This am with Malcolm, on the res. 1 Greater Scaup, 10 Goldeneye, 1 Pochard and 6 Teal of note. Above the surrounding fields at least 5 singing Skylark and 3 Oystercatcher. Pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker in the dip(male was drumming). At the feeders 5 Lesser Redpoll. 1 Little Egret in Old Hall field. Cheers Ian
3.30pm, adult Iceland gull came in briefly for a wash then flew off north, shortly followed by an adult Mediterranean gull, that stayed for a bit longer then flew off south east..
-- Edited by Martin Loftus on Tuesday 6th of March 2018 05:39:55 PM
This a.m. with Malcolm, 2 very tame Dunlin near viewing mound, on the res. 1 Greater Scaup, 8 Goldeneye, 3 Teal and 1 Goosander of note. At the feeders 1 Lesser Redpoll amongst the usuals. 1 Little Egret in Old Hall fields. Also 6 Skylark heading NE, 1 Oystercatcher and 20+Lapwing in display over the fields. Cheers Ian
Simon the weather was around freezing with low winds in the morning with a few light flurries all nets were constantly checked in a circuit and birds ringed quickly all were healthy in hand and flew off strongly. I stopped at 11:15 when winds (chill factor) increased and snow started. The birds safety and health is my and any ringers priority.
This was a small window this week when ringing would be possible.
If you have any further questions please PM me
Hi Mike, no disrespect but I must admit I also thought the very same thing about ringing birds in this weather, and especially at a feeding station when the birds were obviously hungry during one of the worst winter blasts in years! Thursday was a particularly bad weather day with a 16 vehicle accident that morning in Bury on the M66, and many people were stranded for nearly 24hrs literally a few miles away on the M62, and I even cancelled a drive down to Cornwall and I'm not usually put off by adverse weather. My apologies if you think I'm in the wrong but I wouldn't have thought it was best practice to trap small birds in subzero temperatures.
Walk round with Warfy this morning produced the following -
2 Woodcock - withins area Ruff 15 Snipe dotted about at various spots around the res Jack Snipe - Bennys Dunlin - feeding in field at capsticks 5 Lapwing - capsticks Water Rail - Bennys 6 Grey Heron .. inc one in stream at feeding station 5 Gadwall 66 Teal 2 Pochard - male 15 Cormorant - North Buzzard flew over the creek Lesser Redpoll - dip 35 Blackbird 6 Song Thrush 370 Canada Geese
No disturbance at the feeding station this morning so a bit of activity 50+ Goldfinch, Redwing, Fieldfare, Goldcrest and 2 Bullfinch amongst others
Bizarrely a single Meadow Pipit within about 8ft of me on the frozen canal. With hindsight I suppose it had more chance of finding food there than in the snow covered field.
11:25-12:30 walk to the Creek and back in the Snow and strong wind. 1 Dunlin record Shot attached. 1 Meadow Pipit photo attached. 2 Goldeneye. 7 Fieldfare. very little at the feeders which was surprising considering the weather.
Simon the weather was around freezing with low winds in the morning with a few light flurries all nets were constantly checked in a circuit and birds ringed quickly all were healthy in hand and flew off strongly. I stopped at 11:15 when winds (chill factor) increased and snow started. The birds safety and health is my and any ringers priority.
This was a small window this week when ringing would be possible.
Is the weather not a bit to harsh to be ringing birds at present. Its been -5 last few nights plus the snow so food will be hard to find. Ringing them at a feeding station in this weather will just add more stress and pressure to them and I am sure we all want whats best for the birds whilst in these harsh conditions?
Car park area ringing freezing in snow flurries 07:45-12:00
Feeders
Goldfinch c 60 lesser Redpoll heard Goldcrest f(?) Reed bunting m ringed Fieldfare seen several times Sparrowhawk fem/imm hunting around area and attacks on feeders Kestrel
Res
Lapwing 3 over
-- Edited by Mike Cooper on Thursday 1st of March 2018 09:41:37 AM
Short walk this morning 25/2/18 to Withins and back to the carpark. 1 Scaup. 1 Pochard. 1 Gadwall. 5 GoldenEye. 2 Teal. 3 Oystercatcher. 2 Common Gulls. 2 Stock dove. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.
