...shame no one told this GBB which caught and killed an adult female Mallard on Marshside Two today, before tearing it to shreds. You may well look guilty Mr Gull.
The GBB spent most its time fending off Magpies, Carrion Crows (including one with partial albino wings) and an LBB, which were all interested in sharing its meal.
Left the hide and Bill Aspin (who had watched the kill, and probably needs counselling now) and walked up towards Crossens.
This cute little juv Merlin looked quite festive on the outer marsh, until a Skylark made the mistake off calling nearby, and the falcon was off after it with the type of murderous speed only a Merlin can muster.
And I have to say that the gorgeous Stoat that bounded through the vegetation beneath Marine Drive hardly looked like it had peace and love on its mind either.
70+ Pochards on the Sandplant pools, with Little Grebe too, and the Water Rail was showing under the left hand side of the Sandgrounders Hide early on apparently.
At least 1,000 Golden Plovers on the inner fields, with a similar number of Lapwings, and on the outer marsh, 6 of the Little Egrets were visible.
Light was appalling (as the pics above prove amply I'm afraid), so I took off down to Taggs Island for a walk through the swamp there.
Pretty quiet, with Robin, Meadow Pipits and Reed Bunting, but about 3,000 Barwits on the incoming tide, and a similar number, if not more, Oystercatcher.
Grey Plover, Sanderling, Knot etc too.
Two Great Crested Grebes offshore.
One Jack Snipe (the first I have seen down here in a month or so) in the wettest area, about 100 metres south of the new walkway that cuts right through the marsh to the beach.
A Grey Wagtail here at the outfall of the River Nile.
About 500 gulls on the sands, but nowt out of the ordinary amongst them.
Right off to bed now, or Father Christmas won't bring me a Rubythroat.
Hope you all have a tremendous time.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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ron jackson wrote...
John,
GBB are major predators at Banks as well. On Friday there were about 14 hanging around the main Wigeon flock causing major panics every time one or more of them took off "with intent".
I don't know whether they purposely flush the flocks looking for "weaklings" to harry, but I have seen one single out a Teal and simply pursue it with a relentless steady flight 'til both birds out of sight.
Maybe this is an explanation for floods being temporarily deserted (can be 30k birds there) for no apparent reason.
That Cape Shelduck thingy there still. A v mahogany coloured bird and a mite bigger than (Comm) Shelduck, and I had a Egyptian Goose by the Douglas a few days ago. Global warming?
Perhaps not.
A couple of frosty looking "mipits" in a brassica field near the mini pumping station on Banks marsh. No scope so??? Quite a decent pipit/wagtail/finch flock there.
Since the Pallas I've had an almost instinctive urge to scan every bush, hedgerow and patch of bramble. That nuthatch still on my garden feeders but nothing more exotic, yet!
All the best,
Ron
Posted by: ron jackson | December 24, 2006 5:18 PM