We aim to bring together in one place, the information about Lancashire wildlife published on blogs and websites. To help people discover, enjoy and protect our local natural history.
If per chance another Stonechat post on Birds2blog - well what do you expect - is likely to bore you I'd suggest moving on. But I did manage to find an excellent image below of a close relation just to break the monotony.
It was interesting to find in the introduction in the LDBWS 2010 Annual report, in relation to some severe winter weather in the winter 2009/10 the Stonechat was the most seriously affected species.
Anyone observing this species as I have for in excess of 12 years - especially in the Clougha/ Birk Bank (C/BB) area, couldn't help but see and record the results of this prolonged period of freezing temperatures being the demise of this smart little chat. Concentrating on this area and others - not alI in the LBWS recording area - I had noted an upturn in the status of the Stonechat from zero here on C/BB in the late 1990's to - for example - an amazing 11 pairs on 21 March 2007. However, by an awful coincidence when I visited here a month later in April the 'Guardians of the Countryside' had decided a 'burn' was a good idea and used it as another tool in their armoury for 'control' under the cover of land management. It goes without saying that the result of this 'good idea' was that the 23 birds I saw in March was reduced to 4 though I'm not suggesting that this event was the sole reason for 4 birds to be left from the 23 found but it sure didn't help and I just wish these people would have taken their torches elsewhere on this occasion.
My observations of the Stonechat on C/BB proved that the upturn in the status of the species which began at the end of the 90's had peaked around 2005/6 and that by the end of the winter of 2009/10 they had virtually disappeared from just about everywhere though I won't labour the issue with statistics here. However, if I was to compare last years Stonechat records on C/BB with those of 2007 when I visited every month of the year, by contrast when I scaled down my surveys in 2011 at 9 locations, I made just 4 to C/BB by which time the Stonechat had been virtually lost making my efforts almost pointless and we were unfortunately almost back to the late 90's with the species. That said, I did find a male up there on 23 July, and a female on 25 August.
Another previous stronghold was on Harrisend, though this area also only produced 4 birds on 24 March from 6 visits in 2011. I concluded that these were migratory birds passing through as I found not a solitary bird up here despite three more visits in June/July/August by which time I had given up on the Stonechat here too.
It is interesting to note my figures for 2010 agreed with the RSPB findings on the United Utilities Estate on the Bowland Fells where, by comparison to a full survey 66 pairs of Stonechat were found in 2007 representing 50% more than those found in 2010.
Rest assured....I shall renew and pursue the Stonechat relentlessly in 2012 whilst bearing in mind my record of 12 Stonechats on Newby Moor, Clapham on 1 February 2005.
Well, not being able to leave Birds2blog void of a couple of photographs, how about these....
The smart little Black Redstart which has been present at Knott End for 'a while' now. Thanks for this GG.
And here's one to put you on your guard if you think you found a Red -crested Pochard. This bird was found at Marton Mere recently and as it turned out....its a hybrid! Thanks for this goes to Cliff Raby
If you're silly enough to believe in superstitions Friday 13 is bad news. I don't go for such rubbish and last Friday was anything but bad news for me, for starters I got in some birding which produced - amongst a few other nice finds - the excellent bonus of a Bewick's Swan with nine Whooper Swans in a stubble field at Fluke Hall. But these wintering birds bring with them another bonus in that some can be found as marked individuals, and my bird was just one of those. After struggling for several minutes to attempt to read the ring through a hedge, contact with my man at WWT was rapidly followed up the next day by some interesting data from this bird which turned out to be in excess of 22 years old having been ringed as an adult at Martin Mere WWT in December 1990. As you would be inclined to expect the creature has travelled a few thousand mind boggling miles in its life so far and has been recorded in our own LDBWS recording area just twice in all those years, even more remarkably quite possibly in the very same field on both occasions. With some amazing migratory flights to and from its summer/winter grounds having visited Denmark, Netherlands, and Germany in the process, this bird had been a delight to find and observe.
