Bait ball…but distant

The Safari heard a weird call sort of a cough and a grunt, quite loud, from something unknown as we left Base Camp this morning, a bit like someone clearing their throat. Looking up all we saw was the glare from the street light – a mystery we first though of Woodcock but it was nothing like any Woodcock we’ve heard before. Any one any ideas what we could try listening to on Xeno-canto.

Patch 2 only held 45 Oystercatchers and a few gulls both of which increased gradually as the tide fell. Looking beyond our southern border the light was superb but the decent number of gulls in the gentle surf didn’t include the nature reserve’s Iceland Gull – we have still no idea where that lives when it’s not at the reserve.

Not much was out to sea other than the usual Common Scoters. Scanning along the horizon we found a gaggle of gulls swooping and diving over what was probably a bait ball. Unfortunately the sea was far too choppy to be able to tell if any cetaceans were about. There’s a chance there might have been a decent sized pod of Bottle Nosed Dolphins was filmed not far away off the Isle of Man only a couple of days ago.   
Lucky guys...Hopefully we’ll bump in to them when we do our cetacean ferry survey at the end of next month (might do this one later in the year if we get the chance)

A couple of Red Throated Divers provided the only other interest as we strained our eyes down the scope for the hint of a dark back jumping above the white horses.

Little had changed by lunchtime. The tide had retreated further and left a couple of strandlines which a reasonable number of gulls and Oystercatchers rummaged through – nothing outstanding in their midst this time; not really enough gulls to pull in one of the influx of white-wingers.

The sea was still pretty choppy but with the good light we estimated well over 1000 Common Scoters, with just two Red Throated Divers and a single Great Crested Grebe seen over the water. There was no sign of the bait ball and nothing other than scoters was moving out towards the horizon.

Where to next? A day’s meeting out of town tomorrow with perhaps the opportunity to go stargazing t work in the evening as part of the BBC’s Stargazing LIVE events  - weather permitting of course...at the mo it looks like it’s gonna be more like cloudgazing than stargazing but there’s a chance Saturday night might be OK if Friday is a washout – indoor activities will be available in case of rain....and on Saturday too,,,just in case...

In the meantime let us know what you’ve been gazing at in your outback.

Enjoy a bit of Stargazer from a long time ago....was at the Liverpool gig of this tour..on crutches with an iffy foot after a bit of a to-do with a steam roller

 You might as well have the next track off the Rainbow Rising LP - all side 2...remember sides?

RIP Ronnie & Cozy - much missed

And while we're on the subject

Mild again

The Safari opened the door on a different world this morning, gone was the frost and crisp cold air, replaced by mild dark dank greyness...again. The southerly airflow was bringing the delicious chocolaty scents of Bourbon biscuits being baked at the nearby factory.

But the warmer temperature did have a positive effect on the birds as we could a hear the Song Thrush singing all the way from the Golden Triangle, the usual Robins were singing rather than ‘ticking’ today and a Blackbird was in fine voice too from one of the gardens on the other side of the road.

Overnight rain meant it was probably too wet for a full patch walk but we did the longer version of the shortened walk...if you see what we mean...Passing the Golden Triangle our ears were blasted by the Song Thrush; they need to be loud as even at that time of the morning, well before the rush hour, the traffic noise is annoyingly noticeable and makes hearing singing distant birds difficult...we don’t like it one bit but for wildlife trying to make themselves heard above that din must be a nightmare and could well have serious consequences for breeding success if females can’t hear the males calling properly.

Magpie Wood held a singing Robin, if he makes a nest we wonder if the landscape ‘gardener’ will bury it in slimy grass cuttings like he might have done to a Wren’s nest last year. From this bottom side we can’t see the roosting Magpies. Walking round a bit further we heard another Song Thrush singing from the entrance to the park – need to get in there soon to listen for the one at the top of the park...are there more...be good if they were, the national population is rising after its dramatic fall to its low point in the early 90s.  Sadly the population graph does show that for every two Song Thrushes there were when the Safari started birding in the mid 60s there is only one now meaning possibly as many as 2 million of them have disappeared :-(

Under the glow of the streetlights we counted 56 Magpies and a Woodpigeon still snoozing the night away.

