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Posted by on March 17, 2008 8:48 PM | 

bram1703.jpg

I was going to head down to Sands Lake and the beach this afternoon to check for Sand Martins, Wheatears and Chiffies.
I was going to do that - until I pulled up at Dempsey Towers and saw the back garden was stuffed with finches whizzing about the feeders.
12 Goldfinches, 7 Gringoes, 5 Chaffinches and best of all, three Bramblings.
I even managed to get some shots of 'em this time....and if they stick around I might try and risk opening the back door so I'm not shooting through two panes of winter-stained glass!

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Still really nervous birds, hanging back rather than coming into conflict with Gringoes and Goldfinches around the feeders, and flying up to high branches at the slightest unexpected sound or movemment.
As I was watching the Bramblings, two Siskins - a male and a female - zipped in to gorge on the sunflower hearts.
I was made up - we used to get them regularly in winter, but not for the last few years - these will be genuine passage birds.

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Song Thrush and Blackbird singing away, Woodpigeons getting down and dirty in the sycamore and three Dunnocks up to the same in the leylandii hedge.
Goldcrest singing, Coal, Blue and Great Tits, and even the Greater 'Pecker dropped in for a few seconds.
Garden birding ain't so bad after all.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...

Comments (7)

Maurice Pons wrote...

Two Chiffchaffs and two Goldcrests singing and feeding in sallows by Leasowe Lighthouse, one Chiffy caught a Honey Bee 'sting end' first but then thought better of it and spat it out!

Posted by: Maurice Pons  | March 17, 2008 11:59 PM

Derek Williams wrote...

Latest from Haskayne, March 10th-14th: 258 Curlews, 20 Stock Dove, 2 Barn Owl, 28 Meadow Pipit, 25 Pied Wagtail, 10+ Oystercatcher, 50+ Fieldfare, 14 Shelduck, 15 Teal, 170+ Mallard, 2 Canada Geese, 3 Buzzard.
Two Cormorant in the Cheshire Lines Brook.
4 different Med Gulls in the last 3-4 weeks, 2nd winters, and adult summer and winter plumage).
They like the area of grassland between Owen's Lane and Worrall House Farm.

Posted by: Derek Williams  | March 18, 2008 10:10 AM

Sandra Sparkes, BTO wrote...

The Siskin has crossed the North Sea in large numbers this winter in search of food and is finding it at feeding stations around the country. The British Trust for
Ornithology, who monitor the movements of Britain's birds, would like to
know the true extent of this invasion.
If you have seen a Siskin in your garden, or indeed several Siskins, the BTO
wants to know. The Siskin one of the smallest members of the finch family,
normally feeds on pinecone seeds in the Scandinavian forests. This winter
the pine trees have produced a very poor crop, prompting these birds to
cross the North Sea and invade Britain's gardens.
Results from the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch survey show that late March and early April is the best time to see Siskins in gardens. The Trust is already receiving reports from people that are seeing Siskins in their gardens, and would like to know how widespread this year's invasion is.
For a free identification leaflet, or to report Siskins in
your garden, contact the GBW team on 01842 750050, or write to BTO, GBW,
Room 09, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU.

Posted by: Sandra Sparkes, BTO  | March 18, 2008 11:11 AM

ron jackson wrote...

A small Rookery by a farm to the west of Long Meanygate off Churchtown Moss. About 8 nests but could be a couple more. I trust whoever is tetrading the area knows about this.
A flock of about 50 Whoopers from Sandgrounders yesterday evening heading in over Crossens/Marshside in the direction of the Sluice. Nice sight against the dark sky back behind Winter Hill.
Hide seriously noisy though, "birders" (some of them) and volunteers greeted each other as though long lost and returning from e.g Stalag Luft 17 in spring of 1945 instead of having just strolled over from the Sand Plant car park.
Using a new camcorder, so essential to find out how to disable audio. If only they'd lower their voices to a scream.
Ron
ps re Phil Smith's dark Common Gull. I saw , (and have the video somewhere) two runt LBBs at Dungeness RSPB a few years ago. They were LBB, certainly from bare parts. They were titchy though but bigger than a Common Gull.

Posted by: ron jackson  | March 18, 2008 11:24 AM

Bazzo wrote...

Ron...thanks for info about the Churchtown Moss Rookery. It may be in one of the SD31 tetrads I'm supervising. Can you provide a grid reference?

Posted by: Bazzo  | March 18, 2008 1:16 PM

Phil Smith wrote...

A sizeable flock of Siskins has been in trees on Long Lane, Formby (opposite the school) for some days. I have seen up to 25 but I think larger numbers have been counted. The males are singing away like mad.

Posted by: Phil Smith  | March 18, 2008 4:47 PM

ron jackson wrote...

Not sure about grid but the Rooks are at Mere Hall Farm which is off Long Meanygate.
3-4000 'Feet on Banks Marsh today, duck numbers well down.
Two Harris' Hawks together now at Banks, one long stayer, the other, higher pitched "screeeeechhh" has bells as well as remnants of jesses.
Will need to check on whether possible to sex birds in the field.
Interesting to speculate on our own "Eagle Owl" type saga with all the crap about whether birds "wild" or not, as if they cared!
Ron
PS Was told by Harry Shorrock who examined some of the remains from the Eagle Owl nest that a putative and well publicised Hen Harrier kill was in fact a Common Gull.

Posted by: ron jackson  | March 21, 2008 5:23 PM

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