Mainly Swallows

A bright and breezy morning coupled with an incoming tide meant a quick look at Knott End for me. The packed-like sardines Oystercatchers numbered about 1200 today, with a single Sanderling and 12 Knot for company. Just 8 Eider on the sea and several Swallows on the move. 

There was a Darvic ringed Greylag wandering about the jetty, the bird totally ignoring passers-by, and if a long time ago it was ringed as a free-flying wild goose it seems to have taken a shine to Knott End and doesn’t look like going anywhere soon. It had a BTO ring on the right leg, number 515221 if anyone wishes to claim ownership. I took the picture with my tiny Panasonic, that’s how tame the goose was. 

Greylag

At Fluke Hall lots of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Lapwing were scattered along the shore, too distant to count. Through the woodland drive all I could muster were Kestrel, Great-spotted Woodpecker and Grey Heron. Lane Ends next where a male Sparrowhawk took exception to a Kestrel hovering over the plantation and after battling it out for a minute or two the tiny hawk let the Kestrel have the territory. On the pools, 2 Little Grebe, 1 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron.

Sparrowhawk and Kestrel

At Pilling Water I found 80+ Goldfinch, 2 Pied Wagtail, 4 Linnet and 6 Wheatears. After jumping around the shore rockery for ten minutes or so the gang of Wheatears had vanished, heading off in an unknown direction as I took my eyes off them - it’s what’s known as visible migration, or perhaps in this case, invisible migration. The wildfowlers pools were very quiet with just 3 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Cormorant and a wary Greenshank. 

There were a number of Swallows about, hawking insects over Broadfleet then taking it in turns to rest up in their customary sheltered spot on the sluice gates. I spent 30 minutes or so taking photographs of Swallows, so no apologies for featuring a number of new pics here. After all the Swallow (Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica) is a special bird which will soon wing its way back south and we won’t see them for some months, so let’s take a good look now. 

 Swallow

Swallow

Swallow

Swallow

Swallow

Swallow

 Swallow

Swallow

Swallow

There’s more heavy downpours promised for tomorrow, but with luck there will be no rain so more news and pictures on Another Bird Blog. Today Another Bird Blog is linking up with World Bird Wednesday - see  here.

Chaffinches On The Move

Out on Rawcliffe Moss and after making the effort for a 0600 start the catching was initially slow whereby at 0740 we had caught just 4 birds. Will and I worried the session might end sooner than later, but just as the 100% cloud cover slowly opened out to patches of blue sky, birds appeared both in and over the plantation. The morning proved to be both interesting and fruitful, ending on a high with the sighting of a female Marsh Harrier hunting distant fields over towards St Michael’s. 

32 birds of 12 species caught, 31 new and 1 recapture, with highlights being the mix of warblers which included more Whitethroats and the beginnings of Chaffinch dispersal from further north of Lancashire. New birds: 14 Chaffinch, 5 Whitethroat, 3 Dunnock, plus one each of Tree Pipit, Goldfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Greenfinch and Blue Tit. After a hint of Chaffinch beginning their autumn dispersal last week, today the movement was more definite with 14 new Chaffinch of which 13 were juveniles, an autumn ratio which does not surprise us. Soon after 0800 Chaffinches began to arrive in singles and small groups from the north, some diving into the plantation, others continuing south. We estimated 80+ by the time we left at 1115. 

Chaffinch

The Whitethroat recapture proved to be a male originally ringed here on 30th May 2012, the bird having by now undergone a complete moult and so in immaculate condition, ready to head back to Africa. The juveniles complete the same journey having undergone a partial moult only. Note the differing eye colours of adult and juvenile. 

Whitethroat - adult

Whitethroat - adult

Whitethroat - juvenile

 

Whitethroat- juvenile

We counted 3+ Tree Pipits over today, one of which we caught. 

 Tree Pipit

Just singles of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff today with perhaps one or two additional birds not finding the nets. 

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

We caught the Blackcap at first light, the Whitethroats later, all of which had been consuming Blackberries but perhaps not the Reed Warbler. 

Blackberry hands

Reed Warbler

Just like last week, the Lesser Redpoll proved to be a moulting adult, this one a male. 

Lesser Redpoll

We catch very few Greenfinch here but a singleton today plus a Goldfinch in the net next to Niger feeders which remain quite full with so much natural food still about. 

