I've been out of action for quite a while for various reasons, and seem too be spending a lot of time at the doctors and the hospital having lots of tests done. Not sure what the outcome is going to be, but googling for ideas isn't a good idea.
Anyway I've not really been up to going out on the weekends but I had to on Saturday as my wonderful neighbour spent the entire day drilling and hammering on the adjoining wall-he said he was decorating, and it was driving me up crazy.
I ended up spending a couple of hours at Amwell. The weather was dreadful-bitterly cold wind and eventually rain, so I spent most of the time watching gull numbers build up from White Hide. Since my last visit over a month ago, the water levels have risen a bit and as a result duck numbers have increased substantially.
From the view point I could see a lot of larger gulls-mainly Lesser Black Backs and Herring, plus at least eight Greater Black Backs. It took a while but eventually I managed to locate one of the Yellow Legged Gulls-an adult or near adult. There were of course many smaller Gulls-hoards of Black Headed and quite a few Common Gulls but I couldn't find anything unusual. at one point a lot of things went up, which produced the only Snipe that I could find.
The woods, the Walkway and the Hollycross area was rather quiet, though there were several Long Tailed Tits flocks holding some Goldcrests. I would have expected to encounter some thrushes here, and maybe some finches such as Siskin but if they were around they were keeping a low profile.
Naturally, in view of the weather, there weren't any raptors up.
Not much of a species list but it felt good to get out for a bit.
Monday, 11 November 2019
Sunday, 13 October 2019
Hooded Merganser Titchwell
Well after a week of rain, westerlies and gardening, Colin and I decided that unless something came up, we would go to Titchwell on Saturday. It was expected to be dry with light winds so it was a bit worrying when I woke up to rain-we had quite a lot overnight. There was no sign of it letting up when Colin arrived, and it wasn't until we got past Ely that it started to improve.
We called in at Choseley briefly in a pull in south of the barns. The adjacent fields were full of Pink Footed Geese, with around a 1000 visible and many more flying around. As usual there were also a lot of Red Legged Partridge and a couple of Buzzards sitting on the ground. Apart from a small Linnet flock and some Skylarks there weren't many small birds around and there weren't any thrushes at all.
Titchwell was jam packed, as shortly before we arrived a drake Hooded Merganser had been reported, so all the locals were turning up in the hope of a county tick. It was initially on the fresh marsh and then flew into Patsy's pool for a nap. Before we went for it, we spent about an hour around the fen trail and on the tank road looking for warblers. Several yellow Brows were present-I think I heard three different birds and there was also a Siberian Chiffchaff. This proved to be a bit more challenging as there didn't seem to be any Chiffchaffs present. Eventually a classic juvenile appeared and shortly after a more interesting grey and brown bird with very dark bare parts. This spent a bit of time in an elder before flying off with a short piping call-pretty convincing for the Siberian. Two male Blackcaps entertained us while we were waiting and on a couple of occasions a Long tailed Tit flock passed through but the Yellow Brows never actually showed for us.
Eventually we made our way to the pool to see the Merganser. Most of the time it was asleep but woke up on a couple of occasions. The wings appear to be intact and apparently there wasn't any trace of rings, so there is some hope it might get through as a wild bird.
Water levels on the fresh marsh were very low, but as the tide was out, most of the waders were on the beach. The only notable sight was a flock of 52 juvenile Ruff-with another 7 birds elsewhere this was probably the biggest I've ever seen.
We didn't spend a great deal of time looking at the sea-the southwester-lies meant that there weren't many birds around, though a juvenile Gannet flew by just past the surf line. Had to give it a check to eliminate a Booby......
The Grey Phalarope that has been hanging around Thornham Point for a few days was still present so we headed up the beach and climbed through he dunes to the old control tower. Interestingly it wasn't spinning around on the water as they usually do but feeding on the marsh. Unfortunately this meant it was very obscured and I didn't get any decent images.
We returned to the car for a spot of lunch and then spent about an hour back on the fen trail and walked along the big hedge adjacent to the paddocks. Looked good for Barred warbler but apart from a few crests, lots of Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters the best i could manage were a few Blackbirds which never turned into Ring Ousels. We did get to hear one of the elusive Yellow Brows again, and found quite a few Chiffchaffs but nothing out of the ordinary this time.
