Octoberfest

Another day, another first at Connah’s Quay: an adult female Marsh Harrier picked-up hunting behind the Dee embankment. It took a few minutes to nail the identity of the bird as it appeared to be using the riverbank as a buffer against the strong south-westerly wind and seldom showed.

Not stupid then these birds; I distinctly remember enjoying a very close encounter with a Hen Harrier at this area of the marsh during similarly high winds.

Eventually the raptor let the wind lift it upwards taking it into the realm of a handful of large gulls that largely ignored their stately intruder. The harrier then decided it was time to disturb a flock of roosting Black-tailed Godwits on the opposite side of the river channel, but before it reached the waders it stooped down to the water’s edge and plucked a dead fish from the side of the river.

Before you could say Circus Aeruginosous, the lady had taken its meal back to the marsh on the opposite side of the bank and out of view.

Hoping to get a closer look, I moved down to the hide near the field centre. No harrier alas, but more close views of a Long-billed Dowitcher drilling in the mud for food whilst a couple of hundred Redshank dozed contentedly in the unnervingly warm autumnal sunshine.

Until later.

Geese. Thousands of them.

With the twitching high priesthood descending for a conclave around a bush at South Shields, I decided to mooch over to Martin Mere for a gander at the geese.

Probably our greatest wildlife spectacle, the sight of thousands of geese descending from a crisp autumnal sky is enough to rouse even the most jaded wildlife watcher.

With relatively small numbers of wildfowl present and only a modest number of Whooper Swans back, the Pinks are bossing the mosses at the moment with numerous yapping skeins commuting to and fro across East Lancs.

Apparently a pair of Tundra Bean Goose has been accompanying the Pinks this year, but you would need the zen like concentration of a gull-watcher to pick ‘em out.

After dragging myself away, the day was finished off at Marshside. The field in front of Nel’s hide is still yet to flood properly, but it still managed to hold the largest numbers of Wigeon I have seen this autumn. This duck seems to have not arrived in any significant numbers yet, especially in comparison to Teal and the masses of Pintail that are building up on the Dee.

A stroll up the road to view the marsh near the Sandgrounder’s Hide produced cracking views of a female Merlin using its tightrope walker-like powers to perch precariously on an electric fence wire.

Also seven – possibly wild – Barnacle Geese were spotted tagging on to a flock of Pinkies flying out into the Ribble in search of some tasty grazing.

Until later.

Splitters

Katona’s Gull (Larus Atomicus Kittenoides)

Previously a race of Iceland Gull, Katona’s Gull is best identified by its slightly larger size and prodigious breeding rate. It is also in possession of a much darker mantle than Iceland Gull having been continually exposed to regular sun showers that are common to its locality. The bill is also heavier than the Iceland Gull allowing the bird to tackle the remains of large discarded cheap supermarket food items that are its staple diet (unlike Caspain Gull that feeds exclusively on the remains of Donar Kebabs). There is one record annually, usually around the Merseyside area.

The paragraph above is clearly drivel, yet having read news of the Azorean Yellow-Legged Gull at Didcot, the boundaries between science and parody are becoming increasingly blurred. Forgive my ignorance, but this hitherto unknown species/race of Gull has failed to register on my radar. Now, I like a Glacous Gull or an Iceland Gull as much as the next person, but is it just me or is this relentless and obsessive categorisation of Laridae going too far?

Then there is also the predilection some birders have for the mind-numbing activity of spending hours searching through thousands of gulls – often near rubbish dumps - for that something a little different. No little skill is involved in this, but with the rich variety of bird life available I simply cannot be bothered – especially when it involves a long drive with no guarantee that the bird will be present. Surely it would be easier going to the Azores?

Until later.

Bonanza

Another stunning day at Connah’s Quay, with approximately 10,000 waders roosting on Oakenholt Marsh plus a pair of touring North American waders thrown in for good measure.

The omens were good on arrival as a huge flock of Black-tailed Godwits could be seen milling in front of Flint castle soon to be joined by hundreds of Oystercatchers, Knot, Dunlin and Redshank piling in from various points of the estuary.

The gathering was at its most spectacular when a scouting male Peregrine flushed the birds into the air causing them to twist and pulsate in a manner more resembling a school of panicked sardines than a flock of waders.

