Morning visit.
SE 1-3, 8 Oktas, a little light drizzle at first.
I thought the weather looked promising for something grey with an orange tail, but there wasn't a BR on the marsh debris this morning.. (is this even on the Aldcliffe list, Jon?)
I switched to look for stripy easterners in the sycamores and willows, with no success.
So, the parish passerine highlights were:
A chiffchaff, goldcrest, blackcap, lesser redpoll and 22 song thrushes in the wood.
Also 45 reed buntings and two tree sparrows in and around the maize field.
Dan.
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Tuesday 27 October 2009
Monday 26 October 2009
All Quiet on the Western Bund
Late morning to mid-afternoon visit.
SSW 0-1, 6-8 Oktas, dry.
Me and Steve W decided to take advantage of the calm conditions to do some good hard listening.
But what few warblers we came across on our bush-bashing search were all exceedingly quiet and shy. Even the flocks of tits seemed to have taken a vow of silence, so it wasn't always easy to locate the action.
The best of a mute bunch:
4 blackcaps, a chiffchaff and 1-2 goldcrest in Freeman's Wood.
Two goldcrests and 2 rock pipits Stodday sewage works.
A water rail, 3 tree sparrows and an Eastbound flock of 17 skylarks were a little more vocal.
Dan.
SSW 0-1, 6-8 Oktas, dry.
Me and Steve W decided to take advantage of the calm conditions to do some good hard listening.
But what few warblers we came across on our bush-bashing search were all exceedingly quiet and shy. Even the flocks of tits seemed to have taken a vow of silence, so it wasn't always easy to locate the action.
The best of a mute bunch:
4 blackcaps, a chiffchaff and 1-2 goldcrest in Freeman's Wood.
Two goldcrests and 2 rock pipits Stodday sewage works.
A water rail, 3 tree sparrows and an Eastbound flock of 17 skylarks were a little more vocal.
Dan.
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Swanning Off
Weather: SW 0-1, 8 oktas, light mist.
Dan here.
This picture of 4 off-passage whooper swans over Frog Pond this morning is dedicated to Guy McLelland because he is a big fan of my photography! I can see why.
Only had chance for a quick look around today, which was a shame because passerine numbers were reasonable-- highlighted by:
50-60 blackbirds
c20 song thrushes
c25 redwing
c30 meadow pipits
97 greenfinches (a decent flock for Aldcliffe)
2 tree sparrows
2 goldcrests (a mega so far this autumn!)
and a littoralis-looking rock pipit.
Didn't seem to much in the way of vis, with just 5 skylark and 7 meadow pipits noted moving S.
Saturday 10 October 2009
Fringillas in the Mist
WSW 0-2, patchy fog (pictured) eventually clearing to reveal 5-8 Oktas. Dry.
The parish was moderately thrashed by Guy, Steve and myself (Dan) this morning and the main points of note were....
Reed buntings: an unprecedented high in and around the (unharvested) maize field-- hard to come up with a decent count but obviously at least 40 birds and probably into three figures.
(Re: the ringing of this species at Middleton and L. Moss-- all seen well were unringed).
Also attracted by the maize crop:
c.35 linnets, 6 tree sparrows, c.40 chaffinches, c.10 greenfinch.
Visible migration:
recording was often halted by and made tricky by fog but 0800-1200 saw circa
skylark 35
meadow pipit 35
chaffinch 30
linnet 15
greenfinch 15
alba wag 8
reed bunting??!
redwing 4
swallow 1
siskin 1
(Snipe mig? A fair bit of activity including 7 + 26 + 11 seen to head South or Southwest)
Also of note in the parish:
6 song thrushes, 2 green sandpipers, raven, merlin, sparrowhawks, 5 little egrets, a blackcap, 2 chiffchaffs, 25 long tailed tits... and a continuation of the goldcrest drought.
Webs-SteveW
Monday 5 October 2009
Tree sparrows
The first tree sparrows of the autumn turned up today in the few bushes between the two maize fields with a flock of 5 churring around. Also had a curious record of one in Freemans associating with a goldfinch flock. A chiffchaff was singing in the bushes. Freemans pool had approx. 20 wigeon, 2 gadwall, a little grebe, female shoveler and 2 tufted duck on it. 8 reed bunting were scattered around the parish with a wheatear on the high tide mark. 5 little egret were on the marsh with 4 snipe and a peregrine flushing the lapwing flocks.
Guy McC
Guy McC
Thursday 1 October 2009
(B)Logging off...
Good to know that I'm leaving the parish in such capable hands as those of the patch-work tribe. With such dedicated souls beating a path around the site surely more great birds will be discovered lurking on the fringes of the Aldcliffe area...
Here's a nice dudey pic of the pools for you all to enjoy.
I'll be keeping an eye on the blog from the colonies - and doubtless butting in from time to time.
Toodlepip!
Jon C
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British Columbarius
Dan here.
Now that the Rev. Jon Carter is off to terrorise North American birds instead, I thought I'd better start working his parish again.
I too was hankering for yanks this afternoon, but there was to be no pec on the pools or American goldie in with the plovers.
But a juvenile curlew sandpiper on the estuary at Gull Bank was a pleasing find.
Also in the area:
a female merlin (Falco columbarius)
Whooper Headlines
I certainly won't be able to produce the headlines of Jon, wit of Dan or accuracy in counting of Steve but thope this is okay.
Highlights of a walk round Aldcliffe this morning was 6 chiffchaff scattered around the area with 3 in Freemans (including 2 singing birds), 1 at the cutting and 2 at the walled meadow. Green sandpipers numbered 3 on Freemans pool and 2 on Wildfowlers. A kingfisher was on the pools also. The marsh was quiet with 8 little egrets and a sparrowhawk spooking the waders. Approx. 30 meadow pipit and a regular flow of skylark passed over with the largest being a flock of 7. A merlin was hunting on the lower path. A single whooper flew down the Lune at 11.15ish. Other Icelandic migrants were 3 skeins of pink footed geese numbering approx. 60//30/40. 2 common buzzards were seen close to the Freemans pools on the return trip. They managed to catch a thermal, rose quickly and moved south.
Guy McC
Highlights of a walk round Aldcliffe this morning was 6 chiffchaff scattered around the area with 3 in Freemans (including 2 singing birds), 1 at the cutting and 2 at the walled meadow. Green sandpipers numbered 3 on Freemans pool and 2 on Wildfowlers. A kingfisher was on the pools also. The marsh was quiet with 8 little egrets and a sparrowhawk spooking the waders. Approx. 30 meadow pipit and a regular flow of skylark passed over with the largest being a flock of 7. A merlin was hunting on the lower path. A single whooper flew down the Lune at 11.15ish. Other Icelandic migrants were 3 skeins of pink footed geese numbering approx. 60//30/40. 2 common buzzards were seen close to the Freemans pools on the return trip. They managed to catch a thermal, rose quickly and moved south.
Guy McC