Sunday's Birds

Sunday morning began with an early drive to the edge of The Forest of Bowland at Oakenclough where the ringing site is topped up with bird food twice a week, even when the weather prevents any ringing there. In addition to enabling a study of birds on site the supplementary feeding station adds to natural foods available to birds in the leaner winter months. Studies have shown that giving wild birds’ additional food on a regular basis can assist their survival and enhance breeding success in the following spring. 

All seemed quiet around the feeding spot with no sign of the 40+ Goldfinch from earlier in the week and just two or three hanging about near the Nyger seeds. Goldfinch flocks are highly mobile so I hope the birds weren't too far away, especially as it was last November and into December which produced very good catches of the species.

With the preponderance of conifer trees here Coal Tits are ever present as their small bills allow them direct access to the tiny holes of the Nyger feeders. Meanwhile the Great Tit, Blue Tits and Chaffinches stay around so as to take food from the ground. We avoid the use of peanuts or mixed seed feeders and instead use Nyger feeders and ground feeding as a means of targeting the several species of finches which occur in this area. 

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Additional birds seen this morning included 8 Blackbird, 2 Mistle Thrush, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Raven and 2 Pied Wagtail. 

Meanwhile there was notification of the recovery of a Lesser Redpoll ringed here on 19th October 2015. A first year male ring number Z652570 was recaptured by other ringers some 16 days later on 4th November 2015 at Woolston Eyes, Warrington, a distance of 61kms from Oakenclough. While the distance involved isn’t tremendous the recovery does once again demonstrate the southerly autumn dispersal of this species, and because the bird is still in circulation it could provide more life history information at a later date. It is probably in France or Belgium right now until the early spring when Lesser Redpolls begin their return migration. 

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll - Oakenclough to Woolston Eyes 

From the A6 at Garstang I took a leisurely drive home via the mosslands of Rawcliffe, Pilling and Stalmine where I counted at least 11 Buzzards spiralling over the fields, with at one point six quite close together in a single kettle of air. I suspect that this morning was one of the few in the last four weeks where the sky was both clear and calm enough for Buzzards to soar. 

Buzzard

The fields alongside Lancaster Road are well flooded and it was on just a couple of fields here that I counted 1500+ Lapwing, 30 Golden Plover, 260 Black-headed Gull, 45 Common Gull, 40 Curlew and 6 Skylark. 

Nearer to Stalmine was a roadside Kestrel as well as a feeding party of half-a-dozen Redwings and 50+ Fieldfares. The autumn berries are disappearing quickly leaving the Fieldfares to live up to their name and search for animal food in the soft ground rather than concentrate on a dwindling supply of berries in the hedgerows. 

Kestrel

Redwing

Fieldfare

Log in next week for more news, views and bird photos on Another Bird Blog.

In the meantime take a look at more birds Stewart's World Bird Wednesday.

Hi everyone!

Well I did the easy bit. Signed up to The Bird Blog Club, swore my oath of allegiance to Google Inc and wrote down to later lose yet another unmemorable password variation on “wheat3£?22ear99”. Just two geeks who had a bright idea? There’s hope for birders yet. I’m just thankful I have a few quid invested with Google.

A blank screen, but now for the difficult bit, adding the words and pictures, desperately trying not to cock-up completely. Even so my hit counter is at 50 and more before I click the “publish” button. I managed to upload a header photo, even handled the obligatory bird links, slipping in a few extra non birdy ones, hoping it won’t lead to my further relegation to an even lower division. I quite like the header photo taken recently with my old Nikon Coolpix 8700, easily the worst camera I have ever had. If anyone wants to take this pile of poo off my hands before it lands in the big grey bin, or joins the mountain of pre digital camera equipment festering in a cupboard, let me know. But for now, thank goodness for the Footsie bounce, back to the digital age with a vengeance and a brand new Canon. All I need now is for autumn to begin, a few more birds than I have seen in recent weeks and I can snap away 600 times before loading a new film I’m told.

I agonised over the title. Unhelpful and a little puzzling that Sue said “Just call it ‘Victor’s’ Blog”, everyone will understand that”. “But it’s about birds” I insisted grumpily. Women, I don’t believe them.

So it’s just another bird blog with no firm plans, after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, I’ll just take it as it comes whether I’m birding, ringing or whatever. I know I have to make it interesting for you to visit again; I don’t want this blog to suffer from McDonalds Syndrome - “Tried It Once, Never Again”. Pretty sure what won’t be on here – Weeds, Creepy Crawlies and Seawatching. Now there’s an apt name for a Fylde pastime. Which reminds me that I did have a lady at Knott End phone me this week to say she had a Gannet on her chimney all afternoon, but after being harassed by gulls for a few hours it apparently flew off to no doubt later excite the folks at Starr Gate.

Don’t get me wrong, when I lived on the other side of the River Wyre I used to go to Rossall Point quite a lot, mainly to keep an eye on the breeding Ringed Plover where in the 1980s and 1990s I found many nests, sent in many Nest Record Cards and ringed over 60 pulli. Now no one seems to know how Ringed Plovers do there or whether any still manage to breed after years of torment by the doggy brigade, ably supported by Wyre Borough Council. Also, I love watching Cory’s and yelkouans from “The Malibu” on Menorca, tossing the occasional lump of bocadillo to the lingering Audouin’s or Yellow-legged Gulls, but from the cliffs find it much more interesting to separate the Pallid from the Common or wait for the Alpine or a passing Hobby than stare out to sea.

Anyway, whilst typing away but glancing out of the window cursing yet another weather “forecast” as the sun peeks out, I realised that as its fine I really must get out to ring what will probably turn out to be my last Swallows of the year.

For now I’ll leave you with a few pictures from earlier in the year. Barn Owls near Nateby and Little Owls near Garstang, the latter courtesy of Wayne Sleep’s mum. Wow, this blog must get better and better, maybe I can get some birding celebrities and big listers on here next.