Linnet Time

Regular readers will remember that the Linnets haven’t played ball this year with their appearances at Gulf Lane limited to small flocks of 10-40 individuals performing short and swift flyovers. There’s been little sign of the much bigger flocks of 300/400 birds of the past two winters. We have attributed this to plentiful food sources in the wider area as we have seen Linnets in decent numbers, for example, c150 half a mile away at Braides Farm two weeks ago. 

The week’s niggling easterly wind vetoed any hopes of making it to Cockerham for a crack at the Linnets where less than 10 mph is vital. Until today, when a forecast of 8 mph, freezing temperatures but with that still easterly chill dictated five layers of top clothes and a woolly hat. At 0700 I met Andy, shivering when after a week in the heat of the Egyptian desert, he was plunged into a frosty Lancashire morning. 

Minus One

A very slow start with just one bird by 8 am picked up slightly until by 1115 we had amassed a total of 17 birds - 16 Linnets and 1 Tree Sparrow. 

The Linnets comprised 7 first winter males, 6 first winter females, 3 adult males and zero adult females. We were more than pleased with this total considering the lack of birds in recent weeks, especially since this visit coincided with our best count of the season at 125+ Linnets. We are hoping that numbers build up from now. 

Linnet 

Linnet 

Tree Sparrow 

A local farmer/shooter who passes here at Gulf Lane every day stopped to ask how we were doing. Interestingly he confirmed our own recent low counts of Linnets with his own maximum counts of 30/40 Linnets. He also shared the view that this year has seen an abundance of natural food that Linnets and other species have exploited, hence their lateness at arriving at Gulf Lane to a field of bird seed mix, one that could never match their natural diet. 

The photo below is taken from Birds of The Western Palearctic. It lists the very catholic diet of the Linnet, literally dozens and dozens of species of seeds and plant matter, but also a number of insects which Linnets eat during the summer months. The insects are especially important in the spring and summer when they feature in the diet of nestlings. 

Agricultural changes over UK farmland in the last 40/50 years have depleted stocks of many of the seeds and plants listed and also decimated populations of many insects. It's little wonder and no coincidence that the Linnet and many other farmland species have suffered catastrophic declines.      

Linnet Diet 

With more breezy days to come soon, we may have another Linnet day soon. Stay tuned to see how we do.

Linking today to World Bird Wednesday, Anni's Birding and Eileen's Saturday Blog. 

Birders Cock-Up?

Never let it be said that Another Bird Blog doesn’t offer a variety of stories. We continue the rule of thumb today with a story about Modern Art in the Serbian town of Kikinda,  a samll town that is home to the planet's largest roosting population of Long-eared Owls. Between early November and mid-March, hundreds roost each day in the town square. 

Long-eared Owl - LEOs of Poland.

Reuters - November 2018 - “Phallic owl statue in Serbian town of Kikinda sparks complaints.” 

“A statue designed to brand Kikinda in Serbia as the city of owls is attracting attention for a different reason: its "phallic" shape. Critics of the recently erected 2.4 metre statue have called for its removal, claiming it is obscene. 

"This doesn't look like an owl. God save me, whoever approved this has no eyes," one person wrote on a Facebook post announcing the terra-cotta statue's unveiling. 

"Freud could say something about this statue, it looks so much like a phallus," another said. 

"Now everyone will ridicule Kikinda," another Facebook post read. 

"This statue represents something very masculine, but not an owl," said a post on Twitter. 

The statue did please some, however. "Come on people, I love art and I think the statue is really nice," one Facebook user said. 

Local sculptor Jovan Blat, who made the statue told Serbian newspaper Vecernje Novosti that he had intended to create a "stylized sculpture" with an "elongated, tubular body. It is clear that everyone does not understand contemporary art." 

Given the reaction to the statue, however, Blat said he would be prepared to make a replacement statue. 

However, Zeljiko Bodrozic, editor-in-chief of a local newspaper, said the existing owl statue should stay. "With all the hype swirling around it... in a way it also becomes a symbol of our city."  Local authorities declined to comment. 

Dragan Simic, a keen bird watcher, also has no issue with the statue. "Kikinda is now famous for its owls... across Europe, even around the world... the bird watchers are very active, numerous and loyal tourists." 

Kikinda - Serbia

Me? I couldn't possibly comment. But Dear Reader, feel free to add your point of view below.

