The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Nothing doing today, no birding, no ringing, unless you count a walk around the bird free zone that is Stalmine in November. Well I tell a lie, there were a few Dunnocks, one Lapwing – yes one, a couple of Grey Herons and somehow a single Fieldfare, with the best bit a flock of 30 Goldfinches around the village hall as Sue and I neared home after a couple of miles trek completed with always one eye each on the dark grey cloud to the south.

I changed the header picture because the Redwings have gone. Gone to the pleasant, warm Med where we would all be if we had more sense rather than here in the UK where it just rains, and rains, and rains….

Over in the right hand column on the map of the world some of my readers live in warm or even hot countries where rain or wind is something out of their daily experience, where generally they can bird each and every day without weather hindrances. They must read some UK bird blogs and wonder why UK birders obsess about the weather. Well it’s true we are preoccupied by the weather and so would they be if they had to live here. Here I am assuming that most of the red dots readers are loyal participants and examine my blog regularly through choice and their love of birds, not as an accidental result of Googling “long-legged dark female”.

So I put a Robin at the top. A nice seasonal but unexciting bird that is very winter appropriate as we near the dreaded “C” word, the word that even the most dedicated birdwatcher dare not utter for fear of conjuring up visions of their mother-in-law in a red outfit, but which may entail submitting to worldly pressures to soon lay down the bins for a day, or with luck a half day.



So whilst it’s goodbye for a while to Redwings I hope to see some more soon where they might qualify again for pride of place at the top of the page. But I worry that in using a Robin, it isn’t a “good” bird but the opposite, a “bad” bird. I read a piece in a newspaper last week aimed at Joe Public where the author two or three times used the phrase “good birds” in listing exotic birds that can or should be sought, then by implication that common birds should not be entertained. Now of course we all know what was meant by “good”, as in rare or semi rare, exciting or exceptional etc., but excuse me, aren’t for all birders but especially those just setting out or contemplating birding, all birds “good”? So I shouted “you plonker, what use is that to a novice” and in a rage screwed the paper up, vowing not to read such nonsense again.

So here’s a bad bird, a bird so bad it rarely merits a mention on bird blogs or websites, so awful that a few lines in a bird report is all it can muster. A bird that even ringers avoid, unless they are Trainers who can at least then pass it on to a trainee with a sigh of relief and a knowing smile. A Wren, admired for climbing up your sleeve from a bird bag or flying through the open hatchback and crapping on the dashboard before disappearing under the seat, escaping from the weighing device prematurely or wriggling through three net pockets then spinning like a top. Don’t we just love them really?



Amongst the overall dross there are a few good birds, as I recalled when I set up the slide copier again. Several hundred slides divided by three at a time = a lot of hours clicking away, but at least it’s raining as I may have mentioned previously. Undeterred I came across three crackers from Canada that stuck together in a box avoiding all those common, over populous bad birds like Chipping Sparrow, House Wren or White–throated Sparrow that clog up the best birding lists.

I could change my mind about Rose-breasted Grosbeak being good, probably the most vicious bird I ever encountered, a bill like a blunt pick axe and a grip like an ever tightening mole wrench. Oh the joy of looking along a net ride to see six awaiting my attention as happened one memorable morning at Old Cut.



Not much doubt about Black and White Warbler, the goodest bird ever, closely followed by Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Not the usual exhausted, moribund, soon to expire October specimen that turns up on Scilly to furnish many a tick list, but an example from May as fresh as a Canadian spring daisy.





Now here is a really ugly bird, brown and black with more hairs on its face then your old granny and a gape like the Mersey Tunnel, a Whip-poor-will. Actually I suppose it could be good because it’s a good tick but it might be bad, especially if I have seen one and you haven’t but that’s what it all about I think. Now I’m really confused.



Well at least we can hear one sing.

Start at the End

As usual it was just a dash out after lunch when the clouds looked a little brighter to the west and by 1330 I was walking from Fluke Hall towards Knott End hoping to pick up a Snow Bunting. Or if I got really lucky and the sun came out, perhaps grab one or two pictures of the Black Redstart if it was still around. We used to get more Snow Buntings, a party of 7 or 8 or maybe more, but thanks to whatever, now we get singles if we are lucky, but if there’s one around surely there are others to find?

I’d judged the sky well by beating the crowds out as I walked the sea wall alone. Ridge Farm was well flooded, but at least the puddles held some birds to look at with 5 Pied Wagtails and a dozen Meadow Pipits making the most of the damp ground. Further back, out of harms way I counted 750 Pink-footed Geese on the old potato field and on the field behind the gorse hedge 40 Curlew picked through the edge of a flood where it was their moving about that may have flushed a couple of Snipe from the mud.





When I got closer to Knott End a group of 9 Whooper Swans came from inland then over Preesall Sands but two broke off to head towards Fluke leaving seven on the shore. I recently discovered that Whooper Swan is the Finnish national bird, not many people know that. Good choice.