One of the nine Whooper Swans with the Bewick's Swan was also ringed and had been marked at Caerlaverock, Dumfries in February 2011 having since been first recorded at Fluke Hall last Friday 13 January.
And finally....
Short-eared Owls. Brian Rafferty
You'd be well advised to treat yourself to some spectacular bird behaviour caught equally spectacularly on film HERE
Thanks to Mark/David/Brian for the usual brilliant photography.
You may like to look up the connection to this little tale I'm about to tell, if you would like to you'll find itHERE
By something of a coincidence - irony even - on Sunday morning I hear of a Ferruginous Duck found at Mullaghmore Lough in Co Monaghan, Ireland which was later shot dead. This follows on from a Blue-wingedTeal that had met the same fate recently also in Ireland.
So....void of over labouring the issue, here's the irony....
I was employed to 'do my bit' on Sunday at high tide as a counter for the BTO WeBS Survey which I've been involved with for a year or two now and despite the restrictions of my birding of late to such an extent that I got out for the first time only last Friday since 14 October 2011 I chose to try to continue my involvement with this important survey and succeeded in doing so last month. On Sunday when I arrived at my allocated viewpoint overlooking Glasson Marsh I immediately clapped eyes on two 'sportsmen' on the marsh complete with guns and mutts. Now if you did decide to access 'At it again' - or indeed if you know me - you will have already worked out my next move which was to depart the location just 2 seconds after I had applied the handbrake on the motor having not even had the time to switch off the engine.
As you can imagine I've been in touch with the said BTO and told them I just made my last count - or attempted to - for the WeBS Survey on the principal that I don't subscribe to the shooting fraternity and my conscience won't allow me to try to count birds whilst they are being shot at.....The story ends there, though I could go on. Of course with these two around there was no birds to count anyway....of course!
Smew. Copy Permitted.
Always worth another look, the smart little 'redhead' Smew on the Lune Estuary on Sunday.
Smew. Cliff Raby.
And definitely always worth another look, the even smarter drake Smew with thanks toCRfor the excellent photograph.
Putting a smile into birding....On 11 January a Great Blue Heron was reported at Kirkwall, Orkney apparently present for its sixth day....the bird was later identified as a Grey Heron!
I managed an escape day on Friday. I've been looking forward to this for far too long now, and the day was a wall to wall sunshine day with zero wind, a delight to be out let alone out and birding.
A Glossy Ibis - the one above was darn sarf in Kent - was found at the north end of Aldcliffe Marsh on Saturday 7 January and remained in the area for six days but hasn't been seen since. The bird made it two of a kind in our area with another one at Leighton Moss. Though this is good news on the Ibis scene its not what I'm about and on Friday I managed a full eight hour stint, almost dawn to dusk but not quite.
As I arrived on the viewing platform at Conder Pool the first bird I saw was a Little Egret, also noting 4 Little Grebe on here with 12 Wigeon and a drake Goosander. An hours trawl had me finding the elusive - it seems - Common Sandpiper, and a Spotted Redshank, both lurking in the hidden corners of the creeks.
On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, a Little Grebe and 2 Goldeneye were of note. On the Lune Estuary 5 Bewick's Swans two of which were juveniles and are rarities in my book. I also noted c.250 Bar-tailed Godwit, up to 800 Golden Plover, and at least 60 Goldeneye with 103 reported yesterday along with a rather interesting record of a pair of Gadwall at Cockersands off Plover Scar, both of these are HEREthe latter never in my note book here.On Colloway Marsh a distant raptor was almost certainly Peregrine Falcon.
Pulling off the road opposite Sand Villa I found 2 Whooper Swans in a field with Mute Swans, and of Pilling Lane Ends another 2 Whooper Swans seen, also a relatively small number of c.2,000 Pink-footed Geese. At Fluke Hall a Bewick's Swan was with 9 Whooper Swans in stubble. Regarding numbers seen together, 13 Meadow Pipit, at least 30 Skylark, 5 ReedBunting, and 11 Great-crested Grebe offshore all had an element of surprise about them for me.
