No Sunday Lie In.

Sunday morning was taken up with Fylde Ringing Group’s (FRG) Turnstone Project, the catching and ringing of the local wintering population of those phenomenal ocean wanderers, Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres. 

I met up with the other guys at Fleetwood Marine Lake at 8am, Ian, Seumus, Huw and Graham, all of us keen to have the first go at the Turnstones during this winter. The Turnstones here spend a lot of time mopping up the leftovers of food scraps which local people put out for the now extremely tame wildfowl. 

For weeks Seumus and Ian had put out food in a small section of the same grassy area whereby when the opportunity arose, a whoosh net would be set to catch Turnstones alone, and hopefully no meandering Mute Swans or wandering wildfowl. 

Turnstone

Everything came good when plenty of Turnstones showed up for a hearty breakfast of chicken feed, resulting in a catch of 31 of the target species plus a few Starlings trying to get in on the act. One Turnstone was a recapture, a bird first ringed 23rd January 2012, and an individual which in the intervening period may have travelled to Iceland or perhaps further, the high Arctic of Alaska or Greenland. 

Each Turnstone we catch is now given a standard BTO metal ring, a colour ring, and a coloured leg marker bearing two letters. In this way we hope that wader watchers in Europe and North America will be able to report their sightings to the ringing group. If any readers of Another Bird Blog should see one of these marked Turnstones, they can report it here via the comments section and I will ensure that they receive all information relating to the bird. 

FRG Turnstone Project

Leg markers

Turnstone

Turnstone

After the Turnstone catch was processed and completed I took the opportunity for a photograph or two. The lately coming-to-bread Scaup has taken up with a few Tufted Duck and for whatever reason is now less keen to have her picture taken. There were a few Goldeneye and a good number of Redshanks knocking about the two-lake complex, both species adept at keeping their distance from prying lenses. 

Scaup and Tufted Duck

Redshank

 Goldeneye

The next Turnstone catch should be in January but in the meantime be certain that there will be lots of birds featured on Another Bird Blog, so stay tuned. 

During 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.  

And There’s More…

Bramblings that is, but only two new ones today. After the wind suddenly dropped at lunchtime I went to Out Rawcliffe where I checked and topped up the feeders, chucked more mixed seed on the ground and put up a couple of nets. 

At the moment the short days mean that with a midday start and birds heading off to roost soon after 3pm it leaves just a couple of hours catching time. Birds caught 1230-1430, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Brambling, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Robin, 1 Great Tit. 

Although it’s just a small sample of 11 birds, 8 of this week’s Bramblings have been first year males, the remainder three females. 

Brambling

Brambling - first calendar year male

One of the male Chaffinches was especially “adult” with very squared off and dark tail feathers. 

Chaffinch

Chaffinch - adult male

The Reed Bunting was a tiny first year female, wing length 73mm only. 

Reed Bunting

Other birds seen, in no particular order: 4000+ Woodpigeon, 1 Mistle Thrush, 3 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 1 Buzzard, 1 Merlin, 1 Kestrel, 8 Skylark, 30+ Goldfinch, 10+ Reed Bunting, 4 Brambling, 1 Snipe, 2 Woodcock, 18 Chaffinch. 

Woodpigeons

Jay

Tonight there’s babysitting, hence the rushed post. Never fear, Another Bird Blog will be up with the lark tomorrow looking for more birds to report. Stay tuned. 

This post is linking to Anni's I'd Rather Be Birding blog. 

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.