A Slice of Paradise

After an aborted trip to Connah’s Quay - cut short because of a maintenance day when rather surprisingly two members were wandering around the Ash Pool picking up litter and thus disturbing all the nesting birds – I decided to seek refuge at Garth Wood.

The heavy rain had put a dampener on most of the inhabitants, with the notable exception of a young Great Spotted Woodpecker that was manically calling from the bowels of an oak tree. After a few minutes I located the almost perfectly circular nest hole about four metres up the trunk, where sure enough peering out from the entrance was a dirty-red capped youngster.

After the parents failed to show, I moved along the path to check on the Pied Flycatchers. I had picked up a male singing about a month ago, but when Ash Cohen visited a few weeks ago it had managed to successfully pull! Sure enough, after a blank fifteen minutes, first the female, and then the male bird appeared and both were carrying food.

Clearly busy, I left the flycatchers and moved to the other side of the wood to check-out the section of stream where I had watched an adult Dipper four weeks previous. The dry section of the bank I had sat on last time was now sodden with the heavy rain, but carpeted with hundreds of glorious bluebells.

Instead of trampling over the flowers I parked my backside on a damp stump. And waited. My luck was in: after a couple of minutes, one, then two, and a little later a third Dipper – all newly fledged – appeared on a rock in the middle of the water.

Their parents were not long behind and they were soon occupied in feeding the trio of hungry mouths. I sat silently for over an hour and thought what a real privilege it was to enjoy a brief window into their lives – a much better afternoon than had I opted to twitch my umpteenth White-tailed Lapwing from hundreds of yards away through a metal fence…

Garth Wood 29.05.10

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (juv)
2 Pied Flycatcher (pair)
5 Dipper (inc 3 juv)
1 Buzzard
1 Marsh Tit (heard only)

Until later.

Event Horizon

A handful of Little Terns, and a distant and unidentifiable Skua was all there was to amuse me whilst seawatching at the Point of Ayr this morning and I was about to pack it in when I caught site of a very large bird circling high above the wind turbines a couple of miles out to sea.

After eventually training my scope on the bird my initial impression was of a very big raptor. It was difficult due to the heat haze and the distance to make out much detail, but I watched it for a good ten minutes as it repeatedly soared, drifted and then soared again towards the Lancashire coast.

I could, however, just make out the large broad wings when the bird banked, and my general impression was of a dark silhouette of large Eagle. I quickly ruled out a large Gull due to the flight style and the lack of a protruding neck and head seemed to eliminate a Crane or a Stork, but again, the jizz of the bird didn’t seem right for these species either.

Definitely a very interesting bird, although I’m not going to get to carried away speculating on the identification of a bird from the best part of two miles away – tantalisingly close nevertheless…It will certainly be interesting if anything of this ilk is picked-up nearby by somebody else today, but as I have just gathered most eyes will be trained on a White-tailed Lapwing at Seaforth!

Point of Ayr 27.5.10

1 Eagle (sp)?
7 Little Tern
1 Guillemot
1 Skua (sp).

Until later.

Eyes Wide Shut

The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men didn’t half gang aft agley this afternoon when a plan to head over to Woolston Eyes with SS was subject to severe delay following an unplanned excursion to Leasowe for a Bluethroat.

The bird – a female I believe – was fairly confiding, nipping in, out, behind and around some Iris’ in a ditch with some regularity.

Then, however, the heavy artillery started to arrive - one bloke had a shutter so loud that I’m sure it could be employed blasting quarries in North Wales.

Next the inevitable happened and four people decided that they were just not quite close enough and decided to move much nearer to the bird by planting themselves on the opposite side of the bridge.

It is impossible to say definitively of course – and I may be being a little unfair – but after the four photographers had relocated themselves the bird didn’t show for the next half an hour I was there.

If I am ever fortunate enough to find a bird of this calibre, them I’m afraid I shall probably commit the heretical birding act of suppression and only tell people I know well and can trust.

