That’s Better

A fine, dry morning at last, and even the wind had dropped. Springtime here seems to have passed me by due to a combination of poor April weather, going on holiday, and then even more rubbish weather just when we needed it least. Now we are almost in June when migration ends and resident birds fall more silent. 

I set off from Lane Ends, packing a few rings into my bag - A size in case of late Wheatears, B for Skylark nests and D2 for any Lapwing chicks left after the crow assault and Hi-Fly’s farming activities. Lane Ends had singing Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler, and on the way to Pilling Water, the male Corn Bunting again, singing from a gate post. Out on the marsh were 3 Whimbrel, with a scan across revealing still 30+ Shelduck and 10+ Redshank in calling pairs. 

Corn Bunting

It was beyond Pilling Water where I found the Lapwing chicks, three of similar size but from separate broods. The grass up there is pretty long to find whole broods unless there is a “finder” and a “guide”, the latter to watch through binoculars and direct the finder to a spot where the Lapwing chick crouched to the ground. If only it was always that easy. 

Lapwing chick

The adults stay close, protesting loudly and keeping one eye on the intruder.

Lapwing

Lapwing

 Excitement over I walked towards Fluke Hall where I found more adult Lapwings but no observable chicks. In the area of Worm Pool I saw a couple of Redshank, 8 Oystercatcher, a Black-tailed Godwit, and perched up on the poolside vegetation a fine, male Whinchat. 

Whinchat

From the stile I counted a dozen or so Swallows and several Swifts hawking insects, my eyes diverted by a Buzzard leaving the trees of Fluke Hall, the raptor followed mercilessly by the obligatory crows. The crow shook them off just before it reached Pilling Water plantation. 

Buzzard and Carrion Crow

Small numbers of Goldfinch and Linnet flew over, with a single Pied Wagtail and several Skylark about. The Skylark weren’t for giving much away apart from singing and I think a few nests may have been lost after Hi-Fly’s recent bout of rolling and tidying. 

I headed back, a good morning’s work and a wonderful walk in the sun.

Stay tuned for more walks in the summer sun with Another Bird Blog with this post linking to Anni who would also rather be birding and Stewart in Australia where you can see a whole gallery of birds.

Ringed Poll, Ringed Gull

Not much doing the in the strong northerly winds with a trip to Pilling proving not very productive. Lane Ends pools gave up the Greylags with young, the Canada Geese as yet without, a pair of Tufted Duck and a single drake Teal behaving as if a female was close by. The pool margins still hold two singing Reed Warblers and a singing Reed Bunting, with the recent Sedge Warbler and Willow Warblers not seen.

Donning jacket and hat I braved a walk to Pilling Water where I found Kestrel and Buzzard, the latter heading off towards Fluke Hall, the Kestrel in the direction of Damside. Any small birds were laying low in the wind, but I noted a pair of Greenfinch and the single Corn Bunting once again. In the poor conditions I decided to cut my losses and save the birding for another, hopefully better day soon where the coming weekend looks marginally better. So in the meantime I drove to Rawcliffe where between the rain and hail showers I did a little site management work as the (comparative) recent warmth is has spurred growth which threatens to turn woodland edge into woodland.

Out Rawcliffe  

A record came from the BTO of a bird handled at Rawcliffe Moss last year, a bird which bore a Belgian ring number 12231826, Bruxelles. The Lesser Redpoll ring was first ringed on 11 February 2012 at Sinaai, West Vlanderen, Belgium and then recaptured at Rawcliffe Moss on 20 October 2012, one of five Lesser Redpolls captured that day and one of 28 of the same species caught their during October of that year. 

Belgium is known as a regular haunt of Lesser Redpolls leaving the comparatively colder climate of the UK to winter further south, October being a peak migration time. The distance between the two sites is 555km, West Vlanderen being in a south south-easterly direction from Out Rawcliffe. 

Lesser Redpoll - Belgium to Out Rawcliffe

Lesser Redpoll

On holiday in Menorca I saw another ringed Audouin’s Gull this year, one of three Darvic ringed ones in recent years (BCFH, AHY2 and AH2D) spotted near the south coast resort of Sant Tomas. The gulls are part of the population ringed on the small Menorcan offshore island of Isla de L’Aire, a protected island where no one lives and no one is allowed to land without permission, a consent which is granted rarely. I learnt that AHY2 was ringed in 2005 and in 2007 spent at least some time in Barcelona, mainland Spain but was back in Menorca in 2008 and in 2009, but I didn't see that one this year.

