Cornish birding

Hello

Challenging weather conditions with some hefty showers and strong winds in the coves of Cornwall today, but some sunny spells and mild temperatures too. A lengthy vigil at Porthgwarra seemed destined to failure but during the early afternoon the Red-eyed Vireo finally showed in an elm copse there. A wander around the cove and headland provided views of three Chough, a couple of Ravens and two or three Firecrests. A relatively small Ocean Sunfish was visible from the headland. 

Another vocal Firecrest was seen in Penzance and a stop on the Hayle Estuary was suitably timed to see a juvenile Spoonbill, a Mediterranean Gull and a fine mixture of common waders.

A bit of a drive to Chapel Porth near St Agnes on the north coast provided just a brief view of a secretive Dusky Warbler and another Firecrest.

Regards

Neil M

A swimming Water Rail!

A sunlit Gannet

Herring Gulls pecking
at an Oceanic Sunfish

Record shot of the Red-eyed Vireo

Grey Plover

Bar-tailed Godwit

More county ringing...

Hello

Today (Saturday) provided ideal ringing conditions locally in Northants. Dave Francis and Cathy Ryden worked at the Pitsford Reservoir Old Scaldwell Road Feeding Station and Chris Payne and Helen Franklin processed birds at the Bradden site in South Northants.

Fifty-nine birds were caught at Pitsford and included a very young juvenile Brambling which was a bit of a surprise. Dunnocks like this site and twelve were caught there today, only one being a retrap. Other birds included ten Tree Sparrows, eight Robins, six Reed Buntings, four Long-tailed Tits, two Yellowhammers and singles of Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Goldfinch.

At dawn there were 69 Mute Swans congregated in the Scaldwell Bay and there was a small passage of Redwings and Fieldfares passing over. A Stonechat was also present.

At Bradden Chris and Helen caught and processed a very respectable forty-four birds made up of sixteen Blue Tits, sixteen Great Tits, two Coal Tits, three Chaffinches, two Robins, a Goldcrest, a Dunnock and three Blackbirds.

The birding down here in the Isles of Scilly has remained very good but so far the islands are not keeping pace with the outstanding list of rarities on the east coast.

On Thursday 13th October we ventured over to the very pleasant island of Bryher and caught up with the two juvenile Dotterel and went on to see a Yellow-browed Warbler feeding on some seaside rocks. Other birds included three Ring Ouzels, two Lapland Buntings, a Merlin and a Peregrine. The island hosted large numbers of thrushes, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps and migrants were everywhere.

On our return to St Mary's we spent much of the afternoon obtaining eventual great views of a Pallas's Warbler which had been located on the Garrison. This little mite was whizzing around at probably twice the pace of a Yellow-browed and was very hard to keep up with! Other birds included a Yellow-browed Warbler in the neighbouring tree, a Pied Flycatcher and a couple of Black Redstarts.

Yesterday (Friday) was a difficult birding day with some heavy showers but we managed two Lapland Buntings on St Mary's plus six Black Redstarts, a Common Redstart, several Water Rails, four Jack Snipes, two or three Yellow-browed Warblers and a Ring Ouzel. Being this far south there are still Sandwich Terns in the harbour and still plenty of warblers even if the Wheatears and Whinchats are beginning to thin out.

This morning and a heavy deluge of rain hit when we were in the exposed area of the airfield meaning we were quickly drenched! After the rain several birds emerged from the dripping bushes which included a Siberian Chiffchaff, several Yellow-browed Warblers and a couple of Firecrests. Water Rails and Jack Snipe again showed well and raptors included Peregrine and Hobby. Two Lapland Buntings were a touch flighty and then it was time to again board the Scillonian III and sail to Penzance. Wildlife highlights included Common Dolphins, auks, plenty of Gannets, an Arctic Skua and with a drake Eider in Penzance Harbour.

Regards

Neil M

Hobby

Merlin

Peregrine

Stonechat

Rock-loving
Yellow-browed Warbler!

