Saturday Sun

The egrets had already left the Pilling roost this morning. It must have been the bright sunny start which set them on their way. The roost breaks up into small groups which spend a short time on the marsh before heading separate ways - 22 birds this morning. 

Little Egrets - Pilling Marsh

I didn’t wait for the Pink-footed Geese to leave the marsh as I would see plenty in the next three or four hours, in fact a large count of as many as 6,500 in total. The picture below shows just a small fraction of the geese about this morning. 

 Pink-footed Geese - Pilling Marsh

There was a Kestrel along Backsands Lane and a Sparrowhawk heading rapidly south. I’ve seen more Sparrowhawks in the last day or three than almost the whole of the summer and I imagine that the recent ones are migrants. 

Fluke Hall to Pilling Water proved very productive, mainly due to the number of birds about Hi-Fly’s land. I don’t think there’s been a shoot yet judging by the huge numbers of Red-legged Partridge still frequenting the fields and the maize crop. I haven’t seen many large raptors around so maybe the partridge numbers are still circa 2000, the number released for "sport" some weeks ago. I did see singles of both Peregrine and Buzzard at Fluke Hall but apparently showing no interest in the partridges. 

Red-legged Partridge

Red-legged Partridge

There were good numbers of Skylarks on the fields and a steady stream of Meadow Pipits going over, the mipits heading east along the sea wall. My notebook records 24 Skylarks and 160 Meadow Pipits in 3+ hours. The maize crop and ditch held more than 10 Reed Buntings too, as well as 3 Jays paying a flying visit and looking for an easy meal. It was while watching their antics with the Jackdaws that I caught sight of a Kingfisher flying rapidly along the ditch towards Fluke Hall. 

Reed Bunting

Meadow Pipit

Wildfowl numbers on the shooting pools, and without counting the many tame Mallards - 40+ Wigeon, 300+ Teal 300, 1 Cormorant, 1 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Green Sandpiper. 

Wigeon

Wigeon and Teal

Other ‘bits and bobs’ - 1 Wheatear, 1 Chiffchaff, 15 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Siskin. 

The sun brought out a good few butterflies whereby even I can identify a Speckled Wood, one of several found naturally enough in Fluke Hall Wood. 

Speckled Wood

Another Bird Blog is linking today to Camera Critters  and to Anni's Blog .

Run Around

It was the juvenile Wheatear at Lane Ends that gave me the run around for an hour or more and I’d given up trying to catch it so sat bird watching from the sea wall instead. Even as it ignored the meal worms the Wheatear let me take a few pictures. And then just as I was ready to leave and collect the traps the bird succumbed to the lure of a tasty snack. 

Wheatear

The Wheatear was a clear juvenile, and with of wing length of 96mm a probable male. 

Wheatear - first year 

There wasn’t much doing on the tide, 140 Teal again, 9 Little Egret and 3 Grey Heron, a juvenile Kestrel, and the “pip-pip” call of an overhead Grey Wagtail as a change from the pied variety. Teal are said to fly at 70mph; it seems faster than that when trying to take a photograph of them. 

Teal

I’d started off the morning at Conder Pool and Glasson again where there’s usually a decent selection of birds together with the chance of a picture or two. A few more waders this morning with 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Spotted Redshank, 250+ Lapwing, 3 Curlew and 40+ Redshank. 

Wildfowl and others: 9 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Stock Dove, 3 Pied Wagtail and 1 female Sparrowhawk. 

Pied Wagtail

The usual counts of Wildfowl at Glasson Dock with 45 Coot, 15 Tufted Duck and 1 Goldeneye, the latter apparently now commuting to and from Conder Green, all of 400yards as the duck flies. A flock of of 16 Goldfinch feeding on thistles along the shore is the most Goldfinch I have seen together this autumn.

There seemed to be a good number of Swallows this morning, upwards of 50, with many hanging about the overhead wires, the road bridge and the many boats in the dock. So I contented myself with a few pictures and if all else fails the photogenic Barn Swallow always cooperates with a cameraman. 

 

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

That’s all for today folks. More soon, plus a new book review for everyone with a curious mind, so be around.

Lonking today to Anni's Blog and Camera Critters .

There’s A Surprise

Yes I know the best birders get up early to catch the worm but sometimes a lie-in just seems a good option, especially after a run of icy mornings with not much doing. So waiting until lunch time I set off for Pilling hoping to see a freshly arrived Wheatear, perhaps hear a Chiffchaff, or watch a Sand Martin or Swallow hurrying north - anything really which might indicate the arrival of Spring. 