Stoat. Phillip Tomkinson.
Unlike the one above, a Stoat was good - if brief - in its winter ermine coat along the coastal path. I think this creature is about the twelfth stoat in ermine ever seen by me but I don't seem to be able to put my hands on the records.
Unfortunately I left my planned visit to Cockersands too late in the day and light was fading but I managed to note on a quiet Plover Scar estimates of 380 Oystercatcher, 25 Knot, and 12 Turnstone, a Cormorant off the scar was tussling with a 'flattie' almost the size of a dinner plate.
And finally, well not quite....
Otters. Phillip Tomkinson.
The Otters at Leighton Moss are showing themselves quite regularly it seems....so if its Otters you're after get on down there!
Thanks to Marc for the Glossy Ibis. And for the Stoat in its summer coat, and the Otters of Mull....thanks toPhillip
And finally....
Smew. Copy Permitted.
I had word via a text from a birder I know well that a 'redhead' Smew - not the one in the pic with the Wigeon for size comparison - was on the Lune Estuary with Goldeneye this afternoon. Thanks to the 'birder I know well' much appreciated. And I found 3 Spotted Redshank at Conder Green whilst driving past on the return from a mission.
I'll need to do this birding business all over again and soon....I just can't cope otherwise!
....to an excellent illustrated story....A couple of links to more on the 'Icechat' in the previous post....And three excellent photographs.
Surprise, surprise, another post despite my early retirement from birding!
Photograph courtesy of Martin Jump.
Martin Jump paid a visit to Newton Marsh, a decision he made to be at the right place at the right time to witness and photograph nature in the raw. I have no intention of 'stealing' Martins story and you can read his account, and view his excellent illustrations if the whole event HERE
If it was the first time you heard about the Stonechat in yesterdays post and you remain interested in this remarkable event you can get more on the story HEREand a little moreHERE
A nice bird at Marton Mere, Blackpool. Good numbers of the species at various locations at the moment especially up north with double figures in Scotland. An excellent image of this bird Cliff.
My apologies to all those who have seen what follows before but....
Stonechat. Brian Rafferty.
I had no intention of a post on Birds2blog, maybe one the end of the month....I've sadly still not got the time. However, trawling through the various favourite birding/photography blogs to try and secure my sanity, I discovered that I had missed by one day this amazing photographic record on its second anniversary yesterday 8 January 2010 illustrating an event I reckon nobody could ever have foreseen....that of a 'chat' fishing through an ice-hole in a lake on the return of the 'ice age' during the winter of 2009/10. As can be seen in the photograph the bird was having success in catching Common-back swimmers. At the time I claimed BR's pics to be unique, made sure the event was featured in British Birds magazine, and as I was never challenged the claim still stands.
Stonechat. Marc Heath.
OK, me being Pete Woodruff, you wouldn't expect to get away with just one photograph of the Stonechat would you....so here's another brilliant one taken recently by 'Reculver Birder'.
Many thanks toBrian Raffertyfor his mind boggling pic of the 'Icechat', and to Marc Heath for his smart little bird in Kent.
I'D SOONER BE BIRDING. See you again soon....hopefully!
To be honest this year has ended as a crap one for me. I've not had a days birding since my last one on 14 October and I won't get out - with the exception of at least a couple of 'escape days' which I'm looking forward to but are a long time coming - for several weeks yet....trust me I know what I'm talking about.
However, a bird like the Kentish Plover at Cockersands on Tuesday 3 May isn't likely to ever be forgotten and I'll need to do a search to nudge my memory on all the other birds found/seen in 2011 of which there are several, American Golden Plover and Lesser Yellowlegs have already sprung to mind. So all in all 2011 was about as opposite to 'crap' as is possible to be and good birding days were as endless as any other year for me.
