Marsh Matters

Lots of activity at Burton Marsh this morning, including a large skein of Pinkies and a small RSPB chain-gang engaged in a spot of fence mending – all that was missing was the prison issue boiler suits!

Still hundreds of waterfowl on the numerous flashes, including large numbers of Wigeon and Lapwing – the recent high tides and resultant flooding really has produced a superb spectacle.

Good numbers of birds are not just restricted to the marsh though, with a large flock of finches feeding in the fields behind the Decca Pools. Flying overhead, at least one Brambling was calling (one bird I can pick-up in flight, unlike the characters in the next paragraph!) but the bulk of the numbers seemed to be made up of Chaffinch and Linnets.

Crossing the bridge near Neston Old Quay I had a quick scan for Water Pipits, but before I had a chance to look properly three birds shot up from the stream and flew off towards the sewage works. All giving off single calls, it seems likely that they were either Rock or Water Pipits, but I’m afraid my level of competency does not extend to telling the difference between a ‘pseep’ and a ‘weest’ yet!

Try as I might, I could not find one single Harrier on the outer marsh today, just a couple of blokes with Alsatians - trying their damnedest to disturb every bird within two miles of Denhall Old Quay - and a returning wildfowler.

On a positive note, I heard my first singing Chaffinch of the year – yet another sign that spring is not too far away now. Let’s hope this latest does of cold weather is the last medicine we have to take this winter!

Until later.

Richards & Bewicks

On a cracking crisp winter morning, I decided to defy the 'elf and safety mafia and undertake one of those non-essential journeys the Highways Agency is always banging on about and head down to Denhall Old Quay to check out the Richard’s Pipit.

There was no sign early doors, but the stunning light aided me in picking out a couple of Peregrines, two different ringtail Hen Harriers and a Merlin out on the marsh.

Neston Old Quay was also pipitless – not heard of any sightings of Water Pipit near the stream here for ages, but apparently there is a poorly-marked possible candidate near the Caldy Sailing Club.

Returning to the quay at Denhall an hour later I caught up with John Boswell & another birder who had managed to peg-down (not in a literal sense!) the Richard’s Pipit to an area at the end of the sandstone wall.

After playing hide and seek for ten minutes near the sewage outfall, it eventually popped out for fifteen minutes to share the stage with a couple of Starlings, before disappearing again.

The bird could have obviously been here for a little while, but yesterday at White Sands when doing my WeBS count it was noticeable how many small passerines were feeding on the marsh – Skylarks in particular, perhaps birds forced from frozen fields further away to warmer coastal climes?

Other interesting birds on White Sands included a decent count of nineteen Bewick’s Swans, a now resident Black Swan and conspicuous by their absence – no Whooper Swans.

Until later.

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.

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.

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.

Decca Records

Three Green Sandpipers on Decca Pools this evening; I would probably have missed them had they not been calling – but when do they never call?!

I also had distant views of a ringtail Hen Harrier, plus one, possibly two Short-eared Owls getting grief off some corvids. The shorties have yet to appear in any great numbers this year down towards the Burton end of the marsh, although I have had up to five at Parkgate.

Talking of Parkgate, the Hen Harrier roost seems to be up to three birds now: two adult females and what looks like a juvenile male - an adult Marsh Harrier also seems to be hanging around too. In short, get your backsides down there!

Three wildfowlers were on the marsh late in the afternoon too. Nothing unusual in that really, except that they were walking across RSPB owned land with their springer spaniel tearing around the sheep.

Now, as I understand there is a RSPB sign explicitly saying that people are meant to keep dogs on a lead around farm animals; indeed some have had a rollicking from the farmer for failing to control their hounds.

The sharp among you will have noticed a little hypocrisy in this (don’t worry if you didn’t, I’m not that sharp and would not have noticed it too) as I have never seen either of the farmers challenge people who shoot, just members of the public. They wouldn’t be picking on easy targets would they?

Anyway, enough editorialising I thought I may have seen a distant Black Kite from Connah’s Quay on Sunday morning and apparently Bardsey observatory bagged one on the following day. Probably nothing in it, but I will never know…

Until later.

Gone For a Burton

A pleasant amble along the fringes of Burton Marsh produced some goodies this morning - as soon as I had got out of my car at Denhall Lane, a Green Sandpiper could be heard calling manically from somewhere out on the marsh.

There was a fairly brisk wind, and a good number of Kestrels were utilising this to hang in the air – no need for a weather cock when these falcons are round.

Whilst looking at the horizon for any signs of a harrier my attention was drawn to a modest sized flock of wildfowl veering up into the sky. The white wing panels on several of the drakes revealed their identity to be Wigeon – a flock of fifty or so, yet another indication of autumn!

The cause of their panic was soon on the scene – a hunting Peregrine falcon. I can’t be too sure because of the distance, but I’d stick my neck out and say it was a young female. Like most juvenile peregrines, the hunt seemed to lack the urgency and decisiveness of the adult birds being a rather half-hearted affair.

It did take delight in mobbing a ringtail hen harrier though. The bird looked pretty fresh and was probably a young ‘un. Regardless, it looked in much better shape than the rather tatty looking adult female that has been limping around recently!

Passing Decca Pools - mostly dry now – I picked out a Reeve and a Ruff prodding assiduously at the fringes of the water. Then a small raptor zipped in front of me and headed for the pool – a cracking juv/fem Merlin. Like its larger cousin, the bird seemed to lack purpose when hunting and was predictably unsuccessful.

Back at Denhall Lane two Green Sandpipers were now wigging-out, but only became visible in flight for brief periods, when they seemed to be engaged in some minor spat.

Soon their calls were drowned-out by a monster flock of Canada and Greylag Geese – a classic sign of autumn. Not long until the real deal turn up.

Until later.

You say Quail, I Say Quayle.

A thirty minute downpour this morning over Burton Marsh was enough to sap the spirits of all the local birdlife save a few determined, singing Sedge Warblers. A juvenile Starling, feathers absolutely sodden, didn't even attempt to fly into cover as I approached it along the path, merely staring at me in resignation.

There were very few birds on the marsh this morning. It is approaching that time of year, when it passes into recess in order to ready itself for a new intake of residents in September.

It is the fag-end of passerine migration too. Only later arrivees such as Turtle Dove, Nightjar, Spotted Flycatcher and Quail are coming in any numbers now - all species under serious threat.

The reason for the decline in numbers of these birds is probably multiple, but heavy hunting of Turtle Dove and Quail in the Mediterranean cannot help. It is probably getting to the stage now when the number of shotguns is going to exceed the number of birds! I always wonder if they are in competition with fishermen to see which body can bring a species to extinction first.

Unlike many birders I do not completely disagree with hunting provided it is done sustainably and with minimum disruption. I know this is heresy to many, but I eat meat - including duck - and I'd much rather they had lived in the wild for a few years as opposed to a cage for three months.

It's always funny how things can sometimes run full circle. In using the picture of Dan Quayle - he of the 'potatoe, not potato infamy' - I thought of former US vice-President Dick Cheney. His most famous blunder was to accidentially pile lead in to a fellow hunter: whilst out shooting Quail in Texas.

Well, I never.

Until later.