Migrants, drugs, sun and rain

The Safari hasn't been able to get out much this week, work has got seriously in the way. There are signs of spring springing up all over the place now, including the works garden where we found this little snail seeking shelter from some dawn frost under a Daffodil petal.

Yesterday we had family business on the South-side and it took us to within a mile of the regular Cattle Egrets (113, YBC #93) you know the ones that are so regular that they weren't there last time we stopped at the site. Most people have seen them just over the hedge in the horse field. Today they were miles away across the fields...just typical of our luck lately. This is by far the best of c100 pics, but at least this local scarcity is on the list and the Year Bird Photo Challenge too.

Today we had a quick walk with Monty passing this very early opening Red Valerian on the neighbour's wall which also has the colony of Gooden's Nomad Bees.

We didn't get out again until the early morning sun was about to be lost, typical of our luck again! We headed out to the Nature Reserve, we've hardly been there this year. It was quiet-ish, but we did hear two Cetti's Warblers at the wetland but couldn't find the Stonechats that have been about recently.

Walking on through the reserve is was almost birdless, we were hoping for an early Chiffchaff and over the water a Sand Martin but neither put in an appearance. There was a nice selection of ducks on the water and a good number of gulls, no sign of the Iceland Gull again - has it left for colder climes already? 

We had an unsuccessful look for Bee Orchid rosettes finding this little Puffball instead. 

Moving on we saw a Kestrel hovering across the other side of the reedbed. By now it was drizzling and the light grotty but it was just about gettable for the YBC (#94). Can't really believe this is the first photo opportunity we've had of this species so far this year.

And if you thought that was bad have a shuffy at this Fieldfare (YBC #95) again the best we could do in the dark drizzle at serious range.

Lots of Cetti's Warblers were singing and we stopped and waited for a few of them but saw nothing. Our best hope was either the FBC hide where on sung several times but didn't show, we did hear a Snipe too but couldn't find it in the sky. Our next bet was Ice Station Zebra, which wasn't too cold today. There was one singing and not showing but we decided not to stay long as we were sharing the hide with some foul mouthed teenage scrotes smoking weed, one of them could only have been 13 or 14. Monty wasn't happy with them and wouldn't settle and we had to hold him which wouldn't have made photography easy. That neighbouring caravan site has some lovely customers - NOT!!!

Making our way back to the car the Feeding Station was quiet and we couldn't find the Stonechats again although we did hear a Cetti's Warbler and a Water Rail by the bench at the Wetland - of course we saw neither.

So no migrants there for us, they'll come we just have to make sure we're able to get out to see them!

Later in the afternoon the sun came out again and we thought we'd have a quick sprint down Chat Alley to see if there were any Wheatears down there, there's been a few here and there along the coast during the morning so there just might be one or two still moving through.

We were out of luck, the only small birds we saw were the local pair of Pied Wagtails.

We looked on the way back but there was nothing of note so we spent a few minutes trying to get some pics of the Herring Gulls riding the gentle up-draughts from the cliffs, most of them were going the 'wrong' way  but every now and then one came our way at the right height nicely illuminated bu the low sun.

So that was that, some success but not totally overjoyed about the weekend's safaris. Mustn't grumble though at least we got out and did see some sunshine.

In other news a couple of Buff Tailed Bumble Bees and a Tree Bee have been seen at Base Camp - sping is deffo a-springing.

Where to next? Hopefully we'll get out on Patch 2 at least once or twice this week.

In the meantime let us know who's springing in your outback.

Can't beat a sparrow or two

The Safari was lucky enough to get out at lunchtime at work the other day just as the sun broke through the dismal grey of the morning. Patch 2 was poor out to sea but we did see this sticker from our friends from the Love My Beach project on one of the bins.

Not sure we agree with the sentiment here, gulls have been using the sea as a resource for a lot longer than we have been bathing/swimming/paddling in it en-masse. What happens when thousands of them turn up on a shellfish wreck after a storm? How much poo do the pods of 30 or more Bottlenose Dolphins do as they cruise the coast in the summer? We can understand not feeding them to prevent nuisance food/ice cream thefts but why the need to vilify them, the poor things get a bad enough and unwarranted press as it is?

With nothing happening out to sea we took the camera round the gardens to see what we could spy.

Where the kind mystery person had put the feeders up there was a good flock of House Sparrows. The sounds coming from the flock are superb, really cheery and uploiting on a dull winter's day.

There were several more to the left and right too

They're usually quite wary and unapproachable but not today, they allowed a reasonably close approach.

And with caution and no sudden moves we got closer still.

This particular female was showing great interest in something at the tip of the twig she was perched on....seeds?

The males are resplendent and overlooked by far too many folks. Dapper little crackers they are.

But if you try to sneak another inch this happens

While we were there a few gulls started flying around and one of them was the nearly full black headed Black Headed Gull we mentioned the other day.

