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The forecast of little cloud and a 4 mph wind for Thursday looked so stable that we actually confirmed our arrangement for Oakenclough on Wednesday afternoon. This is a most unusual occurrence that more often than not involves a detailed discussion around whether a ringing session is even possible in our normally unsettled weather. 

I met Andy and Bryan for the 0630 start to a perfect morning of zero wind with just a little cloud together with a hint of sun peeking around the corner. 

Birds were on the move from the off and the morning proved productive for both ringing and birding. Goldfinches dominated the catch but we also bagged a few warblers and more Tree Pipits to add to those of Tuesday. 

Today’s catch comprised 52 birds of 10 species; in numerical order - 20 Goldfinch, 8 Chaffinch, 6 Goldcrest, 5 Willow Warbler, 4 Tree Pipit, 3 Coal Tit, 2 Blackcap, 2 Robin, 1 Great Tit, 1 Greenfinch. 

The twenty Goldfinches included an adult bearing a ring immediately recognisable as not our own due the unfamiliar series of letters and numbers – S524171. Otherwise the remaining Goldfinches proved to be first years/juveniles. Almost without us trying very hard it’s looking like Goldfinch will become the most ringed bird of 2018 due simply to its abundance in town and country. 

Goldfinch 

All four Tree Pipits proved to be first years/juveniles. All seven we have caught this week have been first year/juveniles. This is not surprising given that by the end of the summer birds of the year will outnumber adults in the ratio of approximately 5/1 and also that adults are thought to migrate earlier than juveniles. The recovery rate for ringed Tree Pipits is actually quite low, despite ”acute persecution” in Southern France and Northern Spain (BWP). 

Tree Pipit 

Tree Pipit

Five Willow Warblers gave opportunities to directly compare adults (born before 2018) with first years (born 2018). 

adult Willow Warbler 

first year Willow Warbler 

The two Blackcaps were first year birds, one female and one male. 

Blackcap 

We discussed how we’d not caught a Coal Tit for months and then, lo and behold, three turned up in quick succession, together with a single adult male Great Tit. 

Great Tit 

Not so with Blue Tits as they remain hard to come by up here – rather a strange thing to say about the most ringed bird on the BTO’s books. Our own observations and casual chatter elsewhere suggest Blue Tits may be the next to suffer from a drop in numbers. 

From as early as 0700 there was a noticeable movement of Swallows overhead which tailed off about 0900 by which time we had counted 80+. As the morning warmed more Swallows arrived from the North West together with smaller numbers of House Martins as both species aerial fed in numbers approached a combined 250/300 or more. 

Finches were also on the move as shown by our catch of both Goldfinches and Chaffinches with small parties of both throughout the morning. Not so with Lesser Redpoll, this has yet to appear as an autumn migrant up here. 

A number of Pied Wagtails appeared in late morning with 15/20 feeding nearby and a couple or more noted flying over and due south. Other birds noted in addition to those caught – 15 Willow Warbler, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Peregrine, 1 Treecreeper. 

Great-spotted Woodpecker 

The Spotted Flycatchers were along the nearby woodland edge of someone’s garden. These were the first I’d seen since May in Menorca where Spot Flys are ten-a-penny, unlike the UK where the species is another one in decline. 

Spotted Flycatcher 

The flycatchers were a good way to end an interesting and rewarding morning. And with the same forecast for Friday, who knows? We may be back for more. 

Linking today to Eileen's Saturday Blogspot.

Gamekeeper Shoots Short-eared Owls

There's nothing much to add to the video below. Watch and see if your blood boils.

 

For this outrageous and despicable crime the derisory “punishment” handed out by the court is equally outrageous. The perpetrator Tim Cowin was fined £400 for killing each owl and £200 for possessing a calling device, which was forfeited by the court. He was ordered to pay £170 costs and a £40 victim surcharge. A total of £1,210.

This kind of cruelty and disregard for our wildlife will continue until proper sentences are imposed and landowners become liable for crimes committed on their land.   

Read more at: RSPB Investigations.

Back soon with more pleasing news.

Slowly Does It

This ringing lark gets more difficult to predict. After the rain and wind of Sunday and Monday we felt sure that a fine start to Tuesday might produce an influx of birds to our site at Oakenclough. I met up with Andy at 0630 and then we waited, and waited. 

It was a good thing that the feeders were well topped up because that is where we realised the majority of our 20 birds, mostly finches: 14 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 1 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler and 1 Goldcrest. 

Of the 14 Goldfinch, 11 were birds of the year in varying stages of post-juvenile moult. An adult female had a clear and well-defined brood patch suggestive of current or very recent breeding this late in August. Such determined productivity and willingness to adopt the suburban garden defines the outstanding success of this now abundant species. 

