Janz: a step up on 2022!

 

So, did my first patch jaunt in the -5 degrees yesterday and have begun already both to reminisce  AND plan ahead. My thinking was to compare the current list with about this time last year and then draw up a hit list of pre-migrant species to focus on.

This time last year...

I did 6 trips in January, 15 in February and 2 in March before being locked out of my blog due to a software update. Imade my first 2022 trip on Jan 15th, 6 days earlier than this year, but the conditions it seems (a freeze) were not that dissimilar (see Plucked and seasoned...) and managed just 34 species, compared to yesterday's 61 (1). I moaned at the time about the lack of diversity at the Feeding Station...

" Just four species. FOUR! Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch and Nuthatch. No Greenfinch, No Goldfinch, No Siskin, No Redpoll, No Brambling, No House Sparrow, No Reed Bunting, No Long-tailed Tit, No Willow Tit, No Coal Tit... bugger all. I had to wait right until I was leaving to even get a single Great Spotted Woodpecker and that flew into a tree behind me and started calling along with a Jay and a couple of Bullfinch. I am shaking my head... Moore is NOT what it used to be :/"

and then comment...

"Now the work begins... still plenty to play for ahead of the migrants; Little Egret, Greylag Goose, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Merlin, Water Rail, Common Snipe, Jack Snipe, Woodcock, Collared Dove, Kingfisher, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Fieldfare, Treecreeper, Rook, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Goosander... that's 24 species I need - time to get serious ;)"

                                  

Well, how are we so far in 2023 compared to this time last year? Here's the famous 139 list from 2010 with last years birds seen then but not now in YELLOW, this years birds (so far) in GREEN and the remainder of the 'possibles' in WHITE.

BNGrebe, L Grebe, GC Grebe, Cormorant, G Heron, L Egret, M Swan, Greylag, Canada, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Tufty, Ruddy, M Harrier, Buzzard, R Kite, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, G Partridge, Pheasant, W Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Avocet, LR Plover, R Plover, Lapwing, G Sandpiper, Co Sandpiper, Redshank, Greenshank, Blackwit, Curlew, Whimbrel, Snipe, J Snipe, Woodcock, BH Gull, C Gull, H Gull, LBB Gull, GBB Gull, Med Gull, Glaucous, YL Gull, C Tern, Feral Pigeon, S Dove, C Dove, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Little Owl, SEO, Swift, Kingfisher, GS Woodpecker, LS Woodpecker, Skylark, S Martin, H Martin, Swallow, M Pipit, P Wagtail, G Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Wheatear, Stonechat, Whinchat, S Thrush, M Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, L Whitethroat, Sedge, Reed, Gropper, Willow, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, G Tit, B Tit, C Tit, LT Tit, W Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Magpie, C Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Raven, Jay, Starling, H Sparrow, T Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, Linnet, L Redpoll, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting... Knot (121), Dunlin (122), Sanderling (123), Spotted Flycatcher (124), Green Woodpecker (125), Turnstone (126), Garganey (127), Common Redstart (128), Tree Pipit (129), Golden Plover (130), Ruff (131), Pink-footed Goose (132), Cetti's Warbler (133), Goldeneye (134), Tawny Owl (135), Firecrest (136), Water Pipit (137), Goosander (138), Iceland Gull (139)... I repeat, SO close, so VERY close to the magical 140!!!

So I bagged a few I didn't get my end of Jan last year Greylag, Common Sand, Barn Owl... but have yet to get; Mute Swan, Kestrel, G Partridge, W Rail, C Gull, Stonechat, Starling, Yellowhammer, Green Woodpecker, Golden Plover, Goldeneye and Tawny Owl - that's 13 that should be around... PLUS Little Egret, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, R Plover, G Sandpiper, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Woodcock, C Dove, Grey Wagtail, Rook, House Sparrow and Greenfinch... and maybe Merlin and Goosander (not on the list)... another 15 making a grand total of 28 more possibles before the migrants arrive. T'would be nice... and put me on 89!!! I'll be sure to keep you posted Dear Reader...

(N)ICE start to 2023...

 

This year, I decided to hit the patch again, but no matter my good intent, the 'can' of my plans, had until today been repeatedly kicked down the road. This was due in part, to work commitments, but largely due to the weather. Said can had been rained on, sleeted on, snowed on and buffeted by near gale force winds until yesterday, it settled on sheltered, sunny, patch verge... so I picked it up, popped it in my pocket and packed my bag ready for a first light start.