Linking this post to Stewart's World Bird Wednesday.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Oh dear, the blog stats don’t look too good today after a week without a post. But Blogger tells me that “Page View All Time History” passed the one million mark at 1,008,401 from 1428 posts since August 2009, so all is not lost. Someone deserves a medal, probably faithful readers, a number of whom have followed the blog from day one. 

Migration time is pretty much finished here in Lancashire so unless something extraordinary takes place, for the next month or two it’s winter birds until the days lengthen in February and March. Birders forever wish their lives away to hurry along the next season and all that it brings, but somehow, winter seems to be the least favourite month for many birders. Or maybe even summer for those who take little interest in the breeding season? 

Saturday morning, and although there was a biting wind from the east a spot of welcome sunshine held out possibilities for a picture or two. I hit the lanes of Moss and Jeremy early, hoping for a few pictures of thrushes while the hawthorn berries are almost into their last days. Our winter thrushes consume the haw berry in huge quantities and if the weather turns very cold the hedgerows will very soon be stripped entirely of their already low yield of our dry summer. 

I found about 40 Fieldfares along the exact same stretch of road as a week ago, a handful of Redwings and the same of Blackbirds. Suddenly this week there are more Blackbirds around, even in our modest garden, as Blackbirds from Europe and Scandinavia move into the relative warmth of the UK. 

Fieldfare 

Fieldfare 

Fieldfare 

Blackbird 

It was watch and wait as passing cars sent the shy thrushes back and forth to escape the danger they sensed. While our garden Blackbirds can become used to humans, even in many cases, persuaded to trust us, the Blackbirds that live out in the sticks are as retiring as the very wary Redwing or reclusive Song Thrush.  If anything the larger Fieldfare is bolder than any and does occasionally let someone take a photograph. 

Redwing 

Redwing 

Blackbird 

The two Buzzards of a week ago were in the exact same spot, using a vantage tree to good effect in locating food in the adjacent field. 

I looked at Conder Green where following recent excavations and management, birds are beginning to return. Although returnees seemed to be mainly gulls I was in time to see a Great White Egret fly across towards the canal and to then count a raft of about 65 Wigeon against the far bank. Just recently a Great White has been seen at both nearby Aldcliffe and Cockersands, so possibly the same bird. 

Great Egret

Also here at the pool and in the creeks - a single Kestrel, 140 Teal, 22 Redshank, 8 Oystercatcher, 6 Curlew, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Little Egret and 1 Snipe. 

Redshank 

Redshank 

Oystercatcher

Excuse me now, I have to go to the shops and buy the Saturday night Lottery ticket. You just never know.

Linking this post to Anni's Birding Blog.

Daylight Robbery

I've been robbed of a number of days birding lately by our November weather, the month that invariably brings gloomy, wet and windy days across the Atlantic from the direction of North America.  I blame Donald Trump. There’s no other feasible explanation. 

It wasn't much different on Saturday morning after a bright start that quickly went downhill, until by 11 am there was rain and I was back home. After soup and a sandwich I sat at the keyboard only to see the sky lighten once more. Too late. 

Our Pink-footed Geese aren't playing ball with birders yet. They are shot at every day and prove hard to find, even harder to watch. At Lane Ends, Pilling was a flock of several hundred, maybe a thousand and seemingly entirely “pinkies” - unsurprising when the odds of finding the oddity goose is several thousand to one.  A large tractor drove slowly past, followed by a brightly clad jogger as the geese peeled off from their brief feed and gradually flew inland in tens, twenties and thirties in search of peace and quiet. 

Pink-footed Goose 

Out on the marsh were about 800/1000 Starlings in a tight flock, a Buzzard, a Grey Heron, plus a good number of Skylarks - perhaps 40/50 but most of them distant. 

I stopped at Gulf Lane hoping to see a good number of Linnets but best estimate was 40+ birds and none especially interested in the bird seed crop. About half a mile down the road at Braides Farm I noted that a flock of 150 or so Linnets fed along the weedy track and in the extensive fields there. It seems that the lack of Linnets at our own project site, probably as result of the good summer, mild autumn and warm-wet, early winter, has produced an abundance of food. The Linnets can pick and choose where they eat most times, more so this year. 