Goldfinch 

In the field someone might easily label the below Blackcap as an adult male because of the black cap. Closer scrutiny showed a juvenile/first year tail but also, the tell-tale remnants of a juvenile brown cap. By late August juvenile male Blackcaps show hardly if any brown in their black caps. 

Blackcap 

Blackcap 

Ageing autumn Willow Warblers in the field is very hard, some might say impossible with any degree of certainty given the often brief views of a tiny warbler flitting through the greenery. 

The process is much easier in the hand when we employ an understanding of the moult strategy of Willow Warblers to separate the two age classes. Adult Willow Warblers go through a complete autumn moult while juveniles undertake a partial moult, so that by late summer/early August individual birds of different ages can initially appear identical. 

The tails of adults are typically broad, rounded with little or no abrasion; juvenile tails are usually narrower, more pointed and usually look more worn that the equivalent adult tail. In general but not absolutely, adults have whiter bellies than first year birds. 

Willow Warbler 

There seemed to be little visible migration this morning with just tiny groups of Goldfinch and Chaffinch making their way overhead. We saw 10-20 Swallows heading south and a probable local Sparrowhawk. 

We followed up a sighting of a few days ago – five or six Little Ringed Plovers on the margins of the nearby reservoir where the water level remains at summery lows. Yes indeed, 5 Little Ringed Plover. Thanks Peter. 

Little Ringed Plover 

Looks like a day off tomorrow. But back on Thursday with Another Bird Blog. 

Going Nowhere

The breeze was just too strong for a ringing session. Even at 10 mph we are blown off course at Oakenclough.  I set off instead for a spot of birding in what would prove to be a quite productive and eventful morning. 

At Lane Ends Pilling I was early enough to see the Little Egrets depart their island roost. The site is now so overgrown that it’s impossible to see the egrets from any direction, the only option being to count them in at dusk or count them out at dawn.  In the morning they signal their imminent departure by their barking calls after which they fly in ones, twos and threes from the trees to the marsh below. I counted 28 heading out and landing on the marsh before they gradually scattered in all directions to later spend their day in Morecambe Bay. 

Little Egret 

There was a flight of Greylag Geese off the marsh and heading south over my head. I counted 70+ in just ten or fifteen minutes. By the time I reached Braides Farm Greylags were still on the move with another two parties of 40+ birds, they too heading south. There was a Kestrel here, a young bird and one of very few juvenile Kestrels I've seen this year. 

There was a very good selection of waders at Conder Green by way of 270 Lapwing, 44 Redshank, 7 Greenshank, 4 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Snipe and 1 Oystercatcher. 

Dunlin 

Other “water” birds appeared as 12 Little Grebe, 3 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 2 Shelduck, 1 Common Tern and 1 Kingfisher. The Kingfisher didn't come close and I was forced to watch it hovering and then plunge-diving across the pool and in front of the far island. This where the grebes hang out and where there are lots of small fish to be had. 

Little Grebe 

A single Whitethroat and 6 Goldfinch was the sum of the passerine count although 120+ Swallows was a welcome sight. 

At Glasson the Tufted Duck numbers are building with 22 there today plus a single Great Crested Grebe, but otherwise a decent number of uncounted Common Coot and a single Grey Heron. 

Tufted Duck 

There were more Swallows along Jeremy Lane where the good folk of Gardner’s Farm seem not to mind their roof and TV aerial being decorated by Swallows and House Martins. 

Swallow 

Swallow 

House Martin & Swallow 

Further up the lane I had to turn around and head back. A recovery truck was on its way to rescue an Asda delivery van from the roadside ditch. Someone near Cockersands would wait in vain for their Internet shopping bags. 

Going Nowhere 

Asda Delivery 

The lanes up here are often single track where a driver unfamiliar with local niceties like giving way to large tractors may find they are off-road with nowhere to go. 

Back near Pilling again I found 4 Buzzards in the air and a Little Owl sat in the sun but sheltered from the now stiff northerly wind. 

Little Owl 

More soon. Stay tuned to Another Bird Blog.

Linking today to Anni's Birding Blog.

Looking For Improvement

The weather continues to thwart plans for ringing with strong winds and frequent showers. Saturday looks slightly better with Monday and into next week an improving picture. Fingers crossed. 

In the meantime, and ever looking to share good news with my readers, I found another boost for birds via agri-environment schemes - 21 August 2018 in Farming Life of Northern Ireland.  

Three key farmland bird species increased in number over a five-year period in response to an agri-environment scheme (AES), according to a study by the RSPB. Yellowhammers, House Sparrows and Tree Sparrows rose in abundance in farms taking part in the project across east Co Down, Ireland. 

“Yellowhammers – a Red-listed species (a bird of high conservation concern) which had been in sharp decline were up by an impressive 78% between 2006 and 2011. As well as the surge in Yellowhammer numbers on farms taking part in the AES, House Sparrows were up 46% and Tree Sparrows up 207% in the five-year period. 

