Dave's Birding Blog

North Norfolk - Part 2

2012-01-30T19:48:00.002Z

Our host was very obliging in providing us with an early breakfast on Sunday so by 7:45 we were parked up overlooking Cley. Whilst we were getting our stuff out, a small flock of Pinkfeet called overhead. "Wouldn't it be funny if that..." John started again... There's a Ross' Goose! And so the day began as the previous had finished with more jam than a Devon Cream Tea.

Shocking image but it was pretty dark! Ross' Goose on the left if you hadn't already guessed.

So off we tramped down to the Avocet/Daukes Hide in amongst the reeds of Cley where we hoped to stumble upon a certain Western Sandpiper - the first target of the day. Again, there were hundred, nay, thousands of birds on the pools. Ruff, Blackwits, Avocets, Lapwings abounded alongside whistling Teal and flights of Brent Geese. Marsh Harriers were ubiquitous and Bill had a Water Rail five feet from him. Bearded Tits pinged around the reeds and we managed a good but distant look at some Water Pipits. However the target species was nowhere to be seen.

Dark-bellied Brent Geese were everywhere - no need to twitch Brockholes, Bill!

We decided to head down to Arnold's Marsh where the bird had been seen on other mornings. It has been a long time since I walked down the East Bank - not much has changed except there seems to be even more birds! The pool was teeming with Dunlin and a few Reshanks and Oystercatchers and the light was getting better as we studied the flocks. I'd stopped a bit earlier along the path in order to try and get the best balance of light and distance and after a few minutes scanning I noticed a smaller wader which then few to a sandy bank and started feeding in an odd manner. I called the others over as it scurried into the samphire and eventually we all had some good views of the Western Sandpiper. I now have the dubious distinction of having seen two Westerns, two Leasts but NO Semi-p's in Britain.

A Peregrine decided to take out a wader and consequently flushed all the birds off to Pat's pool to the delight of the encumbent population I guess. What they didn't see was a Bonxie as it circled over Arnold's before heading back out to sea!

Next stop was Salthouse and some lovely views of Snow Bunting, umpteen Red-throated Divers and a fly-by Slavonian Grebe. Oh, and a very nice cup of coffee from the man in the van.

A bit difficult to see on the shingle

Snow Buntings on seed behind the coffee van

Next stop, Wells pitch and put for a Black Brant. Well actually there were two and very obliging they were too. Not only that but a very nice Short-eared Owl hunted over the fields whilst we were watching.

Black Brant

Short-eared Owl

And so onto Holkham where we decided to give the potential Rough-legged Buzzards some time at the expense of the Shore Larks. We spent a couple of hours grilling the area from Lady Anne's Drive to the end of the pines but we drew our first blank, though Tundra Bean Goose, Greenland White-front alongside the throngs of European White-fronts and Pinkfeet were a welcome distraction. By the time we came across a pale-bellied Brent we'd chalked up 14 sub-species/species of goose depending on which list you follow.

The flock of Lapland Buntings wasn't playing ball either, having had a fly about five minutes before we got there so it was on to Titchwell for the last birding of the day and Bill's second lifer of the day - the Coues' Arctic Redpoll was hiding in the topmost branches of an alder when I found it but fortunately came down to give some splendid views, belatedly showing off its pristine white rump. I was shocked to see the, er, thing where the hides used to be. Flashy it may look but I'm not too sure about it being a good observation point for birds. Anyway, two Spotted Redshanks later and we indulged ourselves with a bit of sea-watching - distant Long-tailed Ducks and another Slav along with a host of shoreline waders and gulls brought the day to a pleasing end.

A splendid couple of days with plenty of banter and reminiscing. Thanks to John for doing all the driving. Looking forward to the next one!

A Norfolk Birding Weekend - Part 1

2012-01-30T19:09:00.003Z

Having whetted the appetite for some birding last weekend, it didn't take much persuasion for me to accept John Wright's offer of a trip to Norfolk over the weekend with Bill Aspin to enjoy the delights the county has in store.

So at 5am Saturday morning we headed off along the M61/M62/A1/A17 into Norfolk for what turned out to be a very good two days of birding with numerous highlights. First port of call was Buckenham Marshes on t'other side of Norwich to twitch the Lesser White-fronted Goose that had been there in the company of the Taiga Bean Goose flock. It was the first time any of us had visited this part of Norfolk so after a few wrong turns (sign-posting akin to Inner Marsh Farm, i.e. keep it a secret) we parked up, donned thermals and headed down the track.

Flocks of Wigeon were very confiding

Bill 'grabbing' some images - hope to borrow some later!

Almost immediately, we came across a crowd squinting into the sun as they scanned the Bean Goose flock. We found the bird pretty quickly but got better views an hour or so later when the sun had moved round and was partially hidden behind the clouds. It's been a while since I saw one of these so to catch up was very good. And of course there were the Taiga Bean Geese with their huge beaks - I can attest to the fact that the Falkirk flock is far more difficult to track down and usually even more distant so to have prolonged leisurely views was splendid. And of course there was a host of other birds in the area - huge numbers of Golden Plover and Wigeon along with several Marsh Harriers, Barn Owl, Buzzard, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits, Pinkfeet, etc.

Buckenham Marshes - there's a flock of geese over there, honest!

Next port of call was a leisurely stroll around Ranworth Broad where a Ring-necked Duck had been in residence. With no recent news we headed along the boardwalk to the Broads Nature Centre (which was closed) and after setting up the scopes on the raised viewing platform, three ducks sailed out of the nearby reeds. "Wouldn't it be funny if...." John started. Incredible luck as the furthest bird was the female ring-neck we hardly got a moment to try for some images before it skulked back into the reeds never to be seen again! We still enjoyed the myriad of wildfowl and close encounters with a pair of Marsh Tits.

Female Ring-necked Duck with female Pochard before hiding in the reeds

Having finally found a shop to get some fodder, our last spot was the Harrier/Crane roost at Horsey. The yomp to the viewing area (Which wasn't Stubb Mill, Bill!) took its toll on my hip but when we got to our viewing spot we had a lovely male Hen Harrier and two Cranes with a further (?) seevn distantly a little later on. The most unexpected bird of the day was a Green Sandpiper calling as it flew over our heads. We'd seen several Chinese Water Deer in our travels but one tried to get a bit too close to the car in the dark.

Our accommodation was booked in the town of Holt and the birding didn't stop as we engaged in some hooting with a vociferous Tawny Owl on our way to our excellent evening meal in "The Feathers".

A leisurely day out at Leighton Moss

2012-01-22T18:53:00.002Z

I've been just a little too busy to get stuff done over the past couple of weeks but a few plans are falling into place. Our trip to Cuba in March is all booked so I'll need to start genning up on the local avifauna and the language!

Marsh Tit

Last week we had a very nice, calm, sunny spell of weather at last and so Mark and I managed a morning's ringing in my garden with a few Lesser Redpolls included. Rishton Reservoir has continued to attract the geese with the white-fronts around on and off. Last week there were several skeins of Pink-footed Geese overhead and a Kingfisher darted past, its iridescent blue back catching the sun.

Pink-footed Geese heading west over Rishton

The weather pattern has returned to the same one we've had for weeks now - more rain and string winds from the west/north-west. At least that's meant no snow but it's been a bit miserable. However today I had 21 Lesser Redpolls in the garden briefly and Bullfinches continue to visit.

I needed to replenish the sunflower kernel supply so after a visit to Bamford's at Midge Hall, we set off to Leighton Moss for some birding and a good walk. I was firstly pleasantly surprised to find that the shop at Leighton only had a few unsold copies of the 2010 Bird Report and then very pleased to find a drake Green-winged Teal showing distantly from Lillian's hide.

Green-winged Teal in amongst Eurasian Teal

the bird was asleep most of the time but later in te day it became more active but still remained towards the back of the pool. There were lots of Teal as well as Goldeneye, Pochard, Gadwall, Shoveler & Pintail but no sign of any Bitterns. We headed off to the causeway and around the loop to the Lower hide and the 'Blue gate' which is brown these days!

Again, there was nothing too exciting but Bernie and I enjoyed the close attention of a pair of Marsh Tits as they 'pitchoo'd' in the alders near Lower Hide. In the fields above the Moss, there was a small flock of Fieldfare with a couple of Redwings. These are a bit scarce this winter but the sight of these fine birds in the early afternoon sun gladdened the heart!

After lunch at the Cafe, we headed out to see the Glossy Ibis which was keeping its distance in a field adjacent to the Moss.

Immature Glossy Ibis

A few glossy feathers were showing on the back and in the wings but it had mostly brown juvenile feathers. Still, a splendid bird though I note that Birdguides have now demoted its rarity value - a sign of the times.

A quick visit to the Allen Pools resulted in a lovely Spotted Redshank but there weren't too many birds actually on the pools themselves. Plenty of Wigeon and Lapwings on the marsh though.

Finally it was back to Lillians for a final look at the Teal and a fly-past from a female Marsh Harrier.

A two hour goose-fest

2012-01-02T11:54:00.001Z

The house has been more akin to Clapham Junction than a pool of calm over the past week with numerous visitors, sleepovers and the like. So after dropping off another of my daughter's friends off at Blackburn Station this morning, I decided that I should make good use of the early-ish start and get some birding in. So I headed for Lytham.

Just as the sun was rising I was watching five Tundra Bean Geese and a lone Pink-footed Goose in a field on Lytham Moss. Showing really quite well, their darker plumage (than pink-foot), narrow white tip to the tail and yellow-strapped bill stood out. Normally you're searching for perhaps one in amongst thousands of pink-feet so to have them stanmding out on their own was a treat. Anyway, my mini-twitch continued to Fairhaven where I found the female Scaup amongst the Pochard and Tufties and then onto Warton Bank where the Great White Egret obligingly flew in in front of me! There were several Little Egrets out on the Marsh and a few Whoopers but no Bewick's Swans.

Anyway, it was back to Rishton Reservoir and home in the vain hope that the geese might reappear. I'd been down to the reservoir and just got back to my car when I heard a flock of Canada Geese. AS hundred or so in a few flocks passed over the road and then... some whitefronts! Whoooo! I pegged it down to the reservoir bank again and eventually the two Greenland and six European Whitefronts came out onto the field - marvellous. To have Whitefronts in East Lancashire is very unusual but for them to remain is unprecedented. And now there's a Brent Goose in the unlikely location of the Hodder Valley. Unfortunately no time to get there today!

At least we're also getting some larger gulls roosting on the reservoir now. 72 Greater Black-backs on 31 Dec and still several today. Only a matter of time until an Iceland Gull drops in!

Back home, there have been up to 16 Lesser Redpolls on the feeders as well as at least five Bullfinches. Not a bad start to the year but work and taxi-service to Manchester & Preston over the next few days will keep me busy.

A bit of birding at last

2011-12-24T10:12:00.000Z

Work has been taking up a lot of my time over the past couple of months so the chance to nip out this-morning to Rishton Reservoir was taken and though the rain was pouring and it was dark and miserable, I still racked up the regulars including the Red-breasted Merganser that has been around for months.Robins, Great Tits and Coal Tits were all singing in Cut Wood whilst at home the feeders are very busy with Tits.

Last weekend we managed to have a quick ringing session in between snow showers and were rewarded with this lovely second calendar year male Sparrowhawk - beautiful orange breast feathers and orangy eye but some brown juvenile flight and tail feathers still present.

A walk this-afternoon followed by our now traditional Christmas Eve meal at the Aspinall Arms at Mitton methinks!

Rishton Res turns up some more good birds

2011-12-02T12:35:00.001Z

The messages on my phone yesterday meant a quick lunch hour trip had to be undertaken from work in Barrowford to Rishton Reservoir where two Greenland White-fronted Geese had been seen. Steve Grimshaw found them and a few of the locals had turned up to see them. Bill Aspin kindly gave me permission to use some of his images.

They were feeding quite happily on the west bank though the approach of a couple of railway workers in hi-viz jackets moved them up the hill and eventually down to the reservoir's edge. Not only were these birds present but there was also a first-winter drake Shoveler in with the Mallards, the usual single Great Crested Grebe and to top it all off the Red-breasted Merganser flew in but immediately dived and dissappeared!

Not bad for 10 minutes - that's what the place is like! You never know!

..and the news is that they're still present today!

Red-breasted Merganser at Rishton Reservoir

2011-11-20T16:02:00.001Z

Last weekend there was a splendid influx (albeit brief) of wildfowl into the East Lancashire region. Part of that influx was this Red-breasted Merganser that thankfully hung around for me to see it this weekend as I was away!

A couple of Mute Swans have been regular on the reservoir recently whilst four juveniles have been seen on the canal.

At least the weather's been splendid for getting out and about if not for driving birds over to us from the continent. So, from last weekends visit to the Lakes and yesterday in the Ribble Valley......

Tilberthwaite in the Lakes

Pendle from the Ribble Way near Mitton

Enjoying the November sunshine

2011-11-06T18:14:00.001Z

The national BBC weather forecast had this weekend as wet and miserable. It may be in the south east but whatever they say, we seem to get the opposite so after a fine starry night it was no surprise to have to clear ice from the windscreeen before my morning visit to Rishton Reservoir.

The air was cold and crisp with not a breath of wind. As I arrived at the entrance to Cut Wood I was once again delighted to hear a Nuthatch calling. I soon got onto this male along with a Treecreeper and several Tits and Finches. These now regular sightings mean it's looking good for this species to finally colonise the place. Down by the reservoir there wasn't much happening other than whistling Mallards getting frisky and a sole juvenile Great Crested Grebe. The water level is at full height now and hopefully we should get some winter duck coming in.

The mist closed in around the water so it was time to head home for breakfast and then set out to the coast for some birding. The obvious draw was Cockersands where an American Golden Plover had been the last couple of days. We arrived as the tide was receding and enjoyed good birds and good company for an hour or so. there were lots of duck and waders around - whistling Wigeon this time and 'aooohhh'ing Eiders. Graham Clarkson and I reminisced about the times gone by and how the birds have changed. Thirty years ago, the fields behind us would have had Corn Buntings and Yellowhammers and the nearest Eiders were the few at Walney.

Anyway, Bernie and I enjoyed the view, the sunshine and the birds - As well as the Wigeon and Eide, there were Pintail, Teal, Shoveler and Great Crested Grebe as well as hundreds of Lapwings, Golden Plover, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin and Turnstones. A few Skylarks and Linnets made their presence known and the sight of a female Merlin bombing low across the mud is always a pleasure.

