Three safaris in one day!

The Safari has been a busy boy today! We were out on patch 1 at 06.00 but it had gone already quiet. Late last night we heard a large bird, or at least a none-passerine flying over eastwards we didn't recognise...really haven't got a clue so it must have been an oddball call from a familiar species....a triple middle pitched bark arch arch arch...arch arch arch...any suggestions?

This morning we found over 30 Frogs doing what Frogs do best in the lower pond with both the Heron and the Moorhen again. We also enjoyed a great display of diving and swooping with a bit of floppy winged slow flying from the pair of Sparrowhawks. With all the Frogs in the lower pond we thought it best to have a look at the top pond...no Frogs, they've been there looking at the size of the mass of spawn, but another Moorhen - one of them needs to swap ponds!

On the way back to Base Camp vis mig hit giddy heights when two Meadow Pipits went over and then we spotted a Greenfinch with a beakful of moss darting in to the line of big conifers.

As soon as we got back to Base Camp we necked a quick brew and headed out for the southern section of the North Blackpool Pond Trail armed and dangerous with red pen, map and clip-board. again it was fairly quiet, plenty of common stiff but not much song. Our first Chiffchaff of the morning was heard at the Community Orchard, we heard it or another not too far from here on the return leg. No drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers today, none that weren't drumming either. We had a dozen or so grounded Meadow Pipits and a few flyovers but other than those mig was confined to a single Pied Wagtail.

Strangely the pond on this section of the Trail didn't appear to have any Frog spawn what-so-ever although 75% of it is inaccessible, we'll torch it with NS and CR (check out is site later he's gone photographing Red Kite with PT today - expect stunning pics from both of them) next week under our FARG guise.

All that before 08.30!

The third safari was a mid-morning bonus as we had a couple of hours to kill while Wifey was in town. This time we had Frank again so it was off to the cliffs and a wander along Chat Alley. There was purge on dog owners who leave their mutts sh*t everywhere and we were accosted by a very senoir member of staff doing her bit on a bright and sunny morning...didn't know our AD's actually ventured out at weekends. We had a pleasant chat for a couple of minutes which was good as as soon as we parted company a Wheatear (133) nipped past - Chat Alley...well named! We didn't see it on the way back so without the stop could well have missed it. Then things looked up when two Sand Martins (134) came off the beach and flew inland.

A Meadow Pipit performed its parachuting song flight several times, they could breed on the cliffs, as could Wheatears if they didn't suffer the doggy disturbance of people throwing sticks and balls down the slope for their mutts.

A little further on we stopped to scan the sea and found a nice male Eider. Below us on the other side of the fence some nice lichens played host to a blob of Fox do-do, the first evidence of Foxes we've seen here.

Not a lot was on the very disturbed beach but we had to chance our arm at some gulls and fluked a Herring Gull with a long white P10, might have a tiny incomplete black subterminal band, and an all black P9 with a hint of mirror on the outer web, P5 has a tiny splodge on the outer web too if you look really hard...you'll need to squint! Most interestingly P8 looks to have a black mark/line at the end of the grey tongue - note to self check out other 'argenteus' pics to see how frequent this is - usually the grey merges quiet abruptly into the black. P7 is normal (phewww) with a tiny white moon.

Taking Frank down on to the beach to play in the pools as he was getting hot, yes it was turning in to a nice spring morning, we came across this largish lump of sea-coal washed up from the submerged coal seam. The left side has undergone some heating at some stage in its millions of years, or only 6500 if you're that way inclined, as it has been turned to coke and the bubbles left by escaping gas can be seen - its a shinier balck too and has lost its stratification.

Almost at the end of the safari we sportted JP sat on the bench with his scope pointing seawards. We gave Frank a breather and stopped for a chat, he'd done well with a Harbour Porpoise close inshore and a Gannet. While we were chatting another Wheatear bounced past as did a couple of Meadow Pipits. A fly-by Shelduck was a good find for this stretch of the coast. Below us 10 Redshankls dropped in to a runnel on the beach. A few Bumble Bees headed north at height over the beach, do they migrate too? This nature stuff keeps throwing up questions - no matter how much you think you know there's always more questions to answer...and kids today keep saying they're bored...how?

The J dropped the bombshell from his pager...at 21.00 last night a message had come in of a flock of NINE Waxwings at the offices next door to Base Camp - dunno who had them but they must have been less than 100 yards from Base Camp!

This 'slighthly' blurred pic is to keep you on your toes - what is it and why? Don't say Sh*tehawk we need more than that!

Where to next? Might even get a fourth safari later today!!!

In the meantime let us know whose chatting in your outback.

