After an early wrap at Arrowe Park this afternoon, I decided a trip to Parkgate was in order. I thought I had left it a little late, but the clear sky and light reflecting from the snow covered marsh meant visibility was excellent well past sunset.Short-eared Owls were the first to put in an appearance – up to seven possibly. It looks like the recent cold weather may have prompted a mini influx of Shorties with a whisper of a good count of birds further down the marsh.
A Barn Owl was next to show, possibly revelling in the fact that for once it was perfectly camouflaged during daylight hours as oppose to sticking out like a sore thumb. It didn’t take too long to locate food either – after a mere two minutes it was freighting a vole over the trees and into the paddocks.
On the outer marsh a couple of Ravens feasted on a carcass in front of a backdrop of a large flock of flighty Pinkies, whilst closer in a Merlin whizzed past in pursuit of a small passerine.
As it began to get really dark good numbers of Fieldfare started to fly-in from the marsh and just before the light went completely, a ringtail Hen Harrier slunk into the roost.
As I was about to leave, I overheard a couple of teenagers chatting whilst walking a dog.
“That’s Wales over there, innit?
‘Fink-so.’
Who said standards are declining.
Parkgate 07.01.10
6/7 Short-eared Owls
1 Barn Owl
1 Hen Harrier (ringtail)
1 Merlin
3+ Kestrel
300+ Pink-footed Geese
2 Raven
2 Little Egret
Until later.
3 comments:
Hi Paul,
Happy New Year,
That's a nice haul from Parkgate,the best I've been able to manage so far has been a couple of Shorties,a couple of Hen Harriers,1(ml),1(fm),a Marsh Harrier(fm),and a Kestrel and Merlin(fm).Judging by some of the excellent birds you're turning up I would say you're Fieldcraft is pretty good,but it really is the most enjoyable asset to have in Birding.Although I have a reasonably good Scope,I very rarely use it except for Seawatching,because I'm a lifelong Field Birder,and have never been able to get away from looking,listening,and trudging for hours on end in suitable habitat.
A perfect example of a typical days Birding for me is to visit one site only in a day,say Frodsham,and arrive first thing in the morning and spend 7 or 8 hours walking the entire Marsh,a distance of around 8 miles logging everything I see and hear,and looking for signs of things like Owl Pellets around various perching posts.At Frodsham last year the Long Eared Owl I watched, I picked up from a series of Pellets along the pipe through No 4tank, and simply returned the following day,and Bingo!!!
Cheers Denzil
Hi Denzil, happy New Year to you too.
My fieldcraft has improved over the last year or so as I have been putting quite alot of effort into learning songs and calls - especially of the more uncommon birds, but I still sometimes think - to paraphrase Napoleon - it is better to be a lucky birder than a good one!
I never seem to find many rareties, but seem to have a knack for finding uncommon birds or common birds in strange locations!
I'm not sure I have a typical days birding, but broadly speaking if I am either seawatching, observing the tide, or walking in the Welsh Uplands then I am happy.
Probably the most satisfying experience for me is finding a Hen Harrier hunting the Welsh moors in spring after a gruelling walk. I never tire seeing them on the estuary, but watching them in a remote area with no audible human noise is something special to me.
Cheers, Paul.
Hi Paul
You're absolutely right about seeing great birds in great locations,and the pleasure it brings.Along with yourself my most memorable things from 2009 were not any particular bird that I had recorded,but firstly a female Hen Harrier hunting over the moors up at World's End in a break in the weather on a quite atrocious day,and secondly a female Peregrine hunting over my "Patch" at Shotton Pools Nature Reserve on Deeside.The Peregrine had been circling and gaining height steadily for quite a few minutes before dropping out of the sky at heaven knows what speed,and finally turning over on her back at the last moment to take a Wader with pin-point precision,from underneath,only feet from the water.I can honestly say it's my most memorable moment from a Birding lifetime,never mind 2009.
Touching on different styles of Birding,I never decided to follow the Fieldcraft route at any stage in my life,it really was a natural progression from a passion for wandering around the countryside as a small boy.Having lived in Hong Kong for 5 years shortly after I was born,my Father was then posted to RAF Valley on Anglesey,where he continued serving as a Pilot for many more years,and it was there that my passion for watching birds developed.In a society that at the time was pretty much devoid of "Scaremongers",parents would allow their children to wander off for hours on end to enjoy the countryside around them,and consequently Llyn Penrhyn and Llyn Traffwll,are the 2 most special places to me,...."Anywhere in the World".
Cheers Denzil
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