Back at base camp we didn’t hear yesterday’s nearby Song Thrush so could it have been the one from the Golden Triangle on a trip away from its normal song post or a different one moving through?

At Patch 2 the sea was shrouded in dense low drizzly cloud with barely any visibility. All the action was on the water’s edge which was creeping inexorably away from us exposing more beach and therefore food with each passing minute. A few gulls and Oystercatchers were picking at shells while 15 Sanderlings scampered around their feet. Four Redshanks made up the numbers.

By lunchtime the tide was at its lowest but disturbance was high. Today’s hominids included Cockle pickers, Mussel pickers on the outfall pipe, dog walkers and a metal detectorist. 19 Redshanks sat with a few Black Headed Gulls on the far side of a deep runnel half way down the beach but other than them there was only a scattering of Oystercatchers. At the furthest end of the pipe away from the pickers a 1^st winter gull had us concentrating for a while. It’s most interesting feature was the obvious double wing bar and ‘finger nail-like’ markings on the tertials, nice ‘shawl’ too; but its head and bill didn’t point towards Caspian Gull, nor did it have anything other than normal length legs nor a saggy rear belly, the underwing was quite strongly marked and there was too much marking on the belly...just a slighly odd Herring Gull, or one with a smattering of Caspian Gull genes? The aggressive ‘Albatross’ pose at an approaching Oystercatcher was interesting too but it totally ignored the Turnstone almost under its feet.

A few yards offshore there was about 100 Common Scoters; near enough to tell there were no odd-balls with them rather than them being a collection of dots at enormous range.

With the conditions being quite pleasant it was disappointing to have to leave because there wasn’t really anything to see.

In other, slightly more random news – but still in Safariland – our Extreme Photographer (aka Extreme Mechanic for his sterling working getting the Land Rover through its MoT) was out at a local beauty spot last weekend and spotted a white headed Long Tailed Tit in the flock coming to the feeders at the carpark. By strange coincidence last night MG’s Birding Frontiers blog had news of another, this time in Yorkshire – Our Extreme Photographer/Mechanic had already decided to go for another look for ‘his’ some time later this week – weather permitting - hopefully he’ll re-find it and get some great pics (and video) for us to show you later. Talking of MG we were mortified to have to miss his talk last year organised by my mate AB for the Artery of Life project – who in their right mind would chose to go on holiday the very day one of the country’s leading laridophiles is doing an ID masterclass???

Where to next? More of the same but can we have something to look at please....

In the meantime let us know if there has been a mass evacuation in your outback.

Fishy goings on

The Safari was out early as usual and the frost sparkled on the pavement like the stars above the Western Australian desert or a myriad tiny diamonds scattered underfoot. Very little stirred apart from a few Robins. It wasn’t until we got back to base camp we heard the Song Thrush which sounded ever so close but it was still a bit too dark to locate it. It wasn’t in the big Sycamore tree nor in either of the smaller trees in the garden but it certainly wasn’t far away...have to listen out for it tomorrow and hope its singing from the same perch and we can have a better look for it.

Patch 2 was positively hopeless this morning. At sea several scans revealed very little except for a flock of five Great Crested Grebes. Yesterday’s record breaking flock of Knot was nowhere to been seen, although to be fair the area they were feeding in was under water, just one of their brethren was still present sharing the small patch of ooze with a Redshank.

Again the beach was 99% devoid of gulls...must need some wind to bring up a new wreck of tasty shellfish... watch this space later this week.

The mention of wrecked things brings us neatly onto the resolution of yesterday’s washed up fish mystery – D was able to get down to our southern border and found just one of the Rays that the fisherman had told us about. A male Thornback Ray with well developed claspers indicating breeding condition which D didn’t think they ought to be in until much later in the spring. 

Last weekend her dog (another Labrador) was rooting around in the ‘rockpools’ at the base of the wall and sniffed out this rather large Greater Pipefish (Syngnathus acus)  – the tape measure shows it to be 46cm long which isn’t far short of the maximum length for this species. 

The gulls feed on these, generally much smaller ones than this individual,  from time to time usually when the sea is quite calm and just behind the last breaker as it rolls on to the beach. We’ve never seen any, either alive or dead, trapped in the rockpools though. (Many thanks to D for the use of her pics)

The lunchtime session was even less productive with only three Great Crested Grebes and two Red Throated Divers to show for very cold fingers, ears, nose etc despite the insulative effects of woolly hat and gloves.

