Carbunkle

Not much to report on the birding front today despite a decent day of good weather. I had a fruitless search around Neston Old Quay for Water Pipits and spent two quiet hours at Inner Marsh Farm attempting to develop frostbite in my toes.

Despite the pipit no-show there was plenty of other activity on the marsh with decent sized flocks of Woodpigeons, Starlings, Lapwing and Wigeon too, who were busy whistling like a group of deranged P.E teachers.

Inner Marsh Farm held good numbers of birds too with a couple of Ruff and a male Peregrine bombing through late on the highlights of what was otherwise standard fare.

More notable news in the recent proposal by Peel Holdings to build twenty one, one hundred and twenty five metre high wind turbines at Frodsham Marsh. Link: http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2009/10/22/peel-energy-unveil-image-of-what-frodsham-marshes-wind-farm-could-look-like-59067-24989446/

What a truly dreadful prospect that such an eyesore could be built on what is potentially a beautiful, austere and wild area. Incredulously, a spokesman from Friends of the Earth has claimed that given the site is of no significant scientific importance for wildlife then this is an ideal site for such a development. This is probably true, but the marshes have been trashed by industry – can he not see the potential?

Wind Farms are grossly ineffcient to boot as they require massive subsidies and don't work during periods of weak or very strong wind.

In short, to use a quote I heard this afternoon: would you buy a fridge from Comet that worked for only three days a week and you didn't even know which three days that would be?

Until later.

Here Come The Girls!

Having watched the Dee Estuary for a number of years now, it has started to become apparent that there appears to be an imbalance between the numbers of female and male raptors, with the fairer sex apparently in the ascendancy.

This is most marked with the populations of over-wintering Hen Harriers that, in general, tend to be adult females. This seems odd when I consider that all the birds I found on the Welsh Uplands in the spring (8/8) were male and even if you take into account that the females will generally be guarding the nest and the males are more visible, it seems strange that ‘grey’ birds are uncommon on the Dee. This is further supported Hen Harrier sightings from Ynys-Hir, that tend to be almost exclusively adult male birds.

Similarly, in the case of another wintering visitor, the Merlin, it is very seldom that I see an adult male bird; again, the Marsh Harriers that pass through and occasionally winter on the marshes are mostly adult females or immature birds.

The situation with Peregrines is less clear. I would speculate that female birds do outnumber male birds, but the ratio is less acute than is the case with the Harriers and the Merlin.

For obvious reasons, Buzzard, Osprey, Hobby, Red Kite are difficult to sex, with the added difficulty that all but the former are rare or uncommon. Kestrels and Sparrowhawks may demonstrate a bias one way or another but I am guilty of not paying the falcon or the hawk enough attention, so I cannot comment!

Obviously it is hard – but possible - to determine the gender of young raptors such as Harriers and Merlin, but even taking into account a certain degree of error I believe that for some reason the Dee Estuary holds an unusually high number of female birds

It would be interesting to know if anybody else has had similar observations, or perhaps this is a ‘natural’ imbalance – this would be understandable in the case of Marsh Harriers where I believe males often service more than one nest.

Any Comments?

Until later.

'Pipers At The Gates Of Denbigh

We’ve seen all the flooding in Cumbria, but has anybody taken a look around the Afon Clwyd east of Denbigh? I could have kayaked along the Clwydian Way this morning - without having to use any section of the river!

I have had my eye on this section of the River Clwyd for a while, so now that the monsoon seems to have finally lifted I decided to investigate.

The meadows were absolutely saturated when I arrived and after wading through the first field I was on the point of turning back, but I could just see an area of exposed bank that I thought may hold a Grey Wagtail or perhaps even a Dipper, so I persevered.

Scanning the bank I immediately found a Grey Wagtail, but standing just to the right was two Green Sandpipers! Despite using an alder for cover, they clocked me almost immediately and flew off high and far back towards the road.

There was more to come in the next pasture: eight Goosander fishing on the river and also on the edge of a large area of flood water another three Green Sandpipers! These birds were less flighty than the previous pair and despite remaining wary I watched them feeding along the edge of the water.

Then, after finding yet another Green Sandpiper on the opposite side of the river, things started to get a little complicated. The next area of farmland I crossed I found another two Green Sands in the middle of a large flock of loafing gulls I was working through.

A loud gunshot disturbed the birds and they all took the air with the waders soon following. After a few minutes the gulls began to settle again followed a couple of minutes later by SIX Green Sandpipers!!!

I could barely believe my eyes; had I missed four birds before all the gulls were spooked, or more likely had the four birds I had seen in the previous field joined the two I had seen? It seems the most plausible explanation, but I guess I will never know – still eight is pretty good!

If anybody wants to have a look for the birds, they were all in or around the squares SJ0966/67.

Until later.

Inner Marsh Farm: Reserve 51

I received the latest letter from the RPSB this morning and reading through one of the leaflets I noticed an interesting omission in the list of northern reserves: Inner Marsh Farm.

Inner Marsh farm used to be absent from all RSPB literature as when the reserve was originally granted planning permission, the nimbys added the proviso that it essentially remained secret in order to prevent too many visitors - and therefore traffic – from ruining their Daily Mailesque rural idyll.