Linnet 

Braides Farm produced some exceptional counts of waders. The aircraft from the nearby parachute centre was around and about, often overhead at very low altitude upon which the massed waders would all take off into panic flight mode. Mostly they settled down again and I was able to achieve good but approximate counts of 2800 Lapwing, 2000 Golden Plover, 200 Redshank and 120 Curlew. Throughout all of this a Kestrel sat unperturbed along the fence line, waiting I guess for an opportune meal. 

Lapwing 

Of late there has been much disturbance at Conder Green with both habitat improvement on the pool and major construction around the old road bridge and the A588 road to and from Lancaster. That explains the relatively poor counts here of 130 Teal, 22 Black-tailed Godwit, 12 Redshank, 5 Little Grebe and just one Little Egret. 

I was about to spend an hour at Glasson, viewing the dock waters from the car, waiting for the wildfowl to come sailing by as they mostly do on quiet mornings. But then I saw that, where parking on this huge expanse of land has been free for as long as anyone can remember, folk are now expected to cough up via shiny new "Pay Here" machines.  In the village 50 yards away the little shops that sell bacon butties and ice cream to summer tourists are unhappy at the greedy tactics on display.   

Daylight Robbery 

Worse still the Canal and River Trust have sub-contracted the job to a company based in the south coast town of Brighton! Trendy Brighton, where (I'm told) bars like WTF and Naked Day fleece the sheeple punters, shops have names like ‘Vegetarian Shoes’ and ‘Choccywoccydoodah’, and kids have laughable names such as Lettuce, Rainbow and Daisy Boo. 

No, I can’t see birders paying for fancy parking here in Lancashire where folk are careful with their brass and where in the not too distant past in-your-face constructions demanding cash have been chopped at the knees during the darkest of winter nights. 

So instead I took a freebie ride in the direction of Moss Lane and Jeremy Lane and spent time watching a pair of Buzzards, about 150 Fieldfares and a dozen or more Redwings. 

Both Buzzards used a hawthorn hedgerow as a vantage point from which to watch the adjacent field. The Buzzards totally ignored the many Fieldfares that flew back and forth along the line of hedge as they scattered for no reason and then returned in unison. The Buzzards showed no interest at all in three Pheasants that walked along the hedgerow below them. No, the Buzzards were after small prey in the alongside field as one after the other they flew to ground where if necessary they ran to pounce upon the morsel they had spotted from their vantage point. 

Buzzard and Pheasants 

Buzzard 

Buzzard 

Noted many times on this blog. Buzzards principally eat small rodents, but also take birds, reptiles, amphibians, larger insects and earthworms. Buzzards do sometimes take game birds but such items make up only a tiny proportion of the diet. Buzzards are more likely to feed on carrion. 

Buzzards use three main hunting techniques. They locate prey from a perch and then fly directly to it. They may also soar over open terrain, occasionally hanging in the wind before dropping on to the prey and following up the attack on the ground. Alternatively they may be seen walking or standing on the ground looking for invertebrates. The photos are as close as we can get to Buzzards in this part of the world where the species is persecuted for any excuse and little reason. 

It was interesting that as I watched the Buzzards, the many dozens of Fieldfares using the same stretch of hedgerow displayed no fear of the Buzzards and at no time flew off because of the Buzzards’ feeding activity. 

Fieldfare 

Another thing. The fine, dry summer of 2018 produced little in the way of hawthorn berries and even now in early November, there are few berries left for wintering thrushes. Anyone who has yet to connect with a Fieldfare will find that they become scarce very soon if there is no food. 

Linking today to Eileen's Saturday and Stewart's World Bird Wednesday. 

Indoor Post

Looks like I won’t get out birding or ringing for a few more days. To put it mildly, the weather is crap by way of the usual wet and wind. 

But hopefully 2018/19 may turn out to be a “Brambling Winter”, an irruption year for this close relative of the much more common Chaffinch. Migration watch points and Bird Observatories are reporting abnormally large numbers of Bramblings when in more typical years the numbers of Bramblings seen is low in comparison to other autumn migrants and to species that overwinter. 

Trektellen shows a clear spike in UK numbers in late October early November 2018 with three or more days of 2000+ Bramblings at Hunstanton Cliffs, Norfolk and at Spurn Bird Observatory. There are also several days of counts in the high hundreds. 