Where to next? More of the same with hopefully more to look at!

In the meantime let us know what’s disappeared into the void in your outback

For a real fishy goings on have a listen here to real time sounds of the oceans perhaps including some of Monika’s Orcas.

Real winter arrives; but for how long?

The Safari woke up for the third morning in a row to a crisp heavy frost. Hardly last winter or even the winter before but for this 'winter' it’s as cold as it’s been so far.

A quick dash round the first half of Patch 1 only gave us a few Robins, ticking again now that its gone colder rather than singing like they were last week, three Blackbirds were arguing over first dibs on some crumbs thrown on the verge, Frank nearly had the final say! At the Golden Triangle the now regular Song Thrush was giving it plenty...always a pleasure to hear.

At Patch 2 the tide was well out but the beach was almost devoid of life, barely a gull to be seen. But we spotted a bit of movement by the side of the outfall pipe and counted a site record 92 Knot feeding away in the slimy oozy mud to be found there. A single Turnstone clambered about through the encrusting Mussels on the top of the pipe while with the Knot there was a lone Sanderling. Oystercatchers weren’t counted but there weren’t that many anyway.

At sea despite the excellent early morning visibility and light swell we only had a couple Great Crested Grebes and scattered small flocks of Common Scoters – pretty much an empty sea.

By lunchtime the tide was rising and the Knot’s feeding area was covered so they had left, nothing else was on the beach apart from dogs and their owners – by the look of the prints in the sand it had been a busy morning down there with bikes, horses, dogs etc etc all leaving their mark.

No sign of the wished for Ring Billed Gull that had followed the tide up yesterday further to the north – how we’d like to find one of those on Patch 2; it’s a long time since we’ve picked one out at the nature reserve too – again we were hoping the roost on the ice might have given us a slightly higher than 0.00000000001% chance – there’s one at the southern end of the South-side too, unless it was the same bird relocating a little northwards.

The glare of the sun on the water was too strong to safely look southwards at lunchtime but for the rest of the sea there were scattered flocks of Common Scoters everywhere, probably in excess of 500. Two Great Crested Grebes were close in a few hundred yards apart with three more together at some distance out. Four Red Throated Divers were seen – not the most inspiring session.

A fisherman arrived for his high tide session and told us that there were several Rays (Thornbacks?) washed up at our southern border; unfortunately the Land Rover was in dock today undergoing the first installment of its MoT repairs so we couldn’t nip down for a look-see. With a bit of luck they might not have been washed away too far by the tide and our marine biologist friend D will be able to investigate after work now that the nights are starting to draw out a bit...find out tomorrow morning if she's been successful.

Where to next? Have to make the most of the calm conditions at Patch 2 tomorrow as by Wednesday the weather is forecast to back to its normal wet and windy self.

In the meantime let us know what desperately hoped for species wasn’t seen in your outback but snuck in round the back a little ways off.

Sorry no pics today - a gorgeous sunset tonight but just as we were getting the camera we had a call to collect the Land Rover - more repairs tomorrow...:-( So have a blimp at this one from PL he took yesterday while we were chatting, this one shows the dedication of a real laridophile.

Can't beat a bit of wall to wall sunshine

The Safari was just about to head off to the nature reserve when we received a text from AB giving 'hot off the press' info - the mobile Smew was on the river. Nothing ventured etc we set off to the bridge. On the way we spotted a long haired youth striding purposely northwards so we stopped and JS clambered into the Land Rover saving himself a fairly long walk but having to endure a big lick from Frank.

Arriving at the river the tide was low and the only info was that the Smew was on the downstream west side of bridge. Well we both looked and looked and looked. We decided to have a check on the upstream side - that was when we looked back to see a Merlin (91) flip at great speed low over the bridge and had to bank to avoid J...he missed it although it only narrowly missed him!