A pair of sharp eyes in the form of Geoff Robinson then picked-out the bright white breasts of eleven Spotted Redshanks gleaming in the morning sunshine in a channel towards Flint. Largely absent from in front of the West Hide this autumn it was good to see that the Spot Reds are have returned again this winter albeit to another area of the marsh.

Plenty of wildfowl around too, with a flotilla of circa eight hundred Pintails on the edge of Gayton Sands and closer to home a respectable group of six hundred Teal were dabbling at the end of the stream outflow including one extremely rusty-coloured female.

When the tide finally consumed the lion’s share of the marsh I upped sticks and headed to Inner Marsh only to receive a text from Stan Skelton informing me that two Long-billed Dowitchers were on the bunded pools back at Connah’s Quay.

Cursing my laziness for not checking the pools in the first place I headed back to Flintshire to find them feeding away contentedly in the company of some Redshank, four dozing Greenshank and yet two more Spot Reds taking the tally to an ‘unlucky’ thirteen.

I am always curious – as I’m sure many of my fellow birders are – as to whether I would find these birds if I had had no prior knowledge of their presence. I’d like to think so in my more vain moments, but given the rarest bird I have ever found in a Spoonbill (hardly inconspicuous), I’m not so sure!

Adios y buenes noches.

Oui, J'taime

Good visible migration ‘early doors’ at Point of Ayr today with well over 500 finches flying over. They were mostly Chaffinches with the rest of the movers made up from Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Greenfinch and Bullfinch. I swore I heard a Crossbill too, but to use another Ron Atkinsonism, you’d need to be a member of the ‘wide awake club’ to be sure.

Other migrants included a handful of Stock Doves, a Sparrowhawk and heading up the rear around fifty Skylarks. The bushes were also full of Blackbirds, Robins and unusually high numbers of Dunnock – probably all coming to a garden near you!

Despite a good thorough search I could not find anything out of the ordinary. It has been a good few years since my last decent rarity here – a Golden Oriole near the old hide. Never mind, the search will continue.

On the way home I popped into Inner Marsh Farm. Due to the returning Dowitchers the hide was again full of dow-twitchers making for a rather unpleasant squeeze.

But, despite a Curlew Sandpiper and a lovely flock of Golden Plover, it was hard not to notice a young couple who had walked on to the edge of the reserve from Puddington and flushed all the birds from number one pool. Rather embarrassingly telescopes had to be averted when they started to smooch, blissfully unaware of the fact that twenty people with high powered optical equipment were sat no more than two hundred yards away!

Until later.

Under Siege

Having neglected Parkgate for long enough this autumn, it was time to head down for an evening watching the vole patrol.

You have got to feel sorry for the little super furry animals. If they are not being raided above from the legions of Kestrels, they are being pounced on by owls and harriers. Still, given the large number of raptors eeking out an existence on the marsh, they must be breeding like Catholics.

Short-eared Owls were the stars of the show with three hunting a stones throw from the old baths car park, soon joined by an insouciant Barn Owl flying so close I could have reached out and nearly touched it.

A scan across the farther reaches of the marsh revealed a perched Peregrine and a Merlin dashing after a small passerine. Out towards Neston two more SE Owls quartered near the reed bed taking the total up to five; it will be interesting to see how many are present this winter after last year’s insanely high numbers.

As the light began to fail the first Hen Harrier of the night put in an appearance, although like a naughty child sent straight to bed it sped into the roost and quickly dropped from view – apt behaviour considering it looked like a juvenile male!

Two hysterical Greenshanks completed the nights viewing, although they were no more than silhouettes in the encroaching darkness.

Until later.

What did the Gujaratis ever do for us?

I'm taking a break at the moment, so I shall not be posting for another couple of weeks.

I am also in the process of writing a guide to birding in Chester and the surrounding area. I am familiar with a few sites, but I would appreciate any information on hidden gems that I may have overlooked – you cannot get everywhere!

It would be particularly useful to garner some hints and tips as to reliable sites for less common birds such as Green Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, any of the commoner Owl species, or perhaps something a little more unusual.

Comments on the content of the blog would also be gratefully received: don’t be shy! For instance, did you, Keith Duchess finally manage to find the blog?! Somebody out there is reading it, as I managed 1,000 hits last month - a number that almost makes it worthwhile!

In the meantime, I shall leave you with a quote from the half-naked fakir himself: “Nature can satisfy all of our needs but none of our greeds”.

Until later, well two weeks anyway.