Curlews

We eventually headed towards Conder Green passing great flocks of Curlews in the fields. Whilst watching the Redshanks, I'd commented to Bernie on how it was one of the easiest waders to ID with its broad white trailing edge to its wing. The retort was simple - "It's got red legs! Simple!" That was me put firmly in my place but you could get it confused with Spotted Redshank - "They've over-wintered near here the past few years. And so without further ado, we found ourselves watching two Spotted Redshanks at Conder Green!

Spotted Redshank

After a very pleasant lunch at Cafe d'Lune, we headed for Pilling Lane Ends and even though the tide was out, there were birds to be seen though distant - a few thousand Pink-footed Geese with four Barnacles amongst them, a herd of Whooper Swans and an adult Peregrine sat on the marsh.

We made our way south to Warton Bank to see if we could get the Great White Egret. On arrival we scanned the Marsh - Mute, Whooper and Black (!) Swans, a couple of Little Egrets but not the big one though Bernie had noted a large white bird on the marsh as we drove down the lane. We had an immature Peregrine and another Merlin on the marsh as we and another couple searched in vain. The others sloped off but one last stop and scan revealed a long white neck. Quickly, I got the scope out again and there it was, right on the edge of the saltmarsh. There must be at least three along the Lancashire coast at present. I can remember the first for Lancs - a distant white blob on Banks Marsh several years ago. Another amazing change in the avifauna; "Who'd have believed it?".

Finally I called in at Brockholes to drop off some more Bird Reports - they seem to be selling well there. If you haven't got your copy yet. there on sale at Brockholes, In-focus at Martin Mere, Marshside and Leighton Moss!

Garden Ringing 30 October

2011-11-02T16:49:00.002Z

Sunday was forecast to be calm in the morning so the nets were set in the hope of catching a few birds. The garden has generally been quiet with plenty of natural food available, not to mention the regular visits by Sparrowhawks.

We managed to catch a few finches and Tits but nowhere near the vast haul of exactly one year ago. A lot of birds had little or no fat on them suggesting that they weren't too concerned about food availability! Nine Goldfinches were trapped in total including a couple of 3J's, their head feathers still in moult.

No doubt we'll try again very soon now that winter is near.

Long-tailed tits

2011-10-21T20:24:00.002+01:00

Don't you just love Long-tailed Tits? I was just hanging around when a flock of these delightful birds came along the hedgerow.

It wasn't a bad morning over in East Yorkshire where I had had several flocks of Fieldfares overhead and a couple of Crossbills including a bright red male relatively low down. I even managed a quick lunchtime trip to Flamborough where I caught up with a Yellow-browed Warbler and a very brown Chiffchaff with a striking supercilium!

Just have to hope that the Siberian Rubythroat in Shetland fancies a sojourn a bit further south!

It may not be a Rufous-tailed Robin...

2011-10-16T21:34:00.002+01:00

... but two Tree Sparrows in the garden on Saturday were a first for Rishton Bird Observatory. We were just enjoying a cuppa in the sunshine when I heard a chirrup that wasn't quite right for a Chaffinch. A moment later, this bird came into view in the plum tree.

Tree Sparrow

That's 105 for the garden list and though I was hoping for a Yellow-browed Warbler in the sycamore, I guess this species was more likely. The nearest breeding site is about three miles away on the edge of Great Harwood - they've been spreading up the Ribble and then the Calder but no further. Steve Grimshaw's had them in nest boxes at the Brownsills Caravan site for years now.

The morning had been mixed. The passage of Redwings that I heard overnight was continuing - around 120 over in an hour along with around 25 Fieldfares. Blackbirds and Robins were very common whilst finches, pipits and wagtails passed overhead. A couple of Skylarks was good for the time of year along with Reed Buntings passing. A chiffchaff 'sweep'ed in the waterside bushes, a Buzzard called from the copse and a flock of 45 Jackdaws flew west. Jays have been very active these past few weeks and the clear skies encouraged more high flying antics.

However, hunters on the far bank again ruined the day. As soon as the Canada Geese started passing over the gunshots started. That ruined the WeBs count! Several residents are up in arms about this but we seem to be getting nowhere and the regularity of their presence is ruining the site for waterbirds.

There may be another chance to get to the east coast in the next week or so. Lets hope for some easterlies next weekend!

Solitary Sandpiper in Lancashire

2011-10-02T19:19:00.001+01:00

This morning, we were ringing a few birds in my garden. The weather had turned from the hot and sunny spell to a warm and drizzly one. There had been a strong passage of birsd over the garden the last couple of mornings with Meadow Pipits and Siskins the most noticeable but there had also been Goldcrest, Chiffchaff and a few Swallows around. Goldfinches have continued to come down including I reckon the same three juveniles yet to get their red face mask.

However, there were few birds moving around. There was clearly plenty of natural foraging to be had but we did manage to attract in a juvenile Grey Wagtail as well as a hand-full of other birds.

Just as we completed the second net round, I got a message - Solitary Sandpiper at Nateby. What!? We played it cool for an hour or so but things were quiet and we didn't feel at all bad about packing up and heading for Garstang.

I had been bemoaning the lack of American waders around Lancashire as there had 'only' been a Lesser Yellowlegs at Conder Green and an couple of Pec's in this spectacular autumn. Well a Solitary Sand certainly made up for that - a very rare visitor to these shores that seems to only turn up at the extreme ends of the country when it does. An excellent find by local birder Stuart Piner whilst doing a goose count, the bird fed on a mud-lined scrape near a wooded area - part of a stewardship project. It was rather distant and the drizzle and murk didn't aid viewing but a Solitary Sand it was and all the Lancashire birders had turned up. I suspect there'll be several more visitors from further afield if it stays a while.

Once I'd had my fill of that, I decided to head for Conder Green and the lesser legs. However, the tide was virtually at its full height when we arrived to we headed to the 'Cafe de Lune' for something to eat and to dry off (a great little spot by the way). About an hour after high tide, I was watching the mouth of the Conder where Curlews and Redshanks were dropping in having roosted on the far side of the Lune. Hundreds of Lapwings and several Golden Plovers were flying over the estuary and heading for their feeding areas and a Common Sandpiper bobbed along the shore that was now appearing. Redshanks were dropping in in ones and twos and after about twenty had arrived, I noticed something rather different - The Lesser Yellowlegs flew along the channel and dropped down out of site with a couple of Redshanks for company.

The rain was getting heavier and the light was fading. The bird clearly likes the steep sandy sides of these channels that are virtually impossible to see so I decided to call time. Two American waders in an afternoon in Lancashire - splendid!

Several Shelducks drop in

2011-09-25T18:35:00.003+01:00

There were no 'hunters' at Rishton Reservoir this morning and so the far bank had some birds on it - seven Shelducks in fact. They occasionally drop in a couple of times a year on their cross-country moult migration (that used to be much more pronounced) but seven is a good number. And whilst I was there, two drake Tufted Ducks and fifteen Mallards came in.

To go along with the long-term injured Tuftie and Canada Goose, there is now a Black-headed gull with a droopy wing. I'm pretty sure who's to blame for that! I've made contact with our councillors to see what they can do.

There were 12 Lapwings and a small flock of at least 15 Linnets - it'll ne interesting to see if the numbers get up to those of last year. There were no hirundines over the water and I've only seen a couple of Swallows this weekend.

In the garden, finch numbers are rising - lots of Chaffinches visiting and plenty of Goldfinches including a flock of 16. Time to get the nets up soon, methinks!

American Black Tern

2011-09-22T21:49:00.002+01:00

Just time to pop a couple of picture up from yesterday's jaunt over to Lincolnshire. I've resurrected my 5mp Sony Cybershot as the other stuff is out of action. The results are not too shabby!

Juvenile American Black Tern, Covenham Reservoir

Little Stint

After a bit of traipsing around the saltmarshes of the Lincolnshire coast, I eventually caught up with the two Buff-breasted Sandpipers too!

Buff-breasted Sandpiper - a bit distant in a very exposed position!

A ringing and a garden tick

2011-09-19T12:54:00.001+01:00

A trip down to the reservoir these last couple of days hasn't produced a great deal of note apart from the continued disturbance by wildfowlers who are allegedly culling Canada Geese but targetting Mallard and anything else that flies near them. There was a steady stream of Meadow Pipits overhead along with six grey Wagtails in an hour.

A Nuthatch called from Cut Wood - the first I've ever heard there, so I'm fully expecting the area to be colonised more fully. It has been one of those strange enigmas - Rishton is surrounded by woods with Nuthatches but they've been virtually absent from the borough as long as I've lived here.

late on Sunday morning, I met up with Mark to do some more ringing and the first net round produced several Chiffchaffs, Goldcrests and this Whitethroat (a garden ringing tick for Mark).

Juvenile Whitethroat

Though the weather was almost perfect, it seemed as if the majority of birds had overflown in the morning when the area was covered with low cloud. However we did catch a few more Meadow Pipits later on.

Back home, Goldfinch numbers are increasing and so it will soon be time to have another ringing session there. the surprise of the day was a Wigeon flying along the canal - another new bird seen from my back garden!

Pipts and Goldcrests on the move

2011-09-16T13:18:00.002+01:00

A break in the weather at last - but only for a day. I've been unable to spend any time at the coast and consequently missed all these Sabine's Gulls that have been around. Numbers of Leach's Petrels have been surprising few. I did manage to find a littl shelter on Rishton Res on Tuesday and was rewarded with a first-winter Little Gull and a juvenile Hobby.

Today, Mark and I took advantage a a fine spell up at Newton. Spotted Flycatchers were hunting from the farm buildings but none came down to the netting area. However, Meadow Pipits did in abundance with nearly 30 getting themselves ensnared as they were attracted into the boggy area by the willows. Many more escaped though and large flocks were heading over the fell.

A few Chiffchaffs were caught as well as 13 Goldcrests by the time I'd left. We also caught six year old Blue and Coal Tits - quite amazing that they both came through on the same day.

Later in the evening, I joined a few of the Lancaster ringing group at Hornby where we trapped a couple of hundred Swallows at their roost. Mainly juveniles, these were joined by a couple of House and Sand Martins whilst a total of thirteen Ravens flew north overhead seemingly heading for a roost site.

More wind and rain this weekend so the seabirds may put in a re-appearance with a bit of luck.

Back home

2011-09-12T12:54:00.002+01:00

I've been home just short of a week now and the jet-lag has still not totally gone. The weather has been atrocious but a brief interlude of fine weather on Friday and Saturday got a few things moving.

Long-tailed Tits were noticable as they noisily made their way around the place - there have been very few of late. Steve Grimshaws discovery of a Ruff at Rishton Res enticed me out of work a little early - a good job too as fifteen minutes after I arrived, it departed south whilst the other waders with it, two ringed Plovers and two Dunlin, remained. They weren't there this weekend though.

Three weeks away meant that the garden was getting a little overgrown and the long grass enticed HEdgehogs out into the center of the lawn in the middle of the day. I was delighted to see a Migrant Hawker in the garden on Saturday - we normally have a couple of Brown Hawkers during the summer months but this one taking insects from the rear of the house was a surprise indeed.

Back to work now with a weather eye on the coastal forecast. Just might have to take the afternoon off tomorrow in order to get my near-annual fix of Leach's Petrels. there haven't been many of these ocean wanderers yet in the strong winds of last week but with another storm whipping things up, there must be a lot of tired birds out there and the potential of a wreck.

Dropped camera - no focus

2011-09-02T17:02:00.000+01:00

After a sultry night in Chicago, I headed for Montrose again this morning. It was cloudy and occasional drizzle filled the air. Thunderstorms are on their way as is some cooler weather.

Anyway, the Magic Hedge was filled with early activity - all manner of Flycatchers looking subtly different left me more than a little bemused. I think I could have stayed all day and not got much further. Maybe next Monday morning when it's cooler. Birds that I could identify - lots of Magnolia Warblers still, Chestnut Sided, Redstart, Wilson's Yellow, Blackpoll, Tenessee and a probable Orange-crowned. Warbling Vireo and Red-headed Woodpecker were added to the list.

On the Shore, there was just the Short-billed Dowitcher and three Semi P Plovers. There was a strong passage of hirundines, mainly Barn Swallow with a couple of Bank Swallows and a Purple Martin but then disaster. My camera bag slipped off my shoulder and landed with a thud on the concrete pier. Though padded all over, the lens had been shocked into submission and the focus is now completely stuck. So no more photos this trip but a good excuse to buy myself that 500mm lens!

I met up with a few more birders looking for the Lark Bunting that had been seen late yesterday. No luck there but the field I suspect it might be in was like the totem pole field at Filey - whole flocks of Buntings can hide in there! A flock of Bobolinks came in though and one perched up for me.

Finally back amongst the trees, things were hotting up - literally. The Mourning Warbler showed itself again along with several Gantcatchers and Magnolia Warblers. Then a dove flew over. I didn't think anything of it at first - Collared Dove. Collared Dove? Should have paid more attention - it certainly wasn't a mourning dove nor a Feral Pigeon. And there have only been a handful of records in Chicago - oh heck.

Phew, it's hot.

2011-09-01T20:50:00.000+01:00

Following a birding free day checking out some of the sights of Chicago and the promise of a very hot day today, Bernie and I headed for Montrose Point this morning. It was already very warm and the sun was hot at 7:30 as we entered the realm of the Magic Hedge. Straight away, a Warbling Vireo was singing away and we saw several Magnolia Warblers, 'Traill's' Flycatchers, Swainson's Thrush, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher and a latish Yellow Warbler. A wander around the drinking fountain produced more Magnolias and a Pine Warbler but our attention was drawn to the shore where a Short-billed Dowitcher was very obliging, along with a Baird's Sandpiper, two Leasts and a Semi P (Sand and Plover) as well as a Sanderling.

Short-billed Dowitcher

Least Sandpiper

A nice selection Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Sanderling and Baird's Sandpiper with a Semi-palmated Plover just out of shot. Any one of them in East Lancs would set the pulses racing - ok so maybe not the Sanderling.

Baird's Sandpiper

Short-billed Dowitcher

Having baked a while on the beach, we headed back for shade whilst some locals searched in vain for a repeat glimpse of a Lark Bunting that had put in an appearance yesterday. More Magnolia Warblers greeted us along with this Eastern Wood-Pewee and more Flycatchers.

Eastern Wood-pewee

We met up with one of the locals who we'd been chatting to on the beach and he informed us of a Mourning Warbler close by. After a short while, it dutifully appeared. This bird caused some discussion re McGillivray's (a major rarity) as it had a very pronounced complete eye ring but the general consensus was that it was a Mourning.

