amount of verbal abuse that goes on between the two groups. They don’t like each other. Photographers don’t like being told what they can and cannot do and birders don’t like seeing birds harassed.” 

At the heart of the fractious dispute are owls, especially Arctic species like the Great Grey and the Snowy Owl that often arrive in the more populated parts of Canada in winter. There are Great Greys and Snowys around Ottawa in early 2017. 

Snowy Owl - courtesy USFWS

The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club posts sightings of birds on its website, but has stopped telling where to see owls “due to increasing and widespread concerns of disturbance of wildlife and property.” The Ontario Field Ornithologists, a provincial organization of birders, also omits owl sightings. Snowy Owls are fairly tolerant of humans, especially the big, photogenic Arctic species, Runtz said. “And since these owls tend to stay in one area once they turn up that makes them very prone to being harassed by photographers.” 

Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says it’s legal to use mice from a lab or pet store because they aren’t wildlife. But if you trap or catch a wild mouse to use as bait, you need a small game licence. As for the owl, the ministry says baiting is legal as long as the birds is not “killed, injured, captured or harassed as a result.” 

But Runtz argues it is wrong to train wild animals to approach humans for food. He said Facebook and Flickr sites “have become trophy rooms for photographs,” replacing the old trophy rooms full of animals with antlers and horns. And photographing owls is a big-money sport. A number of expert guides will take well-to-do amateur photographers on week-long “Snowy Owl workshops” in Ontario and Quebec for $3,000 or more. This raises the pressure to deliver the best shot. 

Snowy Owl - courtesy USFWS

 

Runtz once saw a group with lawn chairs in the snow, and they had put out sticks where an owl could perch about five metres away. “They would throw mice down, hoping the Hawk Owl would land on the perch. Runtz told them they should not do this “and they were very vocally rude to me about sticking my nose in other people’s business. “It really is remarkable.” 

Runtz also said there’s a place near Kingston where owls are known to gather in winter in the forest, and photographers will find a sleeping owl and throw things at the bird to get a shot with its eyes open.  An owl flushed out in daytime may be attacked by other birds. 

Local birder Bruce Di Labio said he sees some grey area in putting out bait, because he isn’t sure owls are being harmed. “The argument goes back and forth: We feed (other) birds, so what’s the difference? … I never found an owl that died of being overweight, and I have found numerous owls that starved to death.” But he was surprised by the behaviour of a Snowy Owl a few years ago. It watched him stop nearby and “the next thing I knew it was down on a fencepost, begging for a handout." He agrees friction is growing, including shouting matches. 

"When Great Greys came south in large numbers a few years back, people would show up with a cooler full of live mice and be constantly feeding them, and there would be a shouting match going on. Not grabbing each other but definitely a heated argument. Baiting has become more popular since the invention of the digital camera and everybody wants to get the greatest shot,” Di Labio said. “Before digital the old guys would spend a week in the woods to get one good shot. Now you just throw down a live mouse.” 

Great Grey Owl- Photo by jok2000 CC-BY-SA-3.0 Wiki Commons

Life is tricky for those caught in the middle. If one photographer puts out a mouse, are other photographers who do not use bait supposed to stop shooting? One local photographer who asked not to be identified because of the bad feelings blames “a vocal minority,” and tells this story: “Two springs ago, I was up on the ridge at Mud Lake minding my own business photographing a bird. Suddenly a birder walks up to me saying in a loud voice, ‘You should know, you should know,’ over and over again. “He had taken objection to another person playing a (recorded) call for another bird maybe 40 feet from me. I told the birder I have nothing to do with it and he said, ‘Well, you should tell him not to do it.’ These are the types that will yell at people. I think they would be that way no matter what hobby they took up.” 

Some photographers are quite open about the practice. Ethan Meleg, a professional nature photographer from Midland, Ontario describes which shots on his website are the results of baiting. 

The National Audubon Society, on the other hand, opposes it and bans photos that use baiting from its contests. It says owls can become too comfortable around people and may be drawn to cars that stop on roadsides, where traffic is a danger.” 