Yellowhammer 

The study assessed whether changes in the abundance of priority farmland bird species differed over a five-year period between farms under AES management and a similar sample of farms not subject to the management. It was conducted in Co Down, one of the last remaining areas of lowland mixed arable farmland in Northern Ireland. Three target species (House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer) showed more positive increases in abundance on the AES farms. 

Prior to the current EFS being made available last year, there had been a couple of years without an available AES and this will have had a negative impact on species including the Yellowhammer. 

Tree Sparrow 

This week sees the opening of the Northern Ireland Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS), whereby farmers can sign up for a system that compensates landowners for undertaking work to enhance biodiversity and water quality. EFS, administered by the Department of Agriculture the Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), is open to all active farmers who have management control of at least three hectares of eligible farmland. 

Key options in EFS highlighted are provision of winter feed crop for wild birds, retention of winter stubble, creation of arable margins and creation of pollinator margins. 

Kendrew Colhoun, RSPB senior conservation scientist, said: “We see the EFS as a critical component as part of our work to maintain biodiversity across the countryside in Northern Ireland. Our study provides unequivocal evidence that AES can deliver for key species if the correct mix of EFS options (such as ones to provide summer and winter food and nesting habitat) are targeted to the right places and coupled with advice.” 

Farmer Jack Kelly, who has a farm outside Downpatrick, employed a range of wider options on his land - including wild bird cover, overwintering stubbles, rough grass margins, pollen and nectar margins, annual wildflower margins, native hedging and a hay meadow.  

Jack Kelly said “The agri-environmental scheme has been beneficial for us, providing the opportunity to help wildlife on areas of our land which may not be as productive as other areas. We were able to utilise field margins or awkward corners and turn them into havens for wildlife. The overwintered stubbles and wild bird cover plot provides my family and myself with a great spectacle over the winter when hundreds of birds come to feed on the seed. It works well within our farming practices and we would encourage other farmers to make the most of the EFS.” 

House Sparrow 

Sean Woods, RSPB NI conservation advisor added: “The opening of the wider EFS provides the opportunity for farmers to help some of our most important species such as the Yellowhammer, while receiving a financial reward. “Many of our iconic farmland wildlife species rely on farmers utilising measures such as those found in the scheme. We are urging as many farmers as possible to enter EFS to help nature thrive on their land and we would also like to thank the forty-plus farmers that took part in the original research project.” 

Read more at Farming Life  August 2018 

On the same topic. During the week I talked to a game-keeper who with shooter colleagues, and at their own expense, are trying to get farmers interested in planting up small areas of their land with wild bird cover crops – e.g. a corner or strip of a field as above. Obviously the shooters’ main aim is in making such crops suitable for game-birds like pheasants and partridge, but there is no doubt that such schemes benefit many small farmland birds. 

I am not a fan of shooting. But not for the first time I found that if we as birders take time to talk with them, many sportsmen have a genuine desire to help recover the situation that has seen the UK population of farmland birds plummet over many years. And as this example shows, they often walk the talk and provide an example for others to follow.

Linking today to Eileen's Blog.

Trepi Trio

At last! After a week of dire weather there was a 5mph wind; although there was a gloomy, misty start, the murky skies cleared within the hour. 

I met up with Andy at Oakenclough where we expected to catch up with the species, if not necessarily the individuals, we missed in the interim. At this time of year many birds are on the move in either post-breeding dispersal or actual southerly migration. If the weather is not too good birds will fly around or above the obstacle or even delay their flights until conditions improve. Such things make for exciting mornings when we may have an idea of what species to expect in but not necessarily the numbers. 

Gloomy Start 

The early overcast may have blocked some early movement but we finished up with 24 birds of 8 species as follows: 5 Willow Warbler, 4 Chaffinch, 4 Great Tit, 3 Tree Pipit, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Dunnock, 1 Robin. 

We caught the five Willow Warblers early one while it was still misty but none later, suggesting that they were leftovers from Monday or before. All five proved to be birds of the year. The numbers of young Willow Warblers seem to be up this year and we speculated that the excellent summer with the lack of the usual downpours has helped ground nesting species like Willow Warblers. 

Willow Warbler 

TREPI is the computer input code for Tree Pipit. Inputting this morning’s data is a job for later in the day via the BTO’s DemOn, (Demography Online) an on-line application which allows users to input their ringing and/or nest records. All three Tree Pipits were birds of the year – juveniles. 

DemOn 

As Tree Pipit breeds sparingly in the North West of England we can be fairly sure that the three caught this morning are from the Scottish population, or maybe even from Scandinavia. Maps that show the Tree Pipit breeding right across the UK are in fact inaccurate as the species' range is more limited. 