We called in at Choseley briefly in a pull in south of the barns. The adjacent fields were full of Pink Footed Geese, with around a 1000 visible and many more flying around. As usual there were also a lot of Red Legged Partridge and a couple of Buzzards sitting on the ground. Apart from a small Linnet flock and some Skylarks there weren't many small birds around and there weren't any thrushes at all.
Titchwell was jam packed, as shortly before we arrived a drake Hooded Merganser had been reported, so all the locals were turning up in the hope of a county tick. It was initially on the fresh marsh and then flew into Patsy's pool for a nap. Before we went for it, we spent about an hour around the fen trail and on the tank road looking for warblers. Several yellow Brows were present-I think I heard three different birds and there was also a Siberian Chiffchaff. This proved to be a bit more challenging as there didn't seem to be any Chiffchaffs present. Eventually a classic juvenile appeared and shortly after a more interesting grey and brown bird with very dark bare parts. This spent a bit of time in an elder before flying off with a short piping call-pretty convincing for the Siberian. Two male Blackcaps entertained us while we were waiting and on a couple of occasions a Long tailed Tit flock passed through but the Yellow Brows never actually showed for us.
Eventually we made our way to the pool to see the Merganser. Most of the time it was asleep but woke up on a couple of occasions. The wings appear to be intact and apparently there wasn't any trace of rings, so there is some hope it might get through as a wild bird.
Water levels on the fresh marsh were very low, but as the tide was out, most of the waders were on the beach. The only notable sight was a flock of 52 juvenile Ruff-with another 7 birds elsewhere this was probably the biggest I've ever seen.
We didn't spend a great deal of time looking at the sea-the southwester-lies meant that there weren't many birds around, though a juvenile Gannet flew by just past the surf line. Had to give it a check to eliminate a Booby......
The Grey Phalarope that has been hanging around Thornham Point for a few days was still present so we headed up the beach and climbed through he dunes to the old control tower. Interestingly it wasn't spinning around on the water as they usually do but feeding on the marsh. Unfortunately this meant it was very obscured and I didn't get any decent images.
We returned to the car for a spot of lunch and then spent about an hour back on the fen trail and walked along the big hedge adjacent to the paddocks. Looked good for Barred warbler but apart from a few crests, lots of Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters the best i could manage were a few Blackbirds which never turned into Ring Ousels. We did get to hear one of the elusive Yellow Brows again, and found quite a few Chiffchaffs but nothing out of the ordinary this time.
Thursday, 10 October 2019
October Holiday
I started my annual October fortnight off last Friday, and as so often seems to be the case these days, I've spent more time working in th e garden than going out birding.
On Saturday, I decided to pay a visit to Amwell and was rather surprised to discover that no-one else was there. The weather wasn't all that great, cloudy but with a south-westerly, not exactly ideal for migrants. Water levels remain low, despite the rain in recent weeks and it seems the sluice has not been raised, and the trust apparently expects Barry to look after him despite being away on yet another trip to boost his world list.
Duck numbers are building up though, with a lot of Gadwall and Mallard, two Teal, 10 Wigeon and 26 Shoveller. A pair of Dabchick in front of the White Hide was a bit unusual, but its the favoured spot if they appear on the main lake. I tried to work through the gull flock which gradually built up during the morning but apart from two Common Gull in with the Black Heads it was the usual selection of miscellaneous Herring and Lesser Black Blacks. Attempts to turn an interesting white headed juvenile into something a bit different failed.
I had intended to go to Hollycross for Willow Emeralds, but it was a bit cool and too cloudy. I got as far as the new bridge where I met Phil and he agreed it would be a waste of time. Tumbling Bay had a couple of very volatile Chiffchaffs in one of the willows and a rather loud tacking call couldn't be pinned down. Dusky warbler would have been a nice fantasy, but Blackcap is the more sensible option, though I couldn't pin the bird down before the birds flew away.
