Early Doors

I got out briefly this morning but got rained off at 10am and at 3pm it’s still raining. So this is a very short update with maybe better birding and ringing luck soon, although the forecast for the next few days is less than inspiring.

I went to Knott End at first light because the tide would be running in and any disturbance at that early hour would be minimal. So it proved, with a good selection of waders on the beach although the light was so poor my photography was limited, but I counted 45 Bar-tailed Godwit, 2200 Oystercatcher, 125 Redshank, 3000 Knot, 8 Grey Plover, 110 Dunlin and 95 Dunlin before the tide pushed most of them off to leave just Oystercatchers, Black-headed Gulls and a few Shelduck.

Redshank

At the slipway I was surprised to see a Wheatear searching through the tideline debris because by 3rd November it should be well on the way to Africa. Not so the Twite, now here for the winter with 12 today around the top of the jetty but none at my nyjer seed drop at the Esplanade; instead there were 2 Pied Wagtails here, and a little further along a Rock Pipit.

Twite

Already the rain threatened so I made my way along Head Dyke Lane towards Pilling and Wheel Lane. It looks like many of the Whooper Swans have moved down to the Wildfowl Trust reserve at Martin Mere where a count of 400 birds there last week coincided with my Pilling Count of 210 on October 27th. Today the Whoopers were down to 35 individuals, sharing the flooded stubble with 40 Redshank, 240 uninspiring Greylag fairly close to the road, and further away about 1700 of the much wilder Pink-footed Goose. There were many more pinkies coming from and also going out to the marsh but today I didn’t get chance to look.

Whooper Swan
Whooper Swan

When I got to Lane Ends many of last night’s roosting Little Egret were still hanging about the island where I counted 28 birds, and as I did so some began to leave. I began the walk to Pilling Water, flushing a Snipe from the tide line, several Skylark from the grassy bank, and a Kestrel from a fence post, but from the west the rain returned with a vengeance.

I think it was in 1981 that I and many others twitched a Little Egret at Leighton Moss, a bird that created quite a stir at the time; now they are ten-a-penny and a twitcher’s pager no longer bleeps for Little Egrets.

Little Egret
Snipe

Finding Finches

1300 hours and the rain has set in for the rest of the day, so I might as well blog for a while; it’s just as well that I got out this morning, paid a few visits, and got a picture or two.

Thursday morning is my trip to the shops, and the compulsory detour along the Esplanade where come autumn, even boring old Knott End may have a few tricks up its sleeve. There had been sightings of Twite back in town, so with a bag of Black Magic, nyjer seed, I checked out last year’s spots at the slipway and below the walkway where I emptied bags of the feed. Someone had beaten me to it, I think I know who, but what the heck it worked already with 4 Twite in attendance, plus a Rock Pipit and a Pied Wagtail. We’ll see what happens this year compared to last when 3 months of ice and cold kept the Twite coming back for more and almost certainly helped them survive the hard winter.

Twite
Rock Pipit

I decided to give Pilling a miss this morning, but instead pay a visit to Farmer John, and check on his finch flock at Cockersands. One of these days there may be a ringing session there if ever the wind drops to something equal to or less than 5mph because on anything more the mist nets would be exposed. Ringers, they are so demanding.

PW and JB saw a lone Brambling with the Greenfinch yesterday. I saw the Brambling today and even managed to take a picture of it amongst the 100+ Greenfinch, 8 Linnet, 10 Chaffinch and 2 Reed Bunting. The Greenfinch proved difficult to photograph as they work on the principle of “one flies, we all fly” and they also favour flying up to the overhead wires when cars pass by.

Greenfinch
Greenfinch
Brambling
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Chaffinch

I dodged round to Conder Green where I hoped I might get a few more photographs; but things have gone very quiet and all I could muster were 6 Little Grebe, 1 Tufted Duck, 2 Wigeon, 1 Little Egret, 4 Snipe and several Redshank. I really shouldn’t forget the 80+ Teal which if disturbed by passers-by always put on a fabulous flying display. Remember the plaster flying ducks that grannie had over the mantelpiece; you know, the ones the family threw in the rubbish skip when the old dear passed away?