07:10-10:35am with Ian C 51 Species seen + 2 Heard only. 1 Scaup. 6 GoldenEye. 14 Teal. 1 Water Rail. 3 Oystercatcher. Curlew Heard only in 3 locations Old Hall Marsh, Withins & Near Buckingham Drive. 3 Skylark. 65+ Fieldfares. 1 Goldcrest. 1 Buzzard. 1 Peregrine. 3 Kestrels. 1 Sparrowhawk. 23 Lapwings some displaying. Great Spotted woodpecker heard drumming only.
10:50-11:55am quick visit due to the amount of disturbances, highlights. 5 Lesser Redpoll with one cracking male making me think it was the mealy record shots attached. 1 Goldcrest. 3 Common Gulls. 1 Scaup female. 6 Goldeneye.
Cheers Steven
It was there earlier Steven, Malcolm and I also thought it was the Mealy, we also had 2 Oystercatcher and the Buzzard near Crow Trees, 9 Teal in capsticks and 51 Pink-feet going West at 8.30
10:50-11:55am quick visit due to the amount of disturbances, highlights. 5 Lesser Redpoll with one cracking male making me think it was the mealy record shots attached. 1 Goldcrest. 3 Common Gulls. 1 Scaup female. 6 Goldeneye.
07:30-10:15 with Ian C. 3 Siskin 1m 2 f at Feeders. 1 Goldcrest. 3 Oystercatchers. Curlew Heard only. 1 Scaup F 6 Goldeneye. 4 Teal. 1 Goosander. Lapwing displaying. 3 Skylark one singing. 1 Buzzard
Cheers Steven Q
-- Edited by Steven Higginbottom on Tuesday 20th of February 2018 10:44:09 AM
Also this a.m. 1 Willow Tit in tall trees in front of Old Hall Farm, Water Rail at Capsticks where a dog walker told me of 4 White Herons at Old Hall Marsh but I could find no trace. Cheers Ian
Scaup 2 Little Egret old hall marsh 5 Lapwing displaying Tufted Duck 10 Goldeneye Goosander Oystercatcher 88 Goldfinch at the feeding station 6 Bullfinch Kestrel
Coney Green / Crow Tree farm floods 4 Gadwall 9 Teal 14 Moorhen 3 Lapwing 20 Goldfinch 2 Buzzard Kestrel
Quick visit this morning before work. 1 Greylag goose over heading East at 07:15am. 1 Greater Scaup Female. 6 Goldeneye. 24 Goosander. 1 Oystercatcher. 1 Great Black backed Gull. 3 Redwing. 1 Goldcrest.
This a.m. with Malcolm, on the res. 1 Greater Scaup, 6 Goldeneye, approx 70 Tufted Duck, 10 Teal. At capsticks 1 Water Rail. Buzzard near Crow Trees. At the feeders 1 lesser Redpoll and a Goldcrest amongst the usual birds. Cheers Ian
-- Edited by Ian Campbell on Wednesday 14th of February 2018 03:49:04 PM
This a.m. with Malcolm, on the res. 1 Goosander (5 also on the river), 7 Goldeneye and 1 Teal (4 on Withins), 1 Oystercatcher, at the feeders all the usual birds but no Redpolls. 1 Water Rail at Capsticks. Cheers Ian
-- Edited by Ian Campbell on Tuesday 13th of February 2018 01:39:01 PM
Also 1 lesser redpoll and 1 coal tit on the feeders. 1 Scaup, 1 goosander and 6 goldeneye on the reservoir. Elsewhere, 1 buzzard, 1 kestrel, 2 stock dove and a flock of 40 fieldfare on the fields next to the canal.
07:50-09:50am with Ian C 42 Species seen highlights. 1 Greater Scaup female. 7 Goldeneye. 4m 3F 9 Teal. 4 Goosander. 1 Oystercatcher. 2 Little Egret. 2 Great Black backed Gulls. 1 Lesser Redpoll. 1 Goldcrest.
8-9 a.m. at the feeders, 1 Lesser Redpoll, 70 Goldfinch(69 now as one was taken by a male Sparrowhawk !), 7 Bullfinch, 24 Greenfinch, all the usual Tits and 14 Mallard hoovering up the seed on the ground. No sign of Mealy Redpoll. Cheers Ian
08:00-10:30am with Ian C 47 species seen highlights. 1 Jack Snipe flew over marsh. 9 Snipe. 1 Little Egret. 1 Common Buzzard. 50+ Fieldfare 7 Redwing. 2 Stock Dove. 1 Goldcrest. 1 Goosander. 1 Scaup. 22 Teal. 5 Common Gull.