Another Bird Blog

Monday, May 26, 2014

Tawny Times, Lapwing Woes

The Fluke Hall thrushes had found the Tawny Owl again. Blackbirds and Song Thrushes joined in to noisily mob their enemy and led me directly to the spot where the owl sat motionless against the trunk. Fortunately, I have the landowner's permission to cross a private piece of land.

It squinted at me through half open eyes as I moved around trying to get a clear view for a filled frame picture. The owl's dark eyes opened a little more to stare me out; luckily I hadn’t frightened the roosting bird away so I rattled off half a dozen frames and then retreated.

Tawny Owl

The Tawny was the highlight of not much doing here. The Mistle Thrush family fed together in the recently sown field, 2 adults and 3 youngsters bounding across the field when they saw me in the gateway. In song were 6 or more Whitethroat, 1 Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Song Thrush, plus Tree Sparrow activity and noise around the nest boxes.

I’ve been looking in vain for proof of Lapwing success this year. Between Pilling and the River Cocker, a distance of 2 or 3 miles I found less than 10 Lapwings in total, none of them showing any sign of nesting or parental behaviour. This count included a scan of the “environmental stewardships” at Fluke Hall Lane and the one of Braides Farm, the latter having some success in 2013 but which this year appears to lack ideal Lapwing habitat, the grass, too lush, tall and dense for nesting Lapwings.

It’s not too many years ago when this stretch of coastline would hold 40/50 pairs of Lapwings, any high counts nowadays reserved for animals, the several hundred sheep and dozens of cattle crammed into already over-grazed fields.

Lapwing

I hoped to complete the owl double with the regular Barn Owl of Conder Green but no luck on a rather cool and windy morning that Barn Owls also dislike.

On the pool, in the creeks, reeds and surrounding hedgerows: 19 Black-tailed Godwit, 14 Redshank, 8 Oystercatcher, 15 Shelduck, 3 Teal, 2 Wigeon, 10 Tufted Duck, 3 Grey Heron, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Bunting, 6 Whitethroat, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Pied Wagtail.

Pied Wagtail

Tufted Duck

Grey Heron

I took a quick tour towards Cockersands totted up 18 Stock Dove, 5 Whitethroat, 5 Sedge Warbler, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Blackcap, 1 Willow Warbler and 15+ Lapwings scattered across a number of fields, but none appearing to be in the throes of breeding.

Once again the situation looks pretty bleak for Lapwings in this part of Lancashire, a former major stronghold of the species. I’m left wondering if I will see any young Lapwings this year to restock the ever dwindling population of this iconic bird.

Juvenile Lapwing

The fields held more Brown Hares than they did Lapwings, with in particular a gang of eight or more hares hurtling through a single field. More hares hid in the lush grass of Cockerham Marsh until a wave of chasing began here too as the animals ran far and wide and then melted into the landscape.

Brown Hare

There will be more birds soon from Another Bird Blog, hopefully this might include a few Lapwings, but don’t bank on it.

Linking today to Stewart's World Bird Wednesday.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Hoopoe Action From Menorca

Every year I seem to return from Menorca with lots of pictures of Hoopoes. 2014 was no exception, particularly since I found a pair breeding in the same location they have used for a number of years.

So here are more Hoopoe pictures for all the fans of this rather spectacular bird.

The name of the Hoopoe, pronounced 'hoo-poo', is derived from the bird’s call frequently described as ‘oop-oop-oop’. So remarkable is this call that it is also reflected in the scientific name of the species, Upupa epops.

The nest is built in a tree cavity or a rock crevice, sometimes lined with debris, or sometimes bare. The female lays and incubates from four to six pale blue to olive coloured eggs per clutch and is fed during incubation by her mate.

Hoopoes are primarily ground feeders and use their long, slender, decurved bills to probe for large insects, worms, and lizards. Less frequently a Hoopoe feeds while airborne, exhibiting its characteristic undulating and floppy, erratic flight. A Hoopoe's bill can wear down during the summer months as they spend so much time drilling into the ground to find their prey.

The pictures require little commentary from me, but “click the pics” for a close-up of the action.

Hoopoe

When seeing an individual Hoopoe it is almost impossible to say whether it is male or female as both sexes are identical. There is a however a size difference, and when seen together the male is noticeably bigger than the female.

Hoopoes - female and male

Hoopoes

Here’s a video of a Hoopoe at a nest site. Watch carefully to see how the bird inflates its neck to emit the ‘oop-oop-oop’ call.

There's more birding action from Another Bird Blog very soon. Don't miss it.

Linking this post to Anni's Birding Blog and to Eileen's Saturday Blog.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Mostly Menorca

Today was rather quiet with little to report from the local patch except for an unlikely twosome - a retreating-to-the-barn Barn Owl and a fly-over Ring-necked Parakeet at Conder Green. There are still 26 Black-tailed Godwits and the usual wildfowl, waders and brown-jobs singing from the roadside and the hedgerows.

Barn Owl

You can’t win them all, so today I’m posting more pictures from our recent Menorca holiday. "Click the pics" to see Menorca in a colourful slide show.