Yesterday was another family day but a wander out onto the dunes with the dogs found us a large Puffball fungus but not the 'normal' Giant Puffball. It's something we've not seen for a good few years.

We didn't get out today, we had hoped to nip down to the pier to have a look at the Starling murmuration at dusk but the afternoon sunshine gave way to grey murk rather than a fabulous sunset so we gave it a miss.

Where to next? There's still a Velvet Scoter to be found out on Patch 2 and of course if there's a sunset there could well be a visit to the Starlings after work.

In the meantime let us know who's doing the cheery chirruping in your outback.

Headed out east today

The Safari picked up BD quite late in the morning after a visit to the docs, we can feel a couple of hand operations coming along in the not too distant future. Our plan was to hit the high roads of the eastern hills and see if we couldn't pick up a couple or three year birds and find some other interesting stuff too.

All was going swimmingly until we got stuck behind an fully laden articulated tanker truck on the narrowest of country lanes, OK a bit of patience was required but every bend had on-coming traffic and some folk don't know the width of their vehicles! We lost a good ten minutes or more of valuable safari-ing time before the driver was able to let us past safely.

We got close to the turn to our destination and saw 'Road Closed' - darn it! Last time we wanted to come this way the road was closed for repairs too. An alternative had be found and quick. Fortunately BD has never been to this area before so we decided to bunk into the valley we used to visit regularly with Wifey and Frank when he could walk that far.

We parked in the village car park and had a wander to the river bank. We hadn't been out of the Land Rover more than a couple of minutes before the first Clegg came sniffing round. Out came the insect repellent; we'll be glad to get back to work tomorrow to allow the DEET to drain out of our system!

Once fully DEETed up we set off on our walk up the river and soon came upon a bush covered in caterpillar webs. On closer inspection little white dashes all over the outside of the webs were in fact adult moths, perhaps only just emerged.

There were hundreds of them and they were easily disturbed by the slightest movement but didn't really fly far before settling again.

We're fairly confident they might be Bird Cherry Ermine moths.

Like the Cleggs yesterday the Red Soldier Beetles were also out on the Creeping Thistles again today.

A Garden Warbler sang from a tree which also had a Blue Tit and a Robin.
It didn't take too long to find one of the alternative site's specialities, Heath Spotted Orchid.

There were lots of them along the trackside, only trouble was when we got back to Base Camp and looked them up in the Lancashire Atlas we discovered they were Common Spotted Orchids; Heath Spotted now only occur in five restricted areas of the county and this isn't one of them - dohhh.

Buoyed by our 'success' we pressed on onwards and upwards. A tatty Sparrowhawk cruised along the tree tops to our left and to the right we saw a Kestrel which when coming towards us looked so much like a Peregrine we made a schoolboy ID error. It flew around in an agitated manner for a while then went back from whence it came and had a tussle with another bird of prey hidden in the Heather. But what was it? B took his big camera over and fired away as we couldn't see anything with our bins.

Whatever it is it's up there somewhere

What raptor did we see that could be hiding up there? A Hen Harrier perhaps? With no apparent joy we continued up the hill briefly stopping to get out of the rain behind a shed where B found a small Puffball just protruding through the grass

Looking at it closely and cutting it open inside was a slimy greenish sludge - euchhh, not like the firm insides of a Giant Puffball.

We looked for Common Lizards on the stony walls and doing so spotted a wasp around a patch of Figwort, it didn't look quite right for a normal Common Wasp so we both took some pics. 

It didn't give itself up lightly

Again once back at Base Camp it was identified via Twitter by none other than Richard Lewington, he of the field guide illustrations fame, as Figwort Sawfly which B discovered was a first for Lancashire until a few minutes later CR piped up with a not so fast me hearties, he's been waiting for confirmation of one he put on iRecord from the nature reserve a couple of years ago - the race is on!

We were looking at something and nothing, possibly the tiny flower Tormentil, when B called out 'lizard!', he'd only just gone and found his first ever British Common Lizard. Were very close to it and it disappeared down it's hidey-hole before we'd caught a glimpse of it and long before any cameras could be pointed in its direction.
A little further up the lane the Kestrel was back and appeared to be calling loudly.

It flew off and the calling stopped but we weren't convinced it was the Kestrel, it was something else, a very anxious Common Sandpiper was in the stream close by not at all happy that there was an aerial predator in its territory.

At the water's meet we watched House Martins, Swallows and a few Sand Martin's cruising around in the rain over the big weir. Looking down into the river we could see no fish in the strongly peat stained water. The water gets pulled off for drinking in several towns a few yards down stream and we pay in our water bills to have it cleaned. The staining comes from the over drained moorland used for driven grouse shooting. Surely the polluter should pay not us, even if their name does begin with Duke of....time for you all to support this year's Hen Harrier Day even if you're not a birder or don't care about the concerted illegal killings of a protected bird the actions of a few affect the many in several ways, mostly in our pockets, increased flood risk insurance premiums, climate change risks and all to kill as many Red Grouse as possible in a short a time as possible for as much money as possible.