By now I had counted 6 Little Egrets at various spots on the way, then at Cocker’s Dyke 2 Mistle Thrush perched in an obvious manner on the trackside wires where I guess they hold winter territory, but in what doesn’t look an obvious spot for this species. Just down from here I came across the Black Redstart darting around the rocks where there were lots of insects in the shelter of the sea wall. With the grey skies, getting a picture was out of the question so I will post another one of Paul’s excellent pictures from Friday when he skipped work to go birding. Some things just don’t change.



No sign of the Snow Bunting from Friday nor any other Snow Bunt.

Nice!

Paul sent me some pictures of both the Black Redstart and the Snow Bunting that were at Pilling yesterday, apparently at one stage hundreds of yards apart.

Just my luck of course on one of the few mornings I’m not out but choose to go for a good healthy swim rather than a walk.

Anyway, nice pictures Paul. Looks like all those trips paid off, when as knee high to a Grasshopper Warbler he swore he’d done his homework and cadged a lift from his dad to the mere or Leighton Moss.

The third picture is courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Let's hope we dont get weather like that.

Half Term

A funny time of year this, autumn migration just about finished, not many thrushes left behind after the big rush and no winter finch flocks yet, all a bit humdrum until or if the weather gets a little colder elsewhere. Those were my thoughts this morning when I was half way across Rawcliffe Moss without seeing anything truly exciting or even large numbers of a species.

Back to the beginning then by collecting a bucket of seed for the feeding station where I bumped into the gamekeeper who recently told me the shoot costs several thousand pounds each year to maintain whereby each member of the syndicate contributes hundreds of pounds. If only birders were so generous towards ensuring their hobby can exist.

At least the Grey Wagtail was in the area of the barn but not so accommodating that it hung around for pictures, therefore the picture below is from a week ago of probably/possibly the same bird. If there is one thing that ringing has taught me it is never to assume that the bird I see today is the same one as yesterday or the one I will see tomorrow.



I parked at the track where in the distance I could see Carrion Crows and Pheasants helping themselves to plenty of expensive Winter Picnic Mix, but the sight of my car door opening was enough to scare them away. The actual food drop point is about two hundred yards from the car so the noise or lack of from the assembled Tree Sparrows is a hint to how many there are; today they were obviously there in numbers. They scattered in groups as I walked the length of the pathway until my count of the combined gangs was a minimum 130, maybe a bit down on recent counts which do vary to a degree. Let’s hope we get to ring some soon and find out the turnover of individual birds.



Also scattered from the hedge by my walk were a dozen Blackbird, a Song Thrush and four Redwing but I didn’t see a single Fieldfare today in my walk. My hopes and prediction of a second wave didn’t happen yet.

It can be difficult to count the Chaffinch at the feeding station as they mix in then fly off with the sparrows in all directions but safe to say at least 15, but by no means the beginning of a winter flock.



I drove up the saturated, muddy moss road to park down in a field entrance, maybe a bit risky after the recent rain, but after a little wheel slippage the old Honda didn’t let me down.

Alongside the road I disturbed a little flock of 30 Goldfinch that twittered off over the plantation, and then over in the same place as weekend, I heard a couple of Grey Partridge rasping away. I walked through Fir Wood, hoping to see some evidence of the weekend’s Tawny Owls and although the Chaffinch “pinked” here and there they didn’t seem to mob anything. Then over at the north side I flushed a Woodcock from the floor which flew directly from the wood to an adjoining wood on the next farm. Here is an old picture of a Woodcock from Singleton Hall in the 1990s.



I walked back to my car through the deserted plantation, just a few Blackbirds and here in the middle of the cool and by now windy moss, a party of 10 -12 Long-tailed Tits searching through the alders. I also searched through some of the denser parts of the new but thriving plantation in the hope of finding one or more of the owls, but all I got was wet socks through my waterproof boots. I found the road again to stand at the car and watch a party of 150ish pinkfeet over as they headed towards St Michaels. Over at Nateby the gathering of crows has now reached several hundred, mostly Carrion Crow with perhaps 10% Jackdaws, where they all seem to spend an awful lot of their time just flying around over the wood calling excitedly, unlike the one below.



I set off back south to park half way along the moss, where my car could act as a hide. Most of the Skylarks from a few weeks ago have gone, just leaving a few to rise from cover now and again, and although I added a single Stonechat and 2 Reed Bunting to the morning tally, it was a pretty quiet session. Then to the south I could see the promised rain clouds heading towards me again. But what a nice way to finish with a super Reed Bunting.

Maybe A Little Twitch?

It should have been a ringing session but Will phoned to say the inland site was too windy. As I was up early I set off for birding instead, but no rush as it was an overcast morning and not quite the best sort of birding light.

I knew I was early enough to spend some time at Lane Ends to watch the Pink-footed Geese off the roost while trying to count them. It’s not easy as the parties tend to go off in different directions, some setting off and passing overhead whilst trying to count the first lot going off in another direction etc, etc. then at the same time keeping a tally. But this morning there were thousands flying off and more remaining on the marsh when I left. My total count was 6500.

