Yesterday whilst out with my good mate Kane Brides I decided I was going to splash a bit of cash on some new bins... I was pleased with my buy and enjoyed using them yesterday and had told my self that this morning I was to try them out on my local patch... Marton Mere.
This morning however (Well Afternoon) I woke to a text message from "Fylde bird club Rarity", Before opening the text I thought Fantastic a rare bird on the Fylde to be the first proper bird through these new bins and probably a good bird as well... Maybe the Eastern Crowned Warbler has crossed the Peak District, Or Dusky Warbler ... Or Red Flanked Bluetail! Or was it to be a Yellow-Browed on the patch??? Oh well, only one way to find out; I opened the message with great anticipation as I threw my second shoe on and ran down stairs... The message read "Shag on Fairhaven Lake 12:45" ... BOLLOCKS!
Having been thouroughly disappointed by this message I decided not to treck to south fylde to see a "Rarity" that isn't rare... But instead to go to my patch as promised!
As I walked around the mere happy with my crystal clear bins there was not much "of note" to look at, but instead I focused on commoner birds! My old bins infact were so bad that only today after years of bird watching did I discover birds had colour! :-) What a relief! Anyway birds I had as I walked across the Dam wall and around the main mere are as follows:
Grey Wagtail-1 in the outflow channel
Linnet- 219 a flock of 210 and 9 feeding in the berry crop soon merge as the Linnet went to roost in Hawthorns.
Mistle Thrush-1 a definate migrant and a very under recorded species!
Starling- at roost and approximate count of 61,250 I would possible add 1500 to that! but as a group (myself, Mick and Pauline Mcgough, Frank Walsh and Maurice Jones) we decided on there or there abouts!
Blackbird-37
Cormorant-12
Sparrowhawk-4
Kestrel-1 (Fighting with a Sparrowhawk)
Mute Swan-11 (inc 5 Cygnets)
Wren-26+
Robin 18+
Snipe-3
Lapwing-4
Curlew-1 west (noteable short beak but definate Curlew as calling)
Moorhen-27
Teal-248
Gadwall-52
Goldeneye-1
Garganey-1 female
Common gull-33
Herring Gull-17
Tufted Duck-58
Shoveler-18+
Canada Goose-18 East
Grey Heron-1
Song Thrush-1 Probable Migrant
Redwing-9
Fieldfare-6
Goldfinch-26
Pheasant-8
Buzzard-1
Finally for the patch Tick.... ... ... A Little Owl! :-)
I love my new bins and hope to see many more birds with them! :-)
Monday, 26 October 2009
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Holiday and update!
After getting back from my family holiday in Cornwall in September I have barely found time to do anything let alone Blog! So a breif sum up of the great birds I saw on holiday and then hopefully a swift update to bring us to where we are today!
In Cornwall I didn't really get much time for birding but when I did get out I had a couple of good sessions, I got out to Pendeen Watch point a couple of days in September and was awarded with the best veiws of many sea birds which I have ever seen! The Weather on the first visit was spectacular with clear skies fantastic visibility! A Rising tide and it was the calm after the very strong south westerly gales!this meant many birders had made the effort and so many birds were picked up all over the place! FANTASTIC! Many Birds clung close into the rocks however on their way back out into the open ocean! Most noticeable upon arrival were the vast numbers of Gannets drifting south along with a steady stream of Manxies! Breifly after setting up and getting talking to a few people the first "decent" birds started passing! first up was a brown bird banking with the Manxies only much longer winged! Balearic Shearwater! Followed by another 14! Lovely veiws! Then a Lone Grey Phalarope whipped through followed by a flock of 17 which was picked up fairly early and so almost everyone present got onto them! next up Great Shearwater and the 5 Sooties! all the while Manx Shearwaters were going through close in! estimated by some as 4000 an Hour for 5 hours then slowly ebbing! as the Afternoon drew on many birds became more distant however a few Skuas still put on a sensational specticle as 14 light and 6 dark morph Arctic Skua's ambled through giving great veiws! 3 Bonxies, 3 poms and 1 Long Tailed Skua followed ... The afternoon became quieter from then on until somebody picked up a flock of Petrels patrolling the rocks a little way north! they Slowly moved down and totalled 7 Storm Petrels! then a mega bird for me anyway! A Wilson's Petrel pottered through pattering its feet in the water and fluttering elegantly past! then as the Evening was coming to a close! an amazing bird was claimed! A single Madeiran Petrel which gave goodish veiws but I wouldn't like to have to submit a full description! anyway! most of the more experienced (than myself) birders claimed it so I will follow suit! and with that bird I left with a grin on my face and a spring in my step!