It therefore had a similar status to the US Government’s infamous secret military airbase – the so-called ‘Area 51’- in the Nevada desert. I even remember my first ever visit before the recent period of glasnost: after receiving instruction from Richard Smith, I was blindfolded and then bundled in a windowless van before being driven to the location by some blokes in black suits.

Thankfully times have now changed and despite the runways on the above map of Area 51 looking worryingly similar to the plans for the expanded reserve, I fully expected to be granted access this afternoon.

In the period before evening, on a clear and still day, when the sun sits just above the Clwydian Range escarpment the light at IMF can be perfect giving you wonderful views of the assorted wetland birds.

Tonight was one such night, and one that was very much welcome after the recent spate of rain and gales. After two weeks of shivering behind the causeway, the wildfowl and waders were back on number two pool.

The highlight was cracking views of Spotted Redshank feeding slap bang in front of the hide with a Reeve and a Ruff for company and also, momentarily, a Water Rail.

Sadly the light soon faded, but not before I watched a couple of Kestrels having a minor territorial dispute and a Buzzard lumbering into its roost at the top of a tree.

Until later.

Gowy Meadows

With the rain clearing up and the wind easing I nipped down to Gowy Meadows CWT at dusk today. It is a reserve – like Nikolai Valuev - that consistently punches below its weight.

It looks absolutely perfect for owls; lots of lovely rough grassland, voles galore and even lots of pukka posts to perch on. If you are a Short-eared Owl then surely this is the over-wintering des res.

There is one tiny problem though in that the owls seem to disagree. Numerous evening visits over the past few winters have produced nada – not even a Barn Owl that I know for certain breed at the nearby village of Stoak.

This evening was no different – the Kestrels having the run of the place yet again – although there was a surprise in the form of a Kingfisher perched at the foot of the Shell Road bridge.

Hopefully the bird will stay in area, although it is more than likely just taking advantage of a temporarily swollen section of the River Gowy.

In other news it was good to hear that the government is planning to plant an extra 4% of woodland – native deciduous too, not dreadful conifer plantations. Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8377827.stm

Henry David Throreau would have approved I think.

Until later.

Designer Stubble

I had a walk around Greenfield today, starting from the quaint little harbour and then up to the abandoned rust bucket, before doubling back.

With it being at the weak point of the tidal cycle, the water was up against the sea wall despite it being low tide. The usual crowd were roosting on the rocks: Redshank, Curlew, Turnstone and a few Oystercatchers whose discarded mussel and cockle shells crunched under my feet.

The flooded pastures had attracted a good herd of local curlew with around ninety birds feeding in the field next to the rather pungent sewage works. A flock of around five hundred Starlings busied around their feet, whilst a pair of aerodynamically savvy Grey Herons sat squat in the corner of the field monitoring the proceedings.

Just before I made a run for the car to avoid the rain, I had a quick scan of a small stubble field adjacent to the sewage treatment plant. Two Pied Wags were all I could see initially, but they were soon joined by four small passerines – Twite! Great to see an actual flock – albeit modest - rather than the singles I have been fed so far this autumn.

There was just time to nip over the fence at the rifle range embankment on my way back to Chester, but the weather was getting quite grim really and a female Peregrine going hell for leather in pursuit of a Woodpigeon was the best I could manage, plus three Goldeneye and a Pochard on the pool.

Until later.

Les Miserables

I must confess that John Ruskin is testing my patience a little now! He’s right though, there is really no such thing as bad weather, it’s the same weather day after day that is the real problem – it becomes tedious, rain or shine.

The scene on Burton marsh this morning was rather sodden with the resident Kestrels looking like gloom personified - praying I’m sure for some better hunting conditions. The owls must be enduring tough times too - it can be no fun having saturated feathers.

On the other hand, some of the wading birds – Curlew and Snipe for example – must be thriving in the damp conditions; the muddy earth being perfect for their long and probing bills.

The rainfall has also topped up all the flashes on the marsh which looks like being a boon for the over-wintering wildfowl – at the end of September most were bone dry. Egrets too must be relishing the prospect of investigating all the new pools.

With Becks and I drenched to the skin and feeling rather fed-up it was difficult to focus on the birds today, both in terms of concentration and in a littoral sense too – I could not keep my lens’ clear for more than twenty seconds.

Nevertheless, I did manage to find what I am fairly certain was a female Merlin, but given the condition of my optical equipment it could have equally been part of a fence post or a speck of dirt!

Maybe this is just as well, as I can refocus my attention on reading the new North-East Wales Bird Report for 2008. It has a picture of a GS Woodpecker on the front and you can pick-up a copy at Inner Marsh Farm for the modest sum of a fiver.

The publication is the work of the hitherto unknown to me Clwyd Bird Recording Group and covers the counties of Flintshire and Denbighshire. No fewer than four hundred people have submitted sightings to the report, with some chap called Anon Birdguides the most prolific contributor of all – he must get out more than me!

Seriously though, it must have taken a Herculean effort to collect and collate all the available data. Bird recording seems to be an extremely disparate activity nowadays with some sightings made available electronically in a matter of seconds whilst others are received some time later via more traditional methods such as paper submissions.

