Still clearing buckthorn in the dunes at Birkdale this week - a pleasure to be out there on crisp, very frosty mornings, when we are constantly accompanied by an extremely confiding Robin around the fire site.
Hardly surprising I guess - cleared areas mean disturbed ground, which means lots of larvae etc for it to feed on, but this one is permanently faithful to the controlled burn area, landing on my boot a day or so before I took these pix.
Remarkable how it picks up larvae only inches away from me, yet I can't see what it is going for most of the time.
It only stops eating to chase off any other Robin that strays into its feeding territory, when it goes truly psycho.
You should have seen it when John Gramauskas caught another Robin while mist netting at lunchtime today - it had to be dragged away kicking and screaming until the ringed bird was released some distance away.
Can't beat a crazy Robin for company.
Apart from that, not much moving through the site - a few Siskins calling high up in the blue yesterday, and a single bird today could just be the start of their northward movement, while the usual Bullfinch and titmice are about.
A pair of Raven that flew off Ainsdale beach before work yesterday morning, flapping powerfully inland, where presumably prospectors looking for easier pickings on the relatively ice-free coastal strip.
Shovelers back on Sands Lake too.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Hi John, 19 Whitefronts on Crossens Inner this morning.Mike.
Watched a Magpie chipping around the edge of my frozen bird bath yesterday morning and thought you are never going to get any water out of there because it was frozen solid.
It proceeded to chip and chip away for 10 minutes and every time it got a large chunk it swallowed it. I have never seen a bird do this before. but I expect most of them do not have the strength in their beaks to do this.
I also watched a Stoat from Sandgrounders Hide at Marshside swim across the stretch of water and then back again.
I have seen many stoats but I have never witnessed one swimming before.
Regards
Rachael