Not much at Lane Ends itself, just a pair of Canada Geese and a pair of Greylags seeing who could make the most noise above the trilling of the Little Grebe pair on the smaller west pool. The morning must have warmed up. I disturbed a Peacock Butterfly from the grass and it rested on the path momentarily before flying off; my first butterfly of the year before my first Wheatear or Swallow - now there was a surprise. 

Little Grebe

European Peacock 

All the bird action seemed to be nearer Pilling Water with several Meadow Pipits, leftovers from the morning rush hour I’d perhaps missed. There was no sign of any Wheatears ready for the pepper pot of meal worms stashed in the camera bag. The pools proved quite rewarding with singles of both Greenshank and Spotted Redshank, two species which could be the most unapproachable bird species on the planet, bettered only by our Common Redshank. 

 Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank

There was a good selection of wildfowl too, refugees from the shooting season but still as wary as ever and giving a sporting chance of a picture when they flew about the pools expecting a volley of shots from guns not a camera. I counted 18 Teal, 8 Pintail, 6 Shoveler, 4 Shelduck and just 2 Mallard. 

Pintail 

Teal and Pintail

Pintail

Shoveler

On the marsh there are still 300+ Pink-footed Geese perhaps reluctant to head north without a following wind. More Shelduck too, another 40+. 

One singing Skylark, 1 Little Egret and a few more Meadow Pipits highlighted the stroll back to Lane Ends, otherwise little sign of true April. 

More news and surprises on Another Bird Blog soon. In the meantime take a look at Anni's Skimmers .

A Nearly Day

I nearly didn’t go out after watching this morning’s weather forecast depicting wind and rain, that and also worrying about getting home on time for a midday appointment. But then the sun was out, the wind seemed no worse than of late, the sky didn’t look too ominous and so off I went. 

After tons of overnight rain a check of a few flooded fields was in order, first Backsands Lane and then Braides Farm. There was absolutely nothing at Pilling where the flood is almost too close to the busy lane, but the distant flood of Braides held a wealth of birds: 60 Teal, 140 Lapwing, 2 Ruff, 18 Dunlin and 30 Curlew, with lots of birds hidden by the far-off uneven ground and ditches. Even though I have permission to walk the area, to do so would only serve to scatter the many birds in all directions; so I stayed put, watching from the car and pondering if there could be a more unapproachable gathering of birds than one which includes watchful and nervous Teal, Redshank, Lapwing and Curlew. There were a good number of Swallows over the fields too, at least 70 feeding low down in the windy conditions, and still a few House Martins. 

Teal

At Lane Ends the sun was definitely out with the clouds too far away to do any immediate damage so a walk to Pilling Water beckoned. I almost walked past the Goldcrest in the plantation, but because it was very close to the path I just heard its thin calls above the sway of the trees and then on reaching the gate a Little Egret was heading for the shelter of the trees surrounding the pool. Further along I was to find another 9 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Heron. 

Little Egret

At Pilling Water; more Swallows c40, 100 Goldfinch, 1 Pied Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark, 2 Linnet, 4 Wheatear and 1 Kingfisher, with the latter two species about to provide the almost, the nearly, the not quite, the frustration that ringers, birders and photographers know only too well. First came the Wheatears, dodging about the meal worm traps, showing all the signs of taking the bait until two people came along intent on walking over my traps and sending the Wheatears along the sea wall to Knott End. Cursing while retrieving the traps I saw one of them had been sprung with no sign of the meal worm in the hair grip. They do that sometimes the Wheatears, take the bait without so much as a thank you. Ten minutes later the strollers were on their same way back as the traps found their way back in the shoulder bag for another, less trying day. 

Wheatear

Hi-Fly man had been and gone with the sacks of wheat, so had all the Teal, with just small groups motoring back from the tideline, diving for the cover of the deep ditches now the coast was clear. The Peregrine, a juvenile today, flew over heading for the pool near Fluke Hall where there might be more Teal for breakfast. But I’d heard a Kingfisher so sat down in the grassy bank. The Kingfisher came near, too close for comfort as I dropped low in the grass with the stems and seed heads obscuring the lens. I clicked once; the Kingfisher saw me and off it sped across the pool and out of sight.

Kingfisher

Better luck next time. Hopefully soon an Another Bird Blog.

This week I’m linking with  I'd Rather-B-Birdin and Paying Ready Attention Photo Gallery– take a look see. 