Mourning Warbler

We were now rather hot and it was only 10:30. The temperature was already up to 30 and felt like 35 according to the weather bureau so it was into the car and on with the air conditioning!

Montrose Point, Chicago

2011-08-30T22:36:00.000+01:00

Now back in Chicago and we've got wheels. Last night we went to a White Sox baseball game. My only other experience of a ball game had been several years ago in Toronto with a 1 - 0 bore of a game taht was over in 90 minutes. This one didn't start in any more promising fashion! However the sight of a couple of Nighthawks lit up in the floodlights feeding on flying insects and lepidoptera more than made up for that.

So this-morning we made for the local hot spot for migration - Montrose Point, a few miles north of the city and fortunately a relatively easy drive. This place is a magnet for all sorts of birds and though shorebirds could turn up anywhere along the coast or landbirds in any of the shoreline trees, this site has a habit of concentrating them 'Spurn' style. I likened the area to Filey Brigg without the height. The main feature here is the 'Magic Hedge' a line of trees and dense undergrowth that draws in the passing birds - a bit like the top hedge at Filey except more bird-able. There are numerous tracks around the plot including a meadow with a water drip drinking station (a marvellous idea that would be even better if there was some screened, raised viewing of it).

Anyway, this-morning we wandered up the hedge and quickly came across some Catbirds munching on what looked to be elderberries. Goldfinches fed noisily on the thistle heads and we started to notice our first warblers: Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Palm, Tenessee and Wilson's. Eastern Wood-pewees and Willow and non-identified Flycatchers were darting around the place whilst Chimney Swifts bombed around the tree tops.

Catbird

American Goldfinch

The 'Magic Hedge' from the meadow

We headed for the beach next as there were meant to be a few waders out there. Not only that but a few birders too! There was a stretch of beach that was covered in green slime - lovely! Several Sanderling trotted up and down together with a few Semi-palmated Sandpipers, Semi-palmated Plovers, a single Turnstone (of the 'Ruddy' variety) and an unexpected Buff-breasted Sandpiper. All very photogenic too, as were the gulls which I've included for my lariphiliac friends.

Semi-palmated Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Semi-palmated Plover

First-winter Ring-billed Gull

Adult Ring-billed Gull

A particularly mean looking American Herring Gull

Back at the hedge, we found the drinking pool and were quickly rewarded with more birds including Nashville and Pine Warbler and Northern Waterthrush. A Warbling Vireo perched up in the bare tree that backs onto the pool for a while. An all the time we were surrounded by some lovely butterflies.

Monarch

Tomorrows forecast is for rain before getting rather hot. Interesting....

Cottage country

2011-08-30T21:28:00.000+01:00

A second visit to the Lakeshore Marshes and woods on the 24th was quite productive for us. An American Bittern posed for us at Cranberry Marsh and Thickson's Woods gave us our first warbler flock with Chestnut-sided, Canada, Wilson's, Black-throated Blue and American Redstart as well as Olive-sided and Great -crested Flycatchers. As we got to Oshawa's Second Marsh next to the GM HQ, the heavens opened and I narrowly avoided a soaking. All these places have viewpoints and platforms but not a hide in the UK sense was to be seen.

Another trip to Reesor Pool resulted in a single Least Sandpiper, a fly-through flock of Cliff Swallows and a couple of Hooded Mergansers.

Black-throated Green Warbler

We spent a couple of days at a cottage in the Muskoka Lakes region later in the week. The early morning wasn't very productive until around 10 when the insect life got moving and so did the warblers. Over two days I had innumerable Black-capped Chickadees and several Red-eyed Vireos (some feeding young) along with a nice array of Wood Warblers in the cottage 'grounds': American Redstart, Pine Warbler (at least three still singing occasionally), Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped, Nashville, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided and the much-desired Blackburnian Warbler.

Bernie and her sister Jo with our niece and nephews, Adrian, Vidya and Ravi toasting marshmellows and enjoying s'mores

A final fling around the Leslie Street Spit before our flight on Sunday was disappointing as the tail of the winds from Hurricane Irene was keeping everything low including a Cooper's Hawk. The colony of Double-crested Cormorants was impressive with a few Night Herons interspersed among them. Finally a couple of Killdeer and a small flock of 'peeps' flew over. Now it's back to Chicago.

The Double-crested Cormorant colony on the Leslie St Spit.

Toronto region 23rd Aug

2011-08-24T00:33:00.001+01:00

Having spent a few days in Chicago with our daughter we are now in Toronto for the week and visiting some of the places I've come to enjoy over the years.

Arriving on Monday afternoon, we picked up a hire car at the airport and headed for the pools along Reesor Road before getting to our final destination. The water was pretty high which was not surprising following the downpour that the area received a couple of days ago. A single Trumpeter Swan was chasing Canada Geese around the place and a Great Egret with a green wing-tag stood motionless; unfortunately it was very windy and we were looking into the sun so I didn't get to read what was on the tag - a task for another day perhaps. Checking through the rafts of eclipse Mallard, I picked out a drake Black Duck.

The only waders were several Lesser Yellowlegs and a few Greaters. Ring-billed Gulls and a couple of Caspian Terns circled the edges of the pool and several hirundines were over the water - the North American versions of Swallows and Sand Martins.

Ring-billed Gull

A little further down the road there is a marshy pool that played host to a couple of noisy Kingbird families, Pied-billed Grebes and American Goldfinches.

I set off early this morning to Cranberry Marsh between Whitby and Ajax. This is a place that I really enjoy - the whole area is good for birds but it takes some working at times. I called in inadvertently to Whitby Harbour where the flotillas of Double-crested Cormorants were flying around and a Great Norther Diver (Loon!) flew overhead. A Belted Kingfisher perched on the breakwater and flocks of Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets came in from their roosts.

At Cranberry Marsh I was immediately surrounded by Black-capped Chickadees looking for food from the regulars. There were plenty of Red-winged Blackbirds in the reed beds as well as Swamp Sparrows whilst Cardinals 'ticked' in the surrounding trees.

Red-winged Blackbird

Cardinal

On the marsh, a small patch of water was visible. There were Moorhen, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Wood Duck (all in eclipse plumage) along with Spotted Sandpiper, several Black-crowned Night Herons, Great Egret and Great Blue Herons. A Northern Harrier gave several fly past views and flushed up three Wilson's Snipes from the marsh.

Meanwhile, the trees were livening up with Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Mockingbird, Baltimore Oriole, Least Flycatcher and Ruby Throated Hummingbird. A late Yellow Warbler fed low down whilst other interesting but unidentifed birds darted around the leafy canopy.

I think I'll be back here tomorrow as rain is forecast!

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

Pipit ringing at Newton

2011-08-11T07:52:00.000+01:00

Tuesday morning seemed like the only chance Mark and I could try and do some ringing this week. So we were up bright and early before work and after three hours had managed to catch a few birds including the target species, this lovely Tree Pipit. Also nearly added Spotted Flycatcher and Whiethroat as they put in an unexpected appearance in the trapping area. Several Meadow Pipits and Willow Warblers along with Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Greenfinch and more juvenile Coal Tits made for an interesting time.

Juvenile tree Pipit

A quick catch up

2011-08-08T19:23:00.000+01:00

The weather and work (!) has put paid to most birding plans these last couple of weeks though I've managed a couple of ringing outings. A colour ringed Coot on Rishton Reservoir has been just about the most interesting thing recently/ Ringed as a juvenile at Stanley Park, Blackpool last October, it has made its way to Rishton Reservoir via Bolton.

This weekend I joined Mark for some attempts at catching Pipits as they migrated over the farm. Saturday morning brought this fine second calendar year female Sparrowhawk into one of the nets. An exciting ringing tick if ever there was one.

Yesterday Mark had a good passage of Pipits over in the morning - it was throwing it down in Rishton but the weather was fine all morning just 15 miles north! I went over again in the afternoon but we just had four Meadow Pipits. We may try again tomorrow!

Blacktoft Sands and some more garden ringing

2011-07-25T13:04:00.000+01:00

After the washout last weekend, this week has given me some opportunities to do some birding and ringing. Ringing with Mark firstly at his place on Wednesday afternoon when we trapped several Siskins and Redpolls amongst the plethera of Great Tits, and then on Saturday morning at mine where we got a juvenile Treecreeper in the first round. I think I'll be doing some more Sand Martins this week - all helping in my training. the examination of moult on many of the birds was very interesting and I think I'm slowly getting the hang of it!

On Thursday I was working in East Yorkshire so I called in at Blacktoft on the way to see the Marsh Sandpiper that had been in residence. It was asleep virtually the whole time but eventually popped its head up a couple of times. Twelve Spotted Redshanks including a very black one were really appreciated and the supporting cast of Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Little Egret, Bearded Tit and Garganey made for a very productive hour.

I should've taken the camera! Doh!

It's more like September

2011-07-17T15:00:00.000+01:00

And if it was, I'd be headed for the coast for lots of lovely seabirds. But it's mid-July and though there would undoubtedly be some shearwaters off Formby Point and perhaps a petrel or two, I've decided to keep checking the local patch just in case something drops in.

There have been up to three Common Sandpipers on Rishton Reservoir over the past week as well as teh usual LRP. Friday and today, there has been an adult Common Tern - once more regular than it is now. Good numbers of Sand Martins were feeding low over the water and the football field and these must have been the draw for a Hobby to dash through. I thought it might have landed so I made my way over towards the wood, being battered by the wind and rain. Sure enough, as I got near to where I last saw it, it dashed out on over the trees.

A female Blackcap was feeding a youngster in the garden today - I've been hearing them all summer so it was nice to have confirmed breeding.

And still the rain pours down!

More unexpected birds

2011-07-10T19:48:00.000+01:00

I was up reasonably early this-morning so that I could complete a couple of TTVs around Barnoldswick before the showers came. Initially there wasn't anything out of the ordinary with many family parties around the place, especially Magpies and Blackbirds. As I headed up the steep path next to Copy Nook towards Gisburn Old Road, I heard a call that I realised was a Crossbill! It seemed to have come up from a nearby plantation - part of the influx we seem to be having at the moment.

A couple of juvenile Redstarts a bit further round were really nice to see.

Later, I called in at Rishton Reservoir where the Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers were still present along with three Common Sandpipers and an Oystercatcher. However, I took a double take when I noticed two Little Grebes hauled out on the far bank - an adult and a juvenile. These are very uncommon here so I suspect they've dispersed from somewhere nearby due to water level drops. I checked Parsonage Reservoir later and there were still two adults there so perhaps they could have come from Dean Clough.

Some showers, some birds

2011-07-09T16:14:00.000+01:00

I've not done a great deal of birding in the last week - well it feels like I haven't but in fact... Sunday afternoon and evening was spent on the Lune ringing Sand Martins (just short of 400 birds caught) as part of my training. This was my fourth session in the last three weeks and yet again I got wet feet! Siskins on the feeders on Saturday were completely unexpected.

Then there were a couple of really good birds reported late on Sunday in the north west. So Monday after work was earmarked for a potential twitch. In fact, both were present on Monday so I decided to go for the Western Bonelli's Warbler (as I've never seen one in the UK) knowing that twitching waders on the Fylde has not been a successful pastime for me! I knew the traffic would be bad so I didn't get to Arnfield Reservoir (just over the Greater Manchester border into Derbyshire) until around 7. Once parked up I found the area straight away as I caught a brief snatch of song - and then again - and though it took another hour until we got a view, it was a pretty good one. What the heck it was doing there at this time of year - must have been somewhere further north for the summer as there were quite a few warblers around - a flock of over 20 Phylloscs along with Blackcaps. Siskins and Redpolls called overhead.

So Tuesday could have been the day for an American Golden Plover but there had been no sign so a very nice meal out with Bernie more than made up for that. A flock of 113 Rooks on Wilpshire Road above Parsonage Reservoir was a good count for the area.

Wednesday morning brought Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper to Rishton Reservoir and this-morning there was a wader fest by Rishton standards. With lots of heavy showers passing over, some birds had been grounded - 2 adult Dunlins, a juvenile and adult Ringed Plover, and adult Little Ringed Plover and a Redshank. A Great Crested Grebe is sitting again on a new nest now that the reservoir level has dropped and the Coots have managed to raise at least one young bird. Several Sand Martins were flying low over the water but nowhere near the large numbers of a couple of weeks ago.

I've stocked up on seed today, so the local passerine population will be pleased!

RBO's First Mothing Session

2011-07-02T12:02:00.000+01:00

A fine Friday evening was a good time to have the first ever Mothing session in my back garden. Bill's been encouraging me to do it for years and so, as everyone was available, we decided to spend a couple of hours seeing what we might collect.

Natasha from next door was at home so she and Tim & Janet Davie came along for a very informative and enjoyable couple of hours. We set up a trap at the bottom of the dip near the stream, one half way up the path near the ringing ride and a light and sheet on the back lawn.

The evening was cool so there wasn't a great deal of activity but enough for us novices. Soon I was acquainted with some common species such as Brimstone and Purple Clay as well as three species of Y Silver, Plain Golden and Beautiful Golden.

This Buff Arches was my favourite of the evening but there were also Ghost Moth, Map-winged Swift, Single-dotted Wave, Coxcomb Prominent and a host of others (for which I'm waiting a list of).

Buff Arches

The evening was enlivened by parties of Hedgehogs down the dip - at least five animals and some very odd noises. Pipistrelles continually quartered overhead and the calls of young Tawny Owls could be heard as we packed the equipment away.

Mrs Tiggiwinkle and young

Bill at one of the traps

Janet, Tim, Bill and Natasha

This morning I took a couple of the moths we'd kept overnight in the fridge and got a better look in the daylight before releasing them in the dense undergrowth that is my back garden! We'll certainly have to do this again and this time leave a trap on overnight.

Beautiful Golden Y

Plain Golden Y

All the feeders had been completely emptied over the past few days so a re-fill has quickly brought in the Bullfinches and Redpolls as well as a couple of Siskins that I heard overhead yesterday - they must have nested somewhere nearby,perhaps Dean Clough or another hillside plantation.

Hopefully the Dragonflies will be putting in an appearance soon. Just the regular Blue-tailed Damselflies so far.

Flaming June

2011-06-22T19:04:00.000+01:00

.. it is most certainly not! So not too surprising then that two drake Common Scoters were sailing around the deep-end this evening. These sea-duck do drop in occasionally as they commute between Scandinavian breeding grounds and the Irish Sea but, still, it's a bonus!

There were also three Tufted Ducks and lots of Sand Martins (at least 95) - a permanent fixture here this year with all the cool weather. Ringing Sand Martins on Monday evening was fun - crossing the Lune in my walking boots on the way back was fun too - they're still drying out!

