"Dreich", for those who haven't come across it, is, I think, an old Scots/Gaelic word to describe cold, wet, grey days, often favoured by hillwalkers as they return joyless from a trek in the HIghlands with sodden kagoules and leaking boots.
It was equally appropriate to describe Plex Moss this afternoon - misty, grey and raw, with one or two quite unnecessary rain showers.
And it was quiet. Too damn quiet.
About 1,500 Pinkies were grubbing about in a stubble field a quarter of a mile east of Getterns Farm, and the big Canada Goose was with them.
When you start considering the provenance of one of these things, you know you're onto a loser - but its claims to wildness are probably no worse than many a Ross's Goose that has crept onto certain Lancs lists, and a good deal better than the iffy Red Breasted Goose that pops up with the feral Barnacles at the Mere (oh, come on, you KNOW it spends the summer down around Knowsley and Prescot).
11 Whoopers in one of the ploughed fields, with four Greylags with them. One of the adult Whoopers was colour ringed (yellow), but I couldn't make out the sequence.
Aside from that, Plex belonged to the Carrion Crows and Jackdaws today.
No thrushes, in fact the only one of them of note was a pre-roost Redwing sitting up in the poplars out back of Dempsey Towers, turning rapidly into a silhouette, when I got home.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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John,
2 of those 11 Whoopers have yellow coloured rings. Wish I had a big lens or scope in the car when I came across them tonight.
Chris
Any ideas on the Canada? It always makes me smile when I read Red-breasted Goose (of unknown origin) with feral Barnacle Geese.
Any Beans still in West Lancs? If I look at any Greylags (of unknown origin) through my pair of Leicas, I should be able to string them in Beans!
Re the Canada Graham - looks like a bog-standard park-dwelling bread-stealer to me, or "Atlantic Canada Goose" as Peter Scott used to call 'em, although my views have not been great so far.
Bill looks a bit on the small side, but that has been hard to guage too given the distances and conditions I've seen it in.
Clearly bigger than the Pinks it has been with.
Chest and belly colour normal for a feral job.
Steve White provides a useful discussion on the occurrence of potentially "wild" Canada Goose with Pinkfeet in "Birds of Lancashire & North Merseyside" (2008). In summary, all sub-species could potentially occur in Britain as vagrants but, in the absence of ringing evidence, claiming a wild origin for a nominate ssp. canadensis is impossible due its resemblance to the British feral population.
Hi Graham,
I'm sure everyone knows (certainly you) that 'of unknown origin' is short hand for probable escape. Or if they didn't, take it from me that's what it is generally used to imply.
True that unless the bird is ringed then it can't be proven to be an escape. Certainly by now most of the birders who 'twitched and ticked' the Red-breasted Goose when it turned up with Pink-feet have scrubbed it off their lists.
Now this year's Ross's Goose, I'd tick that if I were you!!!!
John,
Its funny that we in the North West always refer to a bird as of unknown origin, but in Norfolk it has to be a wild bird with a 100% rarity certificate.
Chris
"Popularity" as decreed by the birdline supremos comes into it. Note the transformation of the Dorset Hooded Merganser from grotty fence -hopper to "insurance tick" as more and more people delude themselves.
Thanks for the advice Andy, though not really required, I've been around long enough to know what things mean. I'm also pretty well qualified and experienced to have an informed opinion on the origins of potentially vagrant wildfowl. However, I reserve the right to express my amusement at the frequency that certain terminology is used. Regarding ticks and lists - that's a game I don't play, I respect those that do though. If you'd like to discuss anything please do call, you have my number.
'Now this year's Ross's Goose, I'd tick that if I were you!!!!'
Hey John I put one of those smiley faces on the end of this not a load of !!!!.
What happened there?
All good stuff by the way.
JD: Soz Andy - the software on the blog doesn't translate the smiley icons annoyingly!
So this means I can't "tick" Canada Goose unless I've seen one, or better, a flock, in North America?
Similar for Little Owl , Red Kite away from Wales and Scottish Sea Eagles?
I certainly made a mental "tick" of the Ross's which when I saw it had a sort of "wild cachet", being in a massive vocal and lively flock of about 8000 'Feet with nary a piece of bread in sight.
Given up listing anyway at least that involving the removal of the pencil stub from behind the ear, the licking of said pencil tip,the "tick" against the relevant entry in the relevant field guide, all the while with tongue protruding from between teeth. (That's how they do it John isn't it?)
Ron
ps watched a Goldfinch on a plastic walled feeder in my garden today peck at the sunflower kernels behind the plastic which had the effect (intended?) of loosening the kernels so some exited the feeding port.