We bumped into Bill at the view point and had a chat. A few Skylark were moving westwards, and there were a couple of mixed hirundine flocks gradually heading south west don the valley. Most that were close enough appeared to be Swallow, but there were a few House Martins as well. The only other (and rather odd) movement concerned Cormorants, as several flocks, maybe 50 birds in total came up the valley, and around 30 returned to feed in one huge mass near the big island.
The next few days were spent in the garden when the weather (lots of rain at times) allowed. On Monday I took an old fridge down to the tip and then picked up some ericaceous compost to repot my (hopefully) hardy Yuzu circus tree. After carrying that lot my back went so the next day involved very light work and planting and rearranging a few things. I have a variety of Salvias, and the best at the moment are Waverly and Amistad. The latter looks really good in the sunshine at the moment and attracted a lot of bees through the summer. They are getting a bit scarce now, but the Humming Bird Hawkmoth was a nice bonus.
Yesterday was another strenuous day, up a ladder taking out the old branches from the palm tree, cutting back the honeysuckle and then shredding the lot. Since the shredder as out I also tidied up the shed a bit. So my backs aching again as are my arms and , I've lots of cuts and bruises and despite all the time working failed to get any decent birds either in the garden or flying over. I've got several resident Dunnocks and Robins of course, and tits visit all the time-including Long Tailed and the rather rare for me Coal Tit. No crests or Chiffchaffs yet-they should be around at this time of year.
Today I walked around Aston End. It was another cloudy day with a south westerly and so rather lacking in bird movements. Plenty of Chiffchaffs of course, and a few Skylarks moving around. The ploughed fields didn't hold much, though there was a small flock of Meadow Pipits in one and a few Pied wagtails in another. Only one Yellowhammer and two Chaffinch was a bit worrying, I just hope that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and missed most of the birds. Very few thrushes were seen, only a couple of Blackbirds. There are no Song or Mistle thrushes around and no sign of any winter visitors yet, thought hey are being reported elsewhere.
So that's it so far. All the good stuff seems to be in Ireland, the Scillies or the Azores and the east coast isn't really producing anything, and if the the forecast is to be believed its going to be the same next week.
On Saturday, I decided to pay a visit to Amwell and was rather surprised to discover that no-one else was there. The weather wasn't all that great, cloudy but with a south-westerly, not exactly ideal for migrants. Water levels remain low, despite the rain in recent weeks and it seems the sluice has not been raised, and the trust apparently expects Barry to look after him despite being away on yet another trip to boost his world list.
Duck numbers are building up though, with a lot of Gadwall and Mallard, two Teal, 10 Wigeon and 26 Shoveller. A pair of Dabchick in front of the White Hide was a bit unusual, but its the favoured spot if they appear on the main lake. I tried to work through the gull flock which gradually built up during the morning but apart from two Common Gull in with the Black Heads it was the usual selection of miscellaneous Herring and Lesser Black Blacks. Attempts to turn an interesting white headed juvenile into something a bit different failed.
I had intended to go to Hollycross for Willow Emeralds, but it was a bit cool and too cloudy. I got as far as the new bridge where I met Phil and he agreed it would be a waste of time. Tumbling Bay had a couple of very volatile Chiffchaffs in one of the willows and a rather loud tacking call couldn't be pinned down. Dusky warbler would have been a nice fantasy, but Blackcap is the more sensible option, though I couldn't pin the bird down before the birds flew away.
We bumped into Bill at the view point and had a chat. A few Skylark were moving westwards, and there were a couple of mixed hirundine flocks gradually heading south west don the valley. Most that were close enough appeared to be Swallow, but there were a few House Martins as well. The only other (and rather odd) movement concerned Cormorants, as several flocks, maybe 50 birds in total came up the valley, and around 30 returned to feed in one huge mass near the big island.
The next few days were spent in the garden when the weather (lots of rain at times) allowed. On Monday I took an old fridge down to the tip and then picked up some ericaceous compost to repot my (hopefully) hardy Yuzu circus tree. After carrying that lot my back went so the next day involved very light work and planting and rearranging a few things. I have a variety of Salvias, and the best at the moment are Waverly and Amistad. The latter looks really good in the sunshine at the moment and attracted a lot of bees through the summer. They are getting a bit scarce now, but the Humming Bird Hawkmoth was a nice bonus.