A young Grey Heron has been patrolling the shallows for the past couple of weeks and my first four juvenile Black-headed Gulls put in an appearance on the far bank as they disperse from Belmont Reservoir, probably.

Nuthatch - a garden and ringing tick

2011-06-18T20:41:00.000+01:00

As the wind had moved into the north west, the dip behind the house was sheltered and lots of birds were coming to the feeders down there so a bit of garden ringing was called for this-afternoon.

A male and juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker have been vising the peanut feeders for a few days and whilst watching them, I caught a glimpse of a Nuthatch on another feeder. At last! I had heard one very briefly in the spring but this was my first sighting and very glad about it I was too!

Even better was the fact that we trapped it later that afternoon.....

Juvenile male Nuthatch

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker

We trapped lots of young Great Tits and Chaffinches. Also two more adult Bullfinches and two juveniles. A quick visit to the nearby stables resulted in two broods of Swallows ringed as well.

Better late than never

2011-06-14T15:10:00.000+01:00

..with a photo of the Crane that graced the borderlands last Tuesday. A good couple of days birding with this and the White-throated Robin on the Monday. This bird was reported around 6pm so I finished my tea only to miss it at its original but distantly viewed site. Fortunately Mike Watson got stopped by a local to show him where the stork was. Managed to get a shot in the rapidly fading light.

At Rishton Reservoir today the young grebe was being fed by its parents. Unfortunately, the other two nests were washed out - last year they were left high and dry!

The flock of Canada Geese has been absent for some time but they're now re-assembling.

I couldn't see anything on the far bank. There had been a single LRP there last week but I've not seen any the last two visits. I just hope they may be sitting tight somewhere!

The first juvenile Goldfinch was on the feeders today and I'm still getting regular visits from Lesser Redpolls. Blackbirds are singing all around us at present - I haven't seen many youngsters but this rain will have helped bring the worms up! It's certainly got the slugs and snails on the move - time for the beer trap.

White-throated Robin Twitch

2011-06-07T13:01:00.000+01:00

09:15 - massage from John "Going to Hartlepool at 10:30 if I can make it". Eh? A quick check of the Birdguides web site and the urge to twitch takes hold. 09:30 - after much internal deliberation, decide that I'll be just useless doing anything else now today so "Yes".

The day was going to be oh-so-different to yesterday where I spent the evening ringing Sand Martins on the Lune with Mark, Richard and a few others. I even handled a recovery with a French ring on it though most of the retraps were last year's juveniles from the same colony.

The troops assembled at my house and at 11, yes 11 o'clock, John eventually appeared. With the A59 closed, I decided that the quickest route would be the long way round the M62. All morning the news was arriving that the bird was showing well until we were about 30 minutes away when it had dived for cover. Our spirits rose again as we entered the outskirts of Hartlepool with the news that it had re-appeared!

At 13:15 we were making our way to the bowling green but it had departed a few minutes earlier. An anxious 20 minute wait in which time the local Bowls club had started to assemble added to the pressure but it eventually appeared on the road away from our sight. Fortunately, it hopped into the shrubbery and we got reasonable views of the female White-throated Robin; splendid.

However as soon as it had put in appearance, 30 seconds later it took off over the houses and didn't put in an appearance until over an hour later, and even then it was only for a few seconds as it bounded around the undergrowth.

A couple of hours passed. the bird wasn't going to show again so John and I headed for the coast to do some birding; Little, Common and Arctic Terns were all new for the year for me as I hadn't been to the coast since the beginning of April. A raft of Common Scoter and several Eider were behind the breakwater and a small flock of Turnstones braved the surf as the tide rose.

We eventually made our way back to the throng were it became apparent that the bird was showing well in the garden if you could get a suitable vantage point. The scene was very entertaining with up to ten people standing on the roof of a van - tyres flat and the roof buckled! Ladders were appearing and the locals had spotted a lucrative opportunity.

We left them to it to enjoy a beautiful Red-backed Shrike just down the coast at Seaton Carew followed by the inevitable Chippy tea and a nice Spoonbill at Saltholme en-route back home.

Adult male Red-backed Shrike

The Blackburn birding team
Me, Tony Disley, Tim Davie, John Wright, Bill Aspin

Spoonbill (courtesy of Bill Aspin)

Some upland specialities

2011-06-05T08:44:00.000+01:00

Mark invited me out to check some Pied Flycatcher boxes on Saturday morning. Two out of the five we checked had young in them which were just ready to ring as pulli. All the other nests were vacant with the broods having fledged or succumbed.

Pied Flycatcher brood of seven ready for ringing

Wandering 'off-piste' in Bowland woodlands was hard work on my dodgy joints but worth it. I managed a few snaps with my new iPhone too! Redstarts were singing in lots of places and we flushed up a Tawny Owl in one of the woods.

Back at Mark's we decided to throw up a couple of nets in the vain hope we may catch something even though the wind was picking up. We weren't disappointed as we got a couple of re-trap Nuthatches and this wonderful second calendar year male Redstart amongst other things.

1st summer male Redstart

Redpoll ringing

2011-05-29T10:36:00.001+01:00

With the Blue Tits in two of my nestboxes growing fast, we decided it was time to ring the chicks - eight in one nest an nine out of eleven in another (one was dead and another didn't look well!) I hope the weather improves in the next couple of days and we get a bit of warmth in the air as these birds will be fledging in a week or so.

We put up a net for a couple of hours to see what we might catch before settling down to watch Barcelona thump United. I was delighted to get four Lesser Redpolls, one of which, a female, was trapped on 28 Dec 2009. There had been several birds visiting the garden feeders lately and so it proved to be at least three different males and a host of females and a juvenile. one of the brighter males was ringed and I managed to read it as the ring obligingly turned around as it fed on the Nyger seed - another one from 28 Dec 2009!

Juv Lesser Redpoll

Female Lesser Redpoll

Adult Female Lesser Redpoll

Adult Male Lesser Redpoll

Nothing much happening down at the reservoir today as fishermen were camped on the far bank and the Grebes were hiding in the willows still as the strong westerly wind continues to blow. A family party of Blue Tits were particularly noisy and young Pied Wagtails were being fed by a parent. As I walked along the edge of Cut Wood, my attention was drawn to a noisy family of Great Spotted Woodpeckers as the parent male fed them at the entrance to the nest site.

In the past week there had been a flock of six Dunlin and a Ringed Plover one evening but they didn't hang around long.

Waiting for an American Visitor

2011-05-22T14:01:00.000+01:00

This wind seems incessant. This-morning I tried to do a stint at the reservoir but the rain lashed into my face at regular intervals and the wind was sogusty I was fully expecting a petrel over the water. Instead there were plenty of hirundines, a couple of gulls and little else.

One of my daughter's friends is coming over from America today, so not an avian visitor but the wind could bring one over!

Two pairs of Grebes (the ones on the railway embankment) have at least one chick each but I haven't seen the ones that skulk near the yacht club - they could have been drowned out with the constant pounding of the waves over the past couple of weeks.

House Martins have finally arrived in some numbers - at least 25 were feeding in the shelter of the trees along Cut Lane this morning whilst Robins and Chaffinches have struck up song again. On Friday there was a (Greater) Ringed Plover on the far bank of the reservoir and yesterday, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers were busy feeding along the edge.

Anyway, now for an anxious afternoon watching footy on the telly!

At last, something's dropped in

2011-05-19T12:45:00.000+01:00

... in the shape of six Dunlin on the increasing expanse of sand/mud yesterday evening. I can't remember seeing so many here before. True to form, they'd disappeared by this morning but the two Little Ringed Plovers were still around.

The grebes are keeping to the shelter of the willows so I haven't seen any sign of the youngsters. I'm just hoping the nest on the eastern bank hasn't been inundated by the waves that have been lapping up over the last week or so.

A party of eight Swifts screamed over the park and Sand Martins have reached three figures though they don't breed here. House Martins are still pretty scarce but another two 'sites' around the village are occupied again.

Grebe chicks hatch

2011-05-16T12:48:00.000+01:00

Whilst everyone else was finding some rather good birds, checking Rishton Reservoir a couple of times yesterday didn't turn up anything special. A pair of LRP's were trotting around on the far bank away from the fisherman over there and the numbers of martins over the area was very good - at least 100 Sand Martins, 20 Swallows but still only a few House Martins and Swifts.

The good news was that the pair of Grebe in the farthest corner were feeding and coming back to the nest - I could just make out the top of the head of a chick. Hopefully the other two nests are also coming to fruition.

At least four Lesser Redpolls were on the feeders today including one of the brightest males I've ever seen - shining out against the background of a gloomy, dreech day.

Rishton Reservoir 8th May

2011-05-08T10:13:00.000+01:00

At last, some rain. At last, some House Martins and Swifts. It feels like a lot of the summer migrants have been around for ages. Well some certainly have but it's still only the first week of May and after weeks of fine weather, we tend to forget that.

I was hoping that these weather fronts may bring in some birds, drop down a Tern or two, but no, 'just' the regular birds. Yesterday there was been a single Little Ringed Plover displaying on the far bank of the reservoir and today it was joined by a Common Sandpiper, my first of the year here. A female Mallard was taking the attention of six males and was fickle in the extreme as they displayed and fought each other. Another female still had five growing chicks - the same family had nine chicks last weekend that had steadily reduced to five as a third year Great Black-back Gull picked them off when they strayed away from the willows. It looks like the rest have stuck close to mum.

The three pairs of Great Crested Grebes are still on their nests and the injured Tuftie still remains. Around 50 Sand Martins fed low over the water.

In Cut Wood, there are plenty of birds singing. A Mistle Thrush has been particularly noticeable in banging out its song right above the path.

A single Lesser Redpoll has been on the garden feeders and Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap are still singing at the bottom of the garden. However all of these are drowned out by three competing male Blackbirds. Four Swifts over the trees at the back were my first for the year and a couple of House Martins were back at previous year's nest sites.

A few visits down to the reservoir are called for today I think as you never know what may drop in.

Wonderful Whinchats

2011-05-02T13:20:00.000+01:00

I'd been down at the reservoir again this morning but still there was nothing to shout about apart from a female Tufted Duck joining the two males. Crows had increased to 81 and there were two Ravens present. However a call from Tim Davie got me up to an exposed spot above Parsonage Reservoir where there were two lovely Whinchats faithful to one spot. I could hardly stand upright in the easterly gale so they must have been clinging on for dear life to the fence! Thanks Tim & Janet!

Male Whinchat

Female Whinchat

Male Whinchat

Some good TTV'ing

2011-05-01T13:37:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was spent doing two TTVs around Barnoldswick, somewhere I wouldn't go in most circumstances but a four hour circuit was rewarded with some good birds. The gusty easterly wind kept a lot of stuff down but otherwise it wasn't too bad. I set off up onto the moor to the west of Bar'lick first; plenty of Willow Warblers, Meadow Pipits and a good colony of Linnets with some splendid males singing along the path were a complete opposite to my last visit were there was nothing but for a couple of Crows.

A female Wheatear dodged along a wall and a single displaying Curlew was my only wader of the day. A couple of Red Grouse reluctantly sounded out their 'go-back' call. Apart from another Wheater, there was nothing to write home about around Duck Pond until I heard what is now becoming a more familiar call of a Yellow Wagtail. I picked up the bright yellow male flying overhead.

Further down I could hear a distant Redstart but I got a good view of one a bit further along the path.

I finally made my way round to the north of the town where the Sewage Works are I was delighted to hear the rattling of a Lesser Whitethroat and managed to get some close views in the hedge. A Sedge Warbler in a nearby ditch was also unexpected and a great end to a productive mornings surveying.

Today, the wind is even stronger. Nothing on Rishton Reservoir other than a Raven that has joined the corvid throng, though the rest of Crows weren't at all pleased with its presence. I'd seen a Raven over the house half an hour earlier so it could have been the same one.

Couldn't resist another Dotterel image. :)

Birding royalty - a very obliging flock of Dotterel

2011-04-29T19:05:00.001+01:00

At Rishton Reservoir this morning there was nothing out of the ordinary - the three Grebe nests were still intact if not a bit buffeted by the gusty easterly wind and the two drake Tufted Ducks were still hanging around. Over 70 Sand Martins were wheeling around in the breeze but there are still no House Martins. Yesterday I had my first ever Water Vole on the site.

A flock of 74 Carrion Crows had assembled in the field next to the small res where a dead sheep pointed its legs skywards. This however wasn't the reason the gang of crows was in the field as there have been quite a number there for the past week or so - don't think the Lapwings and Curlews will have much chance!

As I headed back, the news of a flock of Dotterel on Champion Moor found by a TTV'ing Tony Cooper (well done Tony!) sprang up on my phone - the perfect distraction from the wedding. Bernie and I headed out only to be told that they'd flown so we limited our trip to the local garden centre to get the bedding plants we were planning to get in the afternoon. Blackcaps and a Garden Warbler were singing in the woods nearby.

I have to admit we headed home and sat to watch the wedding at this point. All credibility shot, the news that the Dotterel had been re-found by arch-Dotterel finder John Metcalf brought us back to our senses, so we left their Royal Hignesses and headed north.

I recognise that photographer!

Thirty minutes later and a quick jaunt up the hill, we found the Breaks' family enjoying splendid views of seven Dotterel. I grabbed the camera and slowly made my way towards the birds on my belly (my neck and shoulders are paying the price now!). I got to a spot fairly close and then after a while they started to feed actively coming ever closer. Lovely birds - the females resplendent in their richly coloured plumage.

Short-toed Lark - a Lancashire first

2011-04-25T16:55:00.000+01:00

It may not have the mega-rarity or even moderately rare status but in the north-west, Short-toed Larks are extremely rare and one found at Fleetwood Marsh NP yesterday was a first for Lancashire. I had got the news last night but couldn't get there so there was anxious wait for news this-morning. I'd just about given up hope when the alarm bells rang. I made up the forty or so miles in pretty good time!

The bird gave really good scope views but was too far off for decent images (I really should try digiscoping again). Anyway, here are some record shots.

There has been a previous report of this species in the May 76's from Marshside when I was a youthful starter at birding. I wish I could recall more details as the bird caused some controversy. Anyway, that was then, this is now on my Lancashire list.

And there was more on the way home in the shape of a Wood Sandpiper and singing male Pied Flycatcher in Bowland.