On the up side, Stan and I did eventually manage a couple of hours at Woolston Eyes. It was my debut visit and I was mightily impressed – superb habitat with excellent viewing facilities too, including a fantastic new hide.

At least six Black-necked Grebes present, and a good a variety of wildfowl for late May including good numbers of Pochard and excellent numbers of Gadwall.

Laudably, lots of hard work, initiative, and a willingness to experiment are being deployed in an effort to create a variety of different habitats at Woolston, including some wonderful wild flower meadows and a sacrificial winter crop.

This reinforces my belief that the most dynamic and resourceful conservation organisations are the small and local ones. Free from the bureaucracy, they can formulate a plan and enact upon it much more swiftly than some of the larger conservation bodies that appear cumbersome by contrast.

Until later.

A Grizzley Discovery

The glorious sunny weather lured me out to another new site today – Wrexham Industrial Estate.

Not the first place I would look for wildlife, but a chap had suggested a brown field site opposite the Calypso factory as a good spot to find Grizzled Skipper.

When I rocked-up numerous ‘No Trespassing’ signs surrounded the margins of the site, but a look at my OS map suggested a public footpath running through it, so I adopted the commendable Indian attitude to official notices – all are to be studiously and universally ignored and if you come a cropper then it’s nobody’s fault but you own.

Strangely, the dry rough grassland and scrub reminded me a lot of rural India, although the weather may have helped a little too.

Like Shotton NR it is a haven for warblers with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Common & Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler all present and correct.

But it was butterflies I had come to find and it was equally rich in this respect too: Wall Brown, plenty of Common Blue, many ‘Whites’, shed loads of Small Heath, Small Copper, a couple of Dingy Skipper and finally after two hours…..a Grizzled Skipper!

All in all, another first class habitat right under my bonce. I do wonder if this area has been accorded any sort of protection because I would hate the concrete and tarmac to arrive…

On a less positive note, it looks as though the Common Tern colony at Shotton NR is about to - if it has not already - fail for a second successive year. I met Denzil down there yesterday and twelve birds was the highest number we recorded.

This is after three hundred birds being present early on in the week, but unfortunately as with last year they appear to have vanished.

Until later.

Eyarth Rocks

After speaking to a chap about butterflies at IMF yesterday, I was directed to a hitherto unknown to me reserve a couple miles south of Ruthin – Eyarth Rocks.

It is gratifying to know that after five years birding and walking in North Wales that there are still some beautiful and wildlife rich areas I have not yet visited, but I think that after today I will be lucky to find one quite as good as Eyarth Rocks again.

My principal reason for visiting was to look for Pearl-bordered Fritillary, although ‘look’ is hardly the correct word – avoiding treading on would be more apt as there must have been in the region of one hundred and thirty today!

Aside from the astonishing number of butterflies, the reserve is also excellent for warblers with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap all present in good numbers, plus one Garden Warbler - a bird that seems to like this habitat as I have seen them at Aberduna too.

Wild flowers are abundant here and with the aid of my reference book I was actually able to correctly identify one for a change - the stunning Early Purple Orchid. A pukka one this time too – not like my Hyacinth Orchid!

For the last hour or so I had a mooch around for some other butterfly species that added Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Large & Small White, but strangely not one Peacock…

On the subject of butterflies, I found a rather dry quote from the Collins Field Guide to UK Moths and Butterflies that made me chuckle:

"Butterflies are creatures of little importance and have never played much part in international commerce, either of goods or ideas."

Eyarth Rocks 20.05.10

130 Pearl-bordered Fritillary
1 Speckled Wood
3 Small Heath
1 Garden Warbler
1 GS Woodpecker

Until later.

Dayclubbing

A speculative tootle with my dog around Farndon yesterday evening to look for Club-tailed Dragonfly not only turned up my first Odonata of the year, but some excellent birds too.