A few days later I returned at Dawn! the Weather could not have been much more different! with a Rough sea! A strong wind and a threat of showers! not to mention the thick sea fog which hugged the coastline! Anyway I persisted, I had a few different birds as the morning wore on! 468 Gannet plus more birds out of sight through the fog I suspect! 1500+ Manxies, 3 Bals, 2 Sabines gull, 58 Fulmar, 9 Kittiwake, 89 Cormorant, 6 Shag, 3 Raven, 124 Meadow pipit, 8 Wheatear, 64 Linnet, Grey wag, 14 Alba Wags! Black throated Diver, 19 Arctic Skuas, 39 Sandwich tern, 4 Common tern, 38 Lesser black backed gulls and a lone Stonechat! Same day I whizzed to Marizion Marshes! as my mum and dad wanted to visit Penzance I thought I could sneak an hour! ... Quite a productive one as well! With Juvi Baird's Sand and Juvi Citrine Wag within 5 Minutes! other birs here were, Dunlin, Sanderling, Grey/Yellow/white/Pied Wags, grey heron, Stonechat, Little Egret, Gannet, Little Gull, Fulmar, Sandwich tern, Turnstone, Kingfisher, Buzzard and possible but very distant Black Kite!
on the Beach on the 12th I had Definate Black kite Floating above! CRACKING!
Back up North and it was work work work with the occasional birding session! A few Birds about including the following... Plenty of Grey Wags on the move, Skylarks on the move south, a danish ringed Juvi Black headed gull was different along with a couple of ringed coot. Ringed by my good friend Kane Brides! Spotted Fly catcher at Southport is a new bird for that square occording to BTO! A couple of Days out with Kane (one to the Lakes, one to Rivington and one to Southport) We caught a few birds in these days out including 3 Moorhen, Tufted duck, Goosander, Coot, Canada goose, Dipper, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Goldcrest, Blue,Willow,Great and long tailed tit, Jay, couple of finches and that is everything I think!
Between then and now the only bird of note which I have seen is a Cetti's Warbler at Marton Mere and well I say seen! Glimpsed is probably more appropriate!
In Cornwall I didn't really get much time for birding but when I did get out I had a couple of good sessions, I got out to Pendeen Watch point a couple of days in September and was awarded with the best veiws of many sea birds which I have ever seen! The Weather on the first visit was spectacular with clear skies fantastic visibility! A Rising tide and it was the calm after the very strong south westerly gales!this meant many birders had made the effort and so many birds were picked up all over the place! FANTASTIC! Many Birds clung close into the rocks however on their way back out into the open ocean! Most noticeable upon arrival were the vast numbers of Gannets drifting south along with a steady stream of Manxies! Breifly after setting up and getting talking to a few people the first "decent" birds started passing! first up was a brown bird banking with the Manxies only much longer winged! Balearic Shearwater! Followed by another 14! Lovely veiws! Then a Lone Grey Phalarope whipped through followed by a flock of 17 which was picked up fairly early and so almost everyone present got onto them! next up Great Shearwater and the 5 Sooties! all the while Manx Shearwaters were going through close in! estimated by some as 4000 an Hour for 5 hours then slowly ebbing! as the Afternoon drew on many birds became more distant however a few Skuas still put on a sensational specticle as 14 light and 6 dark morph Arctic Skua's ambled through giving great veiws! 3 Bonxies, 3 poms and 1 Long Tailed Skua followed ... The afternoon became quieter from then on until somebody picked up a flock of Petrels patrolling the rocks a little way north! they Slowly moved down and totalled 7 Storm Petrels! then a mega bird for me anyway! A Wilson's Petrel pottered through pattering its feet in the water and fluttering elegantly past! then as the Evening was coming to a close! an amazing bird was claimed! A single Madeiran Petrel which gave goodish veiws but I wouldn't like to have to submit a full description! anyway! most of the more experienced (than myself) birders claimed it so I will follow suit! and with that bird I left with a grin on my face and a spring in my step!
