Another Bird Blog

Friday, February 8, 2013

Roundabout

Faced with where to go this morning, I realised I’d neglected Knott End of late, what with Christmas, then the poor weather followed by two weeks in Spain, so off I went for a look around the village hot spots.

The tide was on the way in, pushing a small selection of waders to the shore: 250 Curlew, 145 Oystercatcher, 60+ Redshank, 8 Turnstone, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and 4 Dunlin. Shelduck were scattered across the sands and I counted 40+, although not a single Eider duck again. When I walked along the esplanade I found 15 Twite, 2 Pied Wagtail and 1 Rock Pipit below the sea wall, and on the shore near the village a good count of 40+ Common Gull (Mew Gull - Larus canus) all in one spot. Common Gulls are rather handsome beasts which us bird watchers tend to forget about or ignore.

It wasn’t snowing today although it is forecast for Sunday and the picture below was taken at Knott End a year or two ago with a layer of snow on the sea wall.

Common Gull

Twite

A visit to Fluke Hall and a perusal of the usual stubble field close to the road gave counts of 18 Pied Wagtails, 18 Blackbirds, 8 Goldfinch, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Redwing, 40 Oystercatcher, 40 Lapwing, 22 Redshank and 15 Curlew. The fields at Damside held 85 Golden Plover, 300 Lapwing, 40+ Redshank, 60 Curlew and a single Dunlin.

The Rawcliffe feeding station beckoned where it’s not just the top up which is important, it’s also weighing up whether a ringing session might be worthwhile soon if there are a decent number of birds about. I travelled over the Pilling Moss road where at my usual viewpoint there was a glimpse of a Hen Harrier, a frustrating view of a fast flying bird which even as I raised the camera was hundreds of yards away. I also had the camera set to over expose from a previous shot. It’s an excuse for a record shot, the bird looking away too.

Hen Harrier

The jury is still out on a ringing session for tomorrow, with 50+ Chaffinch, 2 Brambling, 15 Goldfinch and 10 Reed Buntings there or thereabouts the site but none of the birds exactly piling into the mixed seed left for them. There’s been a few returning north Fieldfares about this week, with another 20 or so today, mixed in with a small flock of Starlings in the hawthorn tops.

Reed Bunting

A look around the wider area found 4 pairs of Buzzards circling in the afternoon sun, 14 Stock Dove and 300+ Woodpigeon on the stubble, and a remarkable and noisy flock of about 1500 Jackdaws exploiting the last of a nearby maize field.

With rain and even snow forecast for the next three days there could be a lull in activities for Another Bird Blog, but please log in soon to find out. In the meantime log into Nature Footsteps http://nfmemes.blogspot.co.uk/ and Anni's blog for more winged creatures.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Catching The Villains

When I went to top up the feeding station again, the moss was very quiet. The morning started on a high with a dawn-hunting Barn Owl at Town End and a Little Owl sat motionless in one of its regular spots.

The niger feeders were still full from my last visit and Goldfinches generally absent, although the ground feed had mostly disappeared. I caught one of the scoundrels responsible for hoovering up the seed, a second year Woodpigeon. Just five other birds captured - singles of Robin, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Great Tit and Blue Tit until I packed up out of sheer boredom.

Woodpigeon

The birding on the farm was slightly better, and in no particular order, 40+ Chaffinch, 2 Brambling, 4 Goldfinch, 40 Tree Sparrow, 9 Skylark, 1 Mistle Thrush, 6 Reed Bunting, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 400+ Woodpigeon, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Yellowhammer, 5 Corn Bunting, 2 Kestrel and 1 Buzzard. Animals: 5 Roe Deer and 5 Brown Hare.

The Kestrel was a bit distant in today’s grey light. Standing on a source of light might make the job easier - the Kestrel, not me.

Kestrel

On a less happy note, and I’ve mentioned this on the blog before, when I check the stats and sources of blog visits, Another Bird Blog is still receiving occasional viewings from people who are either involved in the illegal catching of wild birds or seeking the whys and wherefores of how to take part. In particular the searches generally include the word “Goldfinch”, as in a recent Google search using the words “cage to trap goldfinch” or one of a few weeks ago “best places to catch goldfinch”.