Teal
On the way back home I passed the entrance to Lane Ends, and I heard the Chiffchaff in full song; I resisted the temptation for a quick look but decided to save it for another Pilling day.

Trickling Through

There was a trickle of migrants at my usual cold corners this morning rather than the hoped for rush of migration to turn them into hot spots. Yet again hat and gloves were essential bits of kit for the first hour or more in the brisk westerly.

With an eye and an ear on the sky I killed time and counted the waders at Knott End, 190 Redshank and 200 Oystercatcher, with 7 Eider waiting at the ferry terminal. Things were so quiet I found time to confirm for Birdtrack breeding House Sparrow, Collared Dove and Starling along the Esplanade where the large old terraced houses provide ledges and cavities galore. Below the Esplanade a couple of Meadow Pipits were not this morning’s migrants, neither were 2 Pied Wagtails or the 3 Twite feeding on the remnants of the seed provided for them. I was just about to move on to my next migration hotspot when 2 Redpoll flew over heading east. One positive, it does seem to be a better spring for Redpoll, and maybe that is because more of them left us during the abnormally cold winter and they are now returning bang on cue, as they used to do? Someone said to me just the other day that plainer birds often make for better photographs: I suppose that the closely related Twite and Redpoll might be described as “little brown jobs” without many distinguishing features?

Lesser Redpoll
Twite
Fluke Hall and Ridge Farm were similarly quiet, with grounded Meadow Pipits numbering 18 and resident singing Skylarks 6. A spring flock of Linnets along the gorse numbered about 45, with 3 local Stock Dove feeding quietly in the stubble field whilst 2 Wheatear below the sea wall were probably new in. Another group of Linnets numbering 6 were alongside Fluke Hall Lane, as was a singing Chiffchaff with briefly, a perched up Merlin that as I approached, flew over Wheel Lane.

There was a little more spring activity during my Lane Ends to Pilling Water walk where I found 2 Chiffchaff, one singing and one silent and a lone singing Willow Warbler in the plantation, a Reed Bunting, 2 Wheatear, and then on the water noted the Little Grebe pair with eggs. Again, I noted the quiet staccato of overflying Redpoll, putting down one in my notebook.

All was mainly quiet at Pilling Water save for a Stoat that scurried around the stones, boulders, pipes and maintenance equipment left there by the Environment Agency. I think the Stoat makes a living by preying on the rabbits that make a home in and under the same leftovers, but it moved so fast I had no chance of taking a photo today, the one below taken earlier in the winter, when it was properly cold.

Stoat
The few birds around were 3 Sand Martin and a single Swallow over the wildfowler’s pools that seemed to disappear as quickly as they arrived, 2 Little Egrets and a few more Meadow Pipits and Skylarks.

Swallow
Things look better for the next three days with a building high pressure and the promise of a few ringing sessions on the horizon.

Warm Weather?

A Swallow But Not Summer

Knott End was productive this morning when I filled down one side of my notebook page with records from there. The wind blew south easterly, and although it wasn’t cold, it was cool with full cloud cover and to the north Heysham disappeared periodically into the low and slightly drizzly cloud. I didn’t expect to get many photographs this morning in such low light conditions, but multi-tasking as blokes do, I had ready my bag of rings, pliers and spring traps for any likely looking Wheatear encounters.

From the area of the jetty I counted 800+ Oystercatchers, 45 Redshank, 5 Curlew, 2 Ringed Plover, 6 Eider, 1 Cormorant, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and 1 Little Egret, with fly overs of 2 Whooper Swans heading north and 2 Greylags. There was a little noticeable migration from birds that flew across the estuary from Fleetwood to follow the jetty and then the Esplanade inland, i.e. 15 Meadow Pipit, 4 “alba” wagtails, 2 Siskin, a Reed Bunting and a Skylark.

