Kingfisher Saves The Day

 A wind free morning should have brought about a ringing session but a sleepless night followed by lethargy and a lack of motivation meant a few hours after-lunch birding at the usual spot would have to suffice. 

With a high tide due at 1345 I made my way up to Pilling Water, stopping briefly in the car park to watch a Chiffchaff flitting through the trees with a party of Long-tailed Tits. As I left the wood behind there was a single fence-hopping Wheatear and then a Skylark flying across my path and into the field. Skylarks have been very scarce along here since the end of the breeding season, and although it is a species adept at being inconspicuous there just aren’t any around until we receive an influx of migrant and wintering birds. 

Long-tailed Tit

 Skylark

It was a quiet sort of day for counting with a tide that although full, did not reach sufficient heights to fetch birds in, so just 18 Pintail, 25 Shelduck, 9 Cormorant, 140 Wigeon, 75 Teal, 3 Snipe, 300 Curlew, 8 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron and 1 Raven. 

This is getting to be something of a habit, but there was a Marsh Harrier again today, this one confounding my previous theory of different individuals by appearing from near Fluke Hall then flying rapidly north-east, and last seen high over Cockerham Marsh. Below is a very distant shot of the characteristic “V” shaped flight pattern with Heysham Power Station getting in on the act. 

Marsh Harrier and Heysham

Sometimes, and on a sunny day the incoming tide can make a decent photograph. Don’t worry about the sheep, they can swim and are able to judge the rising tide to perfection, knowing exactly when to seek the safety of higher ground. Heysham Power Station vies for attention again. 

High Tide at Pilling  and distant Heysham

From the stile I watched as hordes of Swallows hawked insects over Broadfleet and Pilling village. I think there had been a hatch of flying ants, an event which probably accounted for the sudden concentration of birds and my count of 300+ Swallows and 20+ House Martins. 

While scrutinizing the Swallows I spotted a Kingfisher sat quietly in a streamside bush. Within seconds the Kingfisher flew across to the outflow fence from where it proceeded to fish in the tidal water. Not daring to move I snapped a number of shots as the Kingfisher dived a number of times before emerging with tiny fish. Each time the Kingfisher would batter the tiny fish against the concrete apron, before twisting them around so as to allow the bird to swallow the fish head first. What appears to be to be some sort of line or string is vegetable matter that the Kingfisher pulled out with the fish.

Sight of a shy Kingfisher makes for a special birding day, more so to watch one fishing rather than the more familiar frustration of a flash of blue disappearing into the watery distance. For the benefit of blog readers from North America who are more accustomed to seeing Belted Kingfishers, our European Kingfisher at about 6 inches, is half the size of the Belted Kingfisher. 

Kingfisher

 

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

 Kingfisher

 

 Kingfisher

Kingfisher

For Kingfisher fans, there are lots of better pictures at an earlier Another Bird Blog post, here.

Today’s post links up with Stewart’s World Bird Wednesday at  http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

More news fron Another Bird Blog pretty soon, stay tuned.

Another Gold Top And A Flying Display

It wasn’t the most encouraging morning for a walk along Pilling sea wall when soon after setting off the grey sky turned to a steady drizzle, but within 15 minutes I seen a Kestrel, another “Gold Top” Marsh Harrier and a Wheatear. 

The harrier was another tideline job, just like the one of Thursday, last seen heading south and west close to Fluke Hall. This morning’s bird did just the same, flew over the marsh in a south-westerly direction then over the sea wall and out of sight. The wildfowler’s pools should hold a harrier in thrall for a while but I spent a couple of hours near the pools and the marsh without the harrier reappearing. I’m happy it’s a different bird from Thursday and there’s no doubt that each autumn sees a considerable movement of Marsh Harriers through this area, not all of them noticed by birders. 

Marsh Harrier

The Marsh Harrier was distant but I got a bit closer to the Wheatear, another juvenile bird with a wing length of 99mm. Is it really true that the name Wheatear derives from an old descriptive name of “White Arse”? 

Wheatear

Next came a Greenshank, 2 Grey Heron and 5 Little Egrets leaving the wildfowler’s pools. That was just  before the sun came out when I settled down to watch the tide run in, while some 20 miles away over Morecambe, the Red Arrows did their inimitable stuff. 

Red Arrows

There were more flying displays from the assembled waders: 600 Curlew, 200 Lapwing, 15 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Golden Plover, 20 Ringed Plover, 40 Dunlin and 3 Snipe, not to mention 250+ Teal, the unsurpassed fliers of the duck contingent. Other birds out there: 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 7 Cormorant, 14 Shelduck, 20+ Wigeon and 6 Pintail. 

Lapwing and Golden Plover

Not to be outdone by Red Arrows or tiny ducks, the resident Peregrine made an appearance by scattering the waders and wildfowl in all directions, just as a second Peregrine flew in. In the autumn time it’s quite common to see two Peregrines out here, sometimes three, birds of the same family which tolerate and even interact together. Not today, the second bird was an interloper, soon chased off in noisy aggression by the resident male, the two clashing almost over my head until the trespasser flew off south. 