A Glorious Spring

2011-04-23T18:42:00.000+01:00

The last couple of days has seen me over in east Yorkshire doing some survey work and very pleasant it has been too! Lots of Yellow Wagtails on territory were the highlights of my wanderings but also getting my first Common and Lesser Whitethroats and Sedge Warblers of the year was good if not unexpected. The weather has been very warm and sunny like elsewhere in England and I got the distinct feeling that some of the early migrants such as Chiffchaffs have given up singing and got down to brass tacks as it were.

Today Bernie and I had a leisurely journey back via Bempton Cliffs. It was ridiculously busy, even at 9am but that didn't distract from the sensory experience! First the smell, then the cacophony and finally the views - brilliant! All the usual suspects were on show, Kittiwakes, Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbills, Fulmars and a few Puffins on the sea.

Kittiwake

Razorbills

There were lots of flowers emerging but Red Campion has special significance to Bernie and me and memories of our youth!

Red Campion

Back in the fields Reed Buntings, Skylarks, Meadow Pipts and Linnets sang. A Grasshopper Warbler also joined in with its reeling but only gave us a very brief view.

Reed Bunting

The trip back along A roads was a pleasurable one apart from getting around York. We stopped off at Hellifield Flash where there were three Little Ringed Plovers, one Ringed Plover, several Redshanks, Curlew, Oystercatchers, Wigeon and Teal. A little further on we enjoyed watching a Little Owl right out in the open for about a minute (didn't have the camera handy though - doh!).

Finally we dropped by Stocks Reservoir, where the Black Tern that had been present since yesterday gave a fine performance and a Grenshank stood motionless on the far bank. A Redstart sang near the hide and we could hear the Cuckoo on the far bank - the first Bernie has heard in years!

Whimbrel at Ardmore Point 17th April

2011-04-17T18:35:00.000+01:00

We've been up visiting relatives in Glasgow this weekend but that allowed a morning's sortie along the Clyde. I normally head around the south shore - we'd been to Gourock yesterday and besides a rather large submarine, we saw a single Gannet and Shag as well as several Red-breasted Mergansers and a few Red-throated Divers.

So this-morning I headed along the north side past Dumbarton to Ardmore Point, a peninsula that juts out into the Clyde opposite Port Glasgow/Greenock. The sound of Willow Warblers filled the air wherever I went. A Song Thrush was pounding out its song in competition with 'kleep'ing Oystercatchers whilst Shelducks flew around laughing at each other.

Out in the Clyde, I picked up on three Slavonian Grebes - just a bit too far away to appreciate their summer finery - and loads of Red-breasted Mergansers. A single Shag, a couple of Red-throated Divers and several Common Gulls were floating around off the southern end of the peninsula where I also found a Wheatear.

Still, Willow Warblers abounded whilst Greenfinches, Redpolls and Goldfinches joined in. Then there were Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Wren, Robin - a veritable auditory feast and evidence enough why the hobby we enjoy so much is best described as birding rather that bird-watching.

Anyway, I made my way around the northen side of the point and into the bay where a flock of six White Wagtails fed actively right in front of me. Of course I could have got great photos if I had had my camera, but sods law dictates that you'll get great views when one is bereft of photographic equipment! The birds didn't stop there as I picked up a couple of Whimbrels in amongst a roosting flock of Curlews and then I heard the distinctive call of two Sandwich Terns (my first of the year) as they came in to circuit the bay before heading off elsewhere. I had a good chat with a local birder who's come down to do the WeBS count for the site before I headed off to the sound of the Whimbrels.

This afternoon, we had a walk through the woods at Endrick Mouth NNR on the south-eastern shore of Loch Lomond. Again, lots of Willow Warblers as well as a single Redstart, several Goosanders and a host of lovely spring flowers - Lesser Celandine, Dog Violets, Wood Anenome and Wood Sorrel to name but a few.

It's been nice to get up here again but it's back home tomorrow.

More sounds of summer

2011-04-09T20:22:00.000+01:00

A sunny day here as in most of the rest of the country meant that migrants were either arriving or passing through relentlessly searching for their summer quarters. At the reservoir, two pairs of Grebes are on nests and coots are busy bolstering their own. A few Sand Martins and a single Swallow passed north but with no 'edge' there was nothing brought down. I thought we might get a few White Wagtails but there was just a single Pied Wagtail flycatching almost hirundine like over the water - most unusual.

The Curlews and Lapwings are displaying around the fields and a pair of Oyestercatchers still adorn the far bank. The only things of note were a pair of Shelduck that dropped in.

At home, most of the finches seemed to have gone with the fine weather. My first Swallow of the year went overhead as did a Sparrowhawk. Chiffchaff and Blackcap are singing now and we should get Willow Warblers soon. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Not two but four

2011-04-07T16:18:00.000+01:00

Checking the feeders each morning before work and there have been at least four Bramblings in the garden - three males and a female. As if they didn't want to be outdone, the Lesser Redpoll numbers have increased markedly with at least 25 in teh garden at one point on Monday.

A bit of survey work on the wrong side of the Pennines :) regaled me with a few new birds for the year, best of which were two splendid male Yellow Wagtails. Lots of hirundines as well.

Now back trying to read rings on some of these birds, especially after Marks 'finds' of late.

Not one Brambling, but two

2011-04-02T14:46:00.000+01:00

It was a dark and miserable morning here but after an abortive visit to Rishton Reservoir (just one Sand Martin but nothing else due to fishermen on the far bank) I came back home to be greeted with the songs of Chiffchaff and Blackcap. There were several Lesser Redpolls calling around the place but my eye was drawn to a flash of colour near the shed, sorry, observatory.

I reached for the bins and sure enough, a lovely female Bramling soon followed by a male. There was only one thing for it, I had to get a photo or two. These were only the third and fourth Bramblings to visit my garden in all the years I've been here. Anyway, I made my way down to the shed and managed a few shots of them and the redpolls.

Male Brambling

Female Brambling

Male Lesser Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

Siskin

Another Lesser - this time a 'pecker

2011-03-29T17:27:00.000+01:00

Today was a bit of a repeat of last Tuesday with an early start, this time in the Midlands, followed by some birding en-route to home.

Male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Moore, Cheshire

Today's visit was to Moore NR and I wasn't disappointed as I immediately got on to the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker as it was excavating a hole in the forlorn hope that a female may turn up. Apparently, this male is the only one on the reserve - a similar story from Marbury a few miles south. The species has never been common in the North-west but it is declining rapidly.

Anyway, it was most obliging though a bit distant for my camera lens. A pair of Willow Tits, another seriously declining species, called nearby and this lovely Tawny Owl could just about be seen from the path.

Tawny Owl

Moore is really a lovely not-so-little nature reserve. You don't notice it's next to a huge landfill site until you walk around! The woods were full of singing birds; lots of Chiffchaffs, Nuthatches and Treecreepers as well as the usual Tits and finches.

The Birchwood Pool added a frisson of excitement as not only was there a lovely Black-necked Grebe but also, that great rarity, a male Ruddy Duck that wasn't ducking (sorry) bullets. I think that's the first I've seen for three years. Anyway, the lake also played host to Little Grebes, Gadwall, Shoveler, Goldeneye, Pochard and Tufted Duck - a very nice selection indeed. Pity the gulls insisted on circling above rather than coming down for a drink and bathe.

Lesser Scaup, Marshside

2011-03-27T14:19:00.001+01:00

Checking Rishton Reservoir these past few days has not revealed a great number of birds. Yesterday, five Tufted Ducks were new in and today a pair of Widgeon had dropped in. Otherwise just the usual gulls on the far bank with up to four Oystercatchers and three Curlews. There are at least two Lapwings on territory and I caught sight of a distant Sparrowhawk displaying.

The Grebes had increased to eight birds this-morning with the ones to the left of the promenade busy building a nest.

The four juvenile Mute Swans are still around and were joined by an adult pair on the small res. Garden finch numbers have declined somewhat so I took myself off to have a look at the Lesser Scaup that had been at Marshside.

A couple were intently looking at a bird rather close to the screen at the Junction Pool as I arrived and declared that it was asleep in amongst the Tufted Ducks. I couldn't see the bird in the flock and I thought I was going mad but after a few minutes the Scaup steamed in from the left - as I'd suspected, they'd been looking at a Gadwall! I quickly and patiently rectified the situation as the Lesser Scaup showed well. The pair of Gadwall followed it wherever it went, feeding on whatever was disturbed by it.

Lesser Scaup, Tufted Duck and Gadwall not impersonating a Lesser Scaup

A Chiffchaff was singing in the nearby bushes but after a walk around the old sand-winning compound where the expected Wheatears were darting around, I was delighted to hear a Willow Warbler give a few half-hearted attempts at a song. Now I know its Spring!

Willow Warbler

Finally, here's a toad that showed better than the birds we were looking for last Friday.

A grand day out!

2011-03-22T17:10:00.000Z

I was up early to do some breeding bird work in Yorkshire this-morning - a fine day was forecast and so it turned out. It's nice to see lots of Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrrows on the site and a couple of pairs of Grey Partridge were also welcome. No sign of any visitors yet apart from a Chiffchaff in a nearby copse.

Tree Sparrow

The Hares were still bounding around the fields 'madly', giving the poor female the run-around and I had several encounters with Roe Deer. The sound of Skylarks started to fill the air as it warmed up and Lapwings were 'pee-wit' ing in several fields.

Once completed, I headed for home via North Duffield Carrs where there had been some Cranes recently. It's the first time I've visited this place and it won't be the last if my short stay there was anything to go by. No Cranes unfortunately but loads of duck - Teal, Pintail, Wigeon, Gadwall and Shoveler all on the flooded meadows being spooked occasionally by a female Sparrowhawk and a rather large Peregrine. A Barn Owl floated in front of the hide but the camera wasn't primed for that one more's the shame.

There were yet more Tree Sparrows and Reed Buntings on the feeders next to the hide and Mute, Whooper and Black Swans flying around. All topped off with a Great Grey Shrike at nearby Skipwith Common.

Back home and I was delighted to see four Lesser Redpolls on the feeders along with a couple of female Siskins and yet more Goldfinches and Chaffinches - very few birds had rings on and none of the Redpolls were ringed. I had received news that another Redpoll that had been ringed in the garden on Friday had been controlled by Pete Marsh at Thrushgill yesterday! How good is that? I know that the Arctic Redpoll that's been there must have been here at some point :)

Lesser Redpolls

Anyway - a few butterflies are around. I can't remember seeing a Comma before in my garden but one was getting some rays on the laurel. A Brimstone in Yorkshire was nice as well.

Comma

Yet another first!

2011-03-18T19:23:00.000Z

What is going on. March is a pretty good month for my garden so after the influx of Siskins and the flock of Waxwings this week I thought that I should be glad of what I'd got.

Mark came around this morning to try and get some Siskins. This, we certainly did, but in the process added several Lesser Redpolls to the tally and good numbers of Goldfinches. Amongst the Redpolls was a re-trapped bird whose flock-mate back in January was controlled by Pete Marsh at Thrushgill yesterday.

Anyway, as we were ringing the birds, I heard a sound that I was familiar with but not in my garden. Mark heard it too and commented "You said you'd never had Nuthatch in your garden before". Nope - Rishton has been a Nuthatch-free zone as long as I have been here. They thrive to the west and south of Blackburn and they're common at Spring Wood near Whalley not four miles away, but they've never made it to here - until today! We didn't see it unfortunately but I'll be keeping an ear out for it over the weekend.

That was not the last of the (local) excitement. Things had quietened off around 11am as usual but I noticed a Redpoll in the hawthorns - one glance and I was sure it was a Mealy. I got Mark onto it and he thought so too as it dropped down to the feeder. A very pale bird - cold brown and grey backed with no hint of buff in the flanks and broad flank streaking. Could we get it in the net. the answer was "No". It came down the tree and off again three times in the next hour narrowly missing the top shelf of the net each time - grrrr! We'll you can't have everything.

A pleasant day's ringing with lots of new birds passing through.

Male Siskin, one of several caught today

2nd calendar year female Siskin - note the three white-edged old greater coverts

Siskins abound and then more Waxwings

2011-03-16T19:16:00.000Z

These past couple of weeks have been Siskin time - everywhere I've gone I've come across these beauties but better still were the birds in the garden. A peak count of 22 this past weekend was something to savour. They hung around all day for several days as well but it seems that they may have moved on now.

Anyway, this-morning, I drew back the curtains and noticed a few familiar silhouettes on the top of the alders. Finally got them perched up in the garden - seven Waxwings. A complete surprise! Too dark for any pictures and they didn't hang around more's the shame.

Our first control and the first Ladybird of the year

2011-03-06T15:51:00.000Z

I had heard Redpolls around the garden yesterday and there had been good numbers of Chaffinches and Goldfinches so Mark came round for a morning's ringing session. Unfortunately, there was a steady easterly breeze making the nets billow out and appear obvious - and that was before the sun came out making things worse! Anyway, we managed to catch a few birds in the bottom nets including our first control for the site; this Greenfinch....

Hope to have some information about where it's come from before not too long.

I had seen at least two more unringed Bullfinches recently so guess what we caught! That makes 19 in teh garden so far this winter. This one enjoyed the experience so much that it didn't want to go!

We took the nets down by 12 and I started some tidying up in the garden coming across this Ladybird and a Bumble Bee in the sunshine. Spring is very close!

A field full of gulls

2011-02-27T13:45:00.000Z

Spring is certainly in the air as a walk from Rishton, through Tottleworth, Cut Lane and back demonstrated. Dunnocks were particularly vociferous but they were accompanied by 'wheezing' Greenfinches, Chaffinch, Wren, Song Thrush and Robin.

There are a couple of pairs of Great Crested Grebes on the Reservoir and Oystercatchers and Curlews can be heard as they start to lay claim to some breeding territory.

Mealy Redpolls have been present, albeit rather briefly, in the garden; two different un-ringed birds yesterday and today. A large flock of Goldfinches contained several with rings on. The surprising thing about this is that we've hardly had any re-trap Goldfinches in the last three winters so perhaps a ringing session soon may alter that statistic. My neighbour picked up a dead bird with a ring on it. It was very badly decomposed but the beak looked like a Great Tit and looking up the data, it was one of last year's juvenile females. Still, the Bullfinches and Chaffinches have been visiting in their droves.

The fields on the other side of the canal have been spread recently, attracting a large flock of Black-headed Gulls. I searched the wheeling flock time and again but the only non-BH's were a Lesser Black-back, a couple of Herring Gulls and two Common Gulls.

Part of the Black-headed Gull flock viewed from an upstairs window

This Mistle Thrush has been seen regularly as well, singing occasionally from the tallest tree in the clough. Still no sign of any Skylarks yet, though the sound of them singing at Slimbridge last weekend was delightful. February was the time they started singing on the dunes around Ainsdale when I was younger - a sound to gladden the heart!

