Nope, this entry isn't a veiled homage to the classic Simpsons "Monorail" episode, where Homer J gives a possum a new name, it's a reference to the outrageous behaviour of the midges at Marshside and later Taggs Island....
They were out in force and biting like bugger...especially up near Crossens Inner. Really annoying.
The marsh was fairly quiet - a Merlin and Kestrel on the outer marsh, and Little Egret and squealing Water Rails north of Polly's Creek.
A pair of Skylarks were dustbathing in the Sandplant compound, and up to 60 Greenfinches and Goldfinches were feeding on seedheads.
A single Small Tortoiseshell was on the wing here too.
Skeins of Pinkies about too, but it was pretty murky on the outer marsh.
A big raptor perched up in the haze may have been a Common Buzzard, but was too far away to tell.
A single Stonechat was around the sandplant wall,s and the Glossy Ibis had been about earlier from Sandgrounders hide, as had the regular Water Rail, but neither were showing when Neill and I went in.
All the usual stuff feeding and roosting - Lapwings, Goldies, Blackwits, Wigeon, Teal etc.
Tired of being feasted on by the midges I drove down to Taggs Island, where the little weasels were still biting, but not as bad.
Taggs was okay - three Stonechats, doing their bit to reduce the midge population, about 20 Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Reed Buntings, Mistle Thrushes, Wrens and a single female Teal.
A splash about in the reeds produced 7-8 Common Snipe, and at least 3 Jack Snipe, one of which flushed about a foot away from me.
Small gull roost on the beach, just the usual species.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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RE: The Nocturnal Birders Club. Like it !!
28 Redwing 'seeps' and 2 Song Thrush 'squeeks' when walking Teddy around the block on Friday evening. The perambulation takes 10 minutes, so multiplying 28 x 6 = 168 Redwing seeps per hour x estimated Redwing party size of say 13, (a Tony Baker's dozen) would suggest an hourly passage over my 'block' of 2,184 per hour !
Times say 12 hours of darkness, gives a nightly passage of 26,208 Redwings !
Given that the Redwing population of Finland (where most of our birds come from) is around 2.5 million pairs or 5 million birds, (double if for their young) gives an estimated population of 10 million Punakylkirastas !!
It would thus take 381 .5 twelve-hour nights for these birds to flyover my regular evening walk.
Obviously, my scientifically-based gut feeling, is that this is not possible, so they must also flyover other locations too.
Why not join the Nocturnal Birding Club like me and help to solve these great non-mysteries of nature.
For instance, I have not seen much about counting Common Snipe as they cross the full moon as they must surely do, even when it's cloudy. There are only 120,000 pairs of Snipe in Finland, so counting them would theoretically be easier.
John Bannon
Excellent John - conditions could be exceptionally good for members of the NBC later today - ie it's going to be very dark by the time I get home from work.
Ears to the skies everyone, ears to the skies...
Cracking views of Kate Humble today at Martin Mere WWT.
http://www.wwt.org.uk/news/192/sightings.html
Yeah,
Good to see her with Oddie last night,
Ron
Thanks Ron - I've edited your entry to protect the more genteel bloggers here....how was Bardsey?
John
Bardsey was quiet John, a hint of easterlies but followed rapidly by a southerly , a westerly and then a north westerly.
Mainly clear skies.
Nothing like a stay at a Bird Observatory to demonstrate the impact of wind/weather on (visible) movements.
We were three days late off as well.
Only birds there not regulars around here were Ring Ouzels, Black Redstarts, a Yellow Browed Warbler and of course those incomparable Choughs.
Masses of Razorbills moving south offshore compared with the tens or so normally picked up by Barry et al at Formby.
Nice stay though, recommended to all, beginners or otherwise.
Feeling of adventure getting onto and then off the island. Cooking own grub but they have a little food store now so no chance of starving.
Usual Bardsey panic immediately upon arrival.
" We've brought sufficient food but not enough booze"
A juv. Water Rail managed to wander into the Observatory building one day, unseen until found inside assist. warden's office , so it walked through three doorways.
Thanks for the editing!
Makes me seem an Oddie fan, mmmm!
Ron
ps absolute stacks of Wigeons at Banks, 15,000, 20,000? plus about 4k 'Feet on Sunday
While on the subject, sort of, of Bill and his chum, was it me or my telly or has Bill gone prematurely orange at least on one side of his head?
A kind of "Macca" colour.
Had a brief look this evening into the new reserve by Hundred End.
Still lots of contractor's plant at work with a big brand new sea wall dissecting the area .
RSPB on one side, sheep pasture on the other.
Some "Feet flighting in as if to roost but impossible to get an idea of numbers. Couldn't see any "scrapes" w.h.y. but long vegetation so?
Already looking less like farmland and more like rough pasture,
Ron
I understand from Graham Clarkson that there was a plant of Yellow Foxglove (Digitalis lutea) outside the Sandgrounders hide at Marshside this summer.
This would be a new vice-county record, so did anyone get a photograph?
Hi John, Re:Redwing, can you be sure it's not the same bird flying round in circles?
I've got one over my house, and if its not the same bird, it certainly doing a good job sounding like it is..
Ahh Andy, that is just one of the many unsolvable mysteries facing the members of the Nocturnal Birders Club.
A riddle wrapped inside an enigma....