Many must go unrecorded too; for example, surely more than four Cuckoo’s must have been heard or sighted in Flintshire during 2008? I personally have heard two this year at Cilcain and Coed Talon – both of which were submitted to the BTO. I guess that the ideal situation would be for everybody to send their records to one central resource that all interested parties could access, but we are a long way from that!

Until later.

Out For The Count

It was out to White Sands this afternoon for the WeBS count. Heeding the warnings of the BBC weather forecast (whose presenters must be the shortest workforce in the world), I kitted myself up like Ray Mears in the arctic and prepared for a battering.

I had hoped for three species of swan today, but I was not expecting four – the first group of Mute Swans held a surprise in the form of a Black Swan. I hear a whisper that this introduced species from Australia may be added to the BOURC list given that it appears to have established a feral population.

Let’s hope not; if anything the Black Swan seems even more aloof and ill-tempered than the Mute Swan and if it shares any characteristics of its fellow countrymen then you can add loud, uncouth and mildly racist too!

Swans generally give me a bit of a problem when it comes to counting them. Last year their collective tactic was to feed in one large multi-species group and to keep their best identifying feature – their bills – hidden by constantly grazing.

This year the plan seems to be to gather in small groups scattered all over the marsh and to also move about as much as possible, making an accurate estimation of numbers and species a tad tricky - but I think I got there in the end!

Duck numbers continue to be low this winter with only very small numbers of Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal and Mallard recorded today – Wigeon in particular appear to be well down on last year.

White Sands WeBS Count 22.11.09

Great Crested Grebe 1
Black Swan 1
Mute Swan 42
Whooper Swan 5
Bewick’s Swan 5
Little Egret 8
Grey Heron 1
Cormorant 5
Canada Goose 11
Shelduck 71
Wigeon 37
Mallard 14
Teal 15
Lapwing 370
Curlew 12
Oystercatcher 3
Black-tailed Godwit 7
Redshank 142

Also, an adult female Hen Harrier, plus a wonderful flock of c4,000 Starlings.

Until later.

Turdus van Merula?

Keith Duckers e-mailed last week with an interesting theory relating to British common bird migration theory, and here in his own words it is (with some very minor adjustments! - Ed). Thanks, Keith.

I believe 75% + of our common garden birds go south for the winter and are replaced by their continental cousins. I know we have migrants coming from mainland Europe in winter, but I think there are a lot more than first realised.

In October it is quite difficult to see blackbirds, finches and robins as most have departed south, whilst in November these common species seem to re-emerge. Some items to consider regarding my theory:

A female blackbird found in the Newton catching box on Hilbre Island by Colin Jones had a Dutch ring with the words ARNHEM HOLLAND on it. (Truly fitting that it was found on Armistice day!!) http://hilbrebirdobs.blogspot.com/2009/11/11th-november-2009.html

Have you ever noticed that many robins seen in the garden in winter have an extra blue fringe around their red breasts? I noticed that there seemed to be about six of these particular birds at the Inner Marsh Farm hide, Burton, last winter, whereas in the Spring/Summer the red breasted variety exists.

I am pretty sure these are of the Scandinavian/Germanic species. - I have read this somewhere and I would appreciate any readers comments

A lot of work is done for uncommon birds regarding ringing, but I feel somebody needs to do some research with the common birds too (if they are not already). I feel sure that results from this research would reveal some surprising statistics.

Some questions for us all:

1 Where do our common garden birds go for the winter?
2 Are our Dutch friends already doing this type of research?
3 Do the 1st year young common birds follow their parents south?
4 Why did the Dutch blackbird make an epic trip to Hilbre Island?
5 Was it 'lost'?
6 Was it a young bird?

Food for thought?

I hope this has inspired readers to start inquiring about the current birding rhetoric (thinking outside the box!!!) rather than accepting the usual birding doctrine that has been passed down over the years - after all we all need something to think about during these dark and inclement winter months.

I would appreciate any comments...

Keith Duckers.

P.S - If anyone else wishes to contribute any articles (250-500 words) on anything interesting relating to birds or birding then I will consider them for publication. You can email me at pdshenton@yahoo.co.uk

Practically Perfect In Every Way

With the prospect of some decent flooding, I headed down to Dolydd Hafren in Powys this morning. By a nose, it just beats the RSPB’s Ynys-Hir as my favourite birding destination.

Whilst you are not going to get rarities galore – although it does produce good birds on a regular basis – its magnificent location overlooking an ancient flood meadow of the river Severn and its superb pair of tower hides make for an excellent site. Link: http://www.montwt.co.uk/hafren.html

It is also an absolute bugger to find as there is no signpost from the lane and despite having visited the reserve on a number of occasions I still struggle to locate the entrance. Perhaps this is a good thing, as you are very unlikely to meet another soul, leaving one to enjoy the peace and tranquillity.

Despite relatively few visits, Dolydd Hafren has produced a number of firsts for me: Goosander, Green Sandpiper, Tree Sparrow and Great White Egret. However, none of these birds will top a certain mammal I watched fishing here in May – my first and only Otter.

Today it was a bit of a struggle to be honest; the flooding had spilled over most of the path and splashing through the wet fields I felt I was getting a unique insight into the everyday life of a wading bird! Having said that, there is probably an iphone ‘app’ for that already – I wonder if there is an ‘app’ for making those bloody irritating adverts vanish too?