Maybe there’s a lesson or two to be learnt here in the UK from this story. While it is against the law in the UK to use live bait to capture or photograph birds or wild animals we do have a similar problem with the uncontrolled dissemination of information that places unnecessary attention onto sometimes vulnerable and often protected birds. And here too in Britain, owls are a particular attraction.

Litttle Owl

This was especially true a few years ago when a local influx of both Short-eared Owls and Barn Owls led to whole tribes of birders and toggers targeting one particular location on an almost 24/7 basis for weeks on end. This eventually led to a local farmer whose land the owls hunted becoming especially irate after being told to “F..k Off”. This followed his advice to one individual about hazardous parking on a single track road vital to the local farming community, a band of people normally very helpful to the cause of conservation.

Barn Owl

Let’s be honest. It is no longer unusual to read in the press of both birders and toggers invading private locations where they upset local residents by their careless parking on roadside verges and narrow lanes at often ungodly hours. Unfortunately such selfish behaviour tars all birders and photographers with the same brush, and everyone gets a bad name whether they deserve it or not. 

What's to do then?

Just stay calm folks. Brew a cup of tea, sit down and have a think. After all, it's just a bird.

Linking today to World Bird Wednesday. 

First Post

There was a touch of frost this morning for my first birding of 2017. I waited until the sun began to rise and then set off through Hambleton towards Out Rawcliffe, watchful for both patchy ice and any roadside birds. First off, and just on the edge of the village was a Kestrel in a now familiar spot. Later there would be a second Kestrel and then a third, the latter taking great interest in a flock of Linnets. 

But for now I stopped near a farm where I hoped that the morning frost might bring a Little Owl out to play. There’s no doubt that snow, ice and frost cause Little Owls to be more visible. My theory is that frozen ground makes the owl’s prey, typically worms, beetles, moths and small mammals, easier to spot with the prey less likely to escape into frozen earth and vegetation. 

Little Owls catch prey by stooping on it from a perch or running after it on the ground. The owl’s natural instinct probably makes it spend more time hunting in cold weather as a safeguard against the unforeseen. Also, and like other species of owl the Little Owl is in the habit of keeping a “larder” of food for the unexpected events of life. It’s rather like us humans stocking our cupboards with tinned food or filling the freezer with Hovis. Unfortunately, fresh voles don’t come with a “use by date”, nor is an owl very house-proud in cleaning behind the fridge; as any ringer will testify, the content of an owl nest is often extremely messy and very smelly. 

Little Owl

 

The owl was both watchful and at the at times disinterested enough to close its eyes and face into the morning sun. Shame it was a little distant, but at least one for my non-existent year list. 

I found myself along Crook Lane where Fieldfares lived up to their name by feeding in roadside fields. During the morning I noted that almost without exception our local hedgerows are now devoid of hawthorn berries, the favoured autumn food of the Fieldfare as they now switch seamlessly to searching for earthworms and field dwelling insects. I saw a dozen or so Redwings along the lane but they were gone as soon as look at them. If anything an always nervous Redwing is shyer than the watchful Fieldfare. 

Fieldfare

The roadside flood at Rawcliffe Moss is no longer a budding lake but just a very damp and obviously still soggy pasture with dozens of Lapwings probing the ground and gulls waiting to test their piracy skills. Across the far side there was a fence-sitting Buzzard and closer, a Kestrel that flew periodically into the building and then out again to sit along the fence. Two Pied Wagtails here. 

At Union Lane were 40 or more Fieldfares and 8 Stock Dove, both in exactly the same field as last week. And at Gulf Lane came the third Kestrel of the morning keeping watch on our set-aside where 200+ Linnets flew around, flew around, and then flew around again. The Kestrel was definitely making the finches nervous and although a Kestrel feeds mostly on mammals, should an opportunity arise, the Kestrel would take a Linnet. 

Cockerham Moss Edge held a distant flock of several hundred Pink-footed Geese. The geese were adjacent to a private farm track a good half mile away and with new groups arriving as I watched. I could have driven down the track but decided to leave the geese feeding rather than risk sending them back into the air and towards the sound of gunfire. 