Audouin's Gull - AHY2

In the late 1960s, Audouin’s Gull (named after the French naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin) was one of the World's rarest gulls, with a population of only 1,000 pairs. It has established new colonies, but remains rare with a world population of about c10, 000 pairs. This gull thrives on human practices of waste fish dumping. The population of Audouin’s Gull has risen spectacularly since the fishing industry, particularly in the Ebro delta of Spain, began dumping large volumes of fish waste overboard. Having adapted to this food source, Audouin’s Gull populations would now be decimated should the fishing industry choose to use the fish waste as animal food. In periods when the fisheries do not operate, Audouin’s Gulls have been seen to suffer food shortages, as well as becoming prey for the Yellow-legged Gull. 

The adult resembles a small European Herring Gull, the most noticeable differences being the short stubby red bill and "string of pearls" white wing primary tips, rather than the large "mirrors" of some other species. Audouin's Gulls take four years to reach adult plumage. 

Audouin's Gull - AHZD

 

Audouin's Gull- BCFH

Stay tuned for more from Another Bird Blog soon.

Why Menorca?

There’s no birding today, it's grandad duties looking after Isabella. So for blog regulars and “Menorca” Internet searchers here are some photographs from our recent holiday to that beautiful island. 

Sue and I go to Menorca because we adore the island scenery, admire the style, grace and friendly nature of the islanders, love exploring the countryside and the quiet little inland towns or perhaps visiting the historic cities of Mahon and Ciutadella. Two weeks of almost guaranteed sunshine plays a part too.

As ever, click on the pictures for a colourful slide show. 

Ciutadella 

 

 Mahon harbour

Es Mercadal

A bistro, Es Mercadal

While birding there takes second place to the actual holiday, any bird watching we do is a part of the relaxing time we have and the seeing afresh of common Mediterranean birds. Some years we pick up  new species for our island ”list” - this year Corncrake, Spoonbill and Glossy Ibis.

But bird watching is never easy in Menorca. Many of the regular species like Cetti’s Warbler, Nightingale, Firecrest, Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, Golden Oriole and Quail hide themselves away or stay distant whereby actually setting eyes upon any one of them becomes something of an occasion. Even the legendary and sought after Hoopoe is actually very shy in Menorca, more often heard as a distant 'oop-oop-oop' rather than seen well. Luckily I know of a regular breeding spot where both birds accept the busied click of the shutter button just once a year. 

Fornells bay

 Fornells

Bee Eater

Purple Heron

The Hoopoes weren't as far on as last year. This time I saw only the male as every fiftenn minutes or so he brought in food for the female's inspection, she sitting tight on the nest as he passed the food over without entering the concrete cavity.

Hoopoe

Hoopoe

 

Hoopoe

In ten visits to the island I have yet to meet a Menorcan birder and whilst there may be a small number, I imagine they could be counted on the digits of both hands and more probably one. Bird watching seems not to figure in the Menorcan culture. There are hardly any visiting birders either, the more substantial list and reputation of nearby Majorca ensuring that most foreign birders head there instead of its smaller neighbour. There is no bird news service on Menorca, word of mouth being the only means of relating news between the transient population of mainly European bird watchers who spend a week or fourteen days there before returning to the colder north. 

Screen Hide at Es Grau

View - Es Grau, Menorca

Spotted Flycatcher

Little Egret

Little Grebe

Whiskered Tern

Ses Salines - Menorca

Black-winged Stilt

In other words, and for those who appreciate such things, bird watching Menorca Style is rather old-fashioned by allowing discovery of birds alone, unencumbered by the annoying bleeps of pagers and mobile phones or car loads of hyped-up folk dashing between one bird-hit and the next. OK, at the end of a week the list in your notebook won’t be long but there will be a wonderful selection of Mediterranean species, a number of common birds and a few “goodies” thrown in, all of them with no pressure involved to the bird or the birder. 

Turtle Dove

Booted Eagle

Bee Eater

Stonechat

Cattle Egret

Cattle Egrets

Kestrel

It wasn't just birds. We saw good numbers of European Swallowtail Butterfly on a couple of days - flying too fast and frequently to get pictures. We also came acrosss a few large grasshoppers - up to 3 inches long - the migratory Egyptian Grasshoper I think. Insect experts help required please.

Egyptian Grasshopper?

And at the end of another stress free day there’s always a quiet bar to while away the time, watch the sunset and spend quality time, planning another day of discovery and hoping that tomorrow’s Roller may be a lot closer. If not, there's always next year and an excuse for a return visit.

Bar at Es Grau

European Roller

Menorca Sunset

Please log in soon to Another Bird Blog for more news and views. I'm linking this post to Stewart's Gallery - World Bird Wednesday  in Australia- take a look for more bird pictures.