Another year bird for Patches 1 & 2

The Safari and NS went newting last night and you can catch up on our adventures here.
This morning there was nothing special about Patch 1. On reaching the park nothing had hit the pages of the notebook. A pair of soaring Sparrowhawks was the first entry. From the lower pond we heard a familiar, but not in these parts, call. Clipping Frank back on his lead, didn’t want him diving in first thing in the morning, we wandered over to investigate and managed to flush a Heron from the tiny ornamental island. But that wasn’t the caller, that was stood on a branch the local brain dead had thrown in - a Moorhen!!! (42).
Two male Woodpigeons battered seven shades of something out of each other in the top of the Larch tree until the female Sparrowhawk did a low level fly-past and broke them up, sent a fair few other Woodpigeons clattering through the treetops too.
Another predator was causing alarm and commotion, a cat was half way up an adjoining garden’s tree being mobbed vociferously by two Carrion Crows, two Magpies, a Blackbird and a Dunnock.
The excitement continued away from the park when, on the way back to Base Camp and breakfast, we heard a House Sparrow calling from the school grounds – not heard them there for a long time...not since the big sprawling bushes were ‘tidied’ into little two foot high blobs.
Finally we watched a 1st winter (2CY) Herring Gull making that awful whining call as one of its parents tried to ignore it from the adjacent roof top. Not long now before it’ll have to make its own way in the world as ma ’n’ pa are going to give it short shrift when they settle down to raise the next generation of ID nightmares in the next few days.
At a very misty Patch 2 the sea was unseen. On the beach we ‘counted’ 200 Oystercatchers with far more further south extending into the mist. Nothing gully got us going but a Linnet passing overhead was the first of the year.
At lunchtime the tide was on the rise but little was happening. Away towards the horizon a large flock of Common Scoters was making its way north. The wind had picked up a bit and was coming from the northwest so there was perhaps just a bit too much chop to be able to see any Harbour Porpoises although the forecast return to light easterlies looks promising for the weekend.
All we could find was a Grey Seal, close enough to be able to see droplets of water on his whiskers, as often as not they are a dot in the distance, and our friend the male Eider as bobbing about doing nothing much in particular just behind what little surf there was.
Where to next? The now regular North Blackpool Pond Trail weekend bird survey followed perhaps by another safari along Chat Alley which is now very definitely back in play.
In the meantime let us know who’s mobbing what in your outback.

Sun sun sun

The Safari opened the door to a bright sunrise this morning, it had just about crept over the rooftops by the time we left Base Camp for Patch 1. Immediately we heard a House Sparrow chirruping from the other side of the main road. Walking up the hill we were treated to a display of synchronised flying by a pair over Herring Gulls weaving their way through the sky for a bit of bonding, very noticeable how much bigger the male is than the female.
As an aside please have a good look at ‘advert’ at the bottom of this post for the Gull Masterclass AB has organised; book your place directly with him – looks like a flippin good do but unfortunately the Safari is unable to attend...aaaaarrrgghhhh!!!
Moving deeper in to Patch 1 a few Dunnocks and Wrens were singing with a Robin warbling deep in the Golden Triangle. A Blackbird was seen with a large beak full of nest material, how it could see where it was going was a mystery.
In the park proper there is still no sign of Chiffchaffs, this must be the only local patch left in the country without one! A singing Chaffinch was nice though. At the top of the park a Goldcrest sang loudly but every time it did there was serious traffic noise and we were unable to locate it.
On the way back past a now empty Woodpigeon Wood a Meadow Pipit called high above us.
At Patch 2 the tide was well out but looked almost devoid of life. A smattering of gulls and Oystercatchers was down at the water’s edge. The gulls gave us nothing of any note and we counted 219 Oystercatchers – more than we thought. Hidden amongst them were a single Redshank and a single Sanderling, well hardly hidden but you know what we mean.
The sea was millpond calm but we only managed about 400 Common Scoters mostly away to the south and a couple of Cormorants.
Overhead vis (or more correctly ‘audible’) mig consisted of one Goldfinch and one Meadow Pipit.
The lunchtime Safari couldn’t come quickly enough.
As it was no sooner had we placed the scope on the wall we found two Harbour Porpoises, the first living things seen, that doesn’t happen often!!! They gave great views on and off diving repeatedly then disappearing for some time only to reappear in near enough the same place, shame they were too far off for a pic. Also out there were three Grey Seals and if it wasn’t for the Common Scoters the mammals would have out numbered the birds! A quality mammalian ten minutes or so.

On the way home we were stuck at some traffic lights - AGAIN!!! - will the taffic nightmare ever end - nearly an hour to get home last night it's only 4 miles - coulda crawled it on hands and knees quicker!!! - when we spotted our first white butterfly of the year bouncing around some shrubbery in a front garden. Too far away to tell if it was a Green Veined White or a female Orange Tip.
Where to next? More of the same wouldn’t go amiss provided there’s a Chiffchaff on Patch 1.
In the meantime let us know what’s surfaced in your outback
Meanwhile on with the ad...