Greenfinch

There was a noticeable movement south of hirundines today, unusual in that the majority of the birds were c40+ high flying Sand Martins with lesser numbers of Swallows and House Martins. Other birds: 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 3 Golden Plover over, 2 Raven over, 150+ Teal, the latter possibly disturbed from their wildfowler fed pool by the quartering Marsh Harrier which came in from the west then disappeared from view during heavy rain with car windows up. Sorry, no pictures of the harrier it being too distant in the gloom of yet another downpour.

 All in all a very satisfying and productive day with the continuance of the Chaffinch passage and the prospect of many more Chaffinches to come in the weeks ahead. 

New Header Required

There have been a few days without new postings on Another Bird Blog because whilst I’ve been out birding there has been little to report. This morning proved a little better when I found a few fresh-in migrants, one of them the bird in the recently changed blog header. 

I kicked off at Damside, Pilling where the puddled field is beginning to hold a few birds to study, providing birders can beat pedestrians and cyclists to the lay-by. No gulls there today, just 80 Lapwings and a Stock Dove. At Lane Ends a check of the pools and surrounding trees saw 2 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Cormorant and 2 Sparrowhawk, with a Lesser Whitethroat giving itself away by its constant warning calls. 

Little Grebe 

Cormorant

The Cormorant is considered a pest by hobby anglers and commercial fisheries. It might be said that fisheries managers are mostly to blame for failing to protect their stock, and that for a Cormorant a well-stocked water is "like putting out nuts for a Blue Tit". My own experience of Cormorants is that they are difficult to photograph and very unapproachable, mainly because of the persecution suffered at the hands of the human race. 

The walk to Pilling Water proved uneventful save a for single Skylark, a landside Wheatear, and a good flock of 90+ Goldfinch and 4 Linnet feeding on this year’s abundant thistles. 

Hi-Fly man arrived to the wildfowlers pools and proceeded to flush from the pools 2 Pintail, 2 Teal and a single Snipe. There have been 150+ Teal in recent days but if disturbed too much they head off to the marsh where they hide in the gulleys. I was watching the hirundines, 30+ Swallow and 4 House Martin, hawking over Broadfleet when I spotted a Spotted Flycatcher moving between the fence of the sluice gate and the sheep pen which by default also holds lots of insects. Now so scarce in the Fylde, this was my first sighting this year of a bird that locally is now just a spring and autumn passage migrant and consequently something of a prize to listers. Sitting to watch the flycatcher feed I made a mental to change the blog header more often, perhaps back to Bee Eater soon? 

Spotted Flycatcher

After Hi-Fly man hastened back to Fluke a couple of raptors appeared from the direction he headed, first a Buzzard and then soon after a very streaky juvenile Peregrine. The Buzzard hung around long enough to get a few distant shots and discover it as a moulting adult. 

Buzzard

Next came a couple more Grey Herons, a single Little Egret and finally the unmistakeable calls of a Northern Raven louding it south.  

Stay tuned, more soon from Another Bird Blog.

For The Record

After yesterday’s exertion of a ringing session out on the moss today’s stroll and undemanding birding along the sea wall at Pilling proved something of a doddle, the biggest challenge being the search for new photographs to keep blog readers satisfied. After a couple of hours I’d seen a handy selection of species and even managed a couple of pictures. 

The last week has seen a tremendous push south of Willow Warblers, both big arrivals, lesser parties and ones and twos dotted all along the Lancashire and Cheshire coastline, so as I set off walking from Lane Ends I wasn’t surprised to add to the tally with 2 in the immediate trees. There was then nothing to see until Pilling Water where a female Sparrowhawk circled briefly over the wildfowler’s pools before heading off in the direction of Lane Ends. I noted a single Wheatear atop a direction sign and then a couple of Linnets along the shore. This Wheatear wasn't interested in a free mealworm in exchange for a shiny new ring.

Wheatear

Sat down I watched as the tide rolled in from the west, pushing waders, wildfowl and miscellaneous ahead of it: 440 Curlew, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Greenshank, 60 Lapwing, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Snipe, 8 Dunlin, 4 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 8 Wigeon, 190 Teal, 44 Shelduck, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 4 Great Crested Grebe, 9 Cormorant, 3 Little Egret and 3 Grey Heron. One of the herons obliged with a fly past just within camera range but in the main everything keeps a safe distance from any pedestrians on the wall, most of all the resident Peregrine which stays near the incoming tide where opportunities for lunch constantly arise. 

 Grey Heron

As the tide turned I heard a croaking but distant Raven and turned to see not one, but two of them heading over and west towards Fluke Hall, dwarfing the Carrion Crows as they went. There’d been a number of Swallows hawking over the tide, some moving west, others seemingly still locals, and I jotted 30+ in my notebook, plus a Kestrel now hovering over the full-in tide. 