Dotterel

Sunset from St Mary's

Ringing exploits from the week-end

Hello

Northants Ringing Group members were active in the field again last week-end with sessions at Pitsford Reservoir and Linford Lakes (Milton Keynes).

The nets in the Scaldwell Bay were utilised at Pitsford Reservoir during the afternoon of Saturday 8th and morning of Sunday 9th October, resulting in 59 captures. This included 10 Chiffchaffs, nine Goldcrests, two Redwings, a Blackcap, a Willow Tit and a Jay. One of the Chiffchaffs was a bird previously ringed at Wheldrake Ings reserve in Yorkshire on 26th September 2016 and the Jay was seemingly a bird ringed at Pitsford several years ago with no recaptures since.

Kenny Cramer and team enjoyed an excellent session at Linford on Sunday morning capturing nearly a hundred birds. Correlation with Pitsford was evident with the capture of twenty Chiffchaffs, thirteen Goldcrests, a Blackcap and seven Redwings. Other birds included a Kingfisher, a Green Woodpecker, a Cetti's Warbler and a Lesser Redpoll. Other creatures noted included two Grass Snakes and three Great Crested Newts.

Down here in The Scillies things have quietened down a little although migration is still evident with new birds being found each day. Yesterday (Tuesday), it was decidedly cooler but mostly dry and sunny and still with a stiff easterly wind. Eleanor ran around the complete coastal path around St Mary's first thing, seeing Wryneck, Lapland Bunting and Subalpine Warbler on her way around.

General birding during the day located a second Wryneck and more Yellow-browed Warblers and Firecrests, a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher and small numbers of assorted wagtails and chats. A Hobby was mobile around the island and other birds of interest included Mediterranean Gull, Willow Warbler and several Siskins.

Today (Wednesday) and the weather conditions cooled further and some showers materialised this afternoon. At least three Hobbies were hawking insects around the islands and the thrush numbers further increased with more Redwings, Fieldfares and Ring Ouzels. A couple of Lesser Whitethroats were seemingly of eastern origin, an 'acredula'-type Willow Warbler showed well and Firecrests and Yellow-browed Warblers could be found at a number of localities on St Mary's. Jack Snipe were still in evidence on the island and more common waders could be found on the plentiful beaches and rocky outcrops.

Regards

Neil M

Firecrest. Always a stunning bird
and on the Scillies this year they are
 almost as common as the Goldcrest.
A little ringing around our accommodation
has identified five different individuals
utilising the ivy clad elms.

Subalpine Warbler. Considered by some to
be a 'Western' Subalpine Warbler...

Isles of Scilly 8th - 10th Oct

Hello

On Saturday 8th Oct we finally bit the bullet and took a boat to the island of Tresco, and it wasn't too long before we were watching the juvenile Sora Rail that has been present for perhaps a couple of weeks now. Like all such birds it was skulking but on occasions did exit the reeds of the Great Pool albeit at some distance.

On another warm and sunny day we took a wander around the island and saw an Osprey, a Woodcock, a female Peregrine, a flock of six Pale-bellied Brent Geese, a Back Redstart and half a dozen Yellow-browed Warblers. Insects were out in force with particularly large numbers of Red Admiral butterflies and several Hummingbird Hawk-moths amongst others.

On our return to St Mary's at about 5pm we bumped in to a late Turtle Dove, a couple of Wrynecks, a Black Redstart, a male Lapland Bunting, another Yellow-browed Warbler, the long-staying Black-necked Grebe and five Jack Snipe. Whinchats and Stonechats were everywhere.

Yesterday (Sunday), an early wander around St Mary's successfully located three Ring Ouzels, plenty of Redwings and a Red-throated Diver. By way of a change we then took a four and half hour boat trip around the islands birding the shoreline and islets. Five adult Peregrines were atop their respective rocks in very calm conditions and we encountered an adult Great Northern Diver, a Common Scoter, several Mediterranean Gulls, lots of waders including three Purple Sandpipers, a couple of Puffins, the Brent Geese again and pods of Harbour Porpoises and both Common and Grey Seals.