So to add a bit of colour and interest to the blog on the last day of this year 2011, I'd like to take this opportunity to share and showcase six photographs which have blown my socks off and hopefully will yours. They have been randomly chosen by yours truly and in no way are to be seen as a selective bunch to be set apart from the many excellent/brilliant/amazing pics I find on other birders/photographers websites, all good friends of mine many of whom I have personally met and some I've had many an hours first rate birding with at equally first rate locations and all of who have given me the necessary permission to post their images on Birdsblog.
Cuckoo.
Actually - with the exception of the last photograph - they are in bird name alphabetical order, and all resist the temptation to repeatedly use words like stunning/brilliant/excellent/amazing. The picture of the Cuckoo is by Paul Foster who did well to capture this bird on the wing, not all that easy to find these days let alone achieve an image as good as this.
Great White Egret.
The 'Great' one as Reculver BirderMarc Heathcalled it when he visited Oare Marshes in Kentrecently....a close encounter with the Great White Egret.
Herring Gull.
The Herring Gull doing what it does best which is to 'down' large sizes of food source in one gulp - and shown to good effect - by David Cookson....impressive stuff by DC.
Little Owl.
The Little Owl giving its usual 'oh no not him again pointing his camera at me'. A nice one of this appropriately named bird by Brian Rafferty
White-whiskered Puffbird.
This White-whiskered Puffbird was just one of many 'gems' for Colin Bushell when he visited Colombia recently.
Meerkats.
And finally....the 'non bird' image of the Meerkats is from Gary Jonesa very cool pic indeed.
Common Sandpiper. David Cookson.
I see with interest the/a Common Sandpiper has been reported a couple of times recently at Conder Green again, if this is 'the' wintering bird then its been hiding from all comers for several weeks now.
If you're looking to while away some time you could do much worse than visit any one of the above to view some excellent photography, read some interesting accounts of birding days, and much more. Meanwhile....A HAPPY NEW YEAR and GOOD BIRDING and many thanks for 'sticking' with Birds2blog to see if and when it comes back to life. I'm still getting new first time visitors, like the average of 14 over the last 30 days including 20 yesterday....who'd a thunk it!
By way of a change from the birds, I've been looking back on 2011 with regard to butterflies and have discovered how the hot dry spring and the warmest autumn on record had many species appearing much earlier and much later than in a typical year with some on the wing from early March to December.
Black Hairstreak. Steven Cheshire.
The endangered Black Hairstreak was recorded this spring in May, a month ahead of the norm for the species....
Lulworth Skipper. Copyright Steven Cheshire.
....and the Lulworth Skipper - which is restricted to the south in Dorset - was also seen on the wing several weeks earlier than is usual, as was the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.
Grizzled Skipper. Copyright Steven Cheshire.
And my personal favourite of the three is the Grizzled Skipper - a little beauty - also emerged weeks ahead of the normal date in the warm spring weather. Red Admirals were still being recorded on the wing in the mid-December run-up to Christmas, and a rare Marsh Fritillary was seen in mid-September almost two months after the butterfly should have disappeared for the year.
The warm autumn weather also saw a large influx of migrant moths from Southern Europe with species such as the Crimson Speckled and the Vestal being seen into October. Other moths - including one with the bizarre name for December of Spring Usher - have been recorded regularly since November, months earlier than you would expect to have them appear, and the Humming-bird Hawk Moth is thought to have had its best ever year in the UK with in excess of 9,000 records submitted beating the previous one of 6,500 in 2006....intriguing stuff!
Painted Lady. Copyright Steven Cheshire.
On a personal note void of a records search I rate my self lucky to recall finding one PaintedLady this summer on 7 July at Cockersands and don't remember seeing more than a couple of records from other observers in our area in the entire year. Thanks to Steven Cheshirefor four excellent butterfly images.