I always like to arrive on the patch a bit before official sunrise, to catch the colours emerging and so I set my alarm last night for 6:45am, ready for the off this morning. I didn't get to bed until 1am and so, when it went off five and three quarter hours later, I was somewhat groggy. Never mind! Today was the day I'd been gearing up to - my first patch visit of 2023 and the anticipation of starting this year's patch list.

First things first though. Breakfast! I usually skip it (bad Mark!) but today I was greeted by a spread  that was so fine, it couldn't be ignored. Eggs, bacon, beans, mushrooms, black pudding, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and an equally fresh double Espresso. Delicious! Thank you Speedy's Cafe! No sign of Sherlock, but who'd have thunk some genius thought to open one in Runcorn! Amazing. 

Fuelled to the brim I slung my bag and bins onto the passenger seat of the new orange Lambo (care of making a killing on Crypto) and 15 minutes later had arrived at Moore and parked up. 

I always like to guess what I'll get first... and usually go with Robin, Blackbird and Jackdaw, in roughly that order. Today though I couldn't have been more wrong. First bird was Merlin! Quite the surprise. Although they're sometimes around in the winter, I rarely get them, and when I do, it's usually near Norton Marsh, not the road by the car park... and what's more, it was being chased by a Peregrine... correction... TWO Peregrines! What the actual fuck!! I took out my notebook and was just about to make my first entries of the year when back down the road the car alarm went off. Now call me stupid, but it hadn't occurred to me that parking a brand spanking new supercar on the reserve might draw a certain amount of attention! I pressed the key fob to shut it off... but it just got louder...AND, it sounded uncannily like the alarm on my phone. Had I left it on the front seat of the Lambo?? While I pondered I felt a shove. It was my wife. "Aren't you going to Moore?" she said, "Only you're alarm is going off and I need to go back to sleep". "Sorry babe", I apologized "I must have dozed back to sleep..."

Didn't take me long to tog up warm, skip breakfast and toss my stuff in the Citroen, so that by 07:30am I was indeed parked up. First birds, Robin, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit and Blackbird, quickly followed by c250 Jackdaw over south and a smaller group of c50 moments later. 

07:40am - Picked up Coot and Teal calling somewhere on Birchwood Pool as I headed towards the east end of the reserve along the road by the warehouses. Magpie in the trees to my left, Wood Pigeon calling, Dunnock, Song Thrush in full songs and c20 Feral Pigeon over. Everywhere was crunchy underfoot and as I passed Pumphouse Pool on my left, I could see it was frozen solid. Not a bird in sight.

                                     

07:45am - Buzzard calling, 2 Goldcrest in conifers opposite the chain fence and a distant Oystercatcher 'peeping' from the direction of Black Field Pools. Cormorant flying east, Redshank calling from Manchester Ship Canal direction, Jay to my left.

Usually I head straight to the Eastern Reed Bed and do an anti-clockwise loop to take in the river, Firecrest Alley and the Black Field Pools before landing at Colin's Hide at the east end of Pumphouse Pool. Today though I did the reverse.

07:56 - Picked up Lesser Redpoll over east 'chi-chi-chi-ing' and that was it for the track to Colin's and Pumphouse Pool itself was no better - frozen solid and dead.

08:10am - Black Field Pools... the same. Frozen and dead as a doornail. Not even a call...

                                        

08:20am - Nothing on the river...quite literally!

                                    

08:30am - Eastern Reed Bed and Mill Brook Pool - same story save for a burst from a Cetti's Warbler from the reeds. Watched it briefly as I listened for Water Rail. Nada...

                                     

                                   

Headed back towards the Viaduct getting Great Tit, Coal Tit and Redwing on the way. On the Manchester Ship Canal from below the arches were just Tufted Duck, Mallard and Teal silhouetted against the rising sun. Slipped on the ice on the way back to the track and made a discovery. You can actually cut your hand on ICE!!! Go figure...

09:00am - Birchwood Pool (East Hide aka Fox Hide). At last, open water! 4 Tufted Duck, 1 teal, 14 Coot, 2 Little Grebe, 16 Mallard, 2m+2f Pochard, 20 Black-headed Gull. Had a few Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull over south earlier too. Chaffinch, Bullfinch en route.