From the far hide, I could see the full extent of the flooding – biblical would be my best description as I was greeted with scenes more reminiscent of the Ganges basin than Montgomeryshire!

This had certainly had an affect on bird numbers: there were none, apart from small numbers of Teal and Mallard, plus a score of Curlew cowering on one of the few remaining exposed sections of riverbank.

An hour’s vigil produced very little else apart from a couple of Grey Herons and a Cormorant, so with rising water levels, I decided to call it a day and head for Coed-y-Dinas.

Safe in the hide at this little bijou wildlife sanctuary next to the A483 at Welshpool, I watched the rickety old oaks reluctantly bending in the gale and half expected to see Mary Poppins herself fly past on the high winds. Not many birds today, but for me anyway, Dolydd Hafren is still practically perfect in every way…

Until later.

Caught-a-flounder with Ease

The Dee at Connah's Quay was the scene of some serious fishing this morning with the local fisherman and the resident Cormorants competing to hoover-up the flatfish. Judging by the number of bulging throats, the Cormorants were winning hands-down. Have the fishermen not seen the HSBC advert – work together guys!

Cormorants have always interested me. How it is a bird so tied to the water has feathers that are so prone to getting wet is beyond me. This in addition to its rather prehistoric appearance leads me to think it must have just given up evolving…

They are certainly an optimistic species too; some of the twenty or so birds assembled on the edge of Oakenholt Marsh were attempting to dry their wings in the middle of a deluge, although according to somebody who shall remain nameless (!) the classic wings-out pose may also facilitate digestion.

Plenty of other activity too, with thousands of waders jostling for position as the tide quickly enveloped the marsh – its predicted height of nine point two metres seemingly increased by a combination of the low pressure, high wind and swollen river.

Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Knot completed the lion’s share of the roost. The Black-tailed Godwit numbers seem to have dropped-off markedly in the last couple of weeks. From a peak of around six thousand birds in October, the vast majority of them have seemingly moved on to either other areas of the estuary or to wintering grounds further south. Sounds like a plan to me!

Connah’s Quay 18.11.09

2,500 Oystercatcher
2,000 Knot
1,200 Dunlin
1,000 Black-tailed Godwit
300 Lapwing
100 Redshank
60 Curlew
3 Greenshank
70 Cormorant
90 Great Black-backed Gull
8 Great Crested Grebe
800 Teal
1 Kingfisher

Until later.

Blakemere Moss

“Britain braces itself for bout of mild weather” was the rather oxymoronic headline when I logged on to yahoo mail this morning - I do wonder sometimes.

Despite being in the middle of one the most well trodden sections of Delamere Forest, Blakemere Moss can provide a home for some interesting birds. Its thick, ebony, acidic and peaty water is not the first choice for a lot of wildlife, but in winter particularly it may hold things of interest – last year I found a Whooper Swan, a Woodcock and two Jack Snipe and a friend recently had great views of Firecrest.

A lap around the lake takes approximately an hour and there are plenty of access points leading to the water’s edge where you can scan round and take a break from dodging the mountain bikes.

There wasn’t much on the mere today; it was a little disappointing, although there were plenty of interesting passerines in the surrounding woodland.

Highlights included a lovely flock of circa twenty Siskin, a pair of Bullfinches (that I could hear but remained well hidden), and best of all four Crossbill flying over the ‘Go Ape’ adventure section.

I must confess that I do struggle to retain many bird calls – passerines specifically – but the ‘jip-jipping’ of Crossbills seems to be one of minority that has fortunately lodged in my brain – Bullfinch too, it’s just so feeble!

Until later.

Beachcombing

What is Etemophila alpestris’ common name? Is it Shorelark, Shore Lark or even Horned Lark – somebody make a decision!

No matter, it was great to see two of them at the Point of Ayr this afternoon -accompanied too by a handful of lovely Snow Bunting. For a family of birds not exactly renowned for producing the most dazzling of species, the Shore Lark is the exception that proves the rule.

It has been a few years I believe since they last graced the Dee Estuary and being a new bird for me, I think it was well worth the wait – the colouration around the head is exquisite making for a very handsome little passerine.

Finally getting to see the birds feeding on the spit was a quite a relief as I had already spent two frustratingly wet hours trying to locate them. I had initially searched the section of beech west of the red flag towards and including Gronant and seen absolutely bugger all.

When I had practically given up the ghost, I noticed a few birders assembled on the spit just east of the car park – an area I had avoided when I arrived as birds were roosting – and headed over to explore.

Both the Snow Buntings and the Shore Larks were extremely confiding, although predictably not confiding enough for one photographer (minus binoculars) who decided to indulge in a game of ‘grandma’s footsteps’ with the birds. Fortunately they didn’t seem to mind too much and I watched them fastidiously probing around the strand line for around an hour.

The Snow Buntings probably appreciated their presence even more. Usually very much the focus of attention, I imagine they would probably be enjoying their time out of the spotlight for a change…

Until later.

P.S - I have just received an e-mail from Keith Duckers detailing a day's birding around the Wirral side of the Dee Estuary on Sunday, including the Parkgate Raptor Watch. I have added it into the comments section below - apparently there were 200 people at Parkgate in the evening! Thanks Keith.