Today (Monday) and after some early morning Firecrests and a brief view of a Subalpine Warbler, we took a boat to St Martins, possibly our favourite island. Here we found another Firecrest, a Ring Ouzel, a Merlin, a Mediterranean Gull, a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Garden Warbler in slightly cooler but still sunny conditions. The male Subalpine Warbler was still showing on our return to St Mary's, pretty good for a species known to be a major skulker!

Regards

Neil M

Jack Snipe

Redshank

Yellow-browed Warbler



Pale-bellied Brent Geese

Stonechat

Sora Rail



Peregrine

Common Seal

Grey Seal

Grey Plover

Purple Sandpiper

Colour Ringed Little Egret

On Wednesday last week whilst surveying the large number of wildfowl congregated in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Res, my attention was captured by a little Egret fishing in the shallows away towards the bund. It appeared to have been colour Ringed. Further studying through my scope eventually revealed that the bird was Ringed above the knee on both legs. The left leg had an orange (it looked red to me) ring with the black letter N and the right a green ring with the number 6.
After reporting the siting via the BTO the following information was provided about the bird: It was ringed by North Thames Gull group on the 5th May 2012 as a nestling, making the bird 4yrs 154 days old. The bird was Ringed at Netherhall in Essex, 89km from Pitsford.
      Regards,
               Neil H.

The Scilly Isles 6th and 7th Oct

Hello

Like much of the country, the Isles of Scilly have been hit with continual blustery easterly winds which has produced large numbers of migrants. In particular the Robin is particularly numerous and there must be hundreds of of them on the islands. A little ringing next to our chalet during the last three days has produced 29 different individuals.

Yesterday (6th) was very enjoyable, the high-point being just past noon when we discovered a Caspian Tern in flight over the Porthcressa Bay on St Mary's. This bird quickly moved to the east of the island and settled at Porthellick where most locally-based birders managed to catch up with it.

Other interesting birds included the two Cattle Egrets again, a confiding Black-necked Grebe, a Wryneck, the Red-backed Shrike on the Garrison, several Firecrests and Yellow-browed Warblers, a Curlew Sandpiper, a Merlin, a couple of Black Redstarts and plenty of insects including Hummingbird Hawk-moths and Painted Lady butterflies in good numbers.

Today (7th) and much the same weather conditions but with a much-reduced wind provided good ringing conditions and individuals trapped and ringed included Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Firecrest and Grey Wagtail. Eleanor saw up to four different Wrynecks on St Mary's today, including two or three together. Yellow-browed Warblers were everywhere and both Porthellick and Lower Moors hosted ridiculous numbers of Jack Snipe. The Cattle Egrets remained mobile and most of the birds from the day before were seen again. A pulse of fresh-in warblers included a new wave of Blackcaps.

And tomorrow's forecast is looking good too...!

Regards 

Neil M

Firecrest

Common Redstart

Black Redstart

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Little Bunting

Rock Pipit

Red-backed Shrike

Black-necked Grebe

The Isles of Scilly

Hello

On Monday Eleanor and I sailed from Penzance in Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly, a favourite location of ours.

A rough crossing provided views of several Great Skuas and a Grey Phalarope plus more common sea-birds and brief views of Harbour Porpoise and Common Dolphin.

With strong easterly/south-easterly winds the islands held plenty of migrants and our first afternoon wander ensured we saw a Red-breasted Flycatcher, a Red-backed Shrike and the first of many Yellow-browed Warblers.

Yesterday (Tuesday) and the wind strengthened even more. A wander up to the airfield on St Mary's was productive with side by side views of Buff-breasted Sandpiper, American Golden Plover and a cracking male Lapland Bunting. More Yellow-browed Warblers and two Cattle Egrets in the afternoon were the pick of the later in the day birds.