                                       

09:10am - Birchwood Pool (South Hide) - Single Greylag Goose over the warehouses calling away. Think it was lost!

                                       

09:15am - Birchwood Pool (West Hide) - added a single Wigeon and Mistle Thrush singing. Treecreeper on way to...

09:30am - Feeding Station (via back path) - nothing. Why? Because some bastard has removed all the feeders! WTF is going on? Is this a nefarious plan by Peel Holdings to put people off going there???

          

09:45am - Lapwing Lake - 2 Little Grebe, 16 Wigeon, 5 Mallard, m Shoveler, 22 Teal, 3 Coot, Reed Bunting calling.

 

10:00am - back to the car for a coffee to warm up. It was luke warm. ASDA thermos cups are crap! Don't bother... swung to the Swing Bridge. Upstream c30 Tufted Duck, 3 Coot, 4 Teal, 15 Mallard, 2 Gadwall... but many distant and light poor - so probably many more...

                                             

10:10am - Angler's Pool - 2 Cormorant, 2 Coot, 2 Gadwall. Nuthatch calling.

10:20am - Big Hand Ranch fields - horse. Headed off to Upper Moss Side via The Quarry, picking up 3 Lapwing over, Curlew calling, Goldfinch, Great Black-backed Gull calling 'kow' and Stock Dove, before arriving at...

10:56am Norton Marsh - 3 Meadow Pipit

 

11:09am - Manchester Ship Canal en route to Halfway House - Grey Heron, Long-tailed Tit.

11:20am - Halfway House - Tide in... 50 Canada Goose on far bank, 2 Shelduck and a couple of catually nice birds... Barn Owl hunting in the sunshine over the far bank in front of Fiddler's Ferry cooling towers and Common Sandpiper tucked into the back at the waterline, before it silently flicked low over the water towards Round Cherval. 

11:40am - back along the Manchester Ship Canal yielded Raven calling, 90 Pink-footed Goose over in a 'V' flying west, 2 Lapwing over south, 3 Great Crested Grebe on the water and 2 Great Black-backed Gull on one of the buoys. Man are they big buggers!

12:00 Rounded off going back past the cottages to come in at the Feeding Station end of Lapwing Lane, picking up Pied Wagtail in the wet field by the tip, Pheasant calling, Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming atop a dead tree and Siskin back at the car. No Mute Swan. No Yellowhammer. No Greenfinch. No Willow Tit. No Linnet. No Green Woodpecker. Nonetheless, all in all, a very n(ice) 5 hours and a good start to the year list - 61 spp

2023 - and I have regained access - YIPEE!!!

 

Well I had become somewhat philosophical in NEVER being able to get back into my blog... until today. I had received a detailed update of 2022 on the patch from another Patcher and was rueing the day my access vanished... and with it any impetus I had to keep patch visiting and write about it. How things have changed!

And so, in a major detour from my replacement pastime (NFT minting - see example above... he's a Capybara called Barastotle... ) I have returned... on 'paper' at least for now, as I have yet to visit the tarnished gem of my yesteryears in 2023. 

Rest assured dear readers... THAT is about to change!

 

Patch Perfect...

Today was one of those days that reminded me just why I am unashamedly a patch birder and a patch birder only and I can, hand on heart, say that there's very, very little that would draw me elsewhere, with the exception perhaps of Wryneck, which I've never seen and would probably 'go for' if it was in Cheshire. Otherwise, no. Why? Because Moore is my patch and I love its rickety aching bones to bits. Sure it's not the sprightly hot thing it was a decade ago (who of us are.. or perhaps even were?) but it exemplifies birding purity for me - that special mix of well-trodden paths, 'off piste' nooks and constant surprises. You never know what you're going to see - and that's the whole point. Whatever you DO see is through the sweat of your own brow. It's not about other people's birds. It's about your own and if I may digress into a rubbish baking metaphor for a moment, it's like baking your own bread. It may not be that pristine bloomer in Devonshire Bakery, but you mixed the flour, water and yeast and so it invariably tastes good. The patch was just like that today - no surprise Jalapenos, no crusty lattice work, just a good old fashion, fresh tasty loaf. So if you'll permit me, I'd like to a share a slice of it with you. 