Pink-footed Geese

Around the moss road to Crimbles; 40 Curlew, 35+ Lapwings, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Skylark, 2 Reed Bunting, 7 Tree Sparrow, 15 Chaffinch, 18 Fieldfare, 12 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and 1 Mistle Thrush. 

The Mistle Thrush is the largest of our UK thrush family but equally as shy as all of the others. One rattled off from our back garden the other day when I came by the side of the garage and surprised the thrush feeding on what’s left of the crab apple tree. Any day now male Mistle Thrushes will begin their loud singing from a high point in the landscape, usually the tallest tree, and often on a stormy day. “Stormcock” is an old English name for the Mistle Thrush because unlike most birds it sings in the heaviest of weather. “Singing in the Rain” - no problem to a Mistle Thrush. 

Mistle Thrush

Turn left at Crimbles and I’m soon back at Braides Farm where the frost put paid to much other than 200+ Golden Plover, similar numbers of Lapwings and 50 or so Redshanks. 

Redshank

Apologies that my pictures are a little distant today. Sometimes these birds just don’t want to play ball with us birders. 

Anyway I have decided to spend my generous £100 Christmas Bonus towards upgrading my current camera to a later version in the hope my photography will improve.

In any case Mrs Theresa Maybe, and with your own and other leading Minister’s veiled threats to target the oldies. A miserly £100 is hardly enough to buy something really trendy and useful like an iPhone 7, an Apple Watch or a Microsoft Band is it? 

Happy New Year folks.

Linking today to Eileen's Saturday and  World Bird Wednesday.

An Owl Or Two, Or Three Or Four

This morning I set off birding on a regular route north over Stalmine Moss. A telegraph pole Kestrel was the first notable bird, unless I was to count common Blackbirds. There’d been a few near misses of the dark shapes along the way. It’s one of the perils of early morning driving along country lanes in the half light of a springtime morning where Blackbird territories seem to be not linear but to criss-cross east to west almost immediately in front of a moving vehicle. 

Next came a pair of Little Owls sat in a tree alongside Union Lane. The owls may have changed their affections in recent years by crossing to the other side. It was in 2008 and then in 2012 when Will and I found youngsters squashed into the roof space of an outbuilding to the south of the road, but extricated them in order to ring each one. Nowadays the regular Little Owls of the birding tourist trail hang out to the north of the road at a different farm - unless of course there’s more than one pair of Little Owls in the Fylde? 

Little Owl

I tuned right at Lancaster Lane where an early morning togger was on the prowl for an owl or two. A veritable enthusiast and probable expert judging by the car complete with an impressive “OWL” number plate. I turned tail and headed for Cockerham and Moss Edge just in time to see a Barn Owl fly off in the direction of Lancaster Lane. Maybe OWL would see an owl after all? 

Barn Owl

Along Moss Edge was a familiar car so I braked – JR working on a Saturday morning while I worked at birding – such dedication from both. I relayed news of the Barn Owl from two minutes before and then set off towards Braides and Conder Green. 

Beyond Braides Farm were several thousand grey geese where a couple of hours with a scope might reveal an intruder or two amongst the majority pinkfeet. I heard tell lately that thousands of Pink-footed Geese and good numbers of Whooper Swans remained in Iceland during their mild mid-winter when normally both species would migrate and remain here in the UK until March and April. 

On the Braides fields I counted 24 Lapwing, 2 Grey Heron and 1 Little Egret. 

Before hitting Conder Green I detoured around Moss Lane and then Jeremy Lane where as luck would have it there appeared another Barn Owl. The light was better now. 

Barn Owl

At Conder Green all appeared as mostly normal - 52 Teal, 120 Curlew, 30 Wigeon, 2 Little Grebe, 18 Redshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 8 Oystercatcher, 2 Grey Heron and 2 Pied Wagtail. A flight of 140+ Black-tailed Godwits appeared as if from nowhere but as they turned and headed down I could see they were about to land in the still wet fields south of the canal. 

Black-tailed Godwits

On the way back towards Pilling the Linnets at Wrampool were as flighty as ever with about 40 today along with a singing and territorial Pied Wagtail plus a patrolling Kestrel. 

