Another misty morning on the way in at 5.30am - looks like it's gonna be a good day, Chiffies will be singing, White Wags tail pumping, and Wheatears strutting - in my imagination at least.
I will be staring at a computer screen.
Anyone know who saw the Pectoral Sandpiper reported from Marshside (junction pools, early afternoon) yesterday?
Any more info?
Meanwhile Derek Williams has sent me his latest sightings from the mosses around Haskayne, which rather nicely compliment Eddie Barford's fine early morning shot taken in the area.
Ta Eddie.
Derek's records, March 17 to 21:
White Wagtail 3 (19.3.07); Curlew 211; Mallard 80; Cormorant 4; Shelduck 4; Kingfisher 2; Blackbird 22; Yellowhammer 1m; Raven 2; Moorhen 37; Golden Plover 34; Coot 16; Little Owl ; Tufted Duck 2; Stock Dove 15; Oystercatcher 11; Fieldfare 165 (19.3.07).
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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John,
I was in Sandgrounders yesterday videoing the GWT. I didna see the Pec but Harry Shorrock and Morris Jones did so it was genuine.
Apparently with reeve/reeves so some confusion partic as against the sun. I gather some saw reeve and ticked pec and others saw reeve and said "not a pec" but pec was there as well as reeve(s).
The Teal was trying to misbehave again but duck creccas did appear to be already paired. Worth someone's time to study the interaction between the two (sub)- species but a helluva racket in the hide makes concentration difficult. I usually have to dis-connect my mike to avoid the background bletherskites!
Ron
ps b----r the BOU! crecca and carolinensis can and do produce fertile young, as can corone and cornix . I know wildfowl are "dodgy" when it comes to hybridisation , and I do accept that there are genuine splits based on morphology rather than geography. One tends to believe what one wants to so if a "lister" then a "splitter". Anyway i was made up seeing and videoing Mister Green Wing, particularly at such close range.
Ta Ron.
"Bletherskites" - brilliant, my new word for the day!
John
Me n Mike McKavet on site at time of finding, well 7 minutes later, after the finder had departed and Harry and Morris had left to go to Sandgrounders.
We mingled with the 10-12 people watching the Pec, sorry I meant Reeve, we explained why it was what it was and started scouring the marsh for the Pec with no success.
I was joined by Jellyhead, Tony Conway and Tim Vaughan, also Brian was in Nels.
1 Little Stint nothing else.
As Ron says above Harry n Morris saw the bird, so it is still worth searching for.
Thanks Neill, sounds like a pec-uliar afternoon (sorry).
Dear John
Heard my first chiffchaff this morning on the Wirral Way near Hadlow Road, Willaston. It was so foggy I could not see it 30 yards away - it must have wondered why it had flown all this way from sunny Africa! Thought it was earlier than usual but my perpetual bird diary tells me that my first chiffchaffs in 2004, 2005 and 2007 were on the 27th March, 2006 being on the 28th. How's that for consistency?
However, earlier than usual, we had a fully built long-tailed tit's nest on the 15th March in a berberis bush and watched it taking hair from the bird table taken from my daughter's golden doodle (retriever/poodle cross) to finish off the lining!
Regards Ben
John,
It should have been "Maurice" not "Morris". Apologies Mo if you read this,
Ron