I think there are about 220 geese in the above picture, but there’s some good bird counting practice at:
http://www.stigc.dk/projects/countinggame/index.asp

The rest of the site was very quiet but I did notice a couple of newly arrived Reed Buntings calling from the tree tops.

Nowadays I have to stop at the Braides Farm gateway, if only to let the line of work bound traffic fly past me. Don’t they realise I’m driving at 30mph because I’m birding and if they insist on driving up my arse I will go even slower? There was a single Redshank on the nearest pool and a lonely Mute Swan on the other but the most exciting thing was 2 Little Egret, refugees from the Bank End crew I guess.

Up at Conder Green I nearly got to the magical figure of 10 Little Grebe, but fell short by one today. Most of the action was on the pool with 3 Goldeneye, 2 superb drakes and a single female, with 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Snipe and a Kingfisher. A Kestrel spent some time sat atop the far hawthorns before circling over the area of the canal then disappearing from view.





Round at the car park behind the café I walked part of the cycleway towards Glasson where I found the usual 15-20 Chaffinch with a number of the very mobile Goldfinch, some days a few but today 20+. Some of the Blackbirds about now certainly look “continental” with their scaly feathers, just like one that grubbed through the fallen leaves near the picnic tables.





I really do not “twitch” much these days but as I was in the area I thought I might as well take a look for the Black Redstart, calling in to the lighthouse car park first. Highlights here were 5 Snipe and a Greenshank on the marsh with of course plenty of common waders which I admit to neglecting to count or look through to any degree.

Near the caravan park I saw the redstart briefly before it went off towards the farm buildings but I had other passerines in the form of 15 Meadow Pipits, 12 Greenfinch, 2 Pied Wagtails and 3 Skylark. More Little Egret out here plus masses of Wigeon and Lapwing out on the shore but as usual the light here was fairly awful whatever the weather.



As I didn’t get a picture of the Black Redstart, for compensation I searched out an old slide of American Redstart to see how that compares with a UK “start”. Sorry about the quality of the picture but the bird itself is not bad looking.

Pilling Post

Just a quickie this afternoon following a flying visit to Lane Ends in the late afternoon.

Over 110 Whooper Swans came from the south, flying over Pilling village to roost on the marsh. As there were already the usual gang of 20+ out there, my total came to 130. Also out there were approximately 2300 Pink-footed Geese with 2 Barnacle Geese. More than a 1000 Lapwing were beaten up by a male Peregrine.

Red Sky in The Morning, Shepherd's Warning

We should have put our trust in the old saying above rather than place our faith in old Auntie BBC again. It continued raining overnight, until a lot later than expected but the sky seemed fairly bright at 0645 and maybe the rain went elsewhere, over the other side of the Pennines to spoil a Yorkshire man’s day?

So the nets were up in plenty of time for us to have a leisurely coffee before the first net round, as in the darkness a dozen Redwings sighed overhead and a Song Thrush called. A Barn Owl was up, hunting for breakfast, ghosting over the stubble but disappearing in the half light towards a wood on the next farm. In the direction of the nets in the plantation, a couple of Tawny Owls called, and further away another one in the birch wood, but pity, we didn’t actually see or catch any of them.

Just as the first Redwing came out of a bird bag for ringing, we both felt the first spot of rain but weren’t too concerned as the forecast was for a good, dry day, meanwhile out to the east the orange sun split open the grey lines of cloud. We caught a perfectly brown Blackbird with a new tail, watched a handful of passing Redwing and looked forward to the waves of thrushes to follow, a bit of counting and lots of ringing.







But then as we watched the clouds close in and felt the rain change to a steady drizzle we realised the relevant saying this morning might be “Sun in the East, Rain in the West”, with the BBC getting the overall picture for the day probably correct, but as usual the timing about eight hours out.

We caught another Redwing then a troublesome Wren but the rain was beginning to soak the net - not good.

Several parties of Pink-footed Goose were arriving from the North West, and a couple of parties of Whooper Swans flew noisily over.



Otherwise there was very little migration or movement, the amount of overnight cloud and rain put paid to that. In the short time we were there we saw not much, just odd Chaffinches, a party of local Goldfinch, the stubble Skylarks and a couple of Reed Buntings, together with the welcome sounds of Grey Partridge alongside the watery ditch.

We were taking the nets down when a few Fieldfares flew out from cover behind us to head off for brighter parts. That was just what we needed to do, as by now we were both damp and disappointed. Oh well, you can’t win them all and you certainly can’t beat the elements.

“Hang your fat balls from a tree” advised Will, “you’ll have loads of birds crawling all over them within minutes”. A little taken aback I promised I would try the suggestion as soon as I got back home.

They work like magic. Within 15 minutes the Starlings had pretty much destroyed them with the leftovers attracting other interested parties. Pictures; Starling, Chaffinch, Coal Tit.







More balls please Will.