The tide had pushed hundreds of gulls onto the fields of Backsands Lane and Damside so I promised myself a quick look on the way back through the village. The count was 400 Black-headed Gull, 20+ Common Gull and a single Mediterranean Gull, the birds constantly moving as cyclists and vehicles passed slowly by. The distant Med needed a heavy crop and as they say, it’s “a record shot”.

 Mediterranean Gull

Tune in soon for more news from Another Bird Blog. This week I’m linking with Stewart's World Bird Wednesday http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.co.uk - take a look. Stewart is a fellow bird ringer but lives a few miles away in Australia.

A Win For Willy

With the disastrous summer we’ve struggled for a decent catch of birds all year but our luck changed this morning with an excellent mixed catch of warblers at Out Rawcliffe. Will and I met at 6am and by 1030 we’d managed a catch of 28 new birds following what appeared to be an overnight arrival of mainly Willow Warblers, possibly birds from Scotland, especially since we were hearing and seeing Tree Pipits too. 

Species and numbers caught: 16 Willow Warbler (3 adult and 13 juvenile), 2 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Tree Pipit, 2 Chaffinch, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff , 1 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Reed Bunting. Approximately 35/40 Willow Warblers were about the immediate area this morning, some of them visibly heading south when they left the plantation. 

Willow Warbler

With just a single Chiffchaff the morning clearly belonged to the Willys. 

Chiffchaff

We counted 6+ Tree Pipits over this morning, a figure which includes the two juveniles caught. 

Tree Pipit

Tree Pipit

The two Lesser Whitethroats were immaculate juveniles, the Common Whitethroat a juvenile in moult. 

Lesser Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat

It’s always instructive to catch a Reed Warbler in the trees, so reminding ourselves that birds don’t necessarily do what it says on the label. 

Reed Warbler

As the species isn’t proven to breed too locally and also scarce in the summertime we normally catch Lesser Redpolls in just spring or fairly late autumn and so do not see their moult patterns. This year I suspect a pair or two have bred very locally indeed, therefore catching a female in heavy moult reinforced the notion. 

 Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

A juvenile Reed Bunting in post-juvenile moult. 

Reed Bunting

Other birds this morning: Evidence of migration with 24 Snipe and 14 Golden Plover, otherwise less than five each of Siskin, Lesser Redpoll and Chaffinch over, so no great finch movements as yet. Small number of Swallows in the area c40, but very little noticeable movement south. No raptors or owls this morning - most unusual, but then we were busy counting or watching Willys. 

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.

Oyks Galore

Before the babysitting I grabbed a few hours birding at Knott End this morning with the highlights being a high-for-August count of Oystercatchers followed by a smattering of newly arrived Willow Warblers deposited by last night’s thunder and lightning. 

As the tide came in and filled the mussel beds the waders split in different directions, when 1100 Oystercatchers stayed roosting on the beach with about 40 Curlew and just 2 Shelduck and an increase to 14 Eider and 9 Cormorant. When the tide filled 8 Sandwich Terns arrived, choosing not to stay around but instead heading up-river in a southerly direction. There was also a steady but small movement of Swallows in the same direction, about 30 in two hours. 

Oystercatcher

More than 110 Redshanks flew out of sight, upstream towards Arm Hill and when I walked alongside the golf course to the sailing jetty I found 4 Common Sandpipers, a single Turnstone and 2 Grey Heron. The golf course held 3 Pied Wagtail, 2 Greenfinch, 15 Linnet and 4 Goldfinch and 2 calling Willow Warblers - Later on at home I was to see a Willow Warbler in the garden with a small flock of Long-tailed Tits, and looking on a few web sites and blogs I see a number of other sightings of Willow Warblers this morning. 

Willow Warbler

Common Sandpiper

In the car park at Knott End I noticed a Lesser Black-backed Gull, one of the regulars which targets car arrivals hoping for hand-outs and leftovers, but when I looked closer it had the remains of beach or landfill detritus firmly wrapped around its bill. Nothing much to do for the animal except think that it seemed in good condition and had arrived looking for another meal despite the handicap inflicted upon it by the human race.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull 

 

Another quiet day so let’s hope thing pick up soon on Another Bird Blog. Tomorrow’s forecast is “a bright morning, followed by rain from midday”. We’ll see, but in the meantime I changed the header to a Spotted Flycatcher to bring more luck,.so thanks to all those who enjoyed the Bee Eaters.