A thousand thanks to Jim Almond, the veritable Shropshire Birder for supplying me with a couple of excellent images of one of the Tundra Bean Geese at Plex Moss on Saturday afternoon.
The flight shot in particular is a corker – so after studying the picture closely, there is now no excuse for not picking out a Beanie in flight amidst a huge skein of Pinkies!!
A couple more shots of the Beanies, plus many other excellent images can be found on his blog at: http://shropshirebirder.blogspot.com/
Back in Flintshire, I went out Wheatear hunting this morning at Greenfield and early in the afternoon on Halkyn Mountain.
With a light southerly wind overnight, I had anticipated striking lucky today, but despite a fastidious search of both sites I drew yet another blank – they can’t be to far away?!
Nevertheless, a game of ‘Chad’ behind the seawall at Greenfield did produce some very close views of around thirty roosting Turnstone. One of the birds was clearly ringed with bands of green over yellow on the right tarsus, plus what looked like a single red band on the left tarsus. Time for some sleuthing me thinks!
Halkyn Mountain was dead aside from a lovely pair of Stonechat and a very distant but nonetheless extremely noisy Raven displaying over towards the ‘Scouse Alps’ that looked magnificent in the midday sun.
With a light southerly wind overnight, I had anticipated striking lucky today, but despite a fastidious search of both sites I drew yet another blank – they can’t be to far away?!
Nevertheless, a game of ‘Chad’ behind the seawall at Greenfield did produce some very close views of around thirty roosting Turnstone. One of the birds was clearly ringed with bands of green over yellow on the right tarsus, plus what looked like a single red band on the left tarsus. Time for some sleuthing me thinks!
Halkyn Mountain was dead aside from a lovely pair of Stonechat and a very distant but nonetheless extremely noisy Raven displaying over towards the ‘Scouse Alps’ that looked magnificent in the midday sun.
A couple of signs that spring is gathering pace today, with a Red-tipped Bumblebee at Greenfield and my first singing Meadow Pipit on Halkyn Mountain, but as we all know, it doesn’t really get into full swing until the Wheatears rock-up – Godspeed!
Until later.
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteI went on the Wheatear hunt myself today,but chose Frodsham Marsh instead,but alas,no Wheatear for me either.In fact Frodsham was worryingly quiet,with only 48 species recorded,a very poor return,and I worked my socks off to get that many.
I also spent several hours working both the Gowy Woodland Park,and the Gowy Meadows,with the only thing worth noting being a few Tawny Owl pellets around various likely perching posts on the Gowy Meadows.
GOWY MEADOWS AND GOWY WOODLAND PARK
16-03-2010 6.30AM -10.00AM.
38 SPECIES RECORDED.
SPARROWHAWK-FEMALE 1
COMMON BUZZARD 3
LONG TAILED TIT 9
KESTREL 3
REED BUNTING 5
REDWING 1
BULLFINCH 2
COMMON SNIPE 1
SKYLARK 5
MEADOW PIPIT 3
MISTLE THRUSH 2
FRODSHAM MARSH
16-03-2010 10.30AM -2.30PM.
48 SPECIES RECORDED
COMMON BUZZARD 5
LAPWING c50
KESTREL 2
SKYLARK 5
RAVEN 1
GOLDENEYE 5
LITTLE GREBE 1
GOLDEN PLOVER c1000
OYSTERCATCHER 2
LONG TAILED TIT 11
REED BUNTING 1
RINGED PLOVER 1
REDSHANK 1
CURLEW 1
LINNET c100
MEADOW PIPIT 1
DUNLIN c20
RUFF 2
SPARROWHAWK-MALE 1
CHEERS DENZIL
Hi Denzil,
ReplyDeleteIt's hard going at the moment isn't it?
The hard winter seems to have really taken its toll on many species, with notable exceptions perhaps Linnet, Reed Bunting and Dunnock - I have heard all three species singing in good numbers this spring.
Raptors too seem to have fared well - the male Merlin at the POA on Monday looked in absolutely tip top condition.
Wrens, Tits, Robins on the other hand seem to have suffered quite badly.
I have seen owl pellets along the Gowy. The area of rough grassland between the M56 and the landfill site on the eastern side of the river in particular.
A Tawny Owl roosts in the small copse opposite the church in Thornton-le-moors. I have seen it on the odd occasion at dusk.
Cheers, Paul.
Paul
ReplyDeleteHilbre have had a long term colour ringing project for Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers. I picked up 3 colour ringed Turnstones on the Wirral last wekend. I'll see if your bird is one of 'ours'.
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteFYI
Seen a red kite flying over Runcorn (flying South West) this morning as I came off the M56 @ junction 12 (7-55am)being harassed by a carrion crow.
Also had a small tortoiseshell butterfly in my entry this morning (looking decidely sickly but had managed to stay alive overnight!!)
Keith Duckers
Hi Keith - that's a good record. I don't think I've ever seen one in Cheshire - I wonder if it would be the same bird reported from around Moore NR recently?
ReplyDeleteNot had any butterflies yet, although I am looking!
Cheers, Paul.
Paul
ReplyDeleteTurnstone was indeed a Hilbre bird ringed in winter 2007 / 2008
Hi Phil,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that, I wonder if the bird is 'faithful' to the same over-wintering grounds each year?
I was hoping that the colours were correct - I am as colour blind as they come!
The seawall at Greenfield is certainly prime Turnstone habitat, but other than a handful of waders it is pretty quiet at the moment...
Cheers, Paul.
Paul
ReplyDeleteAll colour sightings welcome. Hilbre are doing a long term project and collating all the records. The colour combinations aren't specific to individual birds but to a season - hence the 2007 / 2008.