Oriental Turtle Dove - at the third time of asking!

2011-02-21T19:18:00.000Z

There had been requests not to disturb the residents of Chipping Norton on Sunday, so being the considerate people we are, we went to Slimbridge instead, with a planned drive around some Cotswold villages in the afternoon.

After a fine breakfast, we headed out to the WWT HQ and enjoyed the birds out on the marshes. There were still Bewick's Swans around as well as several Barnacle Geese but only two Russian Whitefronts padded around as there mates had all decided to up and leave! There had been a large 'bore' (pity we missed it) and the outer marsh had been inundated, however a few birds returned as we scanned the area. Peregrine and Buzzard were the only two raptors and there were quite a few waders; Golden Plover, Dunlin, a couple of Ruff, etc. Then we got the news - John Wright texted us to say that the Dove was showing well in its roost tree. So we set off and an hour later, we dipped again - lots of Woodpigeons and a couple of Stock Doves but there had been no sign of the OTD (Oriental Turtle Dove, not "On-time Delivery") for 20 minutes.

We scanned for a while but decided that we'd come back on Monday on the way back home. So it was more touristy stuff and a lovely Italian meal that evening.

So Monday arrived and just as we'd finished breakfast and paid the bill at the B&B, John texted me again - "showing well". We got there about 10 and made our way down The Leys in the drizzle. People were coming away saying, just knock on the door at No 41. We knew the route! We found our way in and we were kindly given a scope view of the bird in a Damson tree, somewhat obscured by branches and the like. But it was here!

After a while, it got a bit restless and moved off right and out of view. We hung around but as more people arrived we moved out of the way just in case it returned. We were about to leave when it landed on the grass at the back of the garden and made its way slowly and surely up to the feeding area. Everyone got great views, even though the drizzle (& rain at times) continued and the hand-held shots didn't come out too bad considering they were taken through glass.

Oriental (Rufous) Turtle Dove, Chipping Norton Monday 21st Feb

A wintering Blackcap

We left with the bird still on view and more birders arriving. I must thank Steve and his family for letting us spend so much time with them over the past days. It got me thinking back to what I'd been discussing a few weeks back - "What would we do if a rare bird turned up in our garden?" Maybe we'll find out one day.

Plenty of Woodpigeons, but where's that dove?

2011-02-21T18:32:00.000Z

I got a call on Thursday afternoon out of the blue asking if I would do an interview with Ted Robbins on BBC Radio Lancashire's morning show the following day discussing bird-watching and twitching. The incident that prompted the discussion was the manic goings on in Chipping Norton where an Oriental Turtle Dove had been seen.

I know several people from the area went down on Tuesday for it only to be stood in the rain for seven long hours - I escaped this fate as I had to be in Blackburn that evening so declined the offer of a lift down. Anyway, having pontificated over the radio waves, Bernie and I (well it was I really) decided to spend a weekend in the Cotswolds. So a B&B was booked in Cheltenham for Saturday and Sunday nights and on Saturday morning we headed for Cheltenham - via the afore-mentioned Dove site.

As we arrived we quickly struck up a conversation - the bird had been rather mobile. It had been in the gardens but then moved to the larger trees on the outskirts of the town. It had been seen in them but had since flown off. We wandered the length of "The Leys", searching every tree through gaps in the houses. The natives were very accommodating, I must say, but the bird was nowhere to be found.

AS we made our way back up the road we had just reached No.41 when the owner, Steve, called us in "The first ten please, it's just come down to feed". Bernie and I were number 7 and 8; we unshod ourselves at the door and made our way to the kitchen whereupon arrival the conversation went something like "It's on the tab.. oh it's flown off left". Aaaarghhh

After an hour of delightful conversation and cracking views of all manner of finches (except Redpolls of course) and other garden birds. We called it a day and set off for Cheltenham via some touristy stuff in Stow-on-the-Wold - the dove wasn't seen at all for the rest of the day.

An evening at the theatre in Cheltenham was excellent - we went to see the last night of a new production of Alan Bennett's "The History Boys" and a nice meal to boot!

More signs of Spring

2011-02-17T12:11:00.000Z

Coal Tits and Great Tits are singing away around us now. On a walk down into the village this-morning, a Dunnock blasted out its rapid, high-pitched song from a garden hedge and a Chaffinch gave a couple of phrases too. There were House Sparrows on several gable-ends chirping out their territorial claims.

Back in the garden, the finches are still coming down to the feeders. A pair of Siskins has been regular and there was a brief visit from one of the ringed Mealy Redpolls this morning. Bullfinches are still coming down in good numbers and there are plenty of Goldfinches as well.

Rishton Reservoir WeBS

2011-02-12T11:39:00.000Z

Not on the scale of some nearby sites, but I do the monthly count of birds on the reservoir throughout the year. Today, the numbers were pretty poor, though a pair of Wigeon had dropped in with the fog and a couple of Oystercatchers were a welcome returning sight.

There were hardly any other birds with just eight Mallard, six Coot, two Moorhens and three juvenile Mute Swans near the yacht club. Chaffinches were starting to sing in and around Cut Wood and the odd Siskin called overhead.

Back home, I'm patiently waiting for the return of the Redpolls now that a neighbour has finished his garden vandalism - there's nothing above a foot in height there! Anyway, at least three different Siskins have come down in amongst the finches including a splendid male. Coal Tits and Chaffinches are singing for the first time this year and I heard the first Song Thrush this morning, albeit rather briefly.

The forecast is for the weather to turn a bit colder but the days are lengthening and the PV output is rising - we've received our first cheque from Centrica for three months worth of electricity generation over the mid-winter period. Things are looking up!

Mealy Redpolls again

2011-02-04T15:24:00.000Z

A leaking radiator and boiler problems meant I had to stay at home today but at least that gave me the opportunity to keep an eye on what was visiting the feeders. The gale force winds had blown one of the poles over so I braved the elements to rectify the situation and fill up the hoppers.

The top feeders were very busy for a change - lots of Chaffinches and Greenfinches early on with a single Lesser Redpoll and the ringed male Great Spotted Woodpecker paid a visit. I was upstairs when I glanced out of the window and immediately saw what I was sure was a Mealy.I dashed downstairs to grab the bins and sure enough both of the birds that we ringed on Monday were on the niger seed. One was then promptly displaced by another, unringed bird - same size, structure and colouration as the ringed ones. A few Lessers were also in attendance for some comparative views.

Anyway, it's a good excuse for another image from Monday....

First-winter male Mealy (Common) Redpoll

Anyway, once the plumber had been, I paid a visit to Rishton Reservoir, facing into the strong wind that was starting to ease a bit. there weren't too many gulls around but a few were loafing around on the west bank and at around 13:25, I noticed the juvenile Iceland Gull arrive - it was still there when I left half an hour later. there were six Cormorants and a couple of Great Crested Grebes on the water, one of which was starting to sport some breeding plumage.

Looking forward to some more Mealy watching this weekend!

Mealy Redpolls in the garden

2011-01-31T15:57:00.003Z

Today was another 'Ringing in the garden' day with Mark Breaks so with the nets set up by 8:30, we set about recording the visitors to my garden. The first tranche of birds were mainly re-trapped Blue and Great Tits but a few re-trap Bullfinches started to appear. After a couple of net rounds I was surprised at the number of 'new' Blue Tits we'd ringed as well as more Bullfinches - we ended up with thirteen different birds in the nets including a couple from two winter's ago which means that I've had at least 17 different birds in the garden this winter. A couple of female Reed Buntings took the seed but managed to avoid being trapped.

Goldfinches were in short supply so we decided to play a tape that included Redpoll calls. After about half an hour, whilst emptying the top net, a small flock of Redpolls appeared in the alders. They waited for us to disappear into the shed to process what we'd trapped, then obligingly filled the net along with six others! As we looked at the net from inside the shed, we could see that the right-hand most bird was 'interesting' and so Mark made straight for it and we knew we were looking at a Mealy Redpoll. I found a second bird a little further along that also looked a good contender and, by the measurements and cooler brown appearance, we confirmed it to be so.

As you can see from the images, both birds were more frosty in appearance than the warm brown tones of the accompanying Lesser Redpolls. Both had nice white rumps, one with a hint of pink. Wing length on both the birds was 76mm but the give-away was the weight at over 14g - all the Lesser Redpolls we caught were between 11 and 12g

First-winter male Mealy (Common) Redpoll

First-winter male Mealy and Lesser Redpolls

Bill Aspin going for a frame-filler!

Two First-winter male Mealy Redpolls

Bill Aspin and Tony Disley managed to make it across to my house for the release, the former wrestling with the draw of a large flock of gulls he'd passed on Rishton Reservoir. He thankfully made the correct decision and then proceeded to find a juvenile Iceland Gull there later (giving, and I quote, "blogtastic views") - which, once the nets had been taken down, we saw as well. A great day!

Juvenile Iceland Gull, Rishton Reservoir

Juvenile Iceland Gull, Rishton Reservoir en route to Whinney Hill Tip

Ringing Totals for today

	New	Retrap	Total
Great Spotted Woodpecker	0	1	1
Blackbird	3	1	4
Long-tailed Tit	0	4	4
Blue Tit	14	12	26
Great Tit	6	3	9
Starling	0	1	1
Chaffinch	2	0	2
Greenfinch	2	0	2
Common Redpoll	2	0	2
Lesser Redpoll	7	1	8
Bullfinch	4	9	13
Total:	40	32	72

A brief sojourn to Fife

2011-01-22T21:23:00.000Z

Having been up in Scotland for work, I decided that the return journey should include some winter birding en-route. First port of call was Loch Leven; it was mostly frozen still but there were a few open patches of water where all the wildfowl were congregating. There were hundreds of Goldeneye, Teal and Mallard along with good numbers of Goosanders. A single male Smew was a very welcome sight (apparently the first there this winter) and the sight of a Greenshank slipping around on the ice was very unexpected. Near Vane Farm there were a few hundred Pink-footed Geese along with a couple of Barnacle Geese and a single Whitefront (probably Greenland but it was a long way off!).

Next port of call was Ruddon's Point where we eventually found the male Surf Scoter at least a mile out. The accompanying cast included over 100 Velvet Scoters, a few Common Scoters, 30 or so Long-tailed Ducks, 2 Red-throated Divers and four Slavonian Grebes.

Having had our fill of sea duck, we headed for Slammanan where we found the Taiga Bean Goose flock (126) along with 50 Pinkfeet and finished off the day at the gull roost at Strathclyde Loch.

No photos today as the birds were rather a long way off and light was poor but a good selection of birds nevertheless. It was good to get out birding again!

Some more Fylde birding

2011-01-10T19:05:00.000Z

Nipped out for a couple of hours on Sunday to try and catch up with a few 'local' scarcities. It was pouring down as I left Rishton but blue skies and sunshine greeted me at Fairhaven Lake where the Red-necked Grebe was fishing actively at the eastern end. Too far away ond rather choppy for any photos so I headed for the Ring-necked Parakeets at Lytham Cremetorium. I didn't know where they might be so I parked up outside the gates and as I got out of the car I could hear one call. I walked through the adjacent woodland to the sound of Redwings and Great Spotted Woodpeckers but it was as I emerged from the other end that I noticed four birds flying into the sun.

I was joined by a few others in search of these birds at their only regular north west haunt as far as I know. Seven were perched up in osiers next to the pond.

I headed over Lytham Moss where there were at least eight Bewicks Swans in with 20 or so Whoopers and then onto Marton Mere. A brisk walk around the perimeter to the Long-eared Owl roost was rewarded with seven of these lovely birds, but only one was anywhere near photogenic, especially facing into the sun.

I pottered around the Mere for a while before heading back via Hambleton in the vain hope that I might come across the Red-breasted Goose but to no avail. However that didn't detract from a splendid few hours birding.

Augmenting the year list

2011-01-03T15:32:00.003Z

Tuesday 4th

A Reed Bunting in the garden together with several Lesser Redpolls. News of some more Waxwings in Darwen was cue for Bernie and I to head over that way - found them without too much bother - at least 70 birds all trilling away before descending en-masse onto a nearby ornamental cotoneaster that was full of white berries. Even the resident Mistle Thrush and Blackbirds couldn't put them off.

Monday 3rd

Having spent all day yesterday on Scout Moor and adding just Reed Bunting and Little Owl to my year list, I decided that I'd take my now customary early January visit to Conder Green and the Pilling area.

I got to Conder Green just as the tide was falling. Lots of birds here and on the estuary - Plenty of Teal, Wigeon and Shelduck along with good numbers of Goldeneye and a couple of Red-breasted Mergansers. Waders included a Greenshank and Grey Plover whilst a Merlin quartered the foreshore. There were a few flocks of Pinkfeet in the area as well as a lot of lethargic looking Mute Swans. Little Grebes amassed in the river mouth as all their regular haunts are still completely frozen over.

From here it was off to Pilling Lane Ends to eat my butties in the company of a few Little Egrets, another Merlin and a Peregrine and then down to the feeding stations at Eagland Hill where there were just four Yellowhammers and two Corn Buntings, 20 or so Tree Sparrows and a good number of Chaffinches. Another Peregrine livened up proceedings as did an ermine Stoat as it dashed along a ditch.

Iceland Gull starts off the new year nicely

2011-01-01T14:27:00.000Z

Rishton Reservoir is still frozen, as are all the other water bodies, even though we're five days into the thaw. However today was much colder and horrible as murk and manc spread down through the county today. There is still a small open patch of water near the yacht club where there were nine Tufted Duck and eleven Coots along with a single Great Crested Grebe and four Mute Swans. Crows pecked at the carcass of a mallard on the ice, ignoring the dead Canada Goose close by. Nineteen Lapwings stood out on the ice still so goodness knows where they're feeding.

Siskins, Redpolls and Redwings all called overhead and, back at the house, there were more birds coming down to the feeders. In fact, a lot more than the last few days, perhaps sensing the return of the cold weather.

To get the year off to a good start, I nipped down the M65 to see if the Iceland Gull was still at Preston Docks. It didn't take long to find it on the ice in amongst a nice selection of other gull species. There were several dead Black-headeds and Commons lying around on the ice as well.

It was nice to meet Steve Riley, an old acquaintance from my Southport days as we reminisced about the changes in the bird populations and generally made ourselves feel really old!