Whooper Swan
Cormorant
A little up river alongside the golf course I noted 2 Wheatear down on the pebbly shore, 3 Linnets, 3 Goldfinch and a couple of Greenfinch that at last seem to have returned in a few numbers this last week. Also up here I heard a Mistle Thrush singing from the other side of the golf course. Along the Esplanade I found the flock of 16 Twite feeding on the black magic and the Meadow Pipit theme continued with little groups of 8 then 11 birds heading along the wall towards Pilling.

Twite
Goldfinch
Meadow Pipit
I decided to walk my usual Lane Ends to Pilling Water stretch. Here also there was an obvious Meadow Pipit and alba movement whereby I added another 28 “mipits” heading south east into the breeze and 5 more wagtails. On the pools the Gadwall pair of two days ago had left to be replaced by pairs each of Goldeneye and Little Grebe.

Near the stile at Pilling Water I watched the fields, marsh and sky and perused the wildfowler’s pools to count: 120 Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Egret, 30 Golden Plover heading north, 3 singing Skylark and a single Swallow, my first of the year that flew low across the stubble then like most things this morning, east along the sea wall.

Little Egret
Swallow
No Wheatears here this morning but by next highlight came in the form of the pale, male Peregrine I had seen on and off for the last week or so, this morning noisily chasing off inland another but slightly smaller male Peregrine. The big bird paused on the way back out to the marsh to take a half hearted attempt at a Lapwing that seemed to outmanoeuvre the Peregrine; that’s why I thought the Peregrine hadn’t really tried very hard, it could surely have a Lapwing if it so wanted?

The Bridge Beyond Troubled Waters

I did “Over Wyre” this morning. Well I live on the north side of the Wyre anyway so I don’t actually need to go there as such because I’m already here. It’s just a figure of speech, a legacy from when I lived on the other side and my favourite birding destination was “Over Wyre”. As lots of Fylde people say, once you cross Shard Bridge into “Over Wyre” you immediately notice the difference by entering another world, where folk greet each other and it's a bit laid back, a slower pace of traffic and daily life, away from the hustle and bustle nearer the coastal holiday towns, the port of Fleetwood and the Blackpool conurbation. So when we moved house about ten years ago I joined civilisation over here but now ten years on when I go birding locally I still say I’m going “Over Wyre” when I’m already here.

I was reminded of this today when I did a gentle circuit of some of the usual spots but got delayed, waylaid twice by separate folk who just wanted to pass the time of day with a chat in the spring warmth.

The tide was out at Knott End so although there wasn’t much point in looking for waders, I did take a look for the Twite where 18 or so fed in the usual spot after some kind soul had put out more food, whilst the well meaning chap who walks dogs all day long, his own and other folks’, stopped for a chat and prevented me from taking more pictures. But I did grab a Twite and a Redshank.

Redshank
Twite
I took a look along Backsands Lane where 160 Golden Plover fed in the roadside field, too distant for photographs as usual. All the Lapwing flocks broke up in the last week or two and now all that’s left is endless display from paired up birds between Fluke Hall and Lane Ends. I listened in vain for Chiffchaff at Lane Ends but did manage 2 singing Reed Bunting with Goldfinch and Chaffinch joining the chorus. On the pools were 4 Goldeneye (2M, 2F), 5 Tufted Duck, 4 Teal and the return of 2 Little Grebe that vanished during the cold and ice but today trilled to be back. Three Meadow Pipits and 2 Pied Wagtails came off the marsh while 2 Long-tailed Tits flitted about the lower car park. My highlight here was a male Peregrine sat waiting out on the marsh, all grey, white and black marked face in the distance. I talked to a local couple for what seemed ages, who were amazed by the sight of a Peregrine at Pilling, and when I explained Peregrines can be seen most days here they were truly astounded as they only live in the village. Sometimes I think us bird watchers take our knowledge and experience for granted; just occasionally maybe it’s good to share it to make someone else’s day.