At Fluke Hall Lane and Backsands Lane - 26 Curlew, 44 Redshank, 26 Lapwing, 350 Pink-footed Geese plus at the hall itself a calling Nuthatch in amongst the nest boxes. 

Pink-footed Geese

Please visit Another Bird Blog soon for more birds and owls. There’s always one but sometimes two, three or even four. 

Linking today to Stewart's World Bird Wednesday and Anni's blog. She would rather be birding too.

Back On The Moss

After a day of hiding behind the clouds the sun finally emerged at midday today. For old time’s sake I decided to drive to Out Rawcliffe and take a walk across Rawcliffe Moss, an ancient peaty landscape which still characterises many parts of Lancashire. 

I’ve neglected the moss for a year or more. When the new plantation here became overgrown the use of our previously productive ringing area became impossible without both intensive and costly  habitat management. soon after the mixed animal/arable farm was sold and the new owners wasted no time in changing the land use to less crops and more animals. It was a combination that caused a drop in bird life. Birding became more difficult and my visits tailed off.

Rawcliffe Moss

 

 Rawcliffe Moss

The moss always was a good place for Little Owls with at least two pairs breeding there in each year where they used the traditional sites of both a building and a line of trees. The farm was quiet today, not many people or vehicles so it didn’t take long to find an owl by looking along familiar fences. 

Little Owl

Along the main track of the farm were a good number of Blackbirds but only a single Redwing. The rush of Redwings during past recent weeks is now over without seeing any substantial numbers of their cousin the Fieldfare. I hope to redress the balance by catching some Fieldfares at the weekend with a ringing session in the hills at Oakenclough, the ringing site which has replaced Out Rawcliffe. 

Redwing

For my North American readers, a Redwing Turdus iliacus is not closely related to the Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus, a North American species sometimes nicknamed 'redwing' which is an icterid, not a thrush. The binomial name Turdus iliacus derives from the Latin words Turdus, meaning 'Thrush' and 'ile' meaning flank as in my photograph above.

Today out on the moss I saw four, maybe five Buzzards, some in flight and another sat motionless on a roll of baled hay, a favourite spot for a Buzzard. The rolls are close to the ground should a small mammal wander by or high enough for lift-off should an unwelcome birder wander by. Next in my notebook came a Hen Harrier, a brown female or juvenile “ringtail” floating across the road ahead of me as it hurried across to Pilling Moss. Later as I drove home via Pilling I saw the harrier make the return journey, helped this time by a convoy of corvids that chased it mercilessly until it was off their feeding stubble. 

The moss was previously a Tree Sparrow hangout, helped by regular dollops of bird seed to feed sundry species. I struggled to see a Tree Sparrow today eventually coming across three or four in the trees where their nest boxes still dot the trees. A number of Chaffinch were among the sparrows, as well as a few Yellowhammers, but on a return viewing an hour or more later the Chaffinch count had swelled to a miserly 15, Yellowhammers to 2 and Reed Buntings to 5. Not the best farmland bird tally. 

Yellowhammer

Next came the big field and a walk over wet stubble where I came across a Merlin, a Kestrel, 2 Corn Bunting, another half-dozen or so Reed Buntings, 5 Linnet, 15 Skylark and 7 Roe Deer. Although the birds scatter along the hedgerow where they might be seen later, Roe Deer never ever stay around but just melt into to the security of a distant wood. 

There had been geese landing in fields not far away so as I drove home via the mossland of both Pilling and Stalmine I stopped for a look in the stubble fields. It is very hard to approach the geese for either a photo or close scrutiny.

Pink-footed Geese

 Pink-footed Geese

The Pink-footed Geese have been with us for a month or more since leaving Iceland and the closest it is possible to get to them, and by staying in a vehicle, is perhaps 500 yards. On most mornings a number of wildfowlers will lie in wait, hidden in the marshy creeks of Pilling and Cockerham where they hope to intercept the geese with a volley of shots as the birds leave their overnight roost to feed on these inland fields. Boy are these geese wild and who can blame them?

I made my way home after an entertaining and instructive afternoon. Yes it was good to get back on the moss if only for a while.