A Lesser Whitethroat singing from a hawthorn thicket was a good start, but having my ‘eyes to the skies’ for a change paid dividends with my first and second Hobbies of the year hawking insects high up over the River Dee.

Waiting patiently on the bank of the river for a Club-tailed to zoom past did not pay dividends on the insect front, but a Kingfisher and several Mandarin at least kept me entertained as Becks enjoyed an extended wallow in the water.

When she finally emerged I headed towards Churton, where eventually a couple of Club Tailed Dragonflies registered on the radar! Neither hung around long – both zipped quickly up in to the air – but I had decent view of one of the insects that was in possession of some shiny wings, a telltale sign that it was freshly unwrapped.

A couple more Lesser Whitethroats, plus legions more Commons completed a cracking hour and a half. Good habitat is scarce around Chester, some I must confess to be slightly envious towards anybody who uses this part of the world as their local patch.

In five or six walks around here over the last couple of years I have also seen Cuckoo, Tree Sparrow, Garden Warbler and last spring I heard a Turtle Dove singing. Just up the river is also good for Marsh Tit and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker according to one old hand too!

Not too shabby.

Farndon Townfield Lane 18.05.10

2 Hobby
3 Lesser Whitethroat
6+ Common Whitethroat
1 Sedge Warbler
7 Manadarin
1 Kingfisher
2 GS Woodpecker

Until later.

Ennui

Interesting birds seem a bit thin on the ground at the moment, and although rarities aren’t the be all and end all by a long chalk, as a mate of mine says “It’s good to have a bit of ‘strange’ now and then.”

A lazy stroll along the bottom of the estuary did however produce a surprise in the form of an adult female Marsh Harrier. Like Clint Eastwood riding into town in a spaghetti western, the bird was just a shimmering blob when I picked it up on the horizon – only revealing its true identity when it moved much closer.

Clearly enjoying the warmth, the raptor hit the thermals aided by a few languid beats of the wing and eventually drifted over towards Shotton Steel Works. (Missed a tick there Denzil!?).

A tardy Wheatear was also on the marsh as was the rather peculiar site of a Common Tern attempting to fish over what could only be called a large puddle – I hope they are not having trouble finding food.

The only other bird of note was an adult female Sparrowhawk carrying prey – by the looks of it either a Meadow Pipit or young Skylark.

Peacock, Common Blue, various ‘whites’, plus one Small Heath on the wing today. On the moth front a couple of Mother Shiptons were bozzing about – so called apparently because the profile of the Mother Shipton is clearly discernable on the moth’s wing. By the look of it, she wasn’t exactly a ravishing beauty..

Until later.

Blue Sunday

An uneventful WeBS count at White Sands this afternoon produced very few birds, with a Ringed Plover and a Whimbrel the only items of any real interest.

On a positive note, with Denzil performing some labouring the painstaking arrangement of the local railway sleepers into some form of usable hide continued with now half a front and part of a side in situ!

With the sun starting to emerge from behind the clouds, some butterflies were encouraged to take to the wing and the walk to the end of rivetment was made more worthwhile as we enjoyed views of Common Blue, Small Copper (You’re right Andy, they are more common than I thought!), Small Heath and the day flying Burnet Companion moth.

Encouraging news from the Common Tern colony today, with approximately three hundred individuals present on the pools early doors before skidaddling off later on in mid morning. (News comes via Mersey Ringing Group).

Hopefully, they will soon settle down and start to breed soon and confirm that last year’s total wipe-out was just an anomalous blip in an otherwise successful colony.

With a total of five people on the reserve today, I would have thought that this constituted some sort of record. There can’t be many sites in the country where the yearly tally of species recorded in the area exceeds the total of individual birders that visit!

Shotton NR/White Sands 16.05.10

1 Whimbrel
1 Ringed Plover
4 Common Blue
2 Small Copper
1 Small Heath
1 Burnet Companion

Until later.

