A male brambling was good find down here today giving me a patch tick and taking my Aldcliffe list up to about 135 species.
I met up with Steve shortly after and had a productive trawl round in pleasant breathless conditions. The good news is that the smaller passerines seem to have survived the 5 week immersion in the deep freeze. 3 flocks of LTT's were located along with numerous chaffinch and blue tits, about 6 greenfinch and the same number of goldfinch. 3 bullfinch and a goldcrest were on the track leading up to the sewerage works. The only casualty seems to be a redshank at the sewerage works which looks like it's neck was broken when it flew in to the wire mesh fence. The influx of thrush species have dispersed but a handful of redwings and fieldfares remain with the mistle thrush guarding a haw bush on the walled meadow. A peregrine and kestrel were at the pylons. 12 barnacle geese were on the marsh with PFG's in an inaccessible field sandwiched between 2 hedges and therefore uncountable. 4 goldeneye were in the river and a little egret flew south. On cue, the green sandpiper landed on the flood as we were asking each other when was the last time each of us saw it.
Guy
Skylark 5, Meadow Pipit 1, Pied Wagtail 9, Raven 1. A few hundred Lapwing near gull bank, a dozen or so of each Curlew and Redshank in fields.
Steve.
Welcome to Aldcliffe & Freeman's Wood, Lancaster - an area of the Lune Estuary in Morecambe Bay, North Lancs.
5 comments:
Hi.Did you notice that the Hedges have been severely flayed denudding them of the berries which will make it harder for the birds.even the hedge bordering the flood (on the inside of the field).
JWBateman
Hi John,
yes they were cut some weeks ago now, thankfully it only happens every couple of years or so.
Steve
Certainly wasn't in need of flaying when it was and even more certainly not with a healthy food supply for birds at risk of starvation at the time, though if someone could offer a reasonable explanation as to why it was I'd be more than pleased to consider it.
Remember we're talking about the hedge which grows 'into' the field and not one overgrowing and invading the public footpath.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, keep up the good work/birding Steve.
Hi-
Am I right in thinking that hedges are actually flailed (with a flail) and not 'flayed'?
Pretty sure one can only flay skin or flesh, as in a flogging session.
Anyway, whoever's responsible--leave those hedgerows be!
Yours pedantically,
Daniel.
An error well spotted. I always assessed you as an educated man, a person who rates academic learning and knowledge above everything.
Good to see you support the 'leave the hedges alone' group Dan.
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