In addition to birds this post features a number of photos from the historic and picturesque town of Alaior, just a mile or two inland from some of the holiday resorts frequented by large numbers of visitors to Menorca. It is such a pity that towns like Alaior, Es Mercadal, Ferreries and Sant Lluis remain unexplored by many tourists. These charming and lovely municipalities remain true to the unspoilt nature of the island; within their quiet streets there is much to discover and appreciate.

A number of long abandoned salt workings/sea inlets of the northern coast of Menorca hold a good variety of waders in the right seasons. Our wader list from the two sites Ses Salines and Addaia included Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Avocet and Greater Flamingo. Add in a few specials like Blue-headed Wagtail and Ospreys, plus the everyday Nightingale, Cetti’s Warbler, Tawny Pipit, Sardinian Warbler, Woodchat Shrike and Turtle Dove and there are enough birds to satisfy the most demanding of bird watchers.

Ringed Plover and Little Stint

Little Ringed Plover

Black-winged Stilt

Addaia

Wood Sandpiper

Unlike most places where the species occurs in Northern Europe, the five pairs of Menorcan Ospreys are residents and do not migrate to and from Africa. At Addaia salt pans we saw two Ospreys hunting close together.

Osprey

The route to and from these localities provides a picturesque and untroubled route on quiet roads, plus a reason to stop for lunch on the way back to our south coast hotel. When necessary we would stop to note roadside shrikes, Turtle Doves and Red Kites.

Woodchat Shrike

Turtle Dove

Alaior, the home of the famous Mahon Cheese, is Menorca’s third largest town after Mahon and Ciutadella. With its narrow streets and white washed houses Alaior is a simply beautiful historic town, founded in 1304 by King Jaume 11 of Mallorca. Its church Santa Eulàlia was rebuilt in the 17th century and remains a wonderful example of Menorca’s historic past.

Alaior - Menorca

Potential visitors to the island should note that the need for siesta is respected in all of the inland towns and the two major cities, Mahon and Ciutadella. The sacrosanct hours are usually between approximately 1330 and 1730 hours. There’s much to be said for taking an early afternoon nap in the heat of the day and then enjoying the warmth of a Menorcan late afternoon and evening with a glass of Cava to hand.

Alaior - Menorca

We're on our way south through the island now where Egyptian Vultures cruise overhead all day long and can be seen almost anywhere, often at a good height, occasionally dropping into the fields to search for food on foot. In most cases the cream and black adults seem to be in the majority with just occasional sightings of younger birds like the one below.

Egyptian Vulture

A whistle stop less than a mile from the main road north to south and it’s those Bee-eaters again, this time with a Menorcan snail thrown in.

Bee-eater

I will try and do some local birding tomorrow but the forecast is rather poor with heavy rain predicted.

Be sure to log in soon anyway as there will always be new birds to see on Another Bird Blog. In the meantime you can see more blue skys at Sky Watch Friday or birds on fences at Theresa's Run A Round Ranch.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Sunny Days

Here's a post from 2 weeks in sunny Menorca. Brilliant indeed proved both the holiday and the birding with 14 days of unbroken sunshine and not a spot of rain. The island has a list of over 220 species throughout the seasons, so our two week birding list of 78 species is respectable but isn’t going to break any records. But bird watching is not the only joy of a Menorca holiday as blog regulars and/or visitors to the island will already know. Don't forget to click the pics for a colourful Menorca experience.

This year I met up with a Menorcan birder and ringer, Javier Mendez. Javier is extremely knowledgeable about birds and all things Menorcan, and for visitors to the island who prefer a guide, he does that too. You can contact him at Javier Mendez.

I spent a morning with Javier at his Constant Effort Ringing site at Algendarat, an ecological farm near Mahon. Some lovely birds in the hand on Another Bird Blog soon, but for this post there are photos from birding mornings and exquisite places around the island.

First port of call each year is to a Bee-eater colony on a farm close to the main road between the unspoilt, authentic inland town of Es Mercadal and the picturesque but touristy Fornells. The Bee- eaters fly to a roadside fence as long as there are not cars speeding by. Bee-eaters burrow into sandy soil to make a nest chamber, hence the dusty residue on this bird’s bill.

European Bee-eater

Menorca

European Bee-eater

We regularly see Hoopoes at the same location although they aren’t especially approachable, as Hoopoes tend to be. They have to keep a look out for raptors overhead, the common Booted Eagle or the ever present Kestrels that might rob them of their large insect prey.

Hoopoe

Kestrel

Booted Eagle

In a nearby field we discovered this year a spectacular display of wild poppies. Menorca has over 1000 species of plants, 60 of them endemic to the island. In the background of the picture is the resort of Cala Tirant, a world away from the flower-filled fields of a Menorcan Spring where the song of Corn Buntings fill the air and farming is carried out in traditional ways.

Menorcan Poppies

Hay Making Menorca

Corn Bunting

Menorcan Foal

We found just a few pairs of Stonechat this year, and it seems that the Stonechat is not doing too well here at the moment, Menorca is not totally immune from environmental changes that threaten species worldwide. The island’s Stonechats are a little darker than the ones we see in the UK, just like one or two other species, for instance Goldfinch and Woodpigeon being particularly evident in showing darker shades. Perhaps it’s something to do with all that sunshine?

On the way to lunch at La Palma, a favourite café in Fornells we found a male Stonechat along the roadside telling us he had a family nearby. But there’s no time to stop when tapas is on the menu so we piled back in the Panda and set off again.