‘Birds and beyond’

Martin Garner has been watching wildlife avidly since about 11 years of age and has always been interested in thinking outside the box, currently a member of the British Birds Rarities Committee, an identification consultant for Birding World magazine and formerly identification consultant for BWPi he has published many papers on bird identification, whilst his first full book ‘Frontiers in Birding’ recently sold out.

Martin’s specialty is dealing with the real trickiest and involved of all Bird Identification posers, the Gulls that move around our estuaries and wetlands, close to two Mecca’s for Gull enthusiasts Richmond Bank and Moore Nature Reserve, Wigg Island.

The Artery of Life project in conjunction with the Friends of Wigg Island and CAWOS (Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society) present an Adult education opportunity via The Big Lottery Fund and Natural England ‘Access to Nature’ for Birdwatchers to ‘step up a gear’ and look at some of the trickier aspects of the hobby in a Bird watching Master class!
Venue: Wigg Island Community Park, Mason Street (0ff Astmoor Road), Runcorn.

Date: Tuesday 5th April.

Time: 7.00 pm

Places are limited to book a place contact; ARTERY OF LIFE OFFICER, anthony . brandreth @ halton.gov.uk (without the spaces)
Or telephone 01928 583917

Over to you - enjoy!

Let us know how you get on...

Misty morning squivers

The Safari set out on a very misty Patch 1 to the sqeals of the Peregrines either on their ledge or flying round, wherever they were we weren't going to see them. The Goldfinches in the Holly bush were stirring too.

Moving round to Woodpigeon Wood the misty dull conditions had enforced a lie-in for the residents, just walking underneath them we managed to flush about two dozen from the tree tops. Then we had the fright of our life, cutting through the Butterfly Zone somewhere to the right through the thicket we heard the loud and explosive barrk-bokk brrrrrrrrr of a Pheasant - where on earth had that come from and can they fly that far - the park is quite isolated from any other habitats.Not a full patch tick as we have had one before a couple or three years ago flying across the back gardens of the houses on the other side of the street.

No Patch 2 safari today either before work or at lunchtime, we were far too busy with an all day event.

We heard no news about the Firecrest so don't know if it was seen today or not but there or not we weren't able to stop to look. However, a text came in about an Osprey going over town mid-morning...it's started...

Where to next? Back to the patches with a sniff of a migrant with a bit of luck.

In the meantime let us know what's making all the noise in your outback.

Last of the winter thrushes

The Safari forgot to mention that on the drive back from Moore Nature Reserve on Sunday we passed by Marshside RSPB reserve. With the high driving position afforded by the Land Rover we were able to see at least four Avocets (132) still swishing about in the shallows as we passed the front of the reserve. The hoped for Barn Owl on the journey didn’t materialise.
This morning’s Patches were both quiet. Walking up the hill two ‘alba’ Wagtails were picked up on call and seen bouncing towards the coast. By the time we’re out on Patch 1 it is now light and so Woodpigeon Wood has lost its overnighters and is birdless, soon the opening buds will become full sized leaves and viewing in to the canopy will come to an end – winter does have some benefits!
A Fieldfare chacking about in the treetops before heading off northwards was the best the park could offer, indeed it offered very little else it being decidedly quiet in there hardly even the coo of a Woodpigeon.
Patch 2 was similarly birdless, the vast expanse of beach being well and truly disturbed by bait diggers, fishermen, dog walkers and a metal detectorist. Just a few gulls and Oystercatchers were away down on the water line and only two Redshanks in the runnel at the bottom of the wall.
Out at sea it was a bit choppier than yesterday and only a dozen or so Common Scoters were seen.
It was in the air that the action was for a change. Action might be a bit of an overstatement...about 20 unseen Meadow Pipits went over in dribs and drabs as did a couple or so ‘alba’ Wagtails, if that constitutes action then action it was.
Then the phone rang - Firecrest in the big park! nothing we could do until lunchtime when we needed to nip back to Base Camp for some work stuff anyway and the park happens to be on the way so there was nothing for it but to drop in for a few minutes. we saw plenty of Goldcrests and a couple of Chiffchaffs, even spotted CR and stopped for a brief chat.

Straight back after work and the youngsters had the place staked out but had only had a shed load of Goldcrests again. We gave it as long as we dared but didn't bump into the little beauty. Another quick chat with the youngsters, they had now had over 20 Goldcrests but still no Firecrest.

Where to next? No chance of a visit tomorrow until we hit the trail back to Base Camp.

In the meantime let us know what's hiding very well in your outback.

