Wholly Whimbrel

Nothing much to report this morning and no new photographs so here's the Whimbrels promised recently.

The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus is one the most wide-ranging shorebirds in the world, breeding in the Arctic in the eastern and western hemispheres, and migrating to South America, Africa, south Asia, and Australia. It is a smaller version of the curlew family of birds and breeds on moorlands and uplands but uses coastal habitats as it migrates south. 

A Whimbrel is streaky, greyish-brown with long, blue-grey legs and a down-curved, kinked bill. It can be distinguished from the larger Eurasian Curlew by its shorter bill and strong face pattern with a dark crown, a pale stripe down the middle and dark eye-stripe. 

It’s not often I get to see a Whimbrel close up. Here in the UK and probably in much of the Northern hemisphere they are a very wary species which keeps a safe distance from man, probably as a result of being a target for hunters.

When the opportunity recently arose in Fuerteventura to not only watch Whimbrels at close quarters, but also to take a series of photographs, I felt very privileged. No apologies then for over 30 pictures of Whimbrel in today’s post. 

The following sequence of pictures was taken on two separate mornings, one of them sunny, the other quite dull. They show how a Whimbrel uses the down-curved bill to probe rocky crevices for food and how the whole bird can with a front view can look quite slim and with a side view can appear very elongated. One of the individuals is shown preening, resting and roosting in between bouts of feeding. 

Clicking on the pics will give a close-up slide show of the action in a lightbox.

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

This Whimbrel would stand more or less motionless, sometimes on one leg for a while before resuming feeding. 

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Preening is the how a bird cares for its feathers and involves two different actions, nibbling and stroking. Preening serves the function of returning feathers to their correct position and shape, using  the addition of oil to the feathers from the Uropygial gland. Wiping is simply wiping the feathers with the bill, pressing them into place and perhaps spreading some oil over them. The bird uses its bill to nibble along the edges of feathers straightening them out and ensuring the barbules are all zipped up. 

Preening keeps birds feathers clean, waterproofed, and in optimum condition for flying. Birds spend a great deal of time preening because having feathers in tiptop condition is important in keeping the bird insulated and weatherproof, a condition which helps an individual's chances of survival. Birds usually preen after a bath and after feeding. Puffing up the feathers during the preening allows air to the feathers, letting them dry out from the grooming process. 

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Time to air those newly groomed feathers.

Whimbrel

 Whimbrel

Whimbrel

 Whimbrel

  

Whimbrel

Time to resume feeding. Whimbrels feed a lot of the time by probing soft mud for small invertebrates and by picking small crabs and similar prey off the surface. Prior to migration, berries become an important part of their diet.

Whimbrel

More birds soon on Another Bird Blog, but probably not Whimbrels. Log in soon to see what.

Yesterday And More Record Shots

On Monday I joined other ringers in helping Morecambe Bay Wader Ringing Group at Fleetwood where we hoped for a mixed bag of waders. The catch wasn’t as good as expected, the birds failing to come near the nets in the anticipated numbers. But a good day was had by all in the bracing sea air with lots of time to look closely at the 2 Turnstone, 3 Ringed Plovers and 5 Sanderlings caught. 

 Ringed Plover

 Turnstone

Sanderling

The “more record shots” of the blog title are of the local Hen Harrier seen briefly when I crossed Lancaster Lane, Pilling on my way to Out Rawcliffe this morning. As usual the bird was very distant and I hadn’t time to stop more than a minute, and then just point, shoot and hope for the best. Any day now the bird should be on its way back to the uplands where Hen Harriers and other raptors  should breed in some numbers, a place where they are supposed to be a protected rather than persecuted. Maybe this striking male would be safer staying out Pilling way where it is coming to no harm other than being a subject of attention from bird watchers. 

Hen Harrier

When I reached the farm there was a flock of 30 Corn Bunting, 4 Yellowhammer and 30+ Chaffinch waiting for me; unfortunately the birds were half a mile from the feeding station. Along the track to the feeding station a Stoat ran across ahead of the car then disappeared from view, just as Stoats are forever meant to do. 

The main birds at the feeding station were the regular Reed Buntings, all 15 or more doing well to avoid my nets again, with just a couple of Goldfinch and another 10 or so Chaffinch. An adult female I caught had a wing length of 87mm, as long as they get and possibly a bird heading back to the continent. 

Chaffinch - female

A couple of average size males caught and today, wings no longer than the large female above. Today I heard my first Chaffinch of the year in song. 

Chaffinch - male

Things were pretty quiet otherwise except for the occasional rush of wings from the 500+ Woodpigeon, a Mistle Thrush in song, the croak of a passing Grey Heron, a drumming Great-spotted Woodpecker, and a single Skylark in song. 

Grey Heron

The morning was a little cool and cloudy for Buzzards to be active and just one heard today, together with the usual sightings of both a Kestrel and a Little Owl. 

Today Another Bird Blog blog is linking with Stewart at his gallery http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/. 

Log in here soon for more record shots or better.

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.

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

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.

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

Greenshank

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. 

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 .