Linking today to Viewing Nature with Eileen.

Quicky Birding

It’s just a hurried post as Another Bird Blog has an appointment and then won’t be around for a day or two. 

This morning I met up at Pilling with Andy so that he could learn the whereabouts of the Skylark nest found on Monday and continue with nest recording in my absence. As there are a good number of Skylarks in the area we hoped we might be able to come across other breeding activity.

The Nest Record Scheme (NRS) gathers vital information on the breeding success of Britain's birds by asking volunteers to find and follow the progress of individual birds' nests. The two pictures below show the information recorded to date on the Skylark nest first found on Monday.

 Nest Record - Skylark

Nest Record - Skylark

 Skylark

To monitor some specially protected species, it's necessary to obtain a Schedule 1 permit in addition to registering as a nest recorder. As with all British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) surveys, the welfare of the birds comes first, and therefore all nest recorders follow the NRS Code of Conduct, a protocol designed to ensure that monitoring a nest does not influence its outcome. 

The data collected for NRS are used to produce trends in breeding performance, which helps to identify species that may be declining because of problems at the nesting stage. These trends are updated every year and published in the BirdTrends report. NRS data also allow measurement of the impacts of pressures such as climate change on bird productivity. 

Both Skylarks were still in the area of the nest, the male singing close by, the female not immediately obvious to us but we quickly looked into the nest and departed. 

Less than 75 yards away was another pair of Skylarks, a pair I’ve been aware of for a while. We watched the female taking nest lining material back to the nest where upon inspection we discovered a single egg, the beginning of nest laying and a reason to complete another nest record for the BTO. 

Nest Record - Skylark

Close by we found Lapwings with just one chick which we located for ringing. It is  one of the very few youngsters and nests to survive the intense farming activity of recent weeks. 

Lapwing chick

There was limited time for birding before heading our separate ways but in an hour so we managed to clock up 8+ singing Skylarks, 4+ “Greenland” Wheatears, 15 Linnet, 2 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 1 Whitethroat and 1 Little Owl. 

Little Owl

Another Bird Blog will be back soon from somewhere warm and sunny. Don’t miss it.

Crimbles!

I saw plenty of birds to see this morning, in fact it proved to be a really excellent and productive morning of birding but rather trying in the photography department with too few new pictures. Sometimes it’s good, mostly it is hard work to keep coming up with new pictures. 

A Barn Owl hunting near the A588 at Pilling gave the briefest of views as it sped across the fields and then out of sight behind hedges and buildings. The choices were, sit and wait for the owl to do a circuit, try in a fashion to follow the bird across roadless fields, or drive on. I drove on hoping that another Barn Owl might show between here and destination Glasson. 

 I stopped at Crimbles and waited for a while with no sign of Barn Owls, just a Raven heading out to the marsh and several Curlews and Lapwings on a pool fashioned by the recent high tides. I took a detour to a Crimbles farm where there are owls and a favoured wooden fence. Bingo, a Little Owl. 

“Crimbles” is a rather strange place name and nothing to do with cakes or Christmas. It is probably a very ancient Lancashire dialect description of the locality with origins in the Domesday Book. I need to do some research and get back to readers. 

Little Owl

Once again I decided that Glasson would get the early shift and Conder Green the post-breakfast going over. A Common Tern was hunting the basin and the dock where it plunge-dived with great efficiency and lifted small fish from below the water. 

I watched the tern swallow a whole fish while in flight but its next catch it kept hold of and then flew directly above the road on the shortest route to Conder Green where later on I saw the female waiting for breakfast and the male arriving from the direction of Glasson. As suspected a few days ago, the male travels a mile or two in the course of hunting at Conder Green, Glasson Dock and the River Lune, and there are at the moment but 2 Common Terns and not three. 

A Kingfisher put in a late and brief appearance by landing on the stern of a moored boat, taking a look around at the busy dock before then whizzing off elsewhere - no pictures of it today. 

On the water, a single Great Crested Grebe, 5 Tufted Duck, 22 Coot and 25 Mallard with along the towpath 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail, a Chiffchaff in song and 1 Grey Heron. 