Lavan Sands

A window of decent weather in the middle of the current monsoon season had John Boswell, 007 and I motoring down to the Llanfairfechan to try and connect with at least one of the clutch of Slavonian Grebes reported from the Lavan Sands area over the last week or so.

The omens were not good when we searched the sea from the hide at Morfa Madryn – it was a struggle to find anything at all on the water except from a sprinkling of Wigeon, Red-breasted Merganser and Great Crested Grebe. We did however turn up a light-bellied Brent Goose - perhaps on a day excursion from Anglesey!

Noticing a few dots on the drink further west along the shoreline towards Abergwyngregyn we opted to chance our arm from the hide at Morfa Aber. When we arrived the heavens opened, the light worsened and the surface of the water became distinctly choppier – hardly ideal conditions and as before we could find the odd GC Grebe and Merganser but nothing else.

The appearance of a couple of rainbows then signalled a change of fortune – of sorts – and we located a small grebe, albeit at quite a distance. Frustratingly, it seldom spent more than a couple of seconds on the surface and teasingly drifted right with tide taking it gradually further away. I was fairly confident it was a Slavonian Grebe, but with the scope on x60 there is always that element of doubt…

Another pair of teases was two small passerines feeding around a roosting female Goosander on a grassy spit to the right of the hide. Again, they flatly refused to move close enough to confirm their identities and upgrade themselves from suspected Twite to confirmed Twite – not playing ball today these birds!

With the tide now creeping out we re-located to the promenade at Llanfairfechan via a quick excursion back to Morfa Madyrn to scour the sewage work environs for Firecrest. With the gates firmly looked, some low level trespassing was the order of the day but despite finding plenty of passerines in the surrounding wood, a Goldcrest was the best we managed, plus a couple of Treecreepers.

It was more productive at Llanfairfechan, although again the birds were fairly far out. The best two birds were picked up in flight: a Great Northern Diver and a drake Eider, but the Slavonain Grebes were playing it coy again and refused to show.

Lavan Sands 14.11.09

6+ Red-throated Diver
1 Great Northern Diver
1 Slavonian Grebe (Almost Certainly)!
30+ Great Crested Grebe
1 Gannet
1 Brent Goose (hrota)
1 Eider
2 Goldeneye
1 Goosander
15+ Red-breasted Merganser
2 Greenshank
2 Turnstone
1 Guillemot
1 Goldcrest
2 Treecreeper

With a couple of hours light remaining we rounded of the day by calling in at RSPB Conwy. Very quiet really, although JB did record the reserve’s first Perambulator Pipit – for those of you unfamiliar with the call, it is exactly the same as the noise a squeaky buggy wheel makes!!

Until later.

Gold Is The New Grey

I don't know what it is about Frodsham No.6 tank, but the plovers clearly love it. There must have been over three thousand Lapwings and around fifteen hundred Golden Plover roosting on the drier sections early this morning.

Golden Plovers are one of my favourite birds; unlike many waders they refuse to turn a dour grey colour in the winter and look magnificent on a crisp, sunny morning.

They also have a lovely, distinctive call, that is best heard at sunrise on the welsh uplands in spring – should you be lucky enough to find one!

I was down here ostensibly to find the Water Pipit that had been reported a few days ago, but Frodsham Marshes is a big area and as there were no details in the logbook - I was more likely to have bumped into Lord Lucan and Osama bin Laden pitching a tent.

There seems to have been a mini-invasion of these elusive critters over the last few days, let’s hope one sets up camp locally so I get an opportunity to remember what they look like!

Plenty of other birds around, including large numbers of Linnets, Goldfinches, Pied Wagtails and about twenty drake Pochards on the flooded section of the tank.

Not much else to report except that there appears to have been a plague of fly-tipping – is this one of those pathway activities that leads to harder pastimes like cow-tipping?

Until later.

Excellent...

It was news that would have delighted all the C. Montgomery Burns’ across the United Kingdom. The government recently proposed to build ten new nuclear facilities across the country - all on or near existing sites.

As somebody who is passionate about wildlife, I must confess that I could not be happier, especially if this controversial form of energy reduces the need for not only carbon releasing oil and gas power stations, but the necessity for wind, tidal and wave power too – the so-called ‘renewables.’

These supposed ‘green’ sources of energy are anything but. Climate change is a hot topic, but unfortunately it is drowning-out other equally critical issues, particularly habitat destruction and over population.

To the general public, building a tidal barrage across the Severn estuary would appear to be an excellent clean solution to our energy needs. However, those of us who strive to take a deeper interest in such matters know the trade-off of such a project in relation to wildlife would be calamitous – our estuaries are amongst some of the most important natural habitats in Europe.

One particular government-wallah, the permanently tanned Peter Hain once defended this proposal claiming that bio-diversity would increase. He is actually correct, the number of species would increase, but any intelligent person recognises this argument is specious.

For example, this argument holds true if one critically endangered species was lost, but three others that are very common elsewhere are gained. Biodiversity has indeed increased, but the cost is to lose an extremely important species of flora or fauna.

Wind and wave power seem less inimical to the interests of wildlife, but as with tidal energy I would be quite glad to see the back of both of them. My objections to wind power are largely aesthetic; wind turbines are as ugly as sin and very cost ineffective. Additionally – as is the case with wave power – many installations are close to coastal areas, where the affects on sea-dwelling and pelagic birds have not been fully researched.

