These are the ramblings of a one time manic twitcher now mellowing in old age and bashing his local patch whence the mood takes him. I work (some call it that some say I'm a jammy bugger) as a full time survey monkey (birds usually but the odd bat and newt now and again) hence I get paid to bird...nice!!! I still twitch if my list requires what evers on show but much prefer to find stuff which is a tad harder. I am the original Comberbach Casual.
Just like those buses from London...nothing at all then bam!! along come two in a day.
First up a little critter sheltering from the howling South Westerly on a Lincolnshire farmer's hay stack. A rather pleasing find having dipped out at several known locations earlier in the month.
I get home and its straight out with the pooch for a stroll around the park. On returning to the car I hear the unmistakable call of a Little Owl just in the field over the road... unbelievable, non then two in a day and both self found...sorted! Olly (that's now his name) just to confirm the record calls again as he flies off towards Comberbach. I think I'll be in the garden tonight ears peeled.
Moore Nature Reserve has certainly been producing the goods lately and it kicked off the new year with a flurry of goodies...the flock of Waxwing were still around early January but better still a female (redhead) Smew seems to have taken up a winter residence on Birchwood Pool. Having played it cool I took my chance whence chance came and nipped down to the old stomping ground for a gander. It was still there showing superbly from the Eastend Hide (don't actually know what this one is called) diving alot in amongst the gaggle of other ducks.
That's only my second ever for my old patch the last 03/01/1996 or first one if you see what I mean was on Moore Quarry just by the Manchester Ship Canal swing bridge (a Moss Side 1st) just over the patch boundary I know but Dad and I always counted Moore Quarry as being in the Moss Side area. I suppose you could say this is an up grade of the earlier record.
Unfortunately no Waxwings on show, left that one a bit too late!
Today I was birding Heysham (in the snow!) and located a few of its regulars.
The huge Twite flock that feeds on an endless supply of niger seed (provided by Heysham Bird Obs) on the North pier.
T'other bird of interest was an adult winter Med Gull begging for scraps off the local maggot danglers who were fishing from the North jetty/pier where there's signs saying 'No Fishing' derrr!
from the car window...
This guy wears a plastic ring, I think this individual is the one ringed in the Czech Republic? must be foreign lorry assisted.
A good lunch hour was rounded off with a superb full English in the nearby Half Moon Cafe with its great view of the beach, covered with feeding waders...sorted!
No not that fellow who plays for Everton's neighbours with the offside teeth but the beauty that's gracing Budworth Mere at the mo. One stonking juvenile Great Northern Diver found yesterday and currently delighting the hordes of Cheshire Year Listers and others as it sails around the mere fishing.
I nipped out early to check if said diver was still showing and walk the pooch. It was and so was a Dunlin on Kid Brook spit a nice avian bonus for the various lists I've started this year.
Returning later on foot, yes that's what the Footit's all about I reticked the Diver and Dunlin plus a flyby Kingfisher (well spotted Robbo) was a nice touch to boot. Mr Baker has started like a man possessed again (currently two species ahead on The Patch Year List) and looks like he'll be a tough challenge to overcome but hey that's all part of the fun what?
I could of titled this 'avoid gulls at all cost' but as its that somewhat annoying time of the year when one is forced to look through endless swarms of larus on freezing wind swept smelly tips I'll give it yet another go.
Having failed miserably at Richmond Bank last Friday when there was supposedly Caspian, Iceland, Glaucous, Med and Yellow-legged Gull all on show...non of which were?? somewhere different beckoned.
The chance came today as I was en route back from south Staffordshire and I nipped in at The Void near Stoke. A freezing wind swept muddy Country Park on the site of an old coal mine I think. The water was iced over so all leg colours could be seen nicely in the overcast light (the best I'm told for ascertaining true leg and mantle colours). Out on the ice a few hundred gulls mostly Lesser Black Backs with a few Herring the odd Greater Black Back a couple of Common and 50+ Black Headed.
In amongst this motley crew one big ugly argentatus type Herring Gull...vid below.
The melee
I did actually find a decent gull well two actually of the same variety unfortunately not the hoped for Caspian but its Mediterranean cousin Yellow-legged Gull, hiding away mid flock.
Of course I could be talking a load of bollocks
(as usual some say)
but I think I've called the above right.
If not please tell me why in one of those protracted senseless slagging debates they have on Birdforum!!
Out in Lancs today and its serious brass monkey weather. Found this lot chilling out in a stubble field miles away from that pay a mortgage to get in duck brothel east of Southport.
A grand total of 157 Whooper Swans, five of which had colour rings (I've sent the numbers off to find out where this mob are from). Great to see quiet a few juveniles mixed in with the adults.
Another good find was a couple of Brambling hiding in a huge flock of Chaffers feeding at a local farmers orchard.
Late on just as the Pinkies were moving back to their roost on the Alt Estuary all 8000+ (yes I counted them all) out came a duo of Barn Owls to hunt the mosses. I just missed this chap as he flew right over the car looking me in the eye as he flew over, marvellous stuff.
Its just amazing what you can find just off the beaten track in deepest darkest Cumbria...
Not one of the above can join the Year List but I should get at least two of'em somewhere else me thinks?
real ones!!
Just down the road at sunny/misty/cloudy/rainy Grange over Sands a rather unexpected bonus in the shape of a wayward Black Redstart doing its utmost to disappear in the rocks.
