Duncan wrote...

The bird you couldn't id was obvious - try a Harpy Bird (Day)!
All quiet on the inland front - a short song from a willow warbler near Bold [not far from a suicidal partridge on the road!], and a bit of yellow hammer calling, but v. quiet.

Posted by: Duncan  | July 30, 2007 3:52 PM

Jen Walker wrote...

News from
RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve

Throughout May and June our outdoor team have been focusing on breeding bird surveys and reedplanting in nearby Barrow Scouts Field which has been going well.
Our male bittern continued to boom until mid June and the two nests have been active.
The first young bittern was seen on 24 July around the pool at the Grisedale hide.
Another non breeding bittern has been around as well!
Our regular male marsh harrier has been looking after the two females and the two nests produced 6 young.
Bearded tits continue to be monitored. The avocets have sadly had a bad year with the first nests being predated, then 10 nests being flooded out by the high tide and then the final attempts predated again.
We are now inputting Leighton Moss sightings on to the RSPB website so why not have a look! (see www.rspb.org.uk)
The recently formed Leighton Moss Wildlife Explorers group remains strong.
The children are really enjoying all the activities and the leaders are working really well as a team.
They even had a sighting of an otter swimming in front of Lilian’s hide one Saturday morning, which I’m sure they will always remember.
They were all so excited!

Posted by: Jen Walker  | July 31, 2007 7:39 AM

Graham Clarkson wrote...

Four Glossy Ibis reported over Lord Street, Southport at 7am today!

Posted by: Graham Clarkson  | July 31, 2007 10:11 AM

ron jackson wrote...

Could you give a brief i.d run through for distant flying Arctics v Commons?
I'm okay at close range, e.g. perched on the railing thingy outside the west hide at Seaforth but not in flight.
(There were Arctics reported with the Commons at Banks this summer,)
Ron

Posted by: ron jackson  | July 31, 2007 11:02 AM

john wrote...

Happy to Ron.
* Arctic Tern is basically paler, even a startling white (in bright sun) compared to Common Tern - Arctics look washed out/bleached.
* At this time of year, adult Common Terns show a clear dark wedge in the primaries - Arctics don't have this.
* Size about the same, but Arctics are most graceful, the wingbeat isn't as clipped as on a Common.
* Arctics are "stubbier" at the front compared to Common.
* Wings of Arctics are shorter than Common, and look very pale underneath.
* Common Terns look dirtier.
* Arctics tend to move in groups, often quite high above the waves, and the flocks don't seem to follow any set formation - one minute tight together, the next strung out.
* Juvenile Arctic Terns show white secondaries, unlike young Commons which usually have dark feathering here.
* Juvenile Arctics show a slight pale saddle; on Commons this is more obvious and darker.
* To me, Common Terns seem to dive more when feeding, Arctics do "plunge dive" but only occasionally.
Hope this helps.
You can't i.d. all the "commics" that go past of course - some you just have to let go, but once you get your eye in each year, you can have a fair stab at 'em.
PS There were often Arctics in the colony on the Ribble when I used to go there with Tony Duckels and co (but that was over 20 years ago!!)
PPS I don't usually recommend books, but "Flight Identification of European Seabirds" by Blomdahl, Briefe and Holmstrom is a must for any seawatcher.
You should read it at least five times before every seawatching season, then read it again.
Should be the seawatching bible.

Posted by: john  | July 31, 2007 5:57 PM

Bazzo wrote...

Winds looks promising Friday/Saturday - high tides too!

Posted by: Bazzo  | July 31, 2007 6:06 PM

ron jackson wrote...

Thanks for the tips on terns John.
It all seems to boil down to jizz then when seeing "commics" at a distance (like lots of birds), and jizz in my experience is something one picks up , often with prompting in the field by one's peers, as much as reading it up.
I need to get to get down to Formby Point before they've all moved through.
Juv male Marsh Harrier at Banks this week and Buzzard plus a big brown falcon today.
Latter could have been juv female Peregrine but had sort of lanky wings so could, possibly, have been a Lanner (there is an escape/cross on the estuary I believe). I couldn't get my scope on it.
She/it had a series of low level passes at the birds on the floods including, delightful to see, at a mob of feral 'Lags who've been loafing about there recently.
Good to see them having to shift themselves.
I forgot to mention earlier that four ( adult ) Spoonbills were seen at the river's edge during the last WeBS count.
Harris' Hawk still there, seems to be roosting in the sea wall copse just behind Banks which has a rabbit warren in it.
Ron

Posted by: ron jackson  | August 3, 2007 5:44 PM