Stags Lodge - 5/6th May 2012

With the sun being out I decided to take my camera out on both of the early morning dog walks at the local patch. There was nothing like the patch tick of my last post but a year patch tick of a Swallow (though only passing through) was nice and the male Whitethroat that I’d heard back earlier in the week finally made an appearance on Saturday and a female and a second male were around on the Sunday. I’m pleased to see them back as they have bred successfully that I know over the past 2 years and hopefully that success will continue this year.

ABOVE MALE WHITETHROAT BELOW SONG THRUSH

Other species around on both days was a singing Song Thrush, one of several on the patch, at least 5 Chiffchaff and 2 Willow Warbler. Magpie and Blackbirds could be seen regularly feeding on the meadows as well as Chaffinch  and Greenfinch calling throughout the woodland. On the pond 4 Coot chicks as well as two adults, a single Moorhen and 3 Mallards which had bred with 8 chicks seen several weeks ago but those numbers dwindled down over a week or so and now I haven’t seen any for a while. As I was leaving the patch via the tunnel under the A6 a Jay flew out of the woods at speed swiftly followed by a female Sparrowhawk, the Jay managed to escape as the Sparrowhawk alighted briefly in one of the trees.

*An update for Sunday evenings visit included 2 Greater-spotted Woodpecker, 2 Male & 1 Female Blackcap, Wren, Robin, Dunnock and an Oystercatcher over the patch.

Stags Lodge (Cuerden Valley Park) & On The Feeders - 14th April 2012

The sun was out so I decided to grab the camera when heading out with the dogs with the hope of getting a few photos of the current warblers on the local patch. I heard a newly returned Willow Warbler on the edge of Church Walk Woods and managed a few shots as it intermittently called and preened amongst the top branches.

 ABOVE AND BELLOW WILLOW WARBLER

Heading around Stags Lodge I heard up to 5 calling Chiffchaff and 2 Willow Warblers the first of which I’d heard on Wednesday evening. What I didn’t expect was this Northern Wheatear at the top of the meadows which was soon flushed by one of the many dog walkers making the most of the great weather. It was easily relocated and I kept my own 2 away as I photographed it feeding up before it moved on. For the hour I was there it relocated several times to the trees surrounding the meadows, a great patch tick and maybe a first for Cuerden Valley Park (David Beattie). For my up to date patch list for the year Click Here 

 ABOVE AND BELOW NORTHERN WHEATEAR

Back at home the feeders seem to be very busy at the moment with both Goldfinch and Greenfinch eating me out of house and home. Collard Dove and Woodpigeon are also regular visitors along with the local Blackbirds, Dunock, Robin, House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Coal Tit (the only place locally that I see Coal Tits!)

 ABOVE MALE GREENFINCH BELOW FEMALE

 ABOVE GOLDFINCH BELOW COLLARD DOVE

 BELOW COAL TIT

Meresands Wood Bittern - 20th February 2012

I’ve taken quite a few visits up to Meresands Woods with the hope of photographing at least one of the 2 Bittern that are showing very well (at least for Bittern) from the Rufford Hide. Both were on show during my 2 hour visit though one only briefly and very hard to pick out in the reed bed. The second bird was very obliging throughout and I doubt I’ll ever get a chance to photograph a Bittern at such close quarters again.

Red Kites, Tetsworth, Oxon - 13th January 2012

The M40 corridor north between Beaconsfield and Oxford is renowned for its large population of Red Kites and I often marvel at their sight whenever I travel along the route. On several occasions I’ve pulled off the M40 and travelled up the A40 giving me chance to pull over and observe them at closer quarters.

 

After pulling in a layby on the way down from Aston Rowant NNR and observing 2 at distance as well as a small flock of travelling Long-tailed Tit I decided to continue north to Tetsworth, Oxon where I’ve watched small numbers of Red Kites over the village green and also gives good opportunities to photograph them.

 

After pulling up in a layby opposite the green I watched 10 Red Kite circling over the roof tops and 2 over the green. Numbers for the day must have been around the 100 mark with 3 Buzzard, 2 Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk adding to the raptor numbers along the stretch.

 Above Red KIte below one of a small group of travelling Long-tailed Tit

Glaucous Gull, Southport Beach - 2nd January 2012

I spent my first day birding of the year at Southport beach with the intention of photographing the Gaucous Gull that has been reported from there for a while now. Reading on the internet and chatting to a few local birders suggested that the bird was ill but after catching up with it after a 2 hour search my thoughts are rather different. I’d been told it was very approachable and as I was able to get within 15m of the bird without causing it any due distress I’d agree which would maybe suggest there was a problem with the bird. As the photographs show the bill is rather red suggesting it has recently fed and there seemed to be no problem with it as it took to the air joining a throng of other gulls as an ignorant dog walker flushed it TWICE!!  I wouldn’t mind but it was quite obvious that about 10 birders with a variety of scopes, binoculars and cameras were looking at a large Gull that was on its own sat on the grass as she trundled through flushing the Gull and not satisfied with that she let her dog off within meters of were the Gull had landed thus flushing it again! I don’t tar all dog walkers with the same brush, most stayed away or even took an interest, and one couple even photographed it with their phone. Rant over.

 GLAUCOUS GULL - 2ND WINTER ACORDING TO MY HELM GUIDE

 BELOW TAKING FLIGHT FOR THE 2ND TIME

BELOW BLACK-HEADED GULL

Whilst searching for the Glaucous I came across a single Sanderling which seemed to have signs of oil on its underside. It didn’t seem to hinder the bird as it preened, fed and flew without any signs of a problem.

 ABOVE SANDERLING PREENING OIL PATCH, BELOW FEEDING

 

As I left a large flock of Twite (some ringed) fed near to the Weld Road car park, I estimated numbers of between 80 – 100 but have been corrected with a count of 122 by another birder who was there at the time.

PART OF THE LARGE FLOCK OF TWITE FEDING NEAR THE CAR PARK

2 ticks and updates - 16th December 2011

With 2 birds showing well in North Lancashire that I needed for my life list I spent the first day of a long weekend off work in search of them. The first stop was Leighton Moss RSPB and it didn’t take long to find the Glossy Ibis feeding at the edge of a flooded field near to the car park entrance of the Allens Hide. Scope views were good but only record shots were obtainable as the autofocus kept picking up the branches when I tried photographing it through a nearby hedge.

 ABOVE & BELOW GLOSSY IBIS

Next stop was Heysham Docks were a small number of Twite were feeding in the usual place. As I pulled up on the north side of the harbour. A quick scan along the edge as I walked up the entrance of the harbour brought 2 juvenile Shag and a Turnstone on the walk back. I found the Glaucous Gull at one of the outlets on the south side so views through the scope were good but no chance of any photographs. These views were disrupted as a dredger began work and I was unable to locate the bird for the remainder of my visit. 3 Little Gulls were a nice addition as well as c30 Kittewake.

 JUVENILLE SHAG

 ABOVE & BELOW KITTEWAKE - NOT SURE OF AGES

Even though the blogs been quite I have managed to get out on a few occasions mainly to Crossens-out Marsh with the hope of getting some photos of the Short-eared Owls but though I saw them the weather conditions made photography difficult. A tick with 4 European White-fronted Geese made the trips worthwhile.

Local patch additions included Fieldfare, Redwing and on the 17^th December a flock of c20 Siskin which was a nice addition. Buzzard have been showing well recently with 2 giving good views again on the morning of the 17^th. The disappointment has been the lack of the local Tawny Owl, it had been calling regularly up to a few weeks ago and I had seen it several times at dusk and dawn but things have been quite of late.