Tree Pipit distribution - RSPB 

Tree Pipit 

Tree Pipit 

Goldcrests are bang on time and we should now catch good numbers right through to November. 

Goldcrest 

Dunnock 

The young Robin showed just a hint of red breast. 

Robin 

There seemed to be Chaffinch on the move this morning when a few small parties flew over giving their characteristic, soft, “chip, chip” contact call. 

Chaffinch 

Other birds seen during the four hour slot -  1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Redshank, 2 Cormorant, 8 Goldfinch, 20+ Chaffinch.  After the mist cleared and the air warmed a number of Swallows appeared, mostly heading south in singles or small parties of between 2 and 6 individuals - in all 30+.

Linking today to Stewart's World Bird Wednesday

A Whiter Shade Of Pale

The week has been a frustrating one of dull days, bouts of rain and irritating wind speeds that preclude even an hour or two of ringing. Consequently I've not done a lot of anything birdy wise. 

During the dry spell of June and July the garden was devoid of birds apart from a few Goldfinch, the usual Woodpigeons and a passing Great-spotted Woodpecker. Last night when dozing half asleep I heard the screech of a Tawny Owl that sounded very close, probably in our apple tree. It’s about now that Tawny Owls start to sort out their winter territories as a prelude to their often post-Christmas breeding and each year and there’s always a pair in the trees just along the road from here. 

Tawny Owl 

But in the last few weeks, and with the change of season, lots of Goldfinch reappeared on the feeders in some numbers. These birds are about 90% juveniles and probably the second or even third brood of their productive parents. Yesterday I counted up to 20 Goldfinch at a time on the feeders, so goodness knows how many individuals that represents using the garden during the course of a day. 

So when Sue went off shopping to the big city, I was left home alone with just a mist net for company and where the breeze was not a major problem in the sheltered back garden. I caught just Goldfinches and no other species, exactly as expected where Goldfinches are by far the most common bird in our semi-rural location. 

What I didn't anticipate was to catch a very leucistic Goldfinch. It was one born this year. With its washed out appearance and lack of pigmentation I sexed it as male by a combination its long bill, the lengthy wing and healthy weight. I didn't see or catch any similar birds so there is no way of knowing if this was a one off, if there are similarly affected siblings or whether it inherited the leucism from a parent.  

Leucistic Goldfinch 

Leucistic Goldfinch

'Normal' Goldfinch

Here’s a little more about leucism & albinism in birds. From the British Trust for Ornitholgy (BTO). 

"Leucism is an abnormal plumage condition caused by a genetic mutation that prevents pigment, particularly melanin, from being properly deposited on a bird’s feathers. This results in white feathers, unless the normal plumage colour also comprises carotenoids (e.g. yellows), which remain unaffected by the condition. Although leucism is inherited, the extent and positioning of the white colouration can vary between adults and their young, and can also skip generations if leucistic genes are recessive. 

The reduction of pigment in leucistic birds causes feathers to weaken and be more prone to wear. In some situations this can hinder flight, which, in addition to leucistic birds usually being more conspicuous, can heighten risk of predation. There is also evidence that leucistic birds might, on occasion, not be recognised or accepted by a potential mate. 

Leucistic Goldfinch 

Leucism is an umbrella term to encompass a number of plumage irregularities that can be difficult to distinguish from each other. One of these is called ‘progressive greying’, which also results in white feathers. While leucism is heritable, progressive greying is not – but without knowing the history of a bird, these two conditions are difficult to tell apart. 

‘Dilution’ is another condition grouped under the category of ‘leucism’. Here, plumage colour often appears ‘washed out’ (i.e. ‘diluted’). In dilution, melanin cells are present (unlike in leucistic birds) but produce less pigment than normal. White feathers can also be caused by chromatophore (pigment cell) defects, rather than an absence of melanin-producing cells. 

Albinism also results in white feathers but true albinos are thought to be rare in the wild. Albinism is caused by a genetic mutation causing an absence of tyrosinase in pigment cells. An albino individual is unable to produce melanin pigments. This leads to a good diagnostic feature with which to distinguish leucistic and albino individuals – the colour of the eye. 

Leucistic Goldfinch 

Albinos have pink eyes while the iris pigmentation of leucistic birds remains dark. Most albino birds die soon after fledging, primarily as a consequence of their poor eyesight, and albino birds are not thought to progress to adulthood in the wild. As with leucistic individuals, albinos can retain carotenoid pigments if normally present in the plumage. A common misnomer is ‘partial albino’ – this is not possible since albinism affects the whole plumage of a bird, not just part." 

Because so many birders rely on plumage colours and patterns for bird identification, seeing an unusual bird with lighter colours or white patches can initially be confusing. By understanding what leucism is and how it can affect birds, birders can better appreciate the great variety of avian life they see. 

Linking this post to Anni's Birding Blog.