On the mud there were 27 Golden Plover (92) with a smaller number of Lapwings, the channel held Mallard, Teal and Shelducks with many Curlews and a scattering of Redshanks probing the margins but no sign of our quarry. After a while AB and his dad pulled up, whay-hey reinforcements...and more importantly...with a scope! A had hardly set the damn thing up on its tripod when he said there it is...a quick peek down the eyepiece revealed a tiny dot diving about a mile and a quarter away in the distance just about recognisable as the Smew (93). So far away was it that we couldn't tell if the two larger female and single male birds near it were Goosanders or Red breasted Mergansers! Either would have been a year bird as would the Meadow Pipit that we saw fly out  of marsh but despite J hearing it call above the noise of the traffic behind us we never did so it stays off the list. Easier for us to ID was the dihedral shape of a Buzzard circling over the adjacent field.

Not sure if You Tube has cut off a couple of seconds - don't recall pressing the button before the last few words of the 'commentary'.

It was cold on the bridge so once the tick was bagged it was off to the nature reserve where the southbank would be sheltered and in full blistering sunshine.

Not much was doing as we wandered up to the hide colloquially known Ice Station Zebra for  its thermal 'comforts'. We immediately heard a Cetti's Warbler sing, so close was it that the hide's tin roof reverberated. Getting the camera out...just in case it showed - hahaha - we fumbled with the dial trying to move it off video from the dot Smew. As we did a small flotilla of Pochards came in to view - one of which was the Red Crested Pochard (94) (or probable RCP hybrid as it has been noted that it has slightly barred axillaries so may have ??? genes in there somewhere - thanks to PT & PE for the 'armpit' shots! It's gone on the list as its a near a RCP as you'll find and without the aid of long lenses you'd never see those light markings...is that cheating?

Never saw or heard the Cetti's again!

We wandered back the way we'd come, staying in the sun rather than risking the freezer that is the Feeding Station and noted plenty of gulls on the way but trawling through them didn't give us anything out of the ordinary. But we were told there were more stood on the ice at the east end...off we went...

Just four species were seen, three in the pic above...two of the Black Headed Gulls sported rings - one is the far right-hand gull - both too far away to read, none of KB's Darvik ringed birds though :-(

Common Gulls are always nice - one day we hope to pick out a Mew Gull...some chance!

Another trip up to ICZ didn't give us anything new but we did get more arty full frame Mute Swan pics

Back down to the bridge where we bumped into PL and had a good chin wag - he's had some great sightings over Christmas whilst doing an infra-red project...a Roe Deer being stalked by a Fox in the Feeding Station and on the night of BOXING DAY a big adult HEDGEHOG!!!

Talking of Foxes, this little chap showed well catching voles on the island. These are the only pics of a Fox we've ever taken during the day.

Best bird of the day turned up as we were leaving when a Great Black Backed Gull came in and terrorised the Teal and Wigeon. We left perhaps too early as there was the possibility of Barn Owl and Little Owl in the calm conditions which would have looked nice in the early evening light but our toes had got very cold in our wellies.

Back at Base Camp one or more Long Tailed Tits came through with the last hint of light bringing the garden total to 17.

So half way through the first month our tallies stand at

Patch 1 = 19

Patch 2 = 35

Garden = 17

Nature Reserve = 57

A great day, made all the better by the gorgeous sunshine and good company.

Where to next? Back to Patch 2 tomorrow.

In the meantime let us know if the sun shone brightly all day in your outback.

First full Patch 1 visit of the year

The Safari hasn't managed a full Patch 1 visit this year until this morning. What with the dark mornings, grotty weather and Frank's arthriticy hips slowing him down a bit we just hadn't got that far. But being a little later than a weekday, bright sunshine, a crisp frost on the ground and Frank in the mood to follow his nose we headed off up the hill to the sound of the school's Song Thrush singing in the distance away to our left.

Behind us but off patch was a large skein of Pink Footed Geese their honking easily heard above the noise of the early morning traffic on the gentle easterly breeze...probably flew right over CR's place!

We hadn't taken a notebook but once in the park the following patch species fell for the first time...and the list shows just how little patchwork we've done here so far this year...

In alphabetical order rather than order of sighting...

Black Headed Gull

Blue Tit

Carrion Crow

Great Tit

Pink Footed Goose - another skein of about 120 following the main road northwards right overhead - not one of the several dog walkers looked up even though they were quite low and making a lot of noise!

Sparrowhawk - a wonderful display of skydancing for a couple of minutes before it dropped like a stone through the treetops and out of sight.