Yesterday was another strenuous day, up a ladder taking out the old branches from the palm tree, cutting back the honeysuckle and then shredding the lot. Since the shredder as out I also tidied up the shed a bit. So my backs aching again as are my arms and , I've lots of cuts and bruises and despite all the time working failed to get any decent birds either in the garden or flying over. I've got several resident Dunnocks and Robins of course, and tits visit all the time-including Long Tailed and the rather rare for me Coal Tit. No crests or Chiffchaffs yet-they should be around at this time of year.
Today I walked around Aston End. It was another cloudy day with a south westerly and so rather lacking in bird movements. Plenty of Chiffchaffs of course, and a few Skylarks moving around. The ploughed fields didn't hold much, though there was a small flock of Meadow Pipits in one and a few Pied wagtails in another. Only one Yellowhammer and two Chaffinch was a bit worrying, I just hope that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and missed most of the birds. Very few thrushes were seen, only a couple of Blackbirds. There are no Song or Mistle thrushes around and no sign of any winter visitors yet, thought hey are being reported elsewhere.
So that's it so far. All the good stuff seems to be in Ireland, the Scillies or the Azores and the east coast isn't really producing anything, and if the the forecast is to be believed its going to be the same next week.
Monday, 30 September 2019
Yellow Browed Warbler!
I was working in the garden yesterday morning for a few hours, and around 11o clock I decided to break for a coffee.
While I was tidying up, I heard a rather loud very distinctive two syllable tsweet with the second syllable rising. It seemed to be coming from somewhere nearby and I guessed it was in one of the neighbours trees. I was in a bit of a panic I was sure its a call I've heard many times on the east coast at this time of the year-Yellow Browed Warbler. I tried to pin it down and realised that it had got louder and was overhead in my Rowan tree, but I couldn't see the bird. As I moved away to get a clear view, a small fairly bright green warbler flew out and headed west into the big trees a few gardens away. I could make out some pale bars on the darker wings but without binoculars there wasn't much else I could see.
Naturally I ran indoor to get the bins and the camera and spent the next hour waiting but it had clearly moved on as it was loud enough to be heard for some distance. I'm assuming it had just dropped into the gardens about the time I heard it, spent around five minutes here and then carried on.
Just as a sanity check I played recordings of Yellow Brows to confirm it was what was heard, and also to eliminate anything else that was even remotely likely such as the Greenish Warbler complex.
I've put in a rarity submission to the bird club and am hopeful that what little I could report will be adequate. Had I been a bit more on the ball, I should have got the phone out and tried to get a bit of video, at least then I would have had a recording of the call.
While I was tidying up, I heard a rather loud very distinctive two syllable tsweet with the second syllable rising. It seemed to be coming from somewhere nearby and I guessed it was in one of the neighbours trees. I was in a bit of a panic I was sure its a call I've heard many times on the east coast at this time of the year-Yellow Browed Warbler. I tried to pin it down and realised that it had got louder and was overhead in my Rowan tree, but I couldn't see the bird. As I moved away to get a clear view, a small fairly bright green warbler flew out and headed west into the big trees a few gardens away. I could make out some pale bars on the darker wings but without binoculars there wasn't much else I could see.
Naturally I ran indoor to get the bins and the camera and spent the next hour waiting but it had clearly moved on as it was loud enough to be heard for some distance. I'm assuming it had just dropped into the gardens about the time I heard it, spent around five minutes here and then carried on.
Just as a sanity check I played recordings of Yellow Brows to confirm it was what was heard, and also to eliminate anything else that was even remotely likely such as the Greenish Warbler complex.
I've put in a rarity submission to the bird club and am hopeful that what little I could report will be adequate. Had I been a bit more on the ball, I should have got the phone out and tried to get a bit of video, at least then I would have had a recording of the call.
Monday, 16 September 2019
Tyttenhanger
I decided to go down to Tyttenhanger yesterday, just for a bit of a change. The fact that 82 species had been recorded there on Friday was just a coincidence.