Well....I still can't get to see these views of Conder Green. These were taken at high tide one day during the freeze of last year as seen from the viewing platform at Conder Pool, a couple of photo efforts by yours truly. But don't worry, I know all about the influx of large numbers of White-FrontedGeese into the UK and a good many more Bean Geese than is the norm, and the comings and goings of all the rare and scarce birds both nationally and locally like the....
Glossy Ibis at Leighton Moss above - thanks for the image CB, much appreciated - and the GlaucousGull, SnowGeese, SnowBuntings, ShoreLarks, and Great White Egret to mention but a few.
And the GreaterYellowlegs which GJ saw in Northhumberland last month is almost certainly the very same bird now present in the Highlands of Scotland, its wintering grounds being in the southern coastal areas of the USA. It's interesting that given both the LesserYellowlegs and Greater Yellowlegs are long distance migrants the number of records in the UK are something in the order of up to 300 of the LY yet little more than c.30 of the GY. Incidentally, the first record for the Greater Yellowlegs in Britain was of a bird at Tresco on the Isles of Scilly in September 1906, and the Lesser Yellowlegs 52 years earlier in Nottinghamshire in 1854. Thanks for the image Gary, much appreciated.
Thanks for the comments in 'At it again!' they are much appreciated, and....I'd like to wish everyone who supports/visits Birds2blog and reads this post despite the continuing attempts to keep it afloat until normal service is resumed....A VERYHAPPYCHRISTMASand many hours of excellent birding in 2012....I'm sure I will....eventually!
And finally....I'd like to pass on another Christmas Wish sent to me by one of my ardent supporters and good friend who - like so many others - obviously knows me well....
Updating that is....to keep the blog breathing, with only a little advance in the change of circumstances which - as you will already know if you follow Birds2blog - has brought my birding life to a grinding halt for the time being and also reduced the blog to a skeleton.
If your in the camp that gets fed up of hearing me going on about 'shooting birds for fun' or 'slaughtering them as pests' then perhaps you'd better move on. If you're staying there's some brilliant photographs and a little info on some of the birds which have recently advanced my passion for them a little further.
The Blue-winged Teal breeds over much of North America and being a long distance migrant and 'summer duck' is very much the equivalent of the Garganey. The pattern of appearances in the British Isles is complicated by escapes, but a ringing recovery from New Brunswick in 1971 in Suffolk proved conclusive that there are genuine vagrants, this individual was ringed as a juvenile in Canada. But there's a sting in the tail of this little piece about the species in that I recently read someone had cause to make the comment that it was a worry when people with guns can't identify birds. Sadly it looks like someone in Ireland lived up to this worry when a Blue-winged Teal was shot on 10 November at Upper Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh.
I throw my chances of the popular vote to the wind as I have no desire to gain popularity when it comes to the shooting fraternity, therefore I'm always ready to oppose and 'shout my mouth off' about those who shoot birds for fun, but this time I'll resist the temptation to launch into a vitriolic attack on them. Incidentally, there's a petition regarding the fight against raptor persecution and those who slaughter them as pests which I was going to put on Birds2blog but find it's on other blogs and websites for you to sign. There's a link to the petition and a small taste of discussion on the subject HERE
On a lighter note there's a nice little video of the Blue-winged Teal HERE
Of course any post on Birds2blog wouldn't be complete without at least one or two excellent photographs so try these....
The Buzzard was taken on one of Gary's many visits to the Lakes where he does some of his mountaineering and where others fear to tread judging by the dramatic photography he achieves whilst up there....visit his website and see for yourself.
Marc recently encountered this Eastern Black Redstart at Margate in Kent, the bird represents the first confirmed record of this form in Britain. Below is a video of anotheronerecently on Holy Island, Northumberland.