A few days later I returned at Dawn! the Weather could not have been much more different! with a Rough sea! A strong wind and a threat of showers! not to mention the thick sea fog which hugged the coastline! Anyway I persisted, I had a few different birds as the morning wore on! 468 Gannet plus more birds out of sight through the fog I suspect! 1500+ Manxies, 3 Bals, 2 Sabines gull, 58 Fulmar, 9 Kittiwake, 89 Cormorant, 6 Shag, 3 Raven, 124 Meadow pipit, 8 Wheatear, 64 Linnet, Grey wag, 14 Alba Wags! Black throated Diver, 19 Arctic Skuas, 39 Sandwich tern, 4 Common tern, 38 Lesser black backed gulls and a lone Stonechat! Same day I whizzed to Marizion Marshes! as my mum and dad wanted to visit Penzance I thought I could sneak an hour! ... Quite a productive one as well! With Juvi Baird's Sand and Juvi Citrine Wag within 5 Minutes! other birs here were, Dunlin, Sanderling, Grey/Yellow/white/Pied Wags, grey heron, Stonechat, Little Egret, Gannet, Little Gull, Fulmar, Sandwich tern, Turnstone, Kingfisher, Buzzard and possible but very distant Black Kite!
on the Beach on the 12th I had Definate Black kite Floating above! CRACKING!
Back up North and it was work work work with the occasional birding session! A few Birds about including the following... Plenty of Grey Wags on the move, Skylarks on the move south, a danish ringed Juvi Black headed gull was different along with a couple of ringed coot. Ringed by my good friend Kane Brides! Spotted Fly catcher at Southport is a new bird for that square occording to BTO! A couple of Days out with Kane (one to the Lakes, one to Rivington and one to Southport) We caught a few birds in these days out including 3 Moorhen, Tufted duck, Goosander, Coot, Canada goose, Dipper, Meadow Pipit, Mute Swan, Goldcrest, Blue,Willow,Great and long tailed tit, Jay, couple of finches and that is everything I think!
Between then and now the only bird of note which I have seen is a Cetti's Warbler at Marton Mere and well I say seen! Glimpsed is probably more appropriate!
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Holiday
I am currently on holiday in Cornwall catching up with plenty of sea birds.... thousands of manxies and oddities within the clouds of them... Will update further on return!
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Highlights!
The Highlights from my year involve many different things, Ringing ticks are usually Highlights for me and this year I have added plenty! The Day Kane Brides Caught a Goosander with his hands was pretty impressive... Not quite as impressive as another time when he caught a Swallow with his hands! Jackdaw was another Highlight when a Tame individual at Bowness got out smarted and caught, Ringing Pulli (in the nest) Herons wasn't too bad Either apart from the stench they gave off, Being able to take almost full control of the ringing of Canada geese at Caerlaverock catch was something different and was definately a highlight although I did get a lot of bumps and bruises, Nest Boxes were impressive and the highlights there were the Nuthatches, Coal tits and Pied Fly catchers including an Incubating female who was lifted off the nest on her 7th birthday! Impressive stuff as she was ringed at the same site as where she has nested for a couple of years! Our (Kane Brides, Ciaran Hatsell, Myself and Chris Bridge) opportunistic approach to ringing has worked wonders this year, Catching 2 Kingfishers in little more than a ditch, 7 dipper on a river near ambleside, 3 grey wags on the same river... 2 Goosanders were... INteresting as they flung themselves into a mist net at full speed... The Red breasted merganser which Skimmed the bottom shelf of the net and somehow got under was ... Different. Not failing to mention the garden sessions with Kane were I have gained a couple of nice ringing ticks including Siskin and Bullfinch! So Big thank yous this year need to go to Kane Brides, Steve Christmas, Seumus Eaves, Phil Slade, Chris Bridge for playing host to our unbelievable banter and Last but not behind Chris is Ciaran Hatsell for keeping Spirits up and having a bloody good time along the way! May the good times roll on, Cheers!
ALMOST A YEAR!
It has been Almost A year since my Last post on the blog but I am now more than ever determined to keep it updated, So much has changed in this time As then I was a student and now I am in full time employement, But one thing that hasn't changed is my love for the outdoors and in Particular Birds and catching them!
It has been a hectic year for ringing birds with many different things being done, From the expeditions to scotland to catch Whooper Swans at Caerlaverock through all of our (myself, Kane Brides, Ciaran Hatsell and Chris Bridge)lakes visits where we catch Wildfowl infront of the Public at Bowness, Our Lakes Expedition and all the exploits, The nesting season with the Pied Flycatchers, Nuthatches and many tits and especially the Gull colony where we ringed over 200 birds in an hour... AMAZING! Now we are getting back to migration time and ringing in the Plantation at Rawcliffe has picked up! With plenty of Whitethroat, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and many other birds including some lovely highlights... (a net full of hirundines) and the Lesser Whitethroat on the same morning! The full circle is almost complete so what follows are my years highlights!