Unfortunately the weather had changed to some extent, the northerly airflow of recent days had died down, reducing the number of migrants moving south, and high pressure was starting to build up. As a result it was a rather warm, still day, but despite that there was a decent number of species around. I managed to get 55, missing a few obvious birds and Rupert Evershed hit 74 over the course of the morning, but since he covers the entire site almost every day he gets to find more than most.
I parked as usual in Church Lane and headed west past the allotments and scrub, but didnt get much apart from a flyover Bullfinch. Stopping at the container, a quick scan of the main pit produced a variety of gulls and duck but nothing of note, so I walked down to the Fishing Pit. I could see what appeared to be the long staying Black Tailed Godwit from the conveyor bridge and went for a closer look, meeting Rupert when I got there. He pointed out the two Snipe and the Common Sandpipers in on the very dry lake margins. The water here is very low, so looks to be very good for passage waders but not so good for the fishery. Several Grey Wagtails and at least one Yellow flew over along with plenty of Meadow Pipits, so some birds were still moving.
I carried on along the river checking the sallows by the sluice but failed to find the Willow Emeralds (there were a lot of Common Blue damselflies and a few Common Darters though). I didn't get anything in the wood so carried on over the causeway, getting a flock of ten House Martins and past the horse paddocks, picking up a couple of Tree Sparrows before reaching the high viewpoint. The two here were interested in a distant perched falcon which turned out to be a Hobby and they mentioned a Wheatear in with the horses. Turned out to be right by the fence where I was standing checking the Tree Sparrow feeding station.
Before I went back, I found the Garganey, which had come out of the reeds and was swimming over what is usually a large expanse of mud-for some reason the water levels here have been kept rather high. We also had a small flock of Swallows over, and there were several Buzzards, Kites and singles of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel enjoying the thermals.
Whinchat and Stonechat had apparently moved on, and while it would have been nice to see them, or in fact a Redstart, the big hedge and fields didn't have anything at all, thought he recently ploughed field had a few Skylark and Pied wagtails.
I rechecked the scrub on my return-it looked ideal for a Wryneck but all I saw was a big flock of Long Tailed Tits.
Unfortunately the weather had changed to some extent, the northerly airflow of recent days had died down, reducing the number of migrants moving south, and high pressure was starting to build up. As a result it was a rather warm, still day, but despite that there was a decent number of species around. I managed to get 55, missing a few obvious birds and Rupert Evershed hit 74 over the course of the morning, but since he covers the entire site almost every day he gets to find more than most.
I parked as usual in Church Lane and headed west past the allotments and scrub, but didnt get much apart from a flyover Bullfinch. Stopping at the container, a quick scan of the main pit produced a variety of gulls and duck but nothing of note, so I walked down to the Fishing Pit. I could see what appeared to be the long staying Black Tailed Godwit from the conveyor bridge and went for a closer look, meeting Rupert when I got there. He pointed out the two Snipe and the Common Sandpipers in on the very dry lake margins. The water here is very low, so looks to be very good for passage waders but not so good for the fishery. Several Grey Wagtails and at least one Yellow flew over along with plenty of Meadow Pipits, so some birds were still moving.
I carried on along the river checking the sallows by the sluice but failed to find the Willow Emeralds (there were a lot of Common Blue damselflies and a few Common Darters though). I didn't get anything in the wood so carried on over the causeway, getting a flock of ten House Martins and past the horse paddocks, picking up a couple of Tree Sparrows before reaching the high viewpoint. The two here were interested in a distant perched falcon which turned out to be a Hobby and they mentioned a Wheatear in with the horses. Turned out to be right by the fence where I was standing checking the Tree Sparrow feeding station.
Before I went back, I found the Garganey, which had come out of the reeds and was swimming over what is usually a large expanse of mud-for some reason the water levels here have been kept rather high. We also had a small flock of Swallows over, and there were several Buzzards, Kites and singles of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel enjoying the thermals.
Whinchat and Stonechat had apparently moved on, and while it would have been nice to see them, or in fact a Redstart, the big hedge and fields didn't have anything at all, thought he recently ploughed field had a few Skylark and Pied wagtails.