For once, I actually managed to get up for sunrise and parked up opposite Pumphouse Pool to start, as I usually do, at the eastern end of the patch.

06:34 - Out of the car and... Song Thrush and Robin singing away, Blue Tit flitting about, 75 Black-headed Gull over east, a Chaffinch singing and the distant honk of a Canada Goose. 

06:40 - All's relatively quiet at the Eastern Reedbed. There had been a little ice on my car when I got up and so I was half-hopeful of a slight freeze and a late Bittern, but no. It was the usual fare... pair of Canada Goose, 2 Coot, 1 Moorhen, pair of Tufted Duck, a calling Reed Bunting and the loud, intermittent blast of Cetti's Warbler. Funny to lump Cetti's in 'the usual', but these days it is. I must have had five different birds on the patch today (including one I actually saw!)  and it is our commonest winter warbler these days - it used to be the 1-2 overwintering Chiffchaff we'd get. Not any more.

06:45 - There wasn't much more on Mill Brook Pond behind me; 2 Canada Goose, 2 Coot, pair of Tufted Duck... but I did add Little Grebe and male Shoveler. In the trees at the back were 7 Grey Heron noisily setting up shop in their little heronry and a then there was a equally noisy 'peeep peeep', as two Kingfisher chased across the pool heading for Pumphouse. Fabulous and the first of the day's year ticks.

                         Eastern Reedbed                                       Mill Brook Pool

Whilst I was 'down that end' of the patch I thought I'd check the river, ever hopeful of a Goosander, but alas no. I did though get a cracking view of an enormous pair of 3D glasses (!)... 

... 3 Stock Dove on the wires and my first singing Chiffchaff of the year. I thought perhaps 'they'd arrived', but it was the only one I heard all day, so I'm guessing it was either one that 'got the worm' or was an overwintering chap trying out his voice.

07:11 - Black Field Pools. Curlew over calling, Raven too... another blast of Cetti's Warbler and a somewhat embarrassed 'how do I follow that' half-hearted burble from a Reed Bunting. BFPE yielded 2 Canada Goose, 6 Teal, 1 Shoveler, 3 Coot, 2 Gadwall, 3 Tufted Duck and a pair of Oystercatcher, whilst BFPW added another 7 Teal, 2 more Canada Goose and a Great Crested Grebe. Walked back along Firecrest Alley and picked up Jay and 4 Redwing - the latter a reminder that the winter visitors have not all yet departed.

07:45 - Pumphouse Pool (east, aka Colin's). 49 Black-headed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 13 Tufted Duck, 7 Little Grebe (!), 7 Gadwall, 1 Mallard, pair of Teal, pair of Canada Goose, 3 Moorhen, 1 Shoveler, juvenile Mute Swan, 8 Coot and the first of the day's splendid Pochard, 2m 1f. All were briefly joined raucously by the two Oystercatchers from BFP, who didn't like what they saw and quickly left - thankfully. Nothing worse than noisy Oystercatchers, apart perhaps from the noisier and more irritating Canada Geese at the moment. Do they ever stop honking?

With the furthest reaches of the eastern end done, I usually potter back via Birchwood Pool and do a quick count there, but I was already freezing... and my car was at 'this end' of the patch, so instead I drove back to Runcorn to grab a coffee and munchies and then headed back to the patch for part two. The plan was to count Lapwing Lake, check the Feeding Station, spend a little time looking for LSW before heading to Birchwood Pool (west hide) to see what was about. First though, a quick check of the Manchester Ship Canal from the bridge and... wow! Tufted Duck everywhere... large and small gatherings as far as the eye could see west towards the warehouses -  I counted 114 in total (my highest count so far this year), plus a couple of Cormorant.

08:41 - Lapwing Lake. 24 Wigeon still (guess they'll be moving along soon...), 3 Little Grebe, 9 Coot,  3 Canada Goose, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Moorhen, 2 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 1 male Pochard, pair of Teal.