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon x 2

Not many passerines to report today with the resident Goldfinch flock sticking at 80+, 4 Linnet, 1 Pied Wagtail and then 3 Wheatear on the walk back to Lane Ends, these in addition to one ringed. 

Wheatear 

More from Another Bird Blog soon.

Cool Stuff

After clear overnight a slight ground frost greeted us at Rawcliffe this morning, and with the air temperature showing just 5 degrees Will and I donned extra clothes as we set to in erecting a few nets. By 11am and with the sun up high we’d shed a few layers after another interesting and fruitful morning of finches and warblers. 

We caught 27 birds of 8 species, 26 new and a single recapture of a recent Chaffinch. New birds: 14 Chaffinch, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Blackbird, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Robin and 1 Goldcrest. 

Because of  the clear blue sky Chaffinches were passing over very high this morning, sometimes unseen but mostly giving themselves away with their constant contact calls. Including today the August Chaffinch total stands at 36 birds, 31 juveniles and 5 adults, a ratio which should remain the same throughout September and October until the inland movement of Chaffinches here dries up. On cold mornings we occasionally get Chaffinches reluctant to leave the warmth of the ringing station, but after a minute or so they fly off. 

Chaffinch

We didn’t see any more than the two Willow Warblers caught, both juveniles. 

 Willow Warbler

There’s still a few Whitethroats about and we saw at least seven today, four of which we caught including another adult. And it’s always nice to catch a Garden Warbler. 

Whitethroat

Garden Warbler

We found our first Goldcrest of the autumn in a net with a few Chaffinches. 

Goldcrest - The Smallest UK Bird

Other visible migration: 8/10 Siskin over, all heading south, but just a single Lesser Redpoll. Approximately 15/20 high Meadow Pipits appearing from not any particular direction but leaving towards the west. Other “vis” - 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail and 6 Snipe. 

Raptors today were a Tawny Owl at dawn, our first Merlin of the autumn, 1 Kestrel and a Marsh Harrier which appeared not to see us sat against the background of Will’s motor, allowing me to nail a half decent picture at last. 

Kestrel

Marsh Harrier

From yesterday's post, and for readers who asked, after I spoke to the lady in Pilling, it seems the dead Sparrowhawk was found next to a car parked on the driveway. It had probably chased a small bird but hit the car windows at speed instead. 

Sparrowhawk

Stay tuned, more on Another Bird Blog soon.

Size Matters

There’ a mixed bag of a report today – a small dead bird, a spot of ringing, a touch of birding and a brace of harriers. 

It all started at Pilling after a phone message from a lady with a dead bird which she didn’t recognise, but she would leave it on the dustbin in case the couple were not at home. Never knowing quite what to expect when Joe Public phones I considered all the possibilities from a Wren to perhaps a Sparrowhawk, the latter always a possibility where gardens are concerned. I was right, a young male from one of this year’s broods lay across the bin lid as promised. A Sparrowhawk is much smaller than people imagine, a male doubly so. 

Sparrowhawk

I was in Pilling anyway so needed no further excuse to hit the sea wall. After more heavy overnight rain a Greenshank had settled happily in a wet spot at Backsands Lane, until a very large bus clanked noisily by my parked car and the Greenshank spluttered off. 

Greenshank

Along the sea wall – 40+ Swallows heading slowly west into the stiff north westerly and 40+ Goldfinch on the thistle heads, and then 2 Ravens flying out to the distant tideline. 

There was a single Wheatear just beyond Lane Ends, quite unusual to see one here nowadays since the new planation developed into a wood, so removing the open spaces beloved of Wheatears. Further towards Pilling Water I found a Common Sandpiper and another 4 Wheatears ducking and diving over the rocks on the shore, so I laid a trap or two into the teeth of the cold northerly, hoping the meal worms could still wriggle. One obviously did, but it took a while today to catch a chunky juvenile bird, wing length 101mm so almost certainly an Icelandic bird, especially since there has been a noticeable influx of Wheatears during this week’s unsettled westerly weather. 

Wheatear

I found a partially sheltered spot to watch the traps and the tideline hoping for something to come along, which is exactly what happened when a Marsh Harrier appeared from the Cockerham direction and flew all along the tideline until it disappeared over the sea wall at Fluke Hall. In between the harrier had to shake off the attentions of two Ravens chasing it along the tide. I can’t recall ever seeing Ravens and Marsh Harriers in close proximity before, and when I looked it up in the books it seems the species have the same wing span. Sorry about the distant, heavily cropped picture, but you get the idea. 

Marsh Harrier and Raven

As the harrier flew across the wildfowlers’ pools it flushed 150+ Teal and a couple of Little Egrets from the water there. 

The other harrier, a “Gold Top” was yesterday when I went to do a little maintenance work on the net rides at Rawcliffe. One of these days maybe a Marsh Harrier will come close enough for a decent picture rather than a record shot?

Marsh Harrier

There’s a better forecast tomorrow with less wind and more sun so hopefully more news on Another Bird Blog.

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.