Rishton 29th Dec

2010-12-29T17:14:00.000Z

I haven't gone very far in birding terms over the past few days with the season's festivities and cold weather. The garden has been busy with the regular finches and tits but a good number of Blackbirds feeding on the apples were joined today by a couple of Fieldfares - always a lovely bird to see and to have one in the garden was a real pleasure.

A couple of days ago, a trip to Ewood Park to watch a dismal game of football was briefly enlivened by the sight of a Snipe wiffling down onto the River Darwen that runs alongside the ground. It's the only cobbled river I know of and matches the cobbled streets perfectly! At least yesterday's result was welcome! Anyway, back to the birds...

Today, I spent a little while at Rishton Reservoir in the swirling fog. As it lifted, I could see a small patch of open water in which a Great Crested Grebe swam. Six teal were flushed from the bank along with 37 Lapwings and there was a small assortment of gulls on the ice. Suddenly I heard a sound that is becoming very familiar this winter - a single Waxwing calling as it flew over. In fact there were a few birds, Starlings and Redwings, moving in the same westerly direction.Cut Wood was alive with Tits and Treecreepers with Great Tits and Coal Tits both singing.

Mark texted me about a few birds he'd ringed in his garden today and we arranged to spend the afternoon ringing in my garden. It wasn't the best time of the day but we still got a nice selection of birds including several Blackbirds and more new Blue Tits. I'd seen lots of ringed birds in the morning and during the cold snap, the feeders have been busy right to the end of the day but not today. All the birds had good fat scores and it seemed that there's been a good survival rate. When we trapped seven Long-tailed Tits, including a re-trap, we knew birds must have done OK.

This young male Great Spotted Woodpecker was a retrap from the last time and was enjoyed by John Wright and Zac Hinchcliffe who'd come to spend a little time enjoying the birds.

John Wright, Dendrocopos major, MArk Breaks, Zac Hinchcliffe

Ol' white cheeks is back

2010-12-19T13:11:00.000Z

Another hard frost last night and plenty of Blackbirds in the garden feeding on the windfall apples that I've scatted around the place. It was nice to see the return of on instantly recognisable male blackbird with white cheek/neck feathers that we'd ringed last winter. There were at least 19 Goldfinches and six Lesser Redpolls but no sign of the large grey first winter male I had yesterday afternoon - it was bigger and bulkier than the Goldfinch it was next to and had very grey plumage tones - as good a candidate for a Mealy as any.

A quick trip to Rishton Reservoir this morning for the WeBS count found the reservoir virtually totally frozen over with just a small puddle in front of the yacht club. John Metcalf was there and told me of 150 Lapwing and five Curlew that were put up by a group of three shooters - here we go again! There were six Tufties on the small patch of water along with a single immature Mute Swan, a few Coot and Mallard and a few Gulls of various denominations.

No flight delays here

2010-12-18T11:03:00.000Z

The back garden was busier than Heathrow this morning with innumerable birds visiting the, now, eight feeders that are either in view of the house or sheltered down the dip. I've been putting plenty of fat out and the Tits and Starlings are loving that! It was good to see nine Long-tailed Tits in one family party, so it seems they're hanging on in there.

Still good numbers of Goldfinches and Bullfinches along with at least five Lesser Redpolls. Just hope they're getting good enough shelter overnight.

Another new addition to the garden ringing list

2010-12-07T16:52:00.003Z

We didn't start ringing too early today - we let the first feed of the day go undisturbed as it was another cold night but nowhere near as cold as it had been. There were plenty of birds in the area and it seemed that we've had reasonable survival of our resident birds. The main draw today was the return of the Lesser Redpolls as I have been seeing a few more of late so it was unsurprising that we captured a few new ones today along with the male we trapped a couple of weeks ago.

However, we started at a more genteel pace compared to previous sessions with a steady flow of birds through the garden an into the nets. The first highlight was a couple of young Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Checking the age of a female Great Spotted Woodpecker from the greater coverts

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker

Next we were delighted to get a Goldcrest and this adult Wren along with the first of several Goldfinches

Wren

And then the Lesser Redpolls started to arrive - mainly youngsters like this one.

Juvenile Lesser Redpoll

And then a garden ringing tick - we trapped four Starlings as they've been coming down to eat the fat recently. Two of them were a devil to get out of the nets

Female and male Starlings

One key feature of today was the number of Robins we caught including some retraps and one from two winters ago. There were also a surprising number of new Blue Tits and that great rarity, a retrap Goldfinch! Also worth noting is that we've trapped 16 Bullfinches this winter so far.

No sign of the Brambling today and the Grey Wagtails continued to evade capture but overall a good mornings catch of 69 birds.

	Full grown	Retraps	Total
Great Spotted Woodpecker	2	0	2
Wren	1	0	1
Dunnock	2	0	2
Robin	4	4	8
Blackbird	2	1	3
Goldcrest	1	0	1
Coal Tit	0	3	3
Blue Tit	6	2	8
Great Tit	4	5	9
Starling	4	0	4
Chaffinch	2	2	4
Greenfinch	1	0	1
Goldfinch	11	1	12
Lesser Redpoll	5	1	6
Bullfinch	3	2	5
Total:	48	21	69

A welcome splash of orange in the garden

2010-12-04T09:40:00.002Z

The winter snows finally reached this part of the country this week with a record low at home of -10 on Thursday night. The canal has been frozen for some time and a visit to Rishton Reservoir yesterday confirmed that there was only a small patch of open water on the main reservoir around which some 750 Herring, 400 Black-headed, and tens of Lesser Black-backed, Greater Black-backed and Common Gulls loafed around.

The garden feeders were filled up and lots of fat cake dotted around so it was a great relief to see a healthy population of birds in the garden this-morning. All the more exciting was the sight of a Brambling early on - only the second garden record and a different splash of colour in amongst the veritable paint-pot that common garden birds bring.

The sleet is coming down now and I need to get more seed! The quiz is ready for Monday's ELOC meeting so I just hope the weather behaves itself.

Back with two sacks of sunflower kernels and there's two Lesser Redpolls on the Niger seed and two female Reed Buntings around the plum tree - all good stuff!

Finches galore as garden ringing session breaks three figures

2010-11-24T17:07:00.002Z

A close eye on the forecast and a gap in my work schedule meant that today was to be another ringing day in the back garden with Mark Breaks. Mark arrived at 7:20 and by 8 we had all the nets up and were busy taking in the first four Blue Tits from the top nets. No sooner had we processed these - all retraps - we could see the bottom net was burgeoning. As we opened the shed door, the top one was getting quite heavily populated too! A Grey Wagtail was calling repeatedly but never came near to the net area.

We hastily emptied the net of the first catch that was of more Blue Tits along with lots of Chaffinches and Goldfinches. The odd Greenfinch was caught as well, a far cry from previous winters, and of course several Bullfinches old and new. We nearly ran out of bags so we processed this first full batch as quickly as we could. Twenty five minutes later, they were all done so it was out for the next round and we had just as many including the first Lesser Redpoll of the winter - an adult male.

Adult male Lesser Redpoll

Rounded tail feathers indicate an adult bird

A flock of twelve Long-tailed Tits fed on the peanuts just outside the shed but only one decided to present itself in one of the nets. More Birds followed including several House Sparrows, lots of Great Tits, more Coal Tits and a Collared Dove.

Long-tailed Tit

Male Greenfinch

Garden ringing tick - Collared Dove

We trapped 105 birds including 38 re-traps during the morning. A really splendid total of 20 goldfinches and still only ever had 1 re-trap. The Wren was the only one we've ever trapped before - last winter.

	Full grown	Retraps	Total
Collared Dove	1	0	1
Wren	0	1	1
Dunnock	2	2	4
Robin	1	0	1
Long-tailed Tit	1	1	2
Coal Tit	3	2	5
Blue Tit	8	17	25
Great Tit	6	9	15
House Sparrow	6	1	7
Chaffinch	11	1	12
Greenfinch	5	0	5
Goldfinch	20	0	20
Lesser Redpoll	1	0	1
Bullfinch	2	4	6
Total:	67	38	105

We finished around 1:15 to allow the birds to get some feeding time. A pair of Ravens had passed overhead whilst we had lunch. I headed off to Rishton Reservoir in the afternoon where the water is now only a couple of feet from the overflow but there were just a few Canada Geese, Mallard and several Black-headed Gulls, along with a couple of Common Gulls, Greater Black-backs and Herring Gulls. A female Grey Wagtail fed on the shore but there was little else. However this-evening, I could see lots of Gulls dropping in from the tip before heading off to the Guide roost - hundreds of birds made their way over my house this-evening

Splendid November day in East Lancs and a Great White Egret to finish off

2010-11-19T17:28:00.002Z

The weather forecast had predicted Friday to be a calm and sunny day so as I wasn't required at work I decided I'd try and do the two Barnoldswick timed tetrad visits (TTVs) that I'd committed to. I'd only just taken these on as I had offered Tony (the BTO organiser) to fill in the remaining gaps of tetrads that no-one wanted to do. So these two together were assigned to me.

I'd arrived at Letcliff Park on the outskirts of Barnoldswick at 8:15 - it seemed a good spot to park my car as it was bang on the edge of each of the two squares. I was greeted by a very nice flock of Siskins and Goldfinches feeding in the birches and Blackbirds abounded in the park. I made my way down through the park and town centre towards the soccer (that's my daughter's state-side influence, sorry) pitches and the sewage works. Plenty of common bird interest at the latter but my attention was drawn to the trilling of Waxwings near the football club and I could see three in the trees. Happily buoyed on by that I continued around SD84T and started the long climb up out of the town towards the more upland tetrad of SD84S but as I got up to the moorland areas, birds became really scarce. I came across John Plackett walking in the opposite direction with some companions and he commented on the total dearth of birds too. Ah well!

Forty minutes later, and with just a couple of corvids and a single Meadow Pipit to show for my exertions, I started down the long rough track back to the car. Half way down, I stopped as I heard an odd call. It took me a moment to get my head together, but, yes, it was a Snow or Lapland Bunting calling overhead with a faint doodleloo and a 'breeeee' trilling. I initally thought it to be the latter on the first call, but on reflection and with reference to the trilling calls, I reckon it was a Snow Bunting. Definitely don't get to hear enough of them, but nevertheless, a great record for a TTV!

Great White Egret

Anyway, I headed back home to but was soon greeted by the news that the Great White Egret was now on Fouldridge Reservoir - I could see the water from where I'd been. So I headed back along the M65 and after a tortuous period stuck in traffic in Colne, I eventually got onto Lower Foulridge. There were 22 Wigeon, 12 Teal and four Pochard, but no Egret. A call to Gareth confirmed that it had been on the upper reservoir earlier so I headed back and sure enough, there it was. It headed down towards the causeway so me (and Nigel Leeming who had arrived) headed down that way. Even though we approached carefully, it soon took flight but eventually settled on the far bank.

So what a day. TTV's done, three good birds and a very good walk. Bird Fair tomorrow.

Pied-billed Grebe, Hollingworth Lake

2010-11-10T13:30:00.000Z

Serendipity was the order of the day as I had already booked this day off work as we were getting some bedroom furniture fitted, so for it to be a fine morning and a mega on the doorstep, things could hardly be better.

Bernie had noted that there were several Blackbirds in the garden competing with the Bullfinches for the last of the Rowan berries - new arrivals I guess from the continent with their all-dark bills. Even more Blue Tits and Chaffinches were at the feeders and several unringed.

Once the bedroom people had arrived, I put the optics in the car and headed for Rochdale.Forty minutes later, the car was parked and I headed off round the lake, pausing to chat with a few friends on the way. The bird had been showing near the road but seemed to have headed back to the samll pool so I went round there and soon found it in amongst the willows.

Very soon, it made its way through the inlet and onto the small pool where I managed to get a few shots.

Pied-billed Grebe

Very obliging in my opinion and as the sun came out it remained on show for everyone who came along. A Kingfisher also added a splash of colour to the scene as it perched in full view for ages. Splendid!

Another day's ringing - and more Waxwings

2010-11-07T13:42:00.001Z

.... no, unfortunately not caught but again today at Barrow where the sun shone and around 50 of these birds were still gorging themselves on the berries.

Aren't they just so photogenic!

Time for a little scratch

Having sated my appetite for the cute trilling calls, I headed to Waddington Fell where the Great Grey Shrike was showing distantly away from the gunfire of the clay-pigeon shoot. I guess it will be here until next April and will entice more birders into the area once again.

On Saturday, the nets were up in the garden just before dawn on a windless, clear morning. The sun was going to be a problem later on but that didn't stop a good number of birds being caught - quite a few re-traps from last week as you would imaging but a few more from last winter and lots of new birds. Blue Tits and Bullfinches have clearly done OK this year and the number of Chaffinches ringed is certainly up.

Top net - bit too bright a day for this really but still got plenty of birds

Down the dip and two further nets

My garden shed, aka, the ringing hut/Rishton Bird Observatory (as WCA christened it)

We caught another Treecreeper, from the bill measurements we reckon it's a male but ageing and sexing these is difficult even in the had.

Birds caught (re-traps in brackets)

Robin                           (1)
Blackbird            1
Coal Tit                        (6)
Blue Tit             18       (7)
Great Tit            4         (6)
Treecreeper       1
House Sparrow   1
Chaffinch            7
Greenfinch          1
Goldfinch            7
Bullfinch             4         (2)

A successful day's ringing

2010-10-31T10:43:00.002Z

I'll add some photos later but on Saturday Mark came around for a ringing session. The sky was unfortunately clear as a bell and there was still a gusty breeze from the west but we decided to try and put the nets up around the garden.

There was plenty of bird activity and the hope that some over-passing Waxwings may drop in added a frisson of excitement. Anyway, we had no time to think about that as we emerged from putting the nets up 'down the dip' we discovered the top net full of 18 birds!

To say it was a hectic first couple of hours is an understatement as the majority of birds were tits with a predilection to get themselves tangled up, especially Coal Tits.

Once we'd taken them out, there were 12 in the bottom nets and we ran out of bags. So some serious processing took place!

We managed a few Bullfinches and Chaffinches as well but Goldfinches were scarce.

Male Bullfinch

Juvenile Magpie - garden ringing tick!

Dunnock 1
Robin        1
Blackbird    1
Goldcrest    3
Coal Tit      10       1 retrap (compared to just 9 new last winter!)
Blue Tit      22
Great Tit    13       2 retraps
Magpie       1
Chaffinch    7       1 retrap
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch    2
Bullfinch      2       2 retraps (retrap rate of 50% so far on this species that indicates their sedentary nature)

A total of 64 plus 6 re-traps - 3 from last winter and 3 from March 2009.