Picked up Siskin along Lapwing Lane near the Car Park and the usual suspects, but little of note. No sign of the Lesser Spotted... just Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker today. the former, tapping on one of the dead trees and the latter variously yaffling from both ends of the reserve. The Feeding Station was relatively quiet (not much seed in the feeders), but did get all the usual tits, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit (no Willow Tit or Marsh Tit today) along with several Nuthatch, Chaffinch and a cracking female Brambling that I watched for a good 10 minutes... another reminder that the winter is still clinging on my its icy finger tips. There were also loads of Treecreeper and Goldcrest about, as in previous recent visits.

09:30ish - Birchwood Pool (west). Another winter visitor who has yet to depart - Goldeneye, or rather 3 of them, 1m, 2f feeding in the NW corner. Also there were another 3 male Pochard, resplendently chestnut-headed in the sunlight, otherwise there was a pair of Canada Goose, 2 pairs of Little Grebe and a pair of Great Crested Grebe - no sign on any other ducks... hmmmm.

So, it was now about 10:00am and the eastern half of the reserve was done... time to hit the west: Upper Moss Side, the Manchester Ship Canal and Halfway House. I decided to get to the MCS via Hillcrest Quarry, in case of finches - there were none, but I did get 3 skeins of Pink-footed Goose over in quick succession, flying west: 140+170+50 - the most I've seen over in one go this year. The large number of Tufted Duck on the MCS were quickly confirmed too when I arrive at the piers and looked up and down the canal. If anything, there were even more than I'd been able to pick up from the road bridge and as I walked along the canal past the Warehouses I picked up another 50 Tufted Duck, 5 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Mallard, 2 Moorhen, 10 Gadwall, Common Buzzard... another Kingfisher zipping past calling and a bonus Pied Wagtail (year tick!) on the far strandline among the flotsam and jetsam (see example below) whilst scanning for possible Common Sandpiper (they have overwintered here in the past...). Also checked the fields on the far bank for thrushes. Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush and Ring Ouzel have all turned up in the past along with Wheatear later in the spring. Today though, just Magpies and Wood Pigeons...

                                                                     Today's Flotsam...

11:09 - Halfway House. My first visit with the tide out (!)... and it was pretty much like it often is... quiet. Today on the mud were; 70+37 Lapwing, 13 Canada Goose, 11 Carrion Crow, 2 Shelduck, 4 Cormorant, 6 Gadwall, 2 Mallard, 36 Black-headed Gull, 3 Herring Gull, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls...

11:30 - Upper Moss Side. It's funny isn't it, that when you spot a memorable bird at a certain place, at a certain time in the past, that you anticipate the same bird will turn up at the same place at the same time forever after. Of course they never (well, rarely...) do and today was no different. No Barn Owl flitting over the farmland in the lunchtime sunshine today. In fact, no Great Grey Shrike or Little Owl in the Balloon Hut Field either...

... and no Yellowhammer or Tree Sparrow in the hedgerows between the farm and white cottage, a 'given' in the past, nor Grey Partridge along the field margins, but I did finally flush a Snipe in a wet patch and got my first singing Skylark for the year - year ticks 3 and 4 for the day, respectively. The walk back along the track to Lapwing Lane was uneventful... and there was still no Willow Tit at the Feeding Station nor Lesser Spotted Woodpecker by the boardwalk... but do you know what? I didn't care a jot. I finished off with a big female Sparrowhawk soaring over Lapwing Lane, that got me thinking Goshawk for a while until I saw sense and I had a great 6 hours on the patch and walked every proverbial inch of it. The sun was shining. The birds were out and about. What more do you need, eh? Patch birding - gotta love it ;) 

FINAL TALLY for the day... 64spp (highest day total so far this year...)

Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Redwing, Chiffchaff, Cetti's Warbler, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Raven, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Brambling, Goldfinch, Siskin, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting... Year List 82spp

Apols for the tall narrow view... phone cam ;)

 

Call me Gandalf...

Sometimes days are unplanned as so it was...well, today. I had not awoken to thoughts of the patch but instead they emerged lunchtime and with them the urge to visit. Even then, I wasn't going 'for' a particular bird, nor even 'for' a particular part of the patch... I figured, as I quite often do, that I'd let the Universe decide and ended up parking at the cross and chatting to a bloke about the patch. He was there for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and hence, so it seems was I, and neither of us saw it. She remains illusive, being only occasionally seen near the cross. I did though get this chap Gandalf the Grey Wagtail, a year tick for me, as we conversed... it flitted through the waterlogged woody bit that was The Student Garden. 