Cuckoo Clocked

I couldn’t remember the last time I had been to Neumann’s Flash, or indeed why I didn’t go there more often, so late this morning I decided to head over to Northwich.

The Fuzz had closed the road after Kelsall, so a diversion was necessary through Frodsham – the area soon to host England’s largest on shore wind farm. Nice.

Puzzlingly, Frodsham has won both the best large village and small town awards in England, with the former awarded after the latter. What did they do, knock some houses down? Cheats.

After getting back on track, more delays were endured navigating through Northwich town centre and I was reminded why I so seldom come here: chronic congestion and an infestation of traffic lights to boot.

Crawling through the middle, I was fantasising about the empty and free flowing roads of Andulucia and the plethora of other benefits to living in Spain. Just as I was about to conclude that this country is finished, a loud hoot from behind jarred me back to reality.

When I finally reached the flash, my mood was elevated considerably when I heard the glorious song of a Cuckoo. With Frodsham, IMF and Gowy CWT miss-firing badly on the Cuckoo front, it was good to eventually catch up with my first in Cheshire.

I soon tracked it down between the flash and Hayden’s Pool where it sat for a good five minutes banging out its familiar refrain, before eventually deciding to vamonos.

A quick check of the pool revealed a Little Ringed Plover, plus a ridiculously cute Oystie chick and parents hiding in vegetation at the back.

My route back to the flash was flanked with at least ten Common Whitethroats, a bird that seems to be absolutely everywhere this spring – as do other species of commoner warblers too.

Neumann’s was quiet, with the mega wader I had convinced myself was going to be present today managing to evade me. Two more LRPs were the best I could muster, but the Baird’s Sandpiper was being elusive.

Nuemann’s Flash 14.05.10

3 Little Ringed Plover
4 Bullfinch
1 Cuckoo
1 Goldcrest
10+ Common Whitethoat

Until later.

Then, along came another...

I don’t know, you wait twenty four months and then two come along in the matter of a few weeks!

My ample backside had barely started to warm the bench at IMF when a fellow birder located an Osprey above Burton Mere Wood being mobbed by a bevy of corvids.

After the Rooks had safely escorted the raptor from the premises it began to climb and eventually headed off up the estuary.

It was only the fifth Osprey I have ever seen and amazingly the third at Inner Marsh Farm – the first one I ever saw was almost to the day three years ago.

Another first at the reserve for me was Curlew Sandpiper on spring passage; I was lucky enough to pick on up at Marshside in May last year, but on the Dee Estuary all previous birds have been in the autumn.

One was practically in full breeding plumage and looked fantastic whilst its partner still had some considerable way to go.

A hundred and fifty or so Blackwits kept me entertained for the next thirty or so minutes, but before too long my resolve to stay any longer buckled yet again in the face of this ridiculously cold May weather – I just refuse to wear gloves at this time of year!

Inner Marsh Farm 13.05.10

Osprey 1
Curlew Sandpiper 2
Black-tailed Godwit c150

Until later.

Fool's Skipper

A couple of hours at Shotton Steel Works over lunchtime produced a few gems, the best being six Burnet Companion moths along the banks of the Dee.

To be honest, I thought they were Skippers at first, with the closest fit being a Chequered Skipper. However, when I realised that they are about as likely south of the border as a deep-fried pizza I had a rethink.

Thanks to an excellent moth website, I was eventually able to nail the identity – a Burnet Companion. Wonderful name and called so because they often appear in the same habitat as the Burnet moths.

This section of footpath along the river bank really is superb habitat – and being a public footpath, open for everybody to enjoy. It is only a slither of land, but the abundance of many species of wild flowers means it is a magnet for butterflies and now, moths!

Also the river was a pair of Common Sandpipers and numerous warblers singing from the scrub and phragmites.