Brambling 2018 - https://www.trektellen.nl

Brambling 

Brambling 

However, sightings here on the west coast are not nearly as high which is not unusual given that the range of the Brambling is biased towards the east by stretching from Scandinavia and then east through an enormous swath of taiga forest across to Sakhalin and Kamchatka. This area is at the most extreme eastern edge of the Russian Federation at the Pacific Ocean and very close to the northern tip of Japan. 

In "Brambling winters" it is often into the extremes of January and February and icy temperatures before Bramblings find their way to the warmer west coast of England. Such irruptions in a number of birds of Northern Europe most often involve species like Hawfinch, Brambling, Chaffinch, Waxwing, Bullfinch, Siskin, Coal Tit and Crossbill. The common factor is each species’ reliance upon the various seeds of trees found in northern taiga, also known as boreal forest. 

Crossbill 

Waxwing 

These irregular migrations are difficult to study because it is hard to predict when they will happen or where the birds will go each year. In each case, however, irruptions follow some type of boom-and-bust cycle of food sources. It is important to note that many winter birds will gather in flocks for the season, but that does not mean they are irrupting. An irruption is characterized by a distinct shift in the birds' typical winter range, with many birds appearing well outside the normal boundaries of their winter homes. 

Waxwing

The most common cause of this phenomenon is called “masting,” which occurs when a single tree species produces a large number of seeds across thousands of miles of forest in the same year. When the conifers in the boreal forests of Northern Europe experience a masting year, the abundance of seeds gives some species of bird a boost. The birds begin breeding earlier than usual and produce more offspring, resulting in a population boom. When autumn arrives, the bird population has doubled or even tripled, but the available habitat hasn't. Many birds move south, and young birds in particular may be pushed further and farther south and west in search of both food and somewhere to spend the winter. 

Other causes for bird irruptions include unduly harsh cold or severe weather that may force birds to find more temperate wintering grounds, or over-breeding that may deplete even plentiful food supplies. No matter what the cause of the irruption, however, it is difficult to predict where or when irrupting species may appear.

It is known that the Brambling’s strategy during winter, to roost in large dense flocks, is superior to those of other passerines. Also during summer Brambling densities can be very high even at breeding sites when food is abundant. Thus the Bramblings seem to prefer wintering in flocks as large as the available food supply allows permits. 

This may explain why flocks estimated at between 2 million and 5 million Bramblings are sometimes recorded in Scandinavia, Central Europe and Japan. Such flocks can even occur in good years for beech mast, a favoured food of the Brambling. 

Take a look at the video below. At first glance it appears to be a video of a murmuration of Starlings, but in fact all of the birds are Bramblings. The video was shot in Japan, sometime during the winter of 2015/16.  

Back soon with an outdoor post. Until them linking this post to Anni's Blog and Eileen's Saturday.

Eggciting News

Regular readers will know that I like to add a little variety to the blog but never stray too far from birds. After all, birds are not just for looking at and it's doubtful that curiosity ever really killed a cat, least of all an enquiring mind, amateur or professional. 

Birds feature in many branches of science, history, art, and in recent years, studies of evolution, and the origin of birds via dinosaurs. Research in the past few decades has shown many traits once thought to define modern birds, including feathers, wishbones, brooding behaviours, avian-style lungs, and hollow skeletons evolved first in their dinosaur forebears. 

Bird eggs have been admired since ancient times for their many hues and patterns, from the turquoise-blue of the Common Starling to the blotchy browns of the Curlew. And now, a study shows the colours and markings on birds’ eggs are even older than thought. They may have graced dinosaur eggs some 150 million years ago. 

Curlew eggs 

Mini dinosaur hatching

Starling nest

Yale University. "Dinosaurs put all coloured birds' eggs in one basket, evolutionarily speaking." 

ScienceDaily. 31 October 2018. 

"According to researchers at Yale, the American Museum of Natural History, and the University of Bonn, birds inherited their egg colour from non-avian dinosaur ancestors that laid eggs in fully or partially open nests. 

Last year, molecular paleo biologist Jasmina Wiemann of Yale University published the first evidence of dinosaur egg colouration, using chemical analysis to detect two pigments—blue-green biliverdin and red-brown protoporphyrin—in the eggs of a 70-million-year-old parrot-beaked oviraptorosaur called Heyuannia from China. 