Mammals ahoy

The Safari set off into a misty grey dawn accompanied by the chirruping of a House Sparrow sitting on a telly aerial on the house opposite hot on the heels of a Grey Wagtail the morning before – Patch 1 tick number 36 and unexpected.
Before we tell you today’s news we’ll start by catching up on yesterday’s safari away down south to Moore Nature Reserve, and what a good day it was too meeting up with some good old friends and enjoying a day on someone else’s absolutely cracking patch.
From the car park it was straight to the tree where the target bird has been seen regularly in the last couple of weeks. On the way we stopped to watch a mixed flock of finches feeding in the ground in the middle of the track we were about to take. Four Lesser Redpolls were the highlight of this little group and nice to see how small they are when stood next to Chaffinches and Goldfinches.
After a few minutes observing the finches we had to disturb them to stand for many minute in front of a hole peppered tree. We watched a Nuthatch come out af a hole in another tree but no activity from our quarry.

A few Redwings bobbed through while we searched for a Willow Tit we'd heard and a at the same time the first of several Chiffchaffs (128) of the day sang briefly.
At the end of the track a Bullfinch called unseen from the middle of a thicket - typical!

After the woods the river and marshes beckoned for the very high tide. On the way we passed through a wildflower meadow the bounding hedgerow of which held a few very bright Yellowhammers (aka Scrub Budgies). A few snazzily bright Reed Buntings too.

Over the river there were Buzzards aplenty and a bit of movement of Curlews. A flotilla of Wigeon competed with various hippos, crocodiles, turtles and a giant marsh mallow for water space.
Someone who shall be nameless called Marsh Harrier crossing the river - a flamin Buzzard!!! - well on Warton Marsh it would have been a harrier!

A close watch was kept on the hundreds of gulls moving down river and going to roost on the power station lagoons on the far bank but nothing of note was noted.
Moving on towards lunchtime a huge old-fashioned flock of mixed finches and buntings bounced in from the far side of the meadow. Lots of Yellowhammers in there - probably more than we ever seen together for a very long time or ever - a real spectacle - WOW they just kept coming. A small flock of Tree Sparrows was found in a hedgerow along the lane
just before we got to the car park we saw a group of birders pointing camers and scopes treewards - was it the Lesser Pecker at last? No, a Tawny Owl (129) very well hidden in an ivy covered tree.

Can't believe this was the only pic we took!

After lunch we hit the wetlands and at the first lake a real rarity a stonking male Ruddy Duck (130). almost forgotten what they looked like - almost all jhave been 'removed' from the UK now but in France, even nearer the Spanish White Headed Ducks there are lots and lots and lots...maybe our cull should have started many years ealier....controversial...discuss as one of our number said.
A Green Woodpecker (131) called most unexpectedly but we must have been the only group all day not to have seen the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

A fine day out.

Today at lunchtime we found our first Harbour Porpoise of the year, hot on the heels of several sightings along the coast over the weekend. A Grey Seal was also found but nothing avian troubled the notebook.

Where to next? More patchy stuff and hopefully more cetaceans.

In the meantime let us know what's making the holes in the trees in your outback

Horses for courses

The Safari went out alone this morning, no Frank, as we had a survey to undertake and need all hands for pens, clip-boards etc.

The dawn dawned almost frosty, certainly chilly enough for the breath to be seen from these ponies

Backlit by the low sun their manes and tails caught the dawn light.

They're a fairly friendly much but seruiously overgraze the field they are kept in and in recent years have all but demolished the patch of the rare for Lancashire wetland plant Tubular Water Dropwort (could be Fine Leaved Water Dropwort as that grows locally too and we've forgotted which grows where) and have spread the aggressively invasive none native Crassula helmsii in to the wet area in which the former grows/grew too.

The Reed Bunting we spotted last week was still singing from the same the bush. The same female Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming on the same dead branch - we were beginning to get a sense of deja vu...then we found a Coal Tit - not sure how regular they are here as despite it being only a short stone's throw from Base Camp we rarely visit.

This is the only pond on this section of the North Blackpool Pond Trail...it'll soon be time for an amphibian survey, maybe later this week?

On the way back we had a fly over Jackdaw, not unusual in itself but we did have a further four over Base Camp later in the morning whilst doing our first gardening stint of the year.

Back on the survey we watched a flighty fight from two Great Spotted Woodpeckers and surprisingly another a few hundred yards further on...wasn't expecting to find that many!
That was about it for the birds, we're certain we undercounted the Magpies, Starlings and Woodpigeons; Blackbirds too, there seemed to be one in every tree and under every bush, the winter doesn't appear to have affected them at all.

Whilst counting the birds once again we almost stepped on another Bee Orchid.

At Base Camp the sudden noise of the gulls lifting off the office roof had us reaching for the bins and sprinting outside...Buzzard eventually located heading off northwards.

Despite the lovely sunshine we didn't see any bees or butterflies in the garden today.

Where to next? An early start for safari away down south tomorrow, meeting up with some old friends to hopefully find some quality birds including one target species in particular.

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