Beasts From The East?

I’m wondering if last week’s blizzards in Eastern Europe, dubbed “The Beast From The East” caused Bramblings to head west? This morning I caught 4 new ones in the plantation at Out Rawcliffe, making nine this week. It’s not a huge number in the grand scale of the millions in which Bramblings can flock in Europe, but it could mean many more are heading this way soon. 

Bramblings can be overlooked in apparently single species flocks of very flighty Chaffinches, the Bramblings giving away their involvement by the slim, white rump. Very often a Brambling will give out a nasal contact call but sometimes not, when the unremarkable chattering flight call can be overlooked in the calls of accompanying Chaffinches.  Click on the "xeno canto" button to hear Brambling calls.

Brambling

I think the attraction at Rawcliffe is the nyger feeders and the small amount of mixed feed on the ground, a mixture which contains sunflower seed. During the last large influx of Bramblings in 2010/2011 many took to using garden feeders. As a species they were very dominant in the feeding hierarchy by chasing off most interlopers.

Brambling

It was a short session this morning, a late start only when the sun warmed the air, followed by a hasty pack up when a strengthening easterly wind blowing through leafless trees began to billow the nets. So, 4 Brambling, 4 Chaffinch and a Goldfinch with no recaptures of the Bramblings from Tuesday. 

Brambling

Brambling

The female pictured above had very visible fault bars. 

Brambling - fault bars

There were a good number of birds to take note of this morning, with` 2 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel and a Little Owl before I even reached the farm. 

Buzzard

In between the bit of ringing I clocked up 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Snipe, 35 Fieldfare, 22 Redwing, 32 Skylark, 15 Reed Bunting, 250+ Lapwing, 1500+ Woodpigeon, 1 Mistle Thrush and 2 Raven. 

Fieldfare

There’s more news from North, South, East and West pretty soon from Another Bird Blog, so log in soon to find out just where. 

Mostly Bramblings

It’s not often a ringing session results in Brambling being top of the list, but that’s what happened today Out Rawcliffe way. There’s been a few Bramblings about the site of late, and I thought maybe three or four. But when I went to top the feeders and have a wander around the site for an hour or two today, I ended up catching 5 Brambling, 2 Chaffinch, 2 Goldfinch and a Blue Tit. 

Brambling

Goldfinch

Blue Tit

A Brambling appears to have a larger head and definitely a larger bill than the closely related Chaffinch, features perhaps not always obvious with birds in the field but very apparent in the hand. Both Bramblings and Chaffinches feed on seeds of the beech tree but I suspect that with such a bill the Brambling is probably more efficient in disposing of a beechnut. 

Chaffinch

Brambling

Brambling

All three male Bramblings were first year birds, the two females an adult and a first year. One of the males had fault bars through the tail, just visible near the tips of most feathers, a feature we have seen in the plumage of many young birds in the UK during 2012.

Brambling - "Fault Bars"

“Birding” birds today: 12+ Reed Bunting, 8 Brambling, 15 Chaffinch, 8 Goldfinch, 15 Redwing, 2 Fieldfare, 1 Tawny Owl, 2 Pied Wagtail, 4 Skylark, 1 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel, 1 Little Owl, 450+ Woodpigeon. 

Log in soon to see what Another Bird Blog is mostly ringing, looking at, taking photographs of, or hopefully all three. 

Late Again

Sorry for being late but this is yesterday’s news from Out Rawcliffe, especially as Another Bird Blog is indoors today during wind and rain, a weather scenario in complete contrast to yesterday’s frost. That’s why we both love and hate the good old British weather - never two days the same. 

 I’d gone slowly along icy roads on Saturday to check out the feeding station, mainly to see if the Reed Buntings were still in the abandoned wheat crop, and what if anything was visiting the few winter feeders. I had a net going too and caught 6 Chaffinch and 4 Reed Bunting then cursed halfway through when with another net and an earlier start I could probably have doubled the catch and included a Brambling or two. In and around the feeding station were 5 Blackbird, 2 Redwing, 22 Reed Bunting, 30+ Chaffinch, 8 Goldfinch, 40+ Skylark and 2 Bramblings, those two a bright male and a dull looking female. 

 

Reed Bunting

Chaffinch

Reed Bunting

 

On other parts of the farm I clocked up a single Kestrel, 2 Buzzard, 600 Woodpigeon, 130 Lapwing, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 Pied Wagtail and 40+ Tree Sparrow. 

On the way off the farm track I again saw the Little Owl of 2 days ago, in exactly the same tree and stood on virtually the same branch. A little frost and cold weather quickly makes Little Owls spend more time searching out or waiting for food to come by, whereby they invariably use the same or a set of well-tried lookout posts. 

Little Owl

 

At the Fylde’s most trustworthy and traditional site for Fieldfares and Redwings, the hedgerow and trees at the entrance to Rawcliffe Hall, were dozens of the said thrushes, feeding in the tall hawthorns, seemingly playing “chicken” as they flew ahead of each passing vehicle. The blind bend is a dangerous place to stop a car and where in any case the light is always in the wrong direction for photography, and I’m sure that’s why the thrushes use the spot so consistently. Luckily I snapped a few Fieldfares on Friday. 