Nuclear Power is expensive and produces dangerous by products that are difficult – if not impossible – to dispose of safely. However, they are largely passive, take up little space and produce carbon-dioxide free energy. Hooray for Nuclear.

Well that what a little heavy wasn’t it. No worries, back to the birds, bad puns and light-hearted quips tomorrow - I promise!

Until later.

(Major Parus) Hilton

Great Tits - real ones at that and probably in possession of a greater vocabulary too! They were everywhere this afternoon and I wasn’t even reading Nuts magazine or scanning one of those dodgy websites I’ve heard so much about.

It all started when I bumped into a large winter flock of passerines when out walking my dog at the Gowy Meadows CWT reserve this afternoon. I decided to search through the group to see if it contained anything interesting, but I soon discovered bar the odd Blue Tit or Goldfinch it was Great Tits all the way – about fifty in total.

Quite interesting as Stephen Fry might say, but hardly earth-shattering. I continued my walk towards the river Gowy, but I had to turn back when I noticed the cows had been moved to graze the pasture I needed to cross. I decided to drive to the woodland park at Mickle Trafford instead.

When I entered the park I encountered another large winter flock in the birch and willow scrub, and after scanning this gathering I found that it too was dominated by Great Tits – probably seventy of a flock of eighty or so.

It was then that I remembered that the level in my peanut feeder had been dropping quicker than the pants of a certain vacuous hotel heiress recently – a food source favoured by Great Tits.

I wonder if there has been a large influx of Great Tits this autumn. I have had a look on the interweb and cannot find much on the irruptions of this species, just one article alluding to increased breeding success following a good crop of beech nuts.

Has anybody else noticed similar numbers of Great Tits? Drop a comment if you have.

Until later.

Red Letter Day

Pennington Flash was deserted this morning save a few hardy souls solemnly escorting their dogs around the park. Not surprising really, the weather was grim.

I had hoped to catch of glimpse of the Slavonian Grebe that had been hanging around recently, but after a good search across the water nothing was doing – it must have slunk off to Ljubljana.

A flock of lapwing then suddenly took to the air – scared of their own reflection these birds – but just as I thought it had been yet another false alarm, I caught a glimpse of a large brown raptor disappearing into the trees to the right of Horrocks hide.

Initially, I assumed it must have been a young Sparrowhawk, and I thought nothing of it. Ten minutes later, the Peewits panicked again and I this time I could see why – a large bird of prey was flying towards me head-on. The first thing that struck me about the bird was how muscular it looked around the chest area.

Luckily it landed on the spit about twenty yards from the hide. Focusing on the bird, my jaw almost hit the floor – it was a Goshawk! Its large size, brown plumage and powerful build suggested a young female.

Regaining my composure, I began telling myself that it must be a young female Sparrowhawk, but the massive size and piercing orange eye meant that it must have been a Goshawk.

Having only seen these impressive hawks displaying at distance over Cloclaenog forest it was a real privilege to see one so close – especially in such an unlikely location. Unfortunately, after about half a minute the bird took to flight and headed west across the flash.

It was at this point that doubts began to creep in as I remember having read somewhere that when gliding Goshawks don’t lose altitude like Sparrowhawks, and this bird appeared to drop slightly when coasting. Then again, thinking about it now, this appears to be contrary to the laws of Physics!! – and having seen the bird up close I have very few doubts.

The raptor action didn’t stop there either. I popped down to Parkgate on the way home and bagged my first ‘grey’ male Hen Harrier this autumn. Plenty of other action too:

Parkgate 10.11.09

3 Hen Harrier (1 sub-adult ‘grey’ male, plus 2 adult females)
3 Short-eared Owl
2 Barn Owl

Until later.

Billy No Mates

The fog seemed to follow the tide in at Connah’s Quay this afternoon. Thick it was too – the sort that would have a salty old sea-dog of a captain quivering in his timbers at the prospect of his vessel being dashed on the rocks.

Not much goings-on from the west hide as a fairly low high tide meant that the majority of the waders and wildfowl were spread far and wide across the sand and mud flats.

The bunded pool viewed from the middle hide was better – two Spotted Redshanks flew in, a ringtail Hen Harrier quartered over the Dee embankment and a Kingfisher delighted in dive-bombing three Little Grebes. This behaviour seemed a little odd at first, but I suppose they are rivals for the same food source.

I must say that the repairs made to the sluice this year have definitely assisted in the retention of much more water on the bunded pools, with the consequent benefits for the birds.

Just as I was about to leave a small finch dropped onto the grass next to a handful of Starlings. A yellow bill and darkly streaked back revealed it to be a Twite. It also had that classic colouring on the face and underside that bird books describe as ‘mustard-yellow’ or ‘buff’.

For my penny’s worth they are wrong. Twite look like they have just had their beaks buried in a chicken tikka masala or a lamb bhuna. Curry-coloured it should say, but then again this description may go over the heads of our Collins reading vindaloo-dodging continental neighbours!

It's also strange to see a single Twite - like teenagers, these small finches tend to bounce around in large groups making lots of noise and generally not able to keep still for longer than three seconds.

Until later.