I rechecked the scrub on my return-it looked ideal for a Wryneck but all I saw was a big flock of Long Tailed Tits.
Sunday, 8 September 2019
Boobyless
The St Ives Brown Booby did a bunk and wasn't seen on the Sunday-the crippling views on the rocks had tempted a lot to go down, so lots of very unhappy birders.
Amazingly, another was found on the Lizard at Kynance cove the next day. This one was a younger bird and luckily had a habit of noosing on one of the rocks close offshore. Needless to say it was very popular, and on Friday many went down and got amazing views. It was seen at dusk roosting on the usual rock, promoting Lee Evans to tweet that anyone going on Saturday was guaranteed to see it.
Colin picked me up at 1am and we headed off on the long drive, arriving in Kynance car park just as it was getting light.
After a quick coffee and a bite we headed off west with the ever growing throng. It was rather chilly and windy but conditions soon improved. What I assumed would be a quick stroll to the cliff top actually turned out to be a bit harder than expected as we had to cross a deep coombe and the other side involved a climb up from the beach on some very slippery serpentine rocks to reach the steps cut further up. Not very enjoyable and it took it out of a lot of the elderly and infirm which comprised a substantial section of the crowd.
I reached the top overlooking Gull Rock and settled down to wait having met up with William Bishop. As soon as the light improved I could see lots of Gannets moving westward about a mile offshore. Smaller black and white birds mainly moving east were Manx Shearwaters-not auks as first thought. In the first couple of hours at least 500 were seen, probably a severe underestimate. Among them were a few dusky individuals two of which were certainly Balearic Shearwaters. I rarely sea watch in the far west, so seeing huge numbers rather than the handfuls in the channel and the North Sea was nice.
Several Arctic Skuas were seen, including one attacking a Peregrine out at sea, which was a bit different. Apparently Bonxies and Poms were also seen by some, but the only other decent seabird I got onto was a nice but very distant Sooty Shearwater dwarfing the two Manx it was with.
Landbirds were heading south all morning, with Grey and Pied Wagtails, Tree and Meadow Pipits, a couple of Wheatears and some Linnets.
Entertainment came from the very confiding Chough which are now well established here and seemed to be far tamer than the Welsh birds we used to see on Anglesey.
As for the Booby, well one guy claimed to see it flying low over the water between the two islands, and seconds later there was a claim about a mile east on the sea off a reef. This turned out to be a fishing Shag. Don't know what the guy saw, others were looking in that area and didn't see anything.
It usually left the roost just after 7am and would then fish in the bay for a bit and then move off, returning from time to time. Not today. We stuck it out until noon and then gave up and by then so had many others.
Approaching London I heard that it had been seen a couple of times in the afternoon, also single observer sightings, and apparently it may have been seen by a few about a mile east of us late afternoon. These reports have met with some scepticism.
Heres the rock where it wasn't seen flying over. Shot from the cliff near the car park.
Amazingly, another was found on the Lizard at Kynance cove the next day. This one was a younger bird and luckily had a habit of noosing on one of the rocks close offshore. Needless to say it was very popular, and on Friday many went down and got amazing views. It was seen at dusk roosting on the usual rock, promoting Lee Evans to tweet that anyone going on Saturday was guaranteed to see it.
Colin picked me up at 1am and we headed off on the long drive, arriving in Kynance car park just as it was getting light.
After a quick coffee and a bite we headed off west with the ever growing throng. It was rather chilly and windy but conditions soon improved. What I assumed would be a quick stroll to the cliff top actually turned out to be a bit harder than expected as we had to cross a deep coombe and the other side involved a climb up from the beach on some very slippery serpentine rocks to reach the steps cut further up. Not very enjoyable and it took it out of a lot of the elderly and infirm which comprised a substantial section of the crowd.
I reached the top overlooking Gull Rock and settled down to wait having met up with William Bishop. As soon as the light improved I could see lots of Gannets moving westward about a mile offshore. Smaller black and white birds mainly moving east were Manx Shearwaters-not auks as first thought. In the first couple of hours at least 500 were seen, probably a severe underestimate. Among them were a few dusky individuals two of which were certainly Balearic Shearwaters. I rarely sea watch in the far west, so seeing huge numbers rather than the handfuls in the channel and the North Sea was nice.