It has been a hectic year for ringing birds with many different things being done, From the expeditions to scotland to catch Whooper Swans at Caerlaverock through all of our (myself, Kane Brides, Ciaran Hatsell and Chris Bridge)lakes visits where we catch Wildfowl infront of the Public at Bowness, Our Lakes Expedition and all the exploits, The nesting season with the Pied Flycatchers, Nuthatches and many tits and especially the Gull colony where we ringed over 200 birds in an hour... AMAZING! Now we are getting back to migration time and ringing in the Plantation at Rawcliffe has picked up! With plenty of Whitethroat, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and many other birds including some lovely highlights... (a net full of hirundines) and the Lesser Whitethroat on the same morning! The full circle is almost complete so what follows are my years highlights!
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Today at the mere!
Wednesday is the only day off the week when I volunteer at my LNR Marton mere! As I turned up it was apparent that birds were/had been on the move last night. I Got there at about 9 am and was greeted by an immaculate male Stonechat which perched up about 5 yards away from me, then a Flock of about 50 Redwings were flushed by my Hair dryer (moped) from a Nearby Crab apple tree, Movement of redwings and skylarks was obvious as every time I looked up another redwing flock would appear! Onto the work and we were strimming a pathway edge near the feeding station at the mere ... I was being followed by a Robin at the time as I more than likely blended a few worms for him! Anyway and then something strange happened, As I turned back to look at the robin I saw a Small Bird appear on the ground and then disappear back into the adjacent hedge... The thing is I know almost every bird in britain picture perfect when they are this close but this one had me stumped... I didn't have chance to get any details on it Unfortunately other than its size and wierd colours... Black and white mainly ... Black crown, White collar and black wings, About the size of a goldfinch. A UFO unfortunately as I didn't see it again... Its colours resemble alba wags but it wasn't one of these this is definate. After never really getting my head round what I had just seen I cracked on with the job so that I could have some time watching the feeding station after I had finished. At the feeding station I saw:- Greenfinch 10+, chaffinch 15+, Coal tit 2, Great spotted woodpecker 1, pheasant 2, long tailed tit 7, Siskin 4 in nearby trees, redwing 6 Feeding in crab apple bush,Dunnock 2, wren 2, blue tit 8, great tit 6+, Blackbird 4, Sparrowhawk over, 150 goldfinch nearby feeding in trees, I Had a quick walk round the mere itself and the undoubted highlight was a year tick, one that i thought I had missed... I was Sat in "Bird club" hide watching the pochard and coot fight amongst themselves when a dark brown flash whipped from one reed bed to the other... I scanned the reeds but no sign then a couple of minutes later it came out, perched for a few seconds and shot back across... I noticed then what I was looking at... A Cracking CETTI'S Warbler! other than that there was 2 Long-eared owls (a Very Orange-brown bird, and a grey one), kestrel, buzzard, 100 jackdaw, 12 gadwall, kingfisher, grey wag on the move, 120+ skylark over in small groups, 25 pink feet over and 4 whoopers south.
Monday, 20 October 2008
Recent Sightings
Recently in My area I have seen so many different things that I decided to start a Blog where I can keep track of everything and a diary of all wildlife seen. So 16-10 Marton Mere... Long-Eared Owl (roosting), 57 Pink-footed geese South, 2 Whooper Swans South, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, Snipe, 4 Skylark south, Mistle thrush south, 6 Redwing, 400+ Wood pigeon, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Stonechat, 17 Pochard, 50+ Tufted duck, 9 Mute swan, 6 Little Grebe, 17 Mipit south, Goldcrest, 14 Long Tailed tit and 4 Coal tit... 18-10 My Garden ... All of the "Garden Species" are Fly overs... Well most of them, 4 Whoopers south, 10 Alba Wagtails, Grey wagtail, female Sparrowhawk, 200+ Starling, 7 Redwing, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Blue tit and Cormorant south! That's it! I have many species on my garden list but I do not have Chaffinch or Greenfinch!!! Only recently was I able to add Goldfinch and that was a single fly over! What I lack in birds I make up for in Weird moths and I will post some pictures of some of these soon. 20-10 Marton mere Long-eared owl, 20-10 Mythop road flood: 230+ Teal, 4 Pintail, 200+ Lapwing, buzzard, Peregrine, 6 Gadwall, 3 Kestrels, 4 Fieldfare, 21 Redwing, Ruff, 23 Skylark south, 1000+ Pink-feet flushed from a nearby field created quite a spectacle for a few minutes until they finally landed! Post Again soon With sightings of wildlife and hopefully some better quality pictures!
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