Shotwick Rifle Range Area

Just look what happens when you type Goldeneye into Google images - bloody Pierce Brosnon everywhere. I wonder if Google would produce an entire gallery of ducks if you typed Goldeneye when searching for the film?

Anyway, enough of derivative talkies produced by creativity-challenged Hollywood players, what about the birds?

I took a trip to Shotwick rifle range pools this evening - a pair of female Goldeneye, a brace of female Pochard, a Dabchick and a Grey Wagtail were on the pool, but my main aim was to head to the embankment and scan the marsh for Short-eared Owls.

No owls at first, but I was entertained for a while watching a female Merlin tracking a ringtail Hen Harrier, presumably hoping to pick-off any small passerines the larger raptor may flush out.

I eventually found the first owl way out towards Neston and this was soon joined by another two having a scrap. Very belligerent these birds - they don't seem to be able to pass each other without having a little contretemps!

Moving right I located a further one near Neston reedbed – this individual trying to shake of the attentions of a corvid – and then another possible close to Denhall old quay.

Just when I thought I would be restricted to long-range views, two wildfowlers flushed two birds from the grass a few hundred yards away. Then, one of the spaniels managed to unearth a third bird close by. Definitely seven, probably eight, either way my highest total this autumn!

Shotwick Rifle Range Pools 08.11.09

7/8 Short-eared Owl
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Merlin (female)
2 Buzzard
16 Golden Plover
2 Goldeneye (female)
2 Pochard (female)
1 Grey Wagtail

Hopefully the Short-eared Owls will build up this month; I think it was November last year when the numbers began to rocket. Here's hoping, after all: Tomorrow Never Dies!

Until later.

The true Maharajas of Snowdonia

Walking in the welsh uplands is one of my favourite pastimes. The remoteness, abundant wildlife and sheer beauty of the many ranges are a constant draw.

There is however a missing element: the absence of Golden Eagles. The mountains of North Wales must surely be one of the wildest places in Europe without a population of these majestic raptors.

The indigenous population has of course long-gone - presumably shot and poisoned in less enlightened times – but there seems to be a compelling case for their re-introduction.

With numbers in Scotland being pretty stable, surely there is scope for utilising the four hundred or so breeding pairs to produce chicks for release in the Snowdonia area. There is also the experience gained from the White-tailed Eagle release programme to draw upon.

Authorities such as the RSPB and the Countryside Council for Wales should also be encouraged by the success story of the Red Kite, now returned to many of its previous haunts. Similarly, Goshawk, Peregrine and Hen Harriers also seem to be more abundant than for along time, so what about the final piece of the jigsaw?

The only possible objection would predictably come from the farming fraternity. Sheep would be lost – there is no point in denying this fact – and many farmers would need to be compensated for the financial loss. This would be small beer though in comparison to the huge amount of money additional eco-tourism (I hate that term!) would generate.

In truth, I am also tired of listening to moaning farmers given the damage that most have done to the land they supposedly protect. Given that many see themselves as custodians of the countryside, it is surprising how many see nature and wildlife as something to fight against rather than work with.

The case for bringing the Golden Eagle back seems extremely strong and I am a little surprised no conservation body has mooted or proposed this policy. And why stop with Golden Eagles – the coast of Gwynedd, Anglesey and the Lleyn Peninsula is surely perfect for its larger cousin the White-tailed Eagle too!

Until later.

P.S - Inner Marsh Farm quiet this afternoon; two Kingfisher, two Ruff and a Water Rail the only birds of note.

A Hint of Cinnamon

The rains continued today, but I was hardly going to stay in and watch Loose Women or Antiques Under The Hammer was I?

Connah’s Quay was my port of call – thousands of the commoner waders were roosting on Oakenholt Marsh, including 29 Golden Plover and a single male Ruff – uncommon over here.

Interestingly, a very rufous female Teal that I clocked a few weeks ago was present again on the channel in front of the west hide. I had a closer look today at the bird that is certainly a curiosity. It is a little larger than the other females and aside from the reddish colouration the bird also has a heavier bill than a Common Teal.

Having done some research on the internet, the colouration of the plumage, the head pattern and the shape of the bill would suggest elements of a Cinnamon Teal, but this individual resembled a Common Teal in every other aspect of its appearance down to the pale patch near the tail.

Perhaps this bird is a hybrid, or more likely just an aberrant Common Teal, but intriguing nonetheless.

Connah's Quay 06.11.09

Lapwing 2,500
Oystercatcher 2,000
Black-tailed Godwit 1,500+
Redshank 1,000
Knot 600
Dunlin 500
Golden Plover 29
Greenshank 4
Spotted Redshank 1
Ruff 1
Kingfisher 1
GC Grebe 2
Little Grebe 3
Teal 800

Until later.

Swansong

A large dose of what makes our land so green at Inner Marsh Farm this evening had the majority of the wildfowl milling around despondently on number one pool.

The notable exception was two Whooper Swans – probably newly arrived – looking absolutely cream-crackered on the hide pool.

They looked about as likely to move as an Israeli settler on the West Bank, but after a few verses of tuneless trumpeting they were off and over the marsh using what was probably their last drop of fuel.

Having stayed under the flight path to Heathrow over the last few days, I am always incredulous to think that less than twelve hours ago, some of these giant aluminium behemoths were flying over exotic far flung lands.