Fieldfare

On the way home I saw two extra Mistle Thrushes and 3 more Kestrels, two at Town End, Out Rawcliffe followed by one hovering over the roadside verge near Stalmine. Just as Little Owls become more visible during cold weather, I think the same applies to Kestrels, a state of affairs which is probably due to the simple fact that prey is harder to find during cold and frost, and even more so during times of snow. 

Kestrel

This week Another Bird Blog is linking to I'd Rather Be Birding, Stewart's Photo Gallery, and  Weekly Top Shot , so be sure to check them out.  

Mostly Thrushes

A bitterly cold northerly wasn’t the best prospect for today but after a few hours I came home with a bit of news from far and wide plus plenty of photographs of thrushes. I hope Another Bird Blog readers are Turdus fans. 

Kicking off at Lane Ends gave 4 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron and a walk to the pool just 2 Tufted Duck. It was too cold to hang about on the sea wall with a trip around Cockerham Moss ensconced in a warm car seeming a much better prospect. 

Most of the Whooper Swans from last week seem to have moved on, with a meagre count of 32 today, and 3 Mute Swans well separated from their noisy cousins. The gangs of corvids alerted me to a Sparrowhawk flying low across the stubble towards flocks of feeding Starlings and when they all panicked into the air I made an approximate count of 1500. Hundreds of gulls remained uncounted, but I did pick out 10 Redshank working their way through the flooded stubble. Further round the moss and on a less flooded field were 300+ Lapwing and 18 Curlew. 

I stopped at Braides to count more waders on the flood there: 1200 Golden Plover, 420 Lapwing, 18 Dunlin and 40 Redshank. Two Kestrels here too. 

Kestrel

Conder Green next where I found a good selection of birds, starting with a Peregrine over the pool which circled briefly before flying off towards Glasson and the marsh. On the pool and creek: 110 Teal, 2 Goosander, 1 Goldeneye, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Snipe, 15 Curlew, 3 Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Little Egret, 10 Redshank and 1 Mute Swan, the latter a little more approachable than the wild and wonderful Whooper Swans. 

Mute Swan

Smaller birds around the car park area: 2 Greenfinch, 4 Goldfinch, 1 Tree Sparrow, 3 Redwing, 18 Fieldfare and 12 Blackbird. It was here I spent a while trying to obtain shots of the shy thrushes feeding in the hawthorn bushes. So thrushes below, not in any particular order. 

A single Fieldfare had taken ownership of one hawthorn, chasing all the other thrushes off, its own species as well as the Blackbirds and Redwings. Occasionally the other thrushes would sneak back for a quick berry or two until the Fieldfare chased them off again to the next hawthorn.

Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Blackbird

 Redwing

Fieldfare

 Fieldfare

Fieldfare

Blackbird

Redwing

Fieldfare

Weekend beckons, so does more freezing weather with frost and snow. Not to worry because Another Bird Blog will surely find somewhere to go. Log in soon to discover where.

This post is linking to Anni who would rather Be Birding Anytime soon.

Miscellaneous And A Plug

Details came from the BTO of a Lesser Redpoll Y310191 which I caught on Rawcliffe Moss on 19th October 2012. It had been first ringed at Alfrick Pound, near Great Malvern, Worcestershire, 225 days earlier on 8th March 2012. The dates involved point to a spring migration to a spot somewhere north of Rawcliffe Moss and an autumn return to a location south of Worcestershire. 

Lesser Redpoll - Gt Malvern to Out Rawcliffe

The repoll was one of 28 caught at Out Rawcliffe in October, a classic month of Lesser Redpoll migration south. 

On October 20th a day after Y310191, I caught a Belgian ringed Lesser Redpoll, details of which are yet to be notified to me. 

Lesser Redpoll

Talking of the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology), I was reading my BTO News just the other day and I see they are offering the opportunity to become a member until June 2013 for the princely sum of £1 by direct debit just here.

Please think about joining the BTO. It is not necessary to participate in the many voluntary activities as anyone can simply join the BTO and support its work through the annual subscription fee. Considering all the good work the BTO does it is both amazing and mystifying to know there are bird watchers out there in the UK who are not members - so come on guys and gals, join today for only £1 - less than a cup of Starbucks. Plug over.

Rawcliffe was the destination this morning, with no time for ringing, just a wander around and a top up the feeders for another day. When I arrived the Little Owl was out in the morning sun, warming itself after the overnight frost. It wasn’t interested in turning round for a photo, just content with a sideways glance. Hopefully I’d have it on the way back. 

Little Owl

On an expanse of stubble fields there’s a large and mobile flock of mainly finches, the numbers of birds building over the last few weeks culminating today in a count of 700/800 Chaffinch, 3+ Brambling, 70+ Skylark and 2 Meadow Pipit. From a hedgerow nearby I disturbed 3 Roe Deer which shot across the stubble, pausing only to look back briefly at me. The same hedgerow held 25+ Reed Bunting, 3 Yellowhammer and 45+ Tree Sparrow, 2 Redwing and a single Fieldfare. To the east I watched as c3000 Woodpigeons took flight, leaving in parties to make their way west and out to Pilling Moss. 