Here's another 'goodie' to have turned up in the country this autumn, the smart little male Desert Wheatear seen and photographed by Mike on his visit to Bempton Cliffs on Yorkshires east coast in November. Interesting that the species was once classed as a member of the Thrush family but is now more generally considered to be an Old World Flycatcher. The first Lancashire record of the species was of one found 20 years ago at Rossall Point, Fleetwood in November 1991. The first for Britain was 111 years earlier at Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland in November 1880. There was an interesting Desert Wheatear trapped at Landguard, Suffolk, in October 1987 which subsequently moved overnight c.270 miles south-west to Devon. This bird clearly illustrated that what might appear to be unrelated vagrants may involve the same birds moving around the country and appears to confirm the suspicion that autumn vagrants arriving on the east coast tend to filter south-westwards. It is also an indication of the kind of distances many migrants may fly in one night.
And another little beauty, this one seen by Colin on his visit to Colombia. The Laughing Falcon is also called the Snake Hawk, erroneously since its not a hawk at all, though it is a specialist snake eater.
The video's good....though you do need your speakers plugged in to get the full effect and hear the bird laughing.
Thanks to Garry, Mark, Paul, Mike, and Colin for these brilliant images, and many thanks to all those visitors to Birds2blog - old and new - who still look in despite the 'bare bones' about it at the moment....I really appreciate you. Also a special thanks to all those who took time to comment on 'Closing Down' and later on 'Delighted with my failure'....these were some welcome comments which I noted and much appreciated.
There's a lot going on in the birding world both here and afar but didn't want to 'overload' the post....perhaps later.
I'D SOONER BE REPORTING ON THE BIRDS I'VE ENCOUNTERED!
Well its a bit odd being delighted with anything which turns out to be a failure in life, but I'm a little more than delighted on this occasion in that at least I failed to close down Birds2blog which I'm updating to give it the breath of life it needs to keep it ticking over whilst not quite closing it down after all. However things have changed little and the prospects of my doing any birding still remains pretty remote. That said, I reckon its going to be essential in order to save my sanity that I set up a 'great escape' for at least one day as soon as possible, someone - it'll be me sooner or later - has to do some upland wanderings to find out if there are any Stonechats anywhere out there/up there ready to face the worst of the winter weather what ever that might be, and are any of them going to spend the winter months on the coast in our area.
It was good to see three Spotted Redshank reported at Conder Green on Sunday 6 November, also I note the number of LittleGrebe on Conder Pool has increased to ten, but I also note no mention recently of the wintering Common Sandpiper nor any Greenshanks here.
Another reason for bursting back on the scene is that minus the break of one month Birds2blog is 3 years old tomorrow November 15 2008, and I reckon it was going to be a great pity for me not to have celebrated this if only for my own benefit. So, here I am wishing my own blog a Very Happy Birthday....three years.... who'da thunk it!
So I decided to take the time and effort to update the sidebar on the blog, put up a new and brilliant header in the form of a stunning little gem of a male Stonechat with thanks to Simon Hawtin.
Christian Thompson made a comment in 'Closing Down' expressing an ambition to have one of his photographs published on Birds2blog - I'm honoured - and I reckon this one of the in flight Long-eared Owl is a good introduction to that ambition....Thanks Christian.
And also to showcase five more images that can only be described as excellent with thanks to Marc, David, Brian, Christian, and Colin whose photograph above shows a bird most visitors to Birds2blog will never see in a lifetime but which he saw in Brazil during a visit there in September.
And finally....
I'd really like to publicly thank the sender of the e-mail who told me four weeks ago that I shouldn't and couldn't pack in my birding because....'I needed the birds more than they needed me'....just about said it all I thought, though I did have to 'pack in' my birding and ease down - maybe not quite close down - on my blogging for a while yet I'm afraid....very afraid.
What next....The Great Escape....watch this space!
Meanwhile, you may like to try your ID skills on the excellent Phillip Tomkinson photograph below...don't worry nobody will ever know if you couldn't clinch it!