But to me, some of the incredible journeys migrating birds make under their own steam is in many cases and to use the most overused superlative: unbelievable.

I have heard a few whispers and seen a couple of reports of both Bewick’s and Whooper Swans from all over the estuary during the last couple of days – winter is truly just around the corner.

Until later.

Rainham Marshes

Today I have seen the future of birding - and I'm not sure I like it. I took a trip to the RSPB's Rainham Marshes and I'm not impressed.

The habitat is magnificent - a huge ancient grazing area adjacent to the River Thames that manages to seem extremely wild, despite its close proximity to the city of London.

The problem is that there is only one hide and that overlooks a scrape - one that is still being constructed. Considering the vast sums of money that have been spent on the visitor centre (that looks like a lego spaceship on stilts) and the hundreds of metres of boardwalks, there are very few facilities for the the birdwatcher whom looks to have been sidelined yet again in favour of the tea and sandwich brigade.

For example, it was a complete waste of time taking my telescope and hide clamp as I had to lump it 2 1/4 miles around the trail without being able to deploy it. There are numerous viewing points, but they are open air platforms with no areas to attach clamps and moreover, I would not wish to stand on them in bad weather. Crucially, this arrangement is also extremely inconsiderate to the birds as they can clearly see you looking at them and understandably stay at a distance. No good if you only have binoculars!!

There is also a huge tract of rough grassland you cannot see because of a lack of elevation. A tower hide overlooking this western section of the reserve would be incredible and provide cracking views of hunting raptors.

I can understand the RSPB wants to be as inclusive as possible, but it should remember that its core ethos should be to not only safeguard the future of wildlife, but also allow those of us who are serious nature watchers to actually see it.

With the towers of canary wharf clearly visible in the distance, it was difficult not to remember what happened to certain institutions when they grew so large that they become arrogant and forgot the original reason why they were set up in the first place. And we all know what happened to them.

Until later.

Loonacy

No white whales today or indeed any sign of the Pequod, but enough action for a decent seawatch from the dunes at the Point of Ayr.

A steady stream of auks allowed me to get my eye in and before too long I was treated to spanking views of a winter-plumaged Great Northern Diver flying along the shoreline. A probable second followed a few minutes later, although it was miles out to sea and kept low in the troughs.

Duck was next on the menu; six Red-breasted Mergansers flew powerfully out of the estuary tailed a couple of minutes later by a drake Eider – uncommon birds in Liverpool bay.

As expected there was a good count of Common Scoter. Well over a hundred birds in total and as per usual they were flying in all directions of the compass.

Next it was the turn of Great Crested Grebes with three birds moving west along the coast accompanied by another distant loon that looked like a Red-throated.

Point of Ayr Seawatch: 02.11.09, 08:30 to 10:30.

1+ Great Northern Diver
1 Red-throated Diver
3 Great Crested Grebe
6 Red-breasted Merganser
1 Eider (drake)
100+ Common Scoter
10+ Razorbill
2 Guillemot
1 Gannet
1 Kittiwake

Today I received an unconfirmed report that a Catbird has been present near the small pool next to the path that leads to the razed hide at the Point of Ayr. For those familiar with the area it is where a Kingfisher normally resides in the winter.

The gentleman I spoke to claimed the bird has been present for two weeks; he says that he has heard it calling and seen the bird on one occasion during a total of 30 hours looking for the bird.

The chap in question is a well-known local birder, but after recent conversations with him concerning other birds he claims to have seen this autumn, caution is advised. Pass the salt.

Until later.

Cold Comfort Farm

With it raining cats and dogs and the wind howling, there was only one sensible option today: stay indoors. Inner Marsh Farm it is then.

The east facing hide, sheltered behind by a railway embankment can be quite cosy in bad weather, especially when you are sporting more layers than a geology exam paper.

The birds seemed similarly unimpressed by the cold, with the majority of the wildfowl hunkered down behind the causeway between the two pools.

Then things began to pick-up considerably. A male Peregrine circled the back scrape eyeing-up the Teal, but soon disappeared over Puddington.

A few minutes later an adult female Marsh Harrier appeared and this was quickly followed by a juvenile male Hen Harrier in quartering the wet meadow. Eventually the Marsh Harrier drifted over towards the hide giving absolutely cracking views, whilst the Hen Harrier largely stayed afar trying to shake off the attention of a mobbing corvid.

Quite an interesting bird the female Marsh Harrier – there is a fairly extensive amount of white on the leading edges and it actually looks very small for an adult female. Probably goes to show just how variable raptors can be.

There was just enough time for another Peregrine visitation – this time a whacking great female. After carefully approaching the roosting ducks in a low and purposeful flight I was anticipating a successful hunt, but when the wildfowl – mostly Pintail – clocked the falcon they barely moved. This seemed to confuse the raptor and it failed to make an attempt at a kill and flew off over the marsh. Cool customers these Pintail.

A very loud chap from Wales then announced confidently that he had found two Long-billed Dowitchers on the border pool. They very quickly turned into Greenshank, but the observer was extremely reluctant to accept this fact as there was “No Greenshank in the log”. No argument there then.

Not that you can really decipher the contents of the log - someone clearly left the hide shutters open yesterday as the hide log book is saturated. I wonder if this makes it waterlogged. Sorry.

Until later.