Five Little Egrets flew over as they headed off the river and in the direction of Cockersands. Later I was to see another six at Conder Green, a goodish total of 11 for the morning’s effort. 

On scanning the creek at Conder Green there was another Kingfisher, 75 yards away, a tiny blue and orange marker attached to a mid-stream and lifeless remains of a tree. The Kingfisher dived from the bare limbs and splashed into the shallows several times without success before flying off towards the railway bridge; it was time for a count or two. 

These current higher tides make for low water levels in the creeks, just an inch or two of water in places and ideal for waders so giving a healthy count of 160+ Redshank, 15 Oystercatcher, 6 Common Sandpiper, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Curlew, 1 Greenshank and 1 Spotted Redshank. 

 

Redshank

Greenshank

There were the aforementioned 6 Little Egret plus 2 Grey Heron, plus a family party of 9 Shelduck, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Wigeon and a more than reasonable modern day count of 30+ Swifts. 

Grey Heron

It appears that we are in for record temperatures on Thursday and Friday quickly followed by thunderstorms and downpours at the weekend. Goodness, it looks like I may have to go out birding again tomorrow. 

Meanwhile, I’ll see what I can cook up about Crimbles.

Linking today to The Run a Round Ranch Blogspot.

Good Morning Owls

After Joanne’s Little Owl pictures of Thursday, today it’s my turn. Stay tuned for Little Owl and Barn Owl. 

The run of bright and dry weather and almost at the longest day makes for early starts, driving on quiet roads with the chance to slow down at a few locations where owls live. At 6am there was a Barn Owl flying alongside the road at Cockerham and lots of light for a photograph; but the owl flipped over the hedgerow and out of sight. I drove up and down the road a couple times, turning at convenient spots and then waiting in gateways for the owl to reappear. 

No luck, so I checked out a Little Owl farm of old. The RSPB website tells me that the Little Owl Athene noctua “can be seen in the daylight, usually perching on a tree branch, telegraph pole or rock. It will bob its head up and down when alarmed.” 

And there one was, and on a telegraph pole. The owl stole a look at my approaching car and chose not to bob its head up and down but instead continued to watch the ground below for “small mammals and birds, beetles and worms”. 

Little Owl

Little Owl

Little Owl

Little Owl

After a while the owl got bored with looking at the same bit of the ground and flew off towards the farmhouse and farm buildings. Now there’s a “good” bird to have sat on your house; makes a change from House Martins and House Sparrows. 

Little Owl

There was a Red Fox in the middle of the road but even as the car approached from 100yards the fox took fright and loped off. The camera was still set to overexpose the owl against the morning sky - "D’oh".  Red Foxes in this part of the world still mostly inhabit the true countryside and as far as I know do not frequent the Saturday night kebab shops when the drunks go home.   

Red Fox

There was another Barn Owl at Conder Green, this one hunting the embankment alongside the old railway where moored boats dot the green marsh. It was 0730, the owl was up late and heading swiftly for a daytime sleep, but not before an Oystercatcher gave it a telling off.  Two or three pairs of Oystercatchers have chicks nearby and while a Barn Owl may be "cute" it is a predator which needs to eat and to feed chicks of its own.

Barn Owl

Oystercatcher and Barn Owl

Barn Owl

Oystercatchers

Also out hunting was a Sparrowhawk, carrying prey back to a nest somewhere while at the same time lifting the prey towards its bill to take crafty nibbles. Before today I’d never ever seen this behaviour by a Sparrowhawk, just from members of the falcon family. 

After the excitement of raptors it was back to June’s unchanging birds of hedgerow, pool and creek; 2 Grey Heron, 4 Little Egret, 65 Redshank, 15 Oystercatcher, 12 Lapwing and 1 Common Sandpiper. 

Common Sandpiper

Other bits ‘n pieces totalled up to 45 Swift, 2 Stock Dove, 5 Sedge Warbler, 3 Pied Wagtail. 

Another Bird Blog is back soon, maybe with more owls but certainly with more birds.

Linking today to  Eileen's Saturday Blog.