The Safari had a late start and had to have a go at distance birding this morning. After dashing off an email concerning yesterday's Mediterranean Gull, we'll let you know the outcome in due course, and having a bit of brekkie we didn't start vis migging until 09.10 and it was soon apparent that not a lot was going over.
There were 8 oktas of cloud, occasionally becoming 7 to the west
A stiff 15mph easterly and a temperature of 12C
Within a few minutes we got a txt from Young Un JS saying he'd had a fraction short of 550 Meadow Pipits in the previous two hours plus other bits n bobs. He was watching near his home a couple of miles to our north east.
Time for us to look east too then! We can see the next pylon north in the distance from this one in the horse field on the North Blackpool Pond Trail through the gap between Base Camp and next door looking over the rooftops, sort of 90 deg from the left of this pic; we can see the top cantilever and the wires stretching out about hundred yards away from the pylon.
He wasn't wrong as soon as we rested the bins on the top of our back gate we saw what were probably about 60 Meadow Pipits go by.
But by eck standing there with the wind whistling through the gap wasn't half chilly and we're unable to zip or button a jacket!
Pink Footed Geese 30,15,15,75,7, lunch, 7, socialising break, 50,28,5,1,20 a long long way east, 25N going back to the marshes to roost.
What looked like a Mistle Thrush
Probably >20x as many Meadow Pipits as saw over Base Camp although the small passerines could have been almost anything at over 1/2 mile away
Swallow 14,3, lunch & social break, 3
Kestrel local?
Sparrowhawk S at no height upsetting c35 Starlings - local?
Looks like we missed an Osprey by looking east rather than our usual west, 1 at Rossall Point (5 1/2 miles N) @ 10.55; one at Seaforth (28 miles south) @ 11.30...probably would have been over the other side of the hill and out of sight...wouldn't it? Going at a fair lick too 331/2 miles in 35 minutes just about 60mph! Ended up at Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB reserve for the afternoon which is just about as due south from Rossall Point as you can get.
S what did we get at Base Camp?
On the feeders we only noticed singles of Blue Tit and Greenfinch all morning although we did have our back to them most of the time.
All the following S unless stated
Meadow Pipit 31
Chaffinch
Grey Wagtail SE
'alba' Wagtail 2
Heron
Sparrowhawk seen twice local?
Small White
Red Admiral
After lunch a Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff was heard working its way along the trees at the end of the garden.
Not quite what we hoped for but interesting none the less...if only we were fit enough to have been able to get to our normal vis migging spot on the old railway bridge.
Where to next? Over night rain and a gentler south-easterly could be interesting in the morning, we'll be listening for a tsee-eep coming from the big Sycamore in next door's garden for sure.
In the meantime let us know what got you looking the wrong way in your outback.
On the feeders we only noticed singles of Blue Tit and Greenfinch all morning although we did have our back to them most of the time.
All the following S unless stated
Meadow Pipit 31
Chaffinch
Grey Wagtail SE
'alba' Wagtail 2
Heron
Sparrowhawk seen twice local?
Small White
Red Admiral
After lunch a Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff was heard working its way along the trees at the end of the garden.
Not quite what we hoped for but interesting none the less...if only we were fit enough to have been able to get to our normal vis migging spot on the old railway bridge.
Where to next? Over night rain and a gentler south-easterly could be interesting in the morning, we'll be listening for a tsee-eep coming from the big Sycamore in next door's garden for sure.
In the meantime let us know what got you looking the wrong way in your outback.
1 comment:
The rossall osprey was still sat on the beach at 12:30 after digesting a fish
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