Brambling

Roe Deer

There were more Reed Buntings and Chaffinches near the plantation, with 10/12 Goldfinch too, so I topped the feeders vowing to return another day. My walk back to the car added 2 Snipe, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker and 1 Kestrel. The owl was still there in the sunshine, all puffed up to retain heat, but this time a little more obliging to the camera. 

Little Owl

Little Owl

I drove back home alongside the river and via Lancaster Road where I added 50+ Fieldfare and similar numbers of Redwing. From the roadside I could see the elusive Hen Harrier of local fame patrolling the many fields on offer, and a mile or two towards Pilling a gang of people with cameras hoping for a glimpse. 

An excellent morning of bird watching. More news and views soon on Another Bird Blog, so stay in touch.

What To Do?

What with the legacy of rain puddles, showers, and then overnight frost and ice the roads didn’t look very enticing this morning. Anyway at the weekend there are far too many birders about. It’s getting very popular this bird watching lark, so I pondered where to go, where to look and what I might see.

The onset of frosty nights has brought better numbers of birds to the garden, increased Blackbirds, Goldfinches and even a Mistle Thrush, the latter attracted by the apples straight from the freezer, microwaved and then chucked on the grass. So up went a mist net for a while resulting in a reasonable catch of 19 birds but not including any of the thrush family: 9 Goldfinch, 2 House Sparrow, 3 Coal Tit, 3 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit and 1 Robin.

Goldfinch

Robin

House Sparrow

The day wasn’t over. Sue and I took to Shanks’s Pony for a walk through Staynall via Height O'Th Hill and then down towards the River Wyre, a few bits n’ pieces of birds on the way there and on the way back.

Most of the action was between Corcas Lane’s brine fields and the river at The Heads, namely a Buzzard, 10+ Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, 1 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 6 Goldfinch, 15 Chaffinch, 2 Linnet, 2 Reed Bunting and 200+ Woodpigeon. Down at the river embankment we disturbed a Little Egret and 4 Snipe from the ditches, and then watched a Short-eared Owl hunt but briefly before it settled down again in the marsh grass.

On the stubble fields towards "Hillbilly" Farm we counted 40+ Curlew, a flighty group of 30 or so Golden Plover and one of the local Kestrel pair.

Curlew 

The landscape is pretty flat in this part of The Fylde, Lancashire, and just occasionally do the contours reach the dizzy heights. The word “Fylde” is of Scandinavian origin and descriptive of this flat, coastal part of western Lancashire, a roughly 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east.

Fylde - looking east to Bowland

 Height O'Th Hill Farm

The BBC reckons there’s a chance of snow and sleet tomorrow. We’ll see, but come rain, snow, or sun you can bet Another Bird Blog will find ways to bring a few birds your way.

This week Another Bird Blog is linking to I'd Rather Be Birding, Stewart's Photo Gallery, and Weekly Top Shot, so be sure to check them out. 

Soaking It In

I spent time out Cockerham way today, much of it taking in the spectacular sight and sounds of the grey geese and Whooper Swans, with another huge count of swans and this time many thousands of Pink-footed Geese. The count today - 11,000 Pink-footed Goose, 570 Whooper Swans and 15 Greylag Goose. 

They were packed tight today, the large, heavy, quarrelsome and hyperactive Whooper Swans to the fore and the slow, purposeful, marching, feeding grey geese to the rear. The main action centred upon the previously soggy depression in the peaty-black field, the dip in the ground a minor landscape feature which now before our very eyes changes to a sizeable pond, to later bear a passing resemblance to a muddy lagoon. 

Pink-footed Goose and Whooper Swan

Every so often a noisy farm vehicle would pass by, a prompt to quieten the swans, causing a number to stop feeding and check everything was OK, always leaving others to continue feeding; there are always enough lookouts to ensure a quick escape if needs be; a tried and trusted system of some millennia. 

Whooper Swan

If the swans are sensibly wary the geese are impossibly fearful; anxious and permanently on edge, hardly daring to relax and feed, the same transitory farm vehicles sending the birds off in waves of panicky flight to further away. 

Pink-footed Goose

Pink-footed Goose

 Greylag Goose

After such noteworthy spectacles the mundane birds of Cockerham Moss are something of an anti-climax: 30 Chaffinch, 10+ Tree Sparrow, 6 Redwing, 4 Skylark, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Kestrel, 1 Little Egret, 1200 Starlings. 

Starling

Plenty of waders on the fields at the Gulf Lane end - 240 Curlew, 330 Lapwing and 40 + Redshank. 

Curlew

That’s another day done on Another Bird Blog. Log in soon for another day somewhere.

This week Another Bird Blog is linking to I'd Rather Be Birding, Stewart's Photo Gallery, and Weekly Top Shot so take a look there too.