Conder Green was always a favourite place of mine, even before the honey pot pool and it seems like the Greenshank, Common Sandpipers, Redshank, Snipe and Teal have just been there for ever. I guess they all have, long before birders with plastic tubes came along to take a closer look and wonder at them.

Today I found the four uncommon “shanks”, 2 Greenshank and 2 Spotted Redshank with the regular 10 to 12 Redshank, 40 Teal, 1 Goldeneye, 18 Wigeon, 15 Oystercatcher and 2 Curlew.

Curlew
Teal
Whilst I didn’t notice any Meadow Pipit migration it was interesting that 2 birds did their display flights from the marsh here, presumably a case of the early males bagging the best territories before the main arrival. Also in song was a single Reed Bunting and in the back garden of the Stork, that uncommon thing a Greenfinch. Let's remind ourselves what one looks like before they disappear for ever.

Greenfinch
On the way back Head Dyke Lane is closed for repairs for a week, a detour of a couple of miles plus ten minutes or so on the journey each time, slowing down on the narrow lanes to let other pass with a raised hand from the steering wheel. Who cares? We’re Over Wyre now these things just don’t matter.

Round Robin

I did the rounds this morning in a search for migrants where I seemed to be the only birder at large, almost outnumbering any birds I thought likely to be migrants.

My first stop was Pilling, where at the end of Wheel Lane the 2 male Ruff gave super views on the closer bits of the flashes as one of them quarrelled with a Redshank over ownership. Here I also counted 8 Curlew, at least 15 displaying Lapwing, 15 Redshank and a couple of singing Skylarks.

Ruff
Down at Fluke I avoided parking next to the teenagers in their cars separated by a few inches (makes it easier to pass essentials through you see), the ground below surrounded by the cigarette paper, aluminium and plastic detritus of their nighttime’s endeavours, the roof of one car decorated with a blaring rooftop “boombox” of vile unimaginable racket. Parents, if you at all want to know where your child was last or any night, please follow the trail of noise, litter and herbal smells that leads to Fluke Hall and you will probably find them even if the Police and other authorities have no interest.

So I walked the sea wall in the direction of Ridge Farm where I found a much reduced flock of 15 Twite with close by a smaller group of 7 Linnet, 4 Skylark together, as distinct from the 2 that sang above the fields and 2 Reed Bunting atop the hedgerow. That was pretty much it apart from the resident Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens and Woodpigeon that populate the gorse hedge at the moment. Roll on the much promised spring.

I walked back to Fluke and reclaimed my car where the partygoers had departed, and perhaps now their parents had left for work the poor kids could take to their beds exhausted after being out all night.

At least Lane Ends was quiet and deserted so I took a look around there and walked to Pilling Water then back. In the area of the car park and plantation I counted at least 18 Blackbirds, but how much of this count is due to migration or the effects of the Blackbirds mopping up after "animal lovers" feeding the abandoned cockerels is open to debate. Look on the positive side though, the proper birds get a bit of food, the occasional cockerel is too slow to avoid passing cars and the resultant mess of feathers will make good nesting material for lots of species in the weeks to come.

Additional birds along/about here: 4 Goldeneye, 4 Little Egret, 2 male Reed Bunting singing, 3 singing Skylark and 2 Long-tailed Tit. Down at Pilling Water, 3 Teal, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 5 Bewick’s Swan. A Kestrel I saw had a ring on the left leg which I discovered only when I later looked at the photograph.

Kestrel
At Knott End on the incoming tide I counted 300 Oystercatcher, 125 Redshank, 22 Knot, 12 Ringed Plover and 5 Eider, then by the bus shelter stopped to confirm the Twite at 18.

Oystercatcher
Twite
Linnet
I have to say I spent a couple of hours looking and searching but found nothing I could say was a true migrant.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and I may not get out birding or ringing, but what I really need to know is when is Grandad’s Day?

