picture: Chris Wynne NWWT
Slightly dingy looking Barn Owl rose from the side of Formby by-pass with prey as I tootled into work this morning at 5.30am (does this still count as "Nocturnal Birding" I wonder?).
First one I've seen in ages, which was reassuring as I was beginning to get worried about 'em after the wet summer.
17 pullus rung by the South West Lancs Ringing Group this year - hardly a record breaking total, but then with the downpours of the breeding season, it was lousy conditions for them to raise a family.
Good to see something else up at the same time as me and the milkmen.
On the subject of nocturnal birding, David Holland e-mailed me with the following gen from the city....
"Tonight (27/11/07) at about 5.30 this evening I was in Liverpool, walking up Parker Street from Church Street to Clayton Square, when I became aware of bird noises in the tops of the three trees above me.
"I looked up and was amazed to see 200+ Pied Wagtails.
Impossible to be accurate with the counting because in the gloom I could only see outlines, but in sufficient detail to observe the black bibs under their chins when the local lighting was right. My guess is that they are coming in from the country, principally local sewage works, to roost up for the night in the warmer environment of the big city. ( Or maybe they are in for some early Christmas shopping!).
"I saw a large number of them on Huyton Sewage Works on the filter beds a week ago when I made a preliminary survey in preparation for doing a Timed Tetrad Survey for the Bird Atlas. I will come back in due course when I have done the survey proper and can give a count for this site."
Thanks David...who else wants to join the Nocturnal Birders Club?
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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Barn Owl at the edge of Hightown on Sunday at 9pm.
Latest from the mosses, November 19th to 25th:
Carr Moss Lane, Halsall - 224 Whooper Swans on 19th; 320 on 22nd, 90 on 25th. Also European White Front there on 25th.
(2 Greylag Geese on 10th).
Mere Sands Wood, Rufford, Nov 19th: 2 Nuthatch, fem Bullfinch, 9 Siskin.
Haskayne area: 176 Mallard; 3 Teal; 4 Wigeon; 6 Tufted Duck; 4 Buzzard; 6 Whooper Swan; 60 Linnet.
I saw around 80 Pied Wagtails on shop roofs and flying around together at Sainburys car park in Crosby one evening about 3 weeks ago.
Yesterday in Calderstones Park I watched a cormorant fishing in the lake no more than 20 m away from me.
Is this a first for Calderstones?
What is it about city parks that turns a shore bird that you cannot get closer to than 100 m out in the field into a tame park bird?
Same question applies to grebes.
I also spotted two herons.
That is only a second sighting of heron here for me in seven years - the first was Nov 2001.
Thanks David - Lynda Husband watched a Cormorant at Calderstones Lake last week (see comment on "Swans n stuff" entry).
Presumably it's the same bird, 'cos I haven't heard of Cormorants on the lake here before - could be an opportunist (or ill).
As numbers increase they'll seek out new feeding areas.
You're right about the approachability factor - often seabirds on inland waters are too tired (or sick) to worry about people.
PS 150-200 Cormorants roosting on the beach north of Ainsdale on Sunday evening.
Fab stuff John. Really nice! I mean everything.
Lost your contacts in my old phone, otherwise would have called for a natter.
cheers
d
Sorry for my ignorance - but what's a
"pullus", please ?
As a bit of a novice birder I can guess most of your 'shorthand' but this one's got me puzzled !
Think your Birdblog is great.
Sorry Gill, "pullus" is ringer/scientificky speak for a nestling. Should have made it clearer.
Glad you like the blog.
Hi John
Thought you might like to see some images of the famous Formby fox:
http://www.drumimages.co.uk/mammals/fox.html
At one point it chased a Pheasant up a tree and stood for ages waiting for it to fall into it's mouth!
Sadly it appears that the dreaded squirrel virus has reached Formby and I saw a couple of ill looking Reds in the trees.
Thanks Damian - lovely shots!
A good place to see Cormorants fairly close up is Queens Dock, where I work.
During the summer they will often sit on the wooden decking at the watersports centre drying their wings.
They also fish/feed in the dock most days... I counted 7 together one day just last week. They perch on top of the lamposts too.
You can walk around most of the dock itself (except where I work unfortunately) and get really good views of them.
I heard and saw a Redshank fly through a couple of weeks ago... at low tide there is a largish sandbank exposed on the Mersey by Queens Dock which looks as though it can get busy with birds too... never had a chance to see what else is about yet.
The Clayton Square wagtails are there all year round as far as I can tell, been observing them for some time.
Now and then one or two come down to wag around for a bit.