Spring may have sprung, but winter still refuses to give up the ghost as people in Scotland especially feel the brunt of a valedictory cold blast.Early Wheatears, who only last week were probably feeling smug after claiming all the plumb upland territories, will doubtless be staring incredulously at the snow piling up around them now!
Still, the weather was okay at Connah’s Quay this morning - some excellent visibility too – with the only fly in the ointment a few spells of early rainfall, that were actually a blessing as they brought down three Swallows and two Sand Martins over the Ash Pool – my first of the year!
The Ash Pool was also playing host to around one thousand one hundred Black-tailed Godwits that had chosen to cram themselves together on the small island. Some of the birds looked absolutely mustard in their newly acquired breeding plumage, although a good many of them are still waiting for a visit to the spray shop.
A male Peregrine was the only other bird of note, almost certainly one of the pair from the power station. You would imagine that this nest was in one of the safest locations possible, but there are rumours that this nest has been raided in the past and that in other years there has been very low productivity.
With the level of security at Rockcliffe – laissez-faire attitude to every Tom, Dick and Harry walking on the nature reserve notwithstanding – it would be practically impossible one would assume to reach the nest without detection?
It would be good to know who, if anybody monitors this nest and if there are any suspicions as to whether the nest has ever been tampered with. After all, the Deeside Naturalist Society is hardly going to raise this issue to the authorities at E.ON and risk souring relations with them is it?
Connah’s Quay NR 30.03.10
1,100 Black-tailed Godwit
450 Oystercatcher
3 Greenshank
2 Sand Martin
3 Swallow
2 Chiffchaff
1 Peregrine (male)
Until later.
P.S - Interesting article on Sparrowhawks in the Spectator a few weeks ago:
Hi Paul
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a Camera that points at the "Box" for 24 hours a day,but whether this is true or not I don't know,and it's certainly impossible to tell from ground level.
I've also heard that the nest has previously been tampered with,and that it was thought that it was an "Inside Job".
I'm pleased you've raised the issue about all sorts of people wandering through the Reserve,because I have also noticed this happening.
The problem seems to be arising from people using the Reserve as a "Short Cut" from Flint to Connah's Quay,and although I'd previously thought that this was no more than an irritating distraction,I've noticed that David Jones has pointed out that there have been Chains cut and a new lock taken from the boundary gates to the Reserve,and also some vandalism to the signs in the latest DNS Newsletter.
To be honest I'm due a Wepre Park/DNS "Hit" because I've only been there a couple of times so far this year due to "Hammering" Shotton Pools to see what the site has to offer,and I think that at last,all the reasons I chose it for my Patch are starting to come to fruition.
Cheers Denzil