Today (Wednesday) and the quality birds kept coming with a confiding Little Bunting, another Red-breasted Flycatcher, the Cattle Egrets, AGP and Buff-breast again plus Lapland Bunting, Wryneck, Redstart and Black Redstart, Hobby, Jack Snipe and plenty of Firecrests and Yellow-browed Warblers...

And the weather forecast suggest more avian influences from the east during the next several days...

Regards

Neil M

Song Thrush. Still a common
bird on the Isles of Scilly.

Large Red Underwing moth.

Grey Wagtail.

NBC Indoor Meeting 5th Oct

Hello

The next indoor meeting of the Northants Bird Club will be on Wednesday 5th October 2016, the venue again being the Fishing Lodge at Pitsford Reservoir. The speaker will be the Midlands RSPB Reserves Officer Mike Pollard who will illustrate a personal and corporate view of the work of the RSPB in the Midlands and provide an update on some of the flagship reserves such as Otmoor and Middleton Lakes.

The meeting will commence at 7.30pm with our Chairman Bob Gill presiding and members and non-members are invited to attend. Free hot drinks and biscuits will be available during the evening.

Please make every effort to attend!

Regards

Neil McMahon

Bittern and Turtle Dove.
Both these rare species
breed on RSPB Midlands
reserves...

Sunday birding and ringing...

Hello

Some ringing in the county this morning included a session in the Scaldwell Bay at Pitsford Reservoir where Dave Francis caught three Mallard, three Long-tailed Tits (including one bird five and a half years old), two Dunnocks, two Robins (one four and a half years old), two Chiffchaffs, two Goldcrests, a Blackbird, a Song Thrush, a Blackcap, a Blue Tit, a Great Tit and a Chaffinch.

At Stortons Gravel Pits John Woollett caught three Long-tailed Tits, six Chiffchaffs, two Reed Buntings, three Reed Warblers, two Robins, three Cetti's Warblers, a Great Tit, two Blue Tits, a Blackcap, a Blackbird and a Wren.

An early visit to Harrington Airfield this morning paid off with migration evidence in the form of a Short-eared Owl, a Peregrine, ca15 Golden Plovers, two Redwings, two redpoll sp, a Reed Warbler and plenty of Linnets, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks.

Several observers at Pitsford Reservoir today were responsible for sightings of up to three Great White Egrets, two Yellow-legged Gulls, two adult Caspian Gulls, the Ruddy Shelduck, two Grey Wagtails and a juvenile Whinchat.

At Staverton today there were four Ravens, two Whinchats and up to ten Siskins.

Grey Wagtails were further in evidence at Hanging Houghton and Brixworth Water Treatment Works

Regards

Neil McMahon

Grey Wagtail

Whinchat

Skokholm

Female Stonechat

Hello

The main contingent of the Northants Ringing Group arrived back from the Pembrokeshire island of Skokholm this evening, the weather conditions ensuring we had an extended stay beyond our planned seven days!

During our stay we managed to ring 300 birds and processed another 116 previously-ringed individuals. Manx Shearwaters breed on this very small island in their thousands and the majority of the adults have now left. They leave behind the very vulnerable youngsters that have to crawl out of their tunnel nests and strengthen their wings over several nights and then return to their tunnels prior to dawn before they are caught, killed and eaten by Great Black-backed Gulls.

So at night we ventured out along a stipulated transect and ringed 122 of these amazing sea-birds.

During the day, when the opportunities permitted, we used mist nets, heligoland traps and a variety of smaller traps to catch and ring both resident and migrant passerines. We were also lucky to catch the island apex predator, the stunning adult Great Black-backed Gull!

My thanks to Helen Franklin, Rory Akam, Chris Payne and Kenny Cramer for making our fourth expedition to the island another resounding success, and of course the wardens Giselle and Richard and the island volunteers for providing the opportunity for contributing something towards the work of the observatory.

A few images of some of the island birds...

Regards

Neil M

Goldcrest

Chiffchaff

Wheatear

Great Black-backed Gull

Raven

Pied Flycatcher

Male Stonechat

Peregrine

Rock Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Manx Shearwater