"This completely changes our understanding of how egg colours evolved," said author, Jasmina Wiemann. "For two centuries, ornithologists assumed that egg colour appeared in modern birds' eggs multiple times, independently." 

The egg colours of birds reflect characteristic preferences in nesting environments and brooding behaviours. Modern birds use only two pigments, red and blue, to create all of the various egg colours, spots, and speckles. 

Wiemann and her colleagues analysed 18 fossil dinosaur eggshell samples from around the world, using non-destructive laser micro spectroscopy to test for the presence of the two eggshell pigments. They found them in eggshells belonging to Eumaniraptoran dinosaurs, which include small, carnivorous dinosaurs such as Velociraptor. 

"We infer that egg colour co-evolved with open nesting habits in dinosaurs," Wiemann said. "Once dinosaurs started to build open nests, exposure of the eggs to visually hunting predators and even nesting parasites favoured the evolution of camouflaging egg colours, and individually recognizable patterns of spots and speckles." 

Co-author Mark Norell, the Macaulay Curator of Palaeontology at the American Museum of Natural History, noted that "Coloured eggs have been considered a unique bird characteristic for over a century. Like feathers and wishbones, we now know that egg colour evolved in their dinosaur predecessors long before birds appeared."  

Eggs of British Birds - Seebohm - 1896

Now never let it be said that Another Bird Blog doesn't offer its readers food for thought.

Back soon with more birds and things.

In the meantime, linking with Stewart's World Bird Wednesday.

Wot! No Redwings.

It’s the start of a new month at Oakenclough following 237 birds caught here in what proved to be a rather quiet October. The most ringed bird was Redwing with 84, followed by Goldfinch and Lesser Redpoll almost tying on 24 and 23 respectively. Lots of twos and threes in that total of 237 but disappointingly, only 19 Chaffinch and 10 Goldcrest in what should be a peak month of migration for both species. 

I couldn’t make it on Thursday when Andy kicked off November with a very nice 30 birds that included 4 more Redwings, a single Fieldfare, 3 Lesser Redpoll, more Goldfinches, and a “cracking” Bullfinch. 

Fast forward to Friday as Andy and I met up for another 0630 start. The morning was slow and slightly disappointing in the way of both migration and the number of birds caught. We finished early at 1100 due to the slowness of the session with just 16 birds captured: 7 Goldfinch, 3 Blue Tit, 2 Coal Tit, 1 Goldcrest , 1 Dunnock, 1 Chaffinch and 1 Lesser Redpoll. 

Lesser Redpoll

We tried to catch thrushes this morning but the few that were around simply did not play ball. There was an early rush of c125 Fieldfare and 40 Redwing from the west but by 0900 even that spurt died out, after which we saw none. Similarly the visible migration of finches was pretty much non-existent and limited to handfuls of Chaffinches, one definite Brambling, and the arriving Goldfinch likely to be more local birds. 

During 2018 Goldfinches proved to be the staple ringer’s diet here and elsewhere with around 300 captured by group members at various locations, including members' gardens where the Goldfinch remains omnipresent and widespread.  A quick glance at our data shows that of the 300, only 50 were full adults and the remaining 250 sub-adult or juveniles, an indication of the runaway productivity and continued success of this species.     

Goldfinch 

I called in at Gulf Lane, Cockerham where has been an unavoidable delay in our ongoing project to ring wintering Linnets. After the two winters 2016/17 and 2017/18 when we caught over 400 Linnets through the winter months, the corresponding season of 2018/19 has seen very few Linnets return to this regular site. 

The lack of Linnets here on the west coast this autumn is something of a mystery as good numbers have been reported at observation watch points on the East Coast. The graph below shows counts of migrating Linnets for the autumn period 2018 from Spurn Bird Observatory, Yorkshire. While most of these Linnets are likely to be of Scottish origin, a proportion will originate from Scandinavia, with their overall route south taking them to the south of England, France & Spain.

Linnets at Spurn 2018 -  Trektellen   

Only in the last weeks of October did I notice that the field of bird seed mix at Gulf Lane was beginning to entice a few Linnets with irregular counts of up to 35. In addition there had been a Stonechat and a handful of Tree Sparrows. 

Linnet 

We are now hopeful that numbers of Linnets here will build as the winter grows colder, wider food availability recedes and greater numbers of Linnets discover the ready-made field of finch food.

Linking today with Anni's Birding and Eileen's Saturday Blog.