Several Arctic Skuas were seen, including one attacking a Peregrine out at sea, which was a bit different. Apparently Bonxies and Poms were also seen by some, but the only other decent seabird I got onto was a nice but very distant Sooty Shearwater dwarfing the two Manx it was with.
Landbirds were heading south all morning, with Grey and Pied Wagtails, Tree and Meadow Pipits, a couple of Wheatears and some Linnets.
Entertainment came from the very confiding Chough which are now well established here and seemed to be far tamer than the Welsh birds we used to see on Anglesey.
As for the Booby, well one guy claimed to see it flying low over the water between the two islands, and seconds later there was a claim about a mile east on the sea off a reef. This turned out to be a fishing Shag. Don't know what the guy saw, others were looking in that area and didn't see anything.
It usually left the roost just after 7am and would then fish in the bay for a bit and then move off, returning from time to time. Not today. We stuck it out until noon and then gave up and by then so had many others.
Approaching London I heard that it had been seen a couple of times in the afternoon, also single observer sightings, and apparently it may have been seen by a few about a mile east of us late afternoon. These reports have met with some scepticism.
Heres the rock where it wasn't seen flying over. Shot from the cliff near the car park.
Saturday, 31 August 2019
Nice Yellow Wagtail Aston End
Had it not been incredibly hot last weekend, I would have taken a walk round Aston End on the Bank Holiday Monday, so with the weather being a bit better I did it today. If news been positive yesterday Colin and I would have tried to get the Brown Booby off St Ives in Cornwall, but with no sighting since early Thursday morning we decided not to go down there. Its a long exhausting overnight trip, not something I enjoy these days, as it really takes it out of me.
Anyway, the two hour five mile stroll wasn't too bad, but it seemed that birds were in short supply. No Skylarks for example. All the fields had been harvested, and some already ploughed, so whether the breeding birds had been pushed off or not Im not sure. I've tended to assume there is a small permanent population supplemented by migrant and wintering birds.
Basically the usual circuit started in the plantation by Gresley way where there was a big tit flock. The hedges along the lanes were pretty quiet with odd Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps now and again, and a rather smart Lesser Whitethroat at Lords Farm. Now and again small parties of Swallows were heading south, with a much bigger feeding flock near the paddocks by the river. While watching them, I heard a Yellow Wagtail. Initially I assumed it was a flyover but I heard it again and saw it in a ploughed field. Got a few photos before it eventually flew east.
There aren't many flowering plants around in the fields and margins, so there weren't many butterflies, thought Small Whites were seen frequently. There were a couple of Painted Ladies in a small sunny spot, and there were a couple of Red Admirals, Peacocks and Speckled Woods, plus a single Common Blue.
Got home to discover that the Booby had been seen at well from 1030am on the eastern side of the bay and then settled on rocks close to shore in St Ives itself, then flew off west around 1230.
Anyway, the two hour five mile stroll wasn't too bad, but it seemed that birds were in short supply. No Skylarks for example. All the fields had been harvested, and some already ploughed, so whether the breeding birds had been pushed off or not Im not sure. I've tended to assume there is a small permanent population supplemented by migrant and wintering birds.
Basically the usual circuit started in the plantation by Gresley way where there was a big tit flock. The hedges along the lanes were pretty quiet with odd Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps now and again, and a rather smart Lesser Whitethroat at Lords Farm. Now and again small parties of Swallows were heading south, with a much bigger feeding flock near the paddocks by the river. While watching them, I heard a Yellow Wagtail. Initially I assumed it was a flyover but I heard it again and saw it in a ploughed field. Got a few photos before it eventually flew east.
There aren't many flowering plants around in the fields and margins, so there weren't many butterflies, thought Small Whites were seen frequently. There were a couple of Painted Ladies in a small sunny spot, and there were a couple of Red Admirals, Peacocks and Speckled Woods, plus a single Common Blue.
Got home to discover that the Booby had been seen at well from 1030am on the eastern side of the bay and then settled on rocks close to shore in St Ives itself, then flew off west around 1230.
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