Otherwise, it was all ears and wet feet. Ears first. Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Crow, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, a distant Teal, an equally distant Wigeon (both presumably on Lapwing Lake), a closer brief burst of Cetti's Warbler, a middle-distance yaffle of Green Woodpecker and a surprising Tawny Owl calling briefly, somewhere back up Lapwing Lane. Then came the wet feet...

As the LSW was a no show, I thought I'd try for Snipe. I have still yet to get one, but figured there'd be enough sogginess to flush one along the north edge of the patch that is bounded by the Mersey and its shoreline of reeds and wet grassland. And so I tromped from Lapwing Lane to Norton Marsh along the river. I would not recommend it to anyone. It is crazily overgrown, hard plodding and very, very wet. There were no Snipe either... which was annoying, but I did flush a Woodcock and got another year tick - a flock of Linnet (c40) on one of the stubble fields together with 39 Curlew. 

To be honest, everywhere Upper Moss Side end was really quiet, apart from Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Dunnock and Wren...oh and a couple of Common Buzzard over and the occasional gull. No Yellowhammer. On a brighter note, the two farms look potentially promising as launch pads for the Barn Owl caught on camera nearby a few days back...

Anyway, I shouldn't complain... it got me out for a few hours in the sunshine and I got some nice birds along the way...plus, I'm now fired up for an early start tomorrow. Let's see if that happens, eh?

Year list now at... 78spp

 

Alphabetical storms and Mo(o)re food for the Snipes...

Three weeks ago, the Forestry Commission hid here... 

...now this is all that's left... 

The reason? An argument between Eunice and Franklin over who would be the wolf and who would be the three little pigs. I have no idea who won, but somebody's 'huff and puff' did the job. Not only that, but they did a pretty good job on many of the trees along the north path too...

 

I'd returned after the early morning woodpecker extravaganza to walk the dog and take in Hillcrest Quarry - a part of the patch I had yet to hit up this year. I always have a bit of a buzz when I'm near the gorse, as it potentially provides a different habitat mix than the woody/watery norm of the reserve proper. It's also where I've had Linnet in the past and so I guess subconsciously, that was why we ended  there - that and a surfeit of D.absens (see previous blog). Ironically, of the finches that part of the patch throws up, hound and I got pretty much all of them, except Linnet. There were Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch and Chaffinch singing and L.Redpoll over calling. Linnet though? Carduelis absens...

In fact, absence, it seemed, was the word of the day, as there were no raptors from the ironically named Raptor Watch View Point either...

...ah well, on the brighter side, there were 35 Tufty (largest count this year for me), 5 L.Grebe, 10 Wigeon and handfuls of Coot, Cormorant and Moorhen on Lapwing Lake...

...on the cloudier side, I lost ANOTHER pair of glasses to the Snipe (see previous blog), this time my rather nice white round-lensed prescription sunglasses. So if you're out and about and spot them, be a dear, keep them safe and drop me a comment... and in the meantime, I'll set about training the wee dog to sniff them out. Apparently, I am not the only donor to the Snipe foodbank... so who knows, we may find YOUR glasses...

Snipe 2 - 0 Mark

Dendrocopus absens...

 

At Moore, perhaps no bird is more appropriately named than the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor), for indeed it is not spotted often compared to its larger cousin, the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major). Yesterday, word got out that a female LSW had been seen near the Feeding Station and predictably enough, this drew a small crowd early doors.

However, we were treated not to its demure delights, but instead, to cracking views of its much much commoner cousin, the Unspotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus absens).  The eight or so birders that were already on site when I arrived around 8:45, had been treated to spectacular views, as too, was I for the next hour and a half.

We paced in teams around the little triangle of trees by the boardwalk enjoying its silent invisibility from all angles and I even snapped it flitting about (below).

Nobody was confident enough to sex it, but I reckon the small silent flock feeding voraciously on homeopathic bugs and grubs in the treetops, among the singing Goldcrests and Treecreepers, numbered perhaps 6-7, mostly males judging from their weight (male Unspotteds are much heavier than females and so make the trees move more...). Regardless, and of course we could debate the validity of the latter assertion, I left the now 16 birders enjoying the sunshine, happy with my three year ticks - Greenfinch, Collared Dove and Sparrowhawk.