As we put the nets away around 1pm, I heard a Waxwing call overhead and as Mark left, he noticed eight up the road which were still there when we made our way to the match - in fact there were twelve and today five were still in the area. Waxwings from home at last!

Waxwings, lovely waxwings

2010-10-29T16:27:00.000+01:00

Rishton Reservoir beckoned this morning as I hadn't 'done' it for a few days. Numbers of gulls had increased with 110 Black-headeds, 15 Herring and 45 Lesser Black-backs milling around together with the single Great-crested Grebe and a single immature Goosander. Four Lesser Redpolls flew overhead, calling as did a Siskin whilst a flock of over 60 Fieldfare moved south over the far bank.

There was still no sign of any Waxwings around Rishton so I headed out to Barrow this afternoon and fifteen minutes later I was enjoying a veritable ocular and auditory feast!

I love Waxwings, in fact I bet it's hard to find anyone who doesn't. The sound of their calls evokes memories of cold winter days and the anticipation of a good view of this showy species. Well this-afternoon, the light wasn't good (reason to go back one sunny day soon) but the flock at Barrow was growing by the minute it seemed.

When I arrived there were around 40 in the trees above the main road but fifteen minutes later (just after Janet had called in in passing and missed them) the flock came back and was joined by two other flocks in quick succession. They were flighty and I estimated the flock to number 75 now but then they all came down to gobble up some more berries before wheeling around enabling me to get a count shot - 79 in all.

Oh this winter's going to be good! We plan to have a ringing day in the garden tomorrow if the wind dies down a bit. I'll still keep my fingers crossed that one of these beauties graces the back garden.

Part of the Waxwing flock

Nearly the whole flock - I count 74 and there are another five that weren't in the picture.

Back home to sunshine

2010-10-28T12:15:00.000+01:00

A few days away in Scotland mixing work and pleasure resulted in some fantastic experiences with Hen Harrier, Merlin and Peregrine not to mention the accompanying birds along the way. I managed to avoid the worst of the weather - the rain poured down and the wind blew strong overnight but most of the day was fine and blustery.

Back home the sun is shining and the berries on the Rowans glowing red - a very appetising sight for any passing Waxwing! They were all over the place last weekend in Scotland but just not where I was a any precise moment in time! Now they're nearby in Barrow and Burnley so they've just got to pass over here soon. I'll keep my ears primed for that delightful soft trilling call!

First few Redwings and an East Lancs YBW

2010-10-17T15:52:00.000+01:00

Looking east towards Pendle Hill

It's been a lovely week weather-wise - clear skies over western Britain and balmy conditions meant that migrating birds could get a wiggle on but did not tend to trouble the scorers on the ground, apart that is from a rather splendid Yellow-browed Warbler that pitched up in Burnley for three days. I was fortunate to see it on a sunny afternoon on Wednesday having spent the previous eight hours on Scout Moor where birds were flying high and straight over. This little gem provided some much needed relief for those who couldn't partake of the east coast spectacle last week and, though elusive at times, it gave some cracking views, calling regularly as well.

Saturday saw Bernie and I up at Malham Tarn for a change - a lovely walk around a place which was the site of one of my first bird-watching trips as a young teenager with my parents. I remember seeing my first Great Crested Grebe there and sure enough, one was there. A few Redwings and Fieldfare were around the place and there were plenty of Tufted Duck along with a few Goldeneye and Wigeon. With all the Great Grey Shrikes turning up, I thought it would be as good a place as any - lots of scattered bushes and wide vistas. However it seems the Waddington Fell bird is back on its stomping ground today.

Today I spent the morning around Rishton Reservoir. Absolutely flat calm and nothing save a Grey Heron and a single Great Crested Grebe. A skein of 29 pink-footed Geese heading east livened up proceedings and the first Redwings were feeding around the bushes off Cut Lane (above).

Coal Tits are extremely busy around Cut Wood and at home but one succumbed to a Sparrowhawk in the back garden this-afternoon. There is a rather poorly looking Greenfinch on the feeders toady - I suspect it is a sufferer of trichomonaisis (I think that's how it's spelt!) so I'll have to cleanse the feeders thoroughly. Bullfinches have started to become more noticeable with a male and three females today and more Chaffinches have arrived. Seems like we'll need a ringing session soon.

East coast magic!

2010-10-11T19:59:00.001+01:00

The run of easterlies and the news of lots of birds arriving up and down the east coast of Britain left me with no alternative but to head over there on Sunday with John. After much deliberation, we decided that Hartlepool Headland was probably the best place to start and so at 8am we pulled up near the bowling green to be greeted with the sound of hundreds of Redwings.
The signs were good. The bowling green had its nets set up and there was Redwing, Song Thrush, Robin, Chaffinch, Brambling, Goldcrest, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Redstart, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit. Siskins called overhead as more finches and thrushes arrived. We searched the gardens as we made our way down past St Hilda's to Borough Hall where John noticed a Great Grey Shrike flying. We later caught up with it again before it headed over to the bowling green and apparently got ringed.

Oi! Up here!

The trees in the square were full of Chiffchaffs - I can't remember seeing so many in such a small area - together with a single Willow Warbler and the much sought after Yellow-browed Warbler

Thrushes carpeted the lawns and grassy areas. We had a Ring Ouzel in the Borough Hall trees as well as Fieldfares coming in off the sea.

Siskins weren't as plentiful as the day before, apparently but we had lots of lovely birds to admire.

Goldcrests were everywhere!

As well as a scattering of Bramblings

The juvenile Woodchat Shrike that had been in residence for a couple of weeks finally appeared as the sun came out, albeit briefly.

We were extremly happy with our morning's birding so decided to have a bite to eat and then head for Saltburn where a Red-flanked Bluetail had been seen.

The initial climb up was a bit steep but the mile along the cliff top towards our quarry was very enjoyable. I managed to pick out the call of a couple of Lapland Buntings that were overhead but hidden in the cloud that was only just above our heads. Robins and Goldcrests were plentiful but one of the most surprising sights was of at least 50 Swallows feeding along the top of the cliffs.

As we approched the site, a few birders were leaving saying that the bird was showing well in the field but five minutes later when we arrived, we found a few birders who could find the bird. The bird had been trapped and ringed and suddenly disappeared. Now where have I heard that one before?

We amused ourselves searching for the bird in the enveloping mist - there was a nice flock of Chaffiches, Bramblings and Linnets in one corner of the field, Redstart, Wheatear and Meadow Pipits elsewhere. A Peregrine glided along the cliff top.

Then we noticed a group of four Lapland Buntings giving amazing views for this species. :)

Spot the Lapland Buntings!

Still not easy to see zoomed up!!

The light was rather poor but they were very nice through the scope, honestly. Around twelve Snow Buntings were also in the field but only seen in flight as were another flock of six Lapland Buntings that came down - a very good chance to compare the calls which are similar in many ways but the Snow Bunting is just that more strident and liquidy together with the harsh call note.

Anyway, a couple of hours had passed until there was a cry - no, no-one had fallen off the cliff but the bird had been found in the field again further up. It was very difficult to get on and no sooner as I had, it hopped up and flew to a cliff-top bush. It then continued to give tantalising views - or not as the case may be - until it popped out again briefly an hour later. Happy that we were unlikely to get any better views, we headed back down, birding along the way and finally headed for South Gare where we managed brief but good views of a Barred Warbler.

A really cracking day!

Rishton Reservoir 1 - 7th Oct

2010-10-07T19:51:00.000+01:00

Could sum it up in one word but I think that I could elaborate on the birding to be had over the past week.

I have started a contract at what one might describe as proper work in a manufacturers in Barrowford that means no birding for me this week apart from brief dawn sessions at the Reservoir - the evenings blighted by yachts and fishing.

Still nothing of note on the water though the level is rising further. A juvenile Common Sandpiper this morning was nice to see as there have been none recently. A few small flocks of Meadow Pipits passed overhead in the clear weather. Also a couple of Redpolls and several Goldfinches - there was a flock of 24 Goldfinches at the weekend. A Blackcap had chacked in the garden at the weekend and there are lots of common garden birds visiting. Chaffinches are getting more noticeable as are the Blackbirds.

Meanwhile our newly installed PV panels generate a decent amount of electricity in the fine sunny days we've had recently. High pressure over Scandinavia suggests some good birding may be had on the east coast this weekend. Fingers crossed!

A tour of the reserves

2010-09-30T18:14:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, we had a solar panel array fitted to our SE facing roof to harness the energy and feed it into the grid. I was wondering what we'd done as the rain poured down but today, a fine morning and a cloudy afternoon we've produced our first 14 KWh of energy!

So to completely trash my green credentials, I needed to visit several reserves around the county in order to drop off their supplies of the county Bird Report. After a brief stop at the deserted Rishton Reservoir and Cut Wood, I headed for my first port of call, Mere Sands Wood NR and then onto Martin Mere WWT. Having dropped off the reports with Jim to the sound of Pinkfeet overhead, I had a brief chat to Bernie in the In Focus shop before heading to Marshside RSPB. It was a lovely morning but tempting as it was to have a wander it was off to Seaforth NR and a chat with Steve White over a cuppa.

Still no birding time, I headed up the motorway for my final port of call, Leighton Moss. Finally with the job done, I decided that a trip to the Allen Pools was in order.

Splosh! A Grey Heron taking tiddlers.

I was greeted in the car park by a couple more 'seeoo'-ing Chiffchaffs - a juvenile call. Can't say I've noticed this odd call as much as I have this year. I'm normally quite clued up on calls but I guess that the previous autumns I've been working for much of them and not birding as much as I would have liked!

The disyllabic "hu-eet" announced the presence of a Willow Warbler in the trees outside the Allen hide. I headed straight for the Eric Morecambe hide where several people were watching a juvenile Little Stint on the far bank. A heron fished the pool nearby.

Some of the flock of Black-tailed Godwits spooked by a helicopter

The large flock of Black-tailed Godwits was amassed on the Allen Pool along with lots of Redshanks, a single Spotted Redhank, several Greenshanks, two Dunlin and a Curlew Sandpiper. Lapwings, Starlings, Wigeon and a couple of Pintail made up the numbers whilst on the marsh, I picked out a Great White Egret close to the railway embankment. A nice way to finish off the day.

Bird report is published

2010-09-28T16:00:00.001+01:00

We're getting a few jobs done on the house this week before I start a contract next week so the expected run of north-easterlies left me chomping at the bit - I'll just have to find a local Yellow-browed Warbler! Anyway, I took advantage of the scaffold to go up and get a better view of the surrounding area but very little has been passing overhead other than Canada Geese - not even any Pink-footed Geese.

All the feeders are out and tempting down several finches. Chaffinch numbers have increased over the past couple of days and there are lots of Goldfinches around. Coal Tits are actively caching sunflower hearts all over the place and Long-tailed Tits have become more noticeable.

Nothing much has been happening down at the Reservoir - three Teal yesterday on the small res (yes it has water in it now) along with a good number of Mallard. There is still only one Great Crested Grebe and precious little else. The Swallows and House Martins seem to have gone now and soon we'll be hearing the tseeping of Redwings overhead.

The bird report arrived from the printers yesterday so I've spent yesterday afternoon and this morning packing up copies for the membership of the Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society. Now all I have to do is distribute some to the reserves such as Leighton Moss and Martin Mere - perhaps tomorrow or Thursday.

What will the weekend bring?

2010-09-24T17:09:00.000+01:00

After the wind-blown excitement of last week, this has been much more sedate locally though some very nice bits and pieces have been turning up around the country and the north-easterly blast is bound to bring stuff to the east coast. Mark's already started with an Arctic Redpoll on the Farnes - just practising for a ringing session in the garden soon.

I've been mostly doing the Reservoir in the mornings - the only birds of note on the water were a Tufted Duck on Monday an a Teal on Wednesday! The water level is rising quite quickly now but still has another two meters or so before it's full. Even the grebes gave got fed up and only one remained today.

Still, on Wednesday, there was a good flock on Linnets on the bank - 46 accurately counted before heading off west - the same flock that's been around for a while probably. Meadow Pipits have been passing overhead in dribs and drabs and Pied Wagtail numbers have dropped off. Just a few Swallows remained on Wednesday but today, there were none. A Lesser Redpoll flow over the park today and a family of Bullfinches with some young juveniles were in the new plantation.

Back home, there was a Blackcap in the garden yesterday and the day before a couple of Chiffchaffs, one of which had an odd down-slurred call seee-oo. Didn't get to see it for much more than a second but it was a well marked bird. Tomorrow I'll be cleaning the gutters with an ear for what's passing overhead I suspect!

Leach's heaven

2010-09-17T14:55:00.001+01:00

Having been chomping at the bit at the news of the birds on the coast during the very nasty weather on Wednesday, I guessed that Thursday might be the best day to get out and try for some images of Leach's Petrels. The weather was meant to be finer and the wind slightly less so I headed for New Brighton.

A drive through Liverpool to the Wallasey tunnel wasn't too busy but I should have set off earlier and may have connected with a Sabine's Gull. Though the tide was falling rapidly, I could see a Leach's straight away on the shoreline so I made my way down and spent a wonderful hour or two enjoying these enigmatic birds at close quarters.

The odd one pattered over the sand and fed in the surf - all giving great views. The only disappointment was the lack of much else though things started to pick up a little later with a Fulmar in the River, and adult and Juv Little Gull, several Common Terns, a few Arctics and one Sandwich Tern.

I decided to get something to eat whilst the tide was at its lowest, paying a visit to the local 'Greasy Spoon' which was quite adequate and then met up with Mike Watson and Ken Shaw. We headed for Meols where a Wryneck had been seen the previous day but all we saw were a couple of Wheatears and a Little Egret.

We drove round to Leasowe and settled down for a concerted effort to count the Leach's passing. There hadn't been many in the mouth of the Mersey and I suspected that we had been seeing the same ones over again there. Mike had had many more passing the front in the morning so a count was needed. An adult Mediterranean Gull greeted us at the car park.

We settled down as the tide rose and the wind picked up. In three hours we counted 341 flying west - some close in-shore, some mid distance and others much further out. A couple of Fulmars a few Guillemots, three juvenile Kittiwakes and a juvenile Gannet were the only other seabirds apart from a few gulls and terns.

Clearly a large movement of Leach's in the country and my biggest count ever, though I suspect not a wreck as such - the best one (if you can call it that) I remember was in the seventies when birds were flying up the roads in Ainsdale a good mile inland.

Now to find a Phalarope on Rishton Reservoir........ nope!

....but then there was one at Fairhaven - a Red-necked one at that when I was expecting a Grey Phal to be found somewhere. Very nice!