Never Give Up On A Good Thing

Eno didn’t give much hope of decent weather this morning. In fact I nearly didn’t go to Pilling except that about 0930 the spots of rain gave up and sun came out instead. 

 Eno's Warning

"Don't go birding"

At last, a guest appearance by Wheatear with just a single juvenile along the sea wall so chance to give the meal worms a day out in the sunshine, and ten minutes later the bird was literally in the bag, then ringed and measured at 93mm wing length. 

Wheatear - juvenile

Wheatear - juvenile

The wildfowlers' pools held a good number of duck today with more than 150 Teal, 4 Wigeon and many Mallards, most of the latter ex-layers now put out to grass. The Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper of late are still about, unlikely to be seen in the deep ditches unless startled into flight by spooked Teal. A number of the Teal flew back and forth to the marsh where 2 Peregrine awaited them, and I watched one of the pegs return to the edge of the sand after taking a half-hearted dash at a group of the duck. Teal have such tremendous flying ability, fast, twisting and unpredictable changes of direction that for photographs it’s a case of point and shoot then hope for the best. 

Teal

Peregrine

 Little else to report: 15 Shelduck, 450 Curlew, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Skylark, 4 Linnet, 10 Goldfinch, 30 Swallow heading south. 

It proved a short outing because to be fair to Eno and the BBC, the rain came back, enough to wet me through on the return walk to Lane Ends where I finished on Little Grebe, another Sparrowhawk and 2 Pied Wagtail.

Across The Moss

I set out for Rawcliffe Moss this morning, hoping it would be less windy than the Pilling coast, but as I arrived at the farm the wind whipped over the open fields, holding out little prospect of a productive birding walk. From the comparative shelter of the barn I surveyed west and then east where in the distance flooded fields held many Lapwings, Black-headed Gulls and a few Common Gull interlopers.

I think it was the passing Kestrel that disturbed both Skylarks and Corn Buntings from the nearby stubble, as parties of each of the similar sized birds flew over, 11 and 30 respectively; fortunately the species have different calls as well as different jizz, and Corn Buntings seem to make bigger flocks into the new year when food becomes tougher to find.

Corn Bunting

I turned into the farm track from where in the distance I could see Pheasants, 3 or 4 Blackbirds and 100 or more Tree Sparrows dropping in turn to their breakfast on the ground. Then almost within seconds it appeared that some wary sparrows chickened out of this apparently dangerous manoeuvre, and as if tied by a piece of elastic they sprung back to the safety of the dense hedgerow, there to await their next dash for a piece of the action. I must admit that a couple of times of late I have seen the Hen Harrier also take an interest in this corner of the farm, so the sparrows are wise to feed with caution. As I watched the sparrows I counted 3 Yellowhammer, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Blue Tit, 3 Great Tit and a Great-spotted Woodpecker heading towards the feed.

The wind was pretty strong, so like the Sparrows I chickened out, turned the car round and headed off the farm for a run across Pilling Moss to Lane Ends, where although it would be equally windy, there would be guaranteed birds.

From the road near Lousanna Farm I could see Rawcliffe Moss, the fields where in recent days I’d watched the wintering Hen Harrier quarter the fields as it drifted or deliberately headed west in pursuit of a meal. Right on the cue today the harrier appeared here at Lousanna Farm just a harrier's flap-glide from its other favoured feeding spot. Continuing over the moss I noted 2 more roadside Kestrels before I hit Pilling.

Hen Harrier

A blog reader asked me “where is Pilling Moss?”, a question which stumped me a little because although I know exactly where the moss is, I’m not sure I could draw the vague-in-my-head boundaries on a map. Those frontier limits are very imprecise and bound up in the ancient history of other Fylde mosslands, some of which abut Pilling Moss – e.g. Stalmine Moss, Winmarleigh Moss and Rawcliffe Moss.

The “Moss” of Pilling refers to the area of peat land more or less south of the village of Pilling, an ancient settlement, founded at the hamlet of Eagland Hill on what was essentially an "island" with the sea on one side and marsh on the others. From artefact finds, there is evidence of spasmodic human activity here dating back to the Neolithic period.

“Pilling Moss - a strange dark tract of land with a history full of curiosity and interest, situated on the western side of Lancashire, between the Wyre and the estuary of Cockerham.