Greenland At Pilling

It was back to the other local patch today with a walk out Pilling Way trying to spot changes in the area during my two weeks enforced absence in Menorca. 

I started early at Lambs Lane/Fluke Hall where calls and song led to Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting and Cuckoo, singles of each except for at least 4 Whitethroat and 2 or 3 Willow Warblers. 

In Menorca Wheatears were still going through in the first week of May, rock-hopping along the shore on a number of mornings, so today I was keen to get to Lane Ends, hoping to find a few of the “Greenland” type. 

Wheatears weren’t the most obvious bird at Lane Ends, it was Swallows, dozens of them stretched out along the fence behind the sea wall, several House Martins mixed in and all likely looking migrants. One or two folk have said that although Swallows arrived during the past two weeks there should still be plenty to come, and this morning I reckoned that is exactly what was happening, even though it was a murky old morning, the rain and drizzle of yesterday barely gone. Into the notebook went "80+ “Swall” and 15 “Houma”, soon after adding "12+ Swift". 

Barn Swallow

The plantation had singing Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting, and on the water a pair of Greylag with 5 well grown young. The sea wall to Fluke found 8 Skylark, 6 Goldfinch, 5 Wheatear and a single Corn Bunting, the bunting in precisely the same stretch of fence line a pair used last year. The grass isn’t as far on this year so the buntings may have to wait if they choose to breed again. 

Of the 5 Wheatears, all were females and I could catch one only, a second year and definitely a “Greenland” type, a bulky individual with a wing length of 111mm and a weight of 38gms. 

"Greenland" Wheatear

Some of the Lapwings at the Hi-Fly fields have young hidden away but it’s a difficult place to find the young for ringing, the vegetation being a little high, not helped by the nesting Redshanks and Oystercatchers helping the Lapwings to spot the intruder. A wary male Shoveler on the pool was highly suggestive of a female hidden away close by. More Skylarks up here with one pair feeding young out of the nest, another female Wheatear and more Swallows trickling through and heading north as the cloud lifted. 

Shoveler

A quietish walk then, but good to get back to the other patch before heading home for the afternoon and a catching up with the family.

Return To Normal?

In trying to dispel the post-holiday blues this morning I took a trip to Out Rawcliffe, and not sure what I might find I first took a walk around the ringing site. The outcome was pretty unremarkable with just the normal numbers of pairs of 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, and single Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting and Corn Bunting, all now settled on forthcoming territories. 

At least one pair of Whitethroats were engaged in the early stages of nest building, carrying long strands of grass to a clump of nettles. 

Common Whitethroat

Just yesterday there was notification from the BTO of a Whitethroat Y461617 ringed here at Rawcliffe Moss on 23 May 2012 and subsequently recaptured by French ringers on both 15 September and 19 September 2012 at La Maziere, Lot-et-Garonne, France, a distance of some 1082 km. It obviously spent a few days fattening up before the next leg of its huge journey. 

Common Whitethroat - Out Rawcliffe to Lot-et-Garonne

Whitethroats are known to travel through France on their autumn migration, continuing south to eventually reach beyond the Sahara Desert and into West Africa where they spend the winter months. They migrate north again in Spring, reaching Britain in late April/early May where all being well, they raise a family. 

I trapped the singing male Sedge Warbler and found it to be one first caught here in 2009 and recaptured in 2010 and 2011 but not in 2012. Failure to catch him in 2012 was due to lack of ringing visits in the appalling summer. I haven’t worked out the mileage involved in this bird making the journey between Out Rawcliffe and Africa so many times, suffice to say that the total is in the tens of thousands. 

Sedge Warbler

It seemed that no other warblers were around until the first and silent Blackcap of the year turned up in the net too. I didn't hear it singing later so maybe it was passing through.

Blackcap

While I was away in Menorca the feeders weren’t topped up with the result that few finches were evident today with only a single Chaffinch caught. The female had a brood patch and from the number of warning calls coming later from the plantation I deduced at least one Chaffinch nest wasn’t too far away from the ringing station. 

Chaffinch

Other birds noted this morning: 4 Goldfinch, 2 Yellowhammer, 1 Kestrel, 1 Little Owl, 10 Tree Sparrow, 8 Swallow, 4 House Martin and 16+ Whitethroats scattered across the farm and nearby. It appears that Whitethroats have arrived in some numbers even if other summer visitors haven’t.  

There's more from Another Bird Blog soon - keep looking in. In the meantime there's lots of birds on Anni's Blog.