The pools around the ringing hut contained the regular summer inhabitants of Tufted Duck, Coot, Canada Goose, Gadwall and Mallard, with a pair of the geese the proud parents of three young goslings.

A strange noise emanating from the sky drew my attention to a Crow and an adult male Peregrine engaged in an aerial ding-dong. It lasted for a good ten minutes, and by the time the dispute was over I was still no the wiser whom was mobbing whom…

Until later.

For Whom The Bell Tolls?

White Storks, Iberico Ham and African music have been the theme of the last few days having enjoyed a wonderful long weekend in southern Spain.

The cork oak woodlands between Sevilla and Caceras are breathtakingly scenic, hosting wonderful wild flower meadows, the legendary Iberico Pig and an array of excellent birds.

Sadly due to the brevity of the trip, birding was restricted to gorping in awe through bus windows and catching the odd glimpse of the bell tower nesting White Storks of Caceres.

The sheer number of Swifts zipping across the urban sky was also a sight to behold and it was extremely difficult to concentrate on the numerous fantastic acts that made up the WOMAD festival with all this going on!

The Spanish may not have the best reputation in the world for animal welfare, but indirectly the countryside of Andalucia and Extremadura supports a phenomenal range of wildlife.

This is due to the two things: cork oak and the Iberico Pig. Sadly, screw tops and plastic caps seem to be replacing traditional oak, thus threatening this sublime habitat.

Thankfully, the best ham in the world originates from this area and the local swine is rather partial to the odd acorn. It is a fussy beast and doesn’t tolerate modern farming techniques, so whilst there is demand for its incredible meat there is still hope.

And this got me thinking. In Britain we tend to subscribe the conservation charities. This is all well and good, but this takes administration and considerable organisation. You could do just as much by buying wine with corks in and the occasional Iberico Ham – although be warned: you will have to take a mortgage out to afford the latter!!

Hasta Luego.

A Good Tern

They are hyperactive, noisy and quarrelsome and migrate to Gronant each spring to spend a few months squabbling amongst themselves whilst packed tightly together in fenced off compounds in order to keep them and the general public at arm’s length.

They are, of course, the scousers who flock to Presthaven Sands at this time of year in their hundreds: but there are more refined summer visitors to this area too – the Little Terns of Gronant beech.

One of my favourite birding days out is visiting this wonderful colony in June when it is in full swing. The Common Tern site at Shotton NR may be bigger in number, but what the Little Terns lack in bodies, they more than make up for in personality and charisma.

Credit must go to Denbighshire CC for funding this project that has enjoyed tremendous success over the years when it would have been easier lo let the Little Terns to have be ousted by beech balls, staffies, quad bikes and barbeques.

There is however, an issue I would like to raise regarding this project. I have not volunteered at this initiative for a few years, because in the two years I did donate my time, I found the organisation of the volunteer roster to be woeful.

Living in Chester I needed to make a return trip of ninety minutes to Gronant, costing around seven to eight pounds in petrol. Often when I arrived, one, two or even three other volunteers would sometimes be there too - effectively meaning that I had totally wasted my time. I found this infuriating.

I don’t know if this has improved over the last couple of years, but my experiences in 2006 and 2007 really put me off.

When I have enquired as to why this has been allowed to happen, the response is that “...we don’t want to dictate to people when they turn up…”

Imagine if the people who organised the Peregrine nest monitoring at Beeston adopted this approach – they wouldn’t stand a chance!

Until a few days later.

Under-watched, Under-rated and Under my nose!

A good couple of hours this morning at Shotton NR was extended into an excellent full day’s exploration of the site after I finally bumped into Mr Nicklin!

I am guilty of criminally overlooking this area in the past after driving past the pools on countless occasions when heading to do my WeBS count over at White Sands.

Credit to Denzil, whom after surviving interrogation by Corus Security staff similar to techniques used by the CIA to break Al-Qaida suspects was eventually granted permission to use the reserve as has been birding it regularly this year.