Rant over - there was an impressive bull in the field by the weir - we're no cattle expert but we think he's a Belgian Blue or at least a BB crossed with something. Whatever he is he's a bit of a beast.

The rain came down heavier making the valley round the corner rather less photogenic than it usually is. Those cut fields have been silaged, in the old days they'd have been hay meadows and full of a huge variety of of wildflowers, now they probably contain Rye Grass, a few Dandelions and a Chickweed or two.

This is a one way in same way out walk and the way back was against the rain, we were soon soaked through.
Our friend the Kestrel was on the ground on a nearby Heather clad hillside.

Overhead soaring higher over the fellside was our third raptor of the day, a Buzzard...is it just us or are you seeing fewer Buzzards than expected?

The rain continued to pour down as we looked on the bank where the Common Lizard was and lo and behold it was still there despite the downpour. Again it did a bunk as soon as we spotted it and with the rain cameras were well tucked away so there was no chance of a pic. This is the closest we could get to it.

There were a few soggy sheep about too.

More plants were noted after our botanising trip on Friday when we found some different species of St John's Wort, here was a new one Square Stemmed St John's Wort.

Back at the Land Rover our safari wasn't quite over, a Mayfly was on the side of the car as we unlocked it.

Once again great wildlife and good company to enjoy and share it with...and no we didn't see any Hen Harriers, the mystery bird up the fellside turned out to be another Kestrel.

Where to next? National Whale and Dolphin Watch is coming up starting this weekend, hope the weather isn't too windy - see you there - - look under Cheshire, don't ask!

In the meantime let us know if there's any Hen harriers in your outback...ohhh there isn't why not??? Please sign the petition, let Them know we care and won't be fobbed off!

A similar day but better pics

The Safari was delving into the moth trap with excitement this morning as we'd been able to use the big light last night, we got a slightly better catch than of recent was five Hebrew Characters showing their variety in shades and sizes and a rather pale Common Quaker but maybe the usual black CFL would have pulled these in too.

the nature reserve not quiet as early as yesterday but the morning was less windy and much warmer, consequently the birdsong was much more in evidence. As soon as we left the Land Rover and went through the gate we spotted this lovely male Reed Bunting pulling seeds out of the fluffbombs that are the heads of the Greater Reedmace against the low sun the scene was very dramatic - a stunning way to start the day.

Wandering on we enjoyed the songs of Lesser Whitethroat at the allotments and normal Whitethroats in the Brambles and Hawthorns a little further on. Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Blackbirds added to the morning music.

The track leading to thee old cabins had a few small birds 'feeding' on grit at the side of the path, we put the bins on them to reveal they were a pair of Chaffinches and a pair of Linnets. There seem to be a few more Linnets around this year which is good to see. We tried to sneak up on them but they flushed so we were pleased to have fired off a few shots a minute or so earlier.

Inside the reserve we soon heard the reel of the Grasshopper Warbler but could we see it!!! The 'inland' Cetti's Warbler was vocal again but once again unseen. Notable by their absence were Willow Warblers.

In the 'Paddock' there was a real unusual sight, a pair of Grey Lag Geese, never seen them in there before...bizarre.

While we tried to get a bead on the Cetti's a male Linnet landed at the top of a nearby tree and began to sing.

Slightly over-processed - sorry, it was a fraction out of effective range.
Down where the Bee Orchids are we spotted a Puffball lurking in the grass.

Another 'inland' Cetti's, the one we so unsuccessfully photographed yesterday was blasting out at full volume but like the earlier one we couldn't get to grips with it today until it flew across the path in front of us and straight into deep cover.

Our second 'usual' Grasshopper Warbler wasn't performing today, has it moved on?

A 'new' Sedge Warbler sang enthusiastically but there was nothing from the Reed Warblers this morning. Whilst looking to see if we could get a look at said Sedgy we saw a large green leaf taller than the growing reeds, Water Dock - wow not common up this way. A look in THE book later showed no local records! We think it might have appeared in response to the recent-ish reedbed dredging works disturbing the seedbank.

Behind us the gulls went up from the fields in a raucous clamour, something had spooked them. Found it, nothing exciting just yet another helium balloon sailing on the wind on its way to becoming litter somewhere.

Another Cetti's Warbler gave much better views but all too easily evaded the lens. By the time we got all the way round we'd had a definite seven and maybe eight singing males!

A second round of the reserve mid-afternoon after the rain didn't give us the hoped for dropped migrant, in fact it was much quieter than the morning traipse.

Another great day on safari draws to a close.

Where to next? Mothy is on again. Up north tomorrow but maybe more boozin than wildlifin but there's  always something to see if you keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime let us know who was in the most unlikely place in your outback.