Woodpigeon - !!! Shows how much we've neglected the patch!!!

The Patch 1 totaliser now stands at 19 with plenty more 'easy' ones to find eg Long Tailed Tit and Goldfinch still haven't made the spreadsheet!

Massed ranks of Starlings were constantly passing overhead leaving their roost on the piers heading out east to the fields for a days Leather Jacket hunting.
Talking of hunting...the Peregrine was tucking in to breakfast on our way back.
Later in the morning we were allowed a short safari to the nature reserve...we hoped yesterday's Smew would be on site but we'd had no news throughout the morning. A call to AB revealed it had been reported but he'd been on site for over an hour but hadn't seen it...not good.
As we arrived on site we got a text from CR saying he was Ice Station Zebra getting his first pics of the Iceland Gull in brilliant winter sunshine as opposed to dull rainy conditions. By the time we'd driven the 200 yards to join him it had drifted behind the reeds and we'd missed our chance :-( After a while, enjoying the waterfowl, minus Smew, we set off for a mooch round the rest of the reserve passing a group of four Fieldfares feeding on Apples (taken in the same tree yesterday).
Frozen condensation was thawing and dripping from the ceiling of the Feeding Station hide and the light wasn't good so we didn't stop long...a sackful of Reed Buntings were enjoying the free grub, so much so that it's nearly impossible to find one away from the feeders for an 'in habitat' shot during the winter.
Moving round we picked up a Kestrel hunting from a stationary perch in the scrub...it was here we discovered the batteries in the camera were flat! C got some pics before his stealth-mode failed and he flushed it. A quick look into the harsh light from the viewing platform had us scurrying round to find the Long Eared Owl. It was sat in a slightly different place to 'normal' and looked to be a greyer bird than the 'usual' one...h the old two bird theory...
The scrub was devoid of thrushes although we weren't looking to hard. The reedbed was devoid of Bitterns and we only heard one Water Rail and unusually no Cetti's Warblers - you'd have thought they'd have been singing their little hearts out in the glorious sunshine. Snipe however were quite plentiful - this year seems to be by far the best for them in a long time here.
The Canada Geese and Mallards along the edge of the island were behaving as though they'd seen a Fox but we couldn't see any hint of it. A scan of the gulls in front of the geese and ducks only revealed Black Heads and Commons.
But as we got in to the Fylde Bird Club hide there was the Fox prowling along the crest of the island...that's when we discovered our spare set of batteries were also flat...:-(  By the time we'd put a third set in the Fox had gone behind the big patch of Gorse and didn't reappear out the other side.
Off we went back to our starting position at Ice Station Zebra stopping at 'Mick's tree' - the best otter photographing vantage point - on the way.
At ICZ we took the pics of a feeding Mute Swan before realising it was well past 'should have been back at Base Camp by now' time and had to skedaddle.

 Where to next? More of the same but will the Smew put in an appearance?
In the meantime let us know what didn't put in an appearance when it really should have done in your outback.

Seen from space?

The Safari has had a mixed day today; the Land Rover failed its annual inspection miserably this morning...well do you REALLY NEED to stop? And apparently its bushes are deteriorating - so long as the bushes don't deteriorate so much that a Goldcrest couldn't hide in them they'd be fine by us! 

But after the wallet busting shock subsided we had quite a good day. Our Extreme Photographer came round and built Wifey's last Christmas present - her pergola which her Wisteria (which flowered for the first time last year) should climb and droop a profusion of flowers over the pond.

Earlier, as we left for the MoT test a low skein of Pink Footed Geese (Gdn No 9) were over Base Camp's airspace and during the construction of the pergola a few Goldfinches (G:10) were hanging around upset at our disturbance not allowing them near the feeder on the coldest day of the year - had to scrape ice of the windscreen! - and a Pied Wagtail (G:11) flew over. Eeee it's a big un but the flowers will dangle a good metre and we will have to walk underneath them.

While chop saws and sledge hammers were being expertly wielded by our Extreme Photographer our mobile kept going off as text after text came in letting us know that a Smew was at the nature reserve...of all the days!!! 

Where to next? The Smew left :-( but it might come back...

In the meantime let us know if the garden furniture in your outback can be seen from space.