Another Sunny Day

A layer of frost on the car also means another sunny day lately so who am I to complain about de-icing the windscreen with cold fingers again? All I do is set off a little later and give the birds a chance to move around more when the early sun warms the air. But the current high pressure also seems to be blocking wholesale migration from the south as we birders wish our lives away to hope for a rush of Meadow Pipits, see the first Wheatear or Sand Martin or maybe hear the rasping of a Sandwich Tern along the shore. But there's hope yet as I note Bardsey Island had their first Wheatear on Tuesday.

First call today was Knott End, probably as good a place as any to see the aforementioned harbingers of spring. But there were no Meadow Pipits overhead, just the single Rock Pipit below The Esplanade again with about 25 Twite. Out from the jetty just a single male Eider floated on the incoming tide with no female companion which is a good sign as she was probably up river hidden away somewhere. Before the tide displaced most of them I counted 80+ Redshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 44 Knot, 22 Shelduck, 40 Turnstone and 140 Oystercatcher, a dramatic reduction on recent counts as birds head off to breeding sites.

Isle of Man Ferry at Fleetwood

Oystercatcher
Oystercatcher
Turnstone
Twite
It was good to be out but I wasn’t seeing any March migrants so I decided to do Fluke and Ridge Farm. In the field at Wheel Lane I could see 2 distant Ruff, and even through the bins I could see how each bird is colouring up for spring; also at least 20 scattered but some displaying Lapwings, the larger numbers of previous weeks now dispersed like the Knott End Oystercatchers.

”Distant” Ruff
Lapwing
Ridge Farm produced a healthy variety of birds in the shape of 70 Twite feeding on the deck in the open field, 9 Linnet, 11 Skylark, 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Pied Wagtail and at last, 1 migrant Siskin calling overhead but invisible in the bright blue sky, but zero Meadow Pipits. It was now 10am so I was somewhat surprised to see a Barn Owl flying along the hedgerow before it returned towards the farm buildings. A Kestrel circled the wood and a Sparrowhawk hung around the trees near the Tree Sparrow boxes, hoping for an opportune meal as Sparrowhawks always do.

Barn Owl
Twite
Reed Bunting
Tree Sparrow

I motored on to Braides where I saw absolutely zero. The year has been so dry that the ditches dug last autumn to encourage breeding waders are bone dry which makes the field unsuitable for Lapwings at the moment unless we have lots of rain.

Yet another trip to Conder Green produced 2 Greenshank, 14 Tufted Duck, 18 Teal, 1 Goldeneye, 1 Little Grebe and 5 Oystercatchers displaying over the pool again.

More Twittering

It was 4pm and I had to nip to the shops at Knott End so called in at the Twite spot to see if I could improve on my last lot of photos. Despite the constant traffic of people along The Esplanade 15 Twite kept returning to where I waited so I got a few pictures of them, plus a half decent shot of a Rock Pipit before the sun gave up on me.

Twite
Twite
Rock Pipit
I spent most of the earlier afternoon walking on the moss where it was quiet but sunny and I saw the normal early March fare. Buzzards were obvious again today, calling from the vicinity of the woods or overhead as they drifted high in all directions, and I put 4 in my notebook together with 2 Kestrels, the other regular raptor around here.

Buzzard
“Small stuff” consisted of 22 Tree Sparrow, 4 Yellowhammer, 16 Linnet, 4 Goldfinch, 5 Skylark, 2 Reed Bunting and 14 Corn Bunting, most of which fed on the old tailings again. At least 5 Tree Sparrow boxes had activity around them but as usual the birds moved off when I approached too near. Not to worry, all will become clear when the boxes are opened.

Tree Sparrow
Corn Bunting
“Others” today were 4 pairs of Grey Partridge, 2 Little Owl, a single Jay, a return of the Woodpigeons with a count of 64 and 3 Shelduck flying back out towards the coast. Brown Hares were very active today as I witnessed more than one bout of sparring and tearing across the open fields. Four Roe Deer put in an appearance again today as they ran from a wood I approached, making me feel guilty about disturbing them but they are just so hard to spot in a wood and will always see or smell us first.

Roe Deer