It was in the year 1813 or 1814 that James Jenkinson and Joseph Isles, who were natives of nearby Churchtown and Nateby, selected sites for cottages and farm buildings at Eagland Hill, a portion of the (Pilling) Moss. Eagland Hill was a natural mound of sand, slightly elevated, but surrounded on each side by bog and deep, broad tarns. There was at that time no approach to Eagland Hill by any road, save and except such as a vigorous sportsman in quest for game might risk with fear of occasionally sinking to his armpits in a swampy bog.

Many people have an idea that Pilling is a barren, swampy, dim and unfruitful part of the country, worth nothing, full of the hardest headed of clod hoppers, and given up to seagulls, curlews and uncivilised turf getters. But they are mistaken. In the centre, nay all round that monotonously level region, with its long lines of white smoke, burning from heaps of peat refuse, there are busy souls contending successfully against the rude natural obstacles of a long neglected locality, and turning the peat swamp and the wild bog into a fruitful garden. Enterprising landlords and industrious farmers have transmuted the incoherent waste, the almost chaotic imbroglio of old Pilling into a charming agricultural arena, sending its produce into the busiest markets and towns of Lancashire, and competing with goods of more favoured places.

To be sure, there are still in the district uncouth and unproductive tracts of ground - patches here and there of boggy, rush-grown and heather covered land; but viewed generally, industry, with its potent alchemy, has changed the scene into one of fertility and use. Meadow, pasture and arable land are visible in all directions; smiling farm houses and homesteads are dotted over its surface; a new railway will soon bring them into sharp communication with more distant localities; in the very centre of the moss the plough is busy doing its work, slowly, but well, and creating a new life in quarters which Fate seemed to have reserved for sterility and unending waste”.

After two hundred years of agricultural and drainage activity the moss is hugely changed, the railway been and gone, but the peaty black soil is much in evidence when driving over the moss along the modern Lancaster Road running from Little Eccleston to the hamlet of Scronkey then on to coastal Pilling. Essentially then, Pilling Moss lies east and west of Lancaster Road, it’s still a reasonable birding spot despite the change to winter crops, with often more than Curlews and gulls. History lesson over.

Pilling Moss

I didn’t see a lot at Lane Ends, instead got button-holed by an old shooting sort who complained in turn and with equal ferocity about the RSPB and younger shooters, but he certainly knew his stuff about geese. I nodded in agreement then headed up to Pilling Water where my sometimes distant counts arrived at 1000 Shelduck, 1200 Pink-footed Geese, 41 Whooper Swan, 800 Teal, 240 Wigeon 55 Pintail, 8 Skylark , 5 Little Egret, 1 Merlin and 600 Woodpigeon.

Teal

Readers may have noted how today's birding was a little quiet; I hope the blog post proved a little more entertaining and instructive.

It’s No Secret

It’s just birding at the moment with constant blustery weather making a ringing session out of the question at our wind-sensitive winter sites. The November totals will be dire but Will tells me he added one Robin to the figures when one flew into the van through an open door.

I wanted to go to Out Rawcliffe for a look around this morning before I realised today is a shoot day. A local told me there’s yet another feasibility study taking place into the siting of a “farm” of 125 metre high wind-turbines on the moss. On several occasions in the last year or two Will and I had seen the bird surveyors, birders who do the leg work of the consultants by spot counting every month. If you ask, they claim they don’t know why they are counting and what the final counts will be used for! It’s all too political for me, but I hope the same individuals have declared possibly conflicting interests to in turn, their employee and local natural history groups they represent.

This grandiose scheme is the latest attempt after an earlier proposal was chucked out a couple of years ago on the grounds of harm to the area's huge wintering flocks of Pink-footed Geese, wildfowl and breeding birds in general. Rawcliffe Moss is also a Biological Heritage Site. Don’t these companies ever give up in wanting to cover the countryside in concrete and visual eyesores? In the last month up to 15,000 geese have flown in to the moss to feed in the half light of early mornings, some of which were murky, misty, even foggy, the type of morning when geese in particular are known to lose their bearings. Fresh minced Pinkie anyone?

Pink-footed Goose
Goose Mincing Machine

There was time for a look at Pilling this morning where I found my glove from last week without finding a lot different on the bird front. Pink-footed Geese were to the fore, the foreshore in fact with circa 1500 at Fluke Hall and c2500 at Lane Ends.

Passerines proved difficult to find again with 8 Tree Sparrow, 6 Greenfinch, 11 Linnet and 22 Twite at Fluke Hall, the latter two species in separate flock as ever, but also separated by their jizz and their habitat choices. Rarely if ever do I see these closely related species together. On this occasion the Linnet were along Ridge Farm hedgerow, the Twite on the salt marsh.