As per usual, there were plenty of warblers singing around the ringing hut including Reed and Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.

Fancying a stroll, I headed up the river to White Sands area where to my delight I found two Small Coppers on the rivetment (only my second and third ever), plus a hunting female Sparrowhawk.

There was just time to do a little more construction on Flintshire’s next bird hide, before I returned back to the pools that had gained another visitor!

With a new guide, a stroll along another area of the steelworks next to the River Dee was yet another new area for me and yet another stretch of excellent habitat.

If there was any confirmation needed of the quality of the environment here, then the appearance of my first ever Dingy Skipper basking on the ground was it – a superb afternoon.

Perhaps the only negative aspect of the day was the complete absence of any Common Terns. I picked-up six a few days ago and half expected more of the colony to have returned. Not a sausage all day today and after the total failure last year, it is a little worrying…

Shotton NR/White Sands 03.05.10

Sparrowhawk 1
Whimbrel 1+
Wheatear 1 (Greenland race)
Plus six species of warbler.

Butterflies

Dingy Skipper 1
Small Copper 2
Green-veined White
Peacock
Small White

Until later.

Rings Around The World

A female Ring Ouzel at the base of the estuary this morning was a very welcome addition for my Flintshire Odyssey and was the cherry on top of an excellent morning for Flintshire ticks with Yellow Wagtail, Lesser Whitethroat and Grasshopper Warbler all safely home and hosed too.

It didn’t look to happy in all honesty, cowering under some gorse for a little while before eventually edging out for a few minutes when it wore the sort of resigned grimace often demonstrated by people who try and go on a beach holiday in Skegness.

If it hadn’t been for the encouragement of this migrant, then I would probably have packed in early, as whilst the ridiculously cold May morning ensured an excellent morning for the sailors pratting around on the boating lake, it had one nameless birder resorting to gloves!!

Still, the steely grey sky did make the four Yellow Wagtails present around the two small reservoirs look even more mint in their breeding plumage and a couple of reeling Groppers, plus a singing Lesser Whitethroast buried deep in the bowels of the herbage completed an cracking couple of hours.

Shotton 02.05.10

1 Ring Ouzel (female)
4 Yellow Wagtail
1 Lesser Whitethroat
2 Grasshopper Warbler
8+ Wheatear
1 GC Grebe
2 Kestrel

Until later.

Taxonomy Haven

A female Whinchat - accompanied by four Wheatears - was the high point of a morning stroll along the banks of the Gowges at Thorton-le-moors.

Plenty of butterflies enjoying the sunshine with six species on the wing by my amateurish reckoning: Small White, Green-veined White, Large White, Orange-tipped, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.

Some green-coloured Damselflies had also emerged, and only a guess again, but probably female Banded Demoiselles.

The long term resident pale phase Common Buzzard was present and in an interesting twist, so too was an extremely dark bird that did its best to impersonate a dark-phase Changeable Hawk Eagle – probably my third favourite bird name after the sinister Dark Chanting Goshawk and every scrabblist's wet dream - the Satyr Tragopan.

Hawk Eagles are a good example of the rather lazy attempts the Victorian naturalists adopted in relation to Indian bird taxonomy. If ‘new’ bird resembled two others, then rather than inventing an original name, one was forged by concatenating the names of the two species the bird most resembled.

Clearly, in their eyes, most birds looked like either Wrens, Cuckoos or Shrikes as we are now left with Wren Babblers, Shrike Babblers, Flycatcher Shrikes, Cuckoo Shrikes and Cuckoo Drongos - not to mention the Hawk Eagles.

As for Tragopan, I’ve no idea where that name originates from, but I am reliably informed that ‘trago pan’ translates as ‘to swallow bread’ in Spanish – go figure.

Gowy Meadows CWT 01.05.10

Whinchat 1
Wheatear 4
Kestrel 2
Stonechat 2
Grey Heron 1

Until later.