Because my blog uses “tag” words, and “Goldfinch” features regularly in the course of my posts, the searches include my blog in the results and these people then visit my blog thinking it may contain the information they seek. Of course the information on Another Bird Blog or any other UK birding and ringing blogs will not help them in any way, but these would-be wildlife criminals will continue to view all the results of their search until they eventually find the bits of information they seek. I have reported the IP address of the latest miscreant, and I urge other blog owners to do the same should they be troubled by similar things.

Goldfinch

I comment on this again so as to make bird lovers aware that the illegal catching and selling of wild birds takes place in many parts of the UK, often among the immigrant communities. If anyone should encounter the catching, selling, buying or breeding of birds which they suspect to be of wild origin, and this can be Goldfinch, Redpoll, Chaffinch, Linnet and Bullfinch plus others, they should report it to the Police and/or the RSPB/RSPCA immediately.

More lawful news and views on Another Bird Blog soon - stay tuned.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

News On The Rocks

A quick visit to the feeding staion today relocated the Chaffinches, about 60+ of them together with 5+ Bramblings, although in the raging wind I couldn't find more than 2 Reed Bunting and 20 Goldfinch. A couple of the feeders were half full, probably as a result of the wind emptying the contents rather than any Goldfinches. Looks like the wind may subside later in the week allowing me to do a spot of ringing.

I haven’t quite finished with Fuerteventura, and during the currently wet and wintry weather, combined with the lack of local news and pictures, I’m posting mop-up pictures from the holiday of 12th to 26th January. As the post title implies, these pictures were taken along the rocky shores close to Costa Calma.

There was a Greenshank around for a day or two, an individual that allowed a slightly closer approach than the wary birds we see in the UK.

Greenshank

Ringed Plovers were sometimes around but never particularly accommodating.

Ringed Plover

Daily stars were the Sanderlings and Turnstones, in some spots the birds had become almost totally fearless of man.

Sanderling

Turnstone

Sanderling

One or two Whimbrels could be seen most days. More Whimbrel pictures soon when Another Bird Blog will devote a full post to the species based on a number of pictures.

Whimbrel

The Common Sandpipers I saw were just as wary as our UK ones, never allowing a close approach.

Common Sandpiper

Here’s a Fuerteventura rarity, an Oystercatcher, quite a way from its normal range. It was just a single bird seen on one day and not a very good picture into the sun.

Oystercatcher

It wasn’t all waders on the rocks. The Spanish Sparrows used the shore too, but just for a change on a foreign holiday, I didn't see any House Sparrows.

Spanish Sparrow

Yellow-legged Gull

Here's the Raven stealing monkey nuts from the ground squirrels.

Raven

Barbary Ground Squirrel

There's much more about Whimbrels soon from Another Bird Blog. Stay tuned to read all about it.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Redwing Surprise

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and after a slow ringing session this morning I knew that after my 2 weeks holiday followed by just a week of dropping food at the feeding station, it would have been better to leave the ringing for a few more days to let birds find the food again.

Just 7 birds caught - 2 Chaffinch, 2 Blackbird, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Coal Tit and 1 Redwing.

Finding a smart looking adult Redwing in a net came as a nice surprise, although a small movement of c 30 Fieldfares heading north-west throughout the morning hinted at thrushes on the move.

Redwing

Blackbird

Coal Tit

Goldfinch

The Goldfinches weren’t interested in the nyger feeders today with about 30 of them sticking to feeding on the ground in a nearby meadow; goodness knows what seeds they find to eat in February. There were 20+ Reed Buntings around today, none finding their way to the nets. Chaffinches were pretty thin on the ground today, the large flock of recent months now having dispersed, with just 20 or so birds around and at least one Brambling, possibly four together overhead and flying north-west.