Twite
Linnet

Just 18 Whooper Swans behind the sea wall with a Merlin giving a splendid fly past, but it was a Peregine that constantly spooked a couple of thousand Lapwing and 600 Teal at Broadfleet. Just 4 Little Egrets today, with 2 Goldeneye and 2 Tufted Duck on the pools.

Teal

Double Pegging

A fine, warm but somewhat breezy Sunday morning meant a few hours birding and breathing space around local spots before the hordes hit the streets.

Conder Green lost its attraction to me in recent months, but I called in for a quick look this morning to see what I’d been missing. Not a lot it seems, the pool as deserted as ever it was with just a single Little Grebe on the whole expanse of water. There were 5 more Little Grebes in the creek, along with 95 of my favourite duck the diminutive Teal. Whatever a Teal may lack in size it certainly makes up it in character, flying ability, wildness and simple beauty. A quick look on the Lune revealed 22 Goldeneye.

Teal
Teal

I tried my luck down Hillam Lane, where an improvement on CG saw 375 Curlew, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Little Egret, 15 Chaffinch, 8 Tree Sparrow, 5 Blackbird, 1 Sparrowhawk and 1 Kestrel.

At the old faithful sites of Lane Ends, Pilling Water and Fluke Hall where there was a bit more activity. On the outer marsh at Lane Ends were 4 Barnacle Geese of dubious origin, well apart from several thousand Pink-footed Geese and 22 Whooper Swans of impeccable pedigree, with at least 9 Little Egrets and 2 Grey Heron. Also out on the marsh was a big, bright male Peregrine which sat unmoved for at least an hour, even as I walked to Pilling Water then back to Lane Ends. At one point an even larger Peregrine, this one a female flew close to and above the male before then flying over the sea wall and south west towards Preesall, but it’s not unusual to see two or even three Peregrines here given the abundance of food.

Peregrine courtesy of USFWS
Small stuff in the planation - 1 Jay, several Blackbirds and 1 Reed Bunting.

Pilling Water produced 1 Buzzard heading off towards Fluke Hall plus the now inevitable Green Sandpiper. Also, 1 Kestrel, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Skylark, 2 Snipe and 2 Linnet.

At Fluke Hall, a single Goldcrest and a silent Chiffchaff.

Chiffchaff

Hot Spots

I decided to hold fire on the ringing until tomorrow when Will is available and the two of us can get more nets up. A spell of dry weather today and overnight means less chance of both our cars and our wellies getting bogged down on the sticky peat too.

So rather than working with nets in the dark I took a leisurely breakfast, waited until daylight then set off on a tour of the hot spots of Knott End, Ridge Farm and Lane Ends.

A count from the jetty at Knott End came in at 140 Redshank, 60 Knot, 40 Turnstone, 1 Eider, 2 Grey Heron, 18 Curlew, 1900 Oystercatcher and 5 Pied Wagtail, with a fly past of 10 Whooper Swans heading east towards the concentration of Whoopers at Pilling.

Turnstone

I followed the Whoopers east towards Pilling where I found the swans out on the marsh off Fluke today, and while I didn’t get to count the flock there were lots of birds. Fluke Hall and Ridge Farm were pretty good this morning, with a nice mixed flock of finches and buntings to look through, 50 Linnet, 10 Greenfinch, 14 Chaffinch and 10+ Reed Bunting. Also along the hedgerows I saw 8 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and several Tree Sparrow. I walked back along the sea wall to see 4 Snipe and a Short-eared Owl flushed from the marsh grass by a dog off-lead. A Carrion Crow quickly latched upon the owl, but I was surprised when the owl headed high out towards the shore, next stop Heysham, rather than gliding over the sea wall to relative safety.

Lane Ends to Pilling Water produced in no particular order, 40+ Skylark, 18 Whooper Swan, 12 Meadow Pipit, 1 Kestrel, 1 Merlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 350+ Teal, 12 Wigeon and 1 Reed Bunting.

Kestrel
Teal

As I watched a large flock of several hundred Lapwings 500 yards out on the marsh they were spooked into flight by the Merlin. I then watched the Merlin in hot pursuit of a flying Meadow Pipit, the pipit evading all the Merlin’s many dives and passes, eventually making it to the safety of the trees at Pilling Water. I don’t mind admitting that I wanted to see a successful outcome to that pursuit – in the Merlin’s favour. Other points of view to Another Bird Blog please.

Meadow Pipit