If the ringing was quiet, the birding was much better and something of a raptor morning with 6 Buzzards (3 pairs), 3 Kestrel, a juvenile Peregrine, a pair of Sparrowhawks and of course a Little Owl. Other birds seen: 8 Corn Bunting, 40+ Tree Sparrow, 2 Yellowhammer, 600 Woodpigeon, 1 Woodcock.

I saw the Sparrowhawks from a good distance away as they sat just feet apart, sunning themselves in a clump of bare willows, the bright breast of the male in particular drawing attention to them. As my car drew up the female turned and disappeared into the trees behind, the male continuing to sit on the exposed branch. It was a good distance away and the picture is heavily cropped and taken through a tiny gap in the vegetation: fortunately the bright sunshine allowed the crop. From the orangey eye colour it looks to be a fully adult male and the birds are in the same location they bred last year. Fingers crossed for a better year than the one youngster reared last season.

Sparrowhawk

Birds were singing too - Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Reed Bunting and Great-spotted Woodpecker. The winter sunshine brought out the Brown Hares today with some running about the fields but no actual “boxing” yet.

Brown Hare

Little Owl

Log in again soon for more news and views from Another Bird Blog. This week the blog is linking to Stewart's Photo Gallery and to Anni who would rather be birding most any time, and also to Weekly Top Shot .

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Exploring Fuerteventura And More

It was very windy today, limiting my birding to topping up the feeders at Out Rawcliffe where despite the strong gusts I found a number of birds close to my ringing spot: 32 Goldfinch, 60+ Chaffinch and 8 Reed Buntings being a good sign that birds are coming back after my absence. Also about the site were 800 Woodpigeon, 350 Lapwing and at least 2500 Pink-footed Goose. I left the geese in peace, not wanting to put them to flight into the path of shooters on the next farm. On my way off the farm one of the local Kestrels hung into the wind above the track, living up to its old English name of Windhover.

Common Kestrel

In the absence of more local news and to fill out today’s post I put together more images from the recent holiday in the Canary Islands, Spain.

Although holding a certain attraction, the beaches of Fuerteventura weren’t the sole interest in our recent holiday. A hire car for a few days gave a chance to explore the island although at approximately 650 square miles there’s a lot of ground to cover, and a pure white car isn’t the best colour for approaching cautious birds.

Remember to "Click the pics" for a close-up tour of the birds and the island.

Exploring Fuerteventura

Over the Plains Fuerteventura

The plains above Costa Calma and La Pared hold Houbara Bustards, Cream-coloured Coursers and Stone Curlew, but in a couple of tries we didn’t have much luck apart from 3 distant Stone Curlew and brief views of a running Courser.

Cream-coloured Courser

There were lots of Lesser Short-toed Larks on the dry, open plains with small gangs of Linnets and occasional Southern Grey Shrikes. The Linnets are very unapproachable, as are the Goldfinches that can be glimpsed in greener parts of the island.

Linnet

Southern Grey Shrike

Lesser Short-toed Lark

We journeyed through the centre of the island through the village of Betancuria and on to the highest parts of the island at 600 meters, giving a spectacular outlook on the landscape below and distant views of an Egyptian Vulture. This species is apparently now rare on the island as they are elsewhere in its range and we had just two sightings of the vulture in two weeks.

Egyptian Vulture

Exploring Fuerteventura

A walk exploring the outskirts and the village of Betancuria provided Sardinian Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Kestrel, African Blue Tit, Spectacled Warbler and Trumpeter Finch. The latter three were all new birds for me with the wary Trumpeter Finch a particular favourite, due to its slightly comical appearance.

Betancuria - Fuerteventura

Betancuria - Fuereventura

Trumpeter Finch

A few Spectacled Warblers were in song, and I guess the breeding season is quite early in these parts.

Spectacled Warbler

The so named Canary Islands Stonechat is actually found on Fuerteventura only where it is said to be best found in the dried up river beds, the barrancos, dotted around the island. I found them in a couple of locations where houses ran down to the beach, one time finding one feeding on the tide wrack with Berthelot’s Pipits, until I disturbed it whereupon it flew chat-like to the nearby fence. To me they appeared much like a very dark-headed Whinchat rather than a Stonechat.