Any "Wow" birding moments to share?

Tuesday 23^rd August, 

Here’s a fun way of seeing how your birding id skill is improving, by comparing counts year on year. It was suggested to me by Bryan Barnacle, the Chairman of DOS.

The idea is that you have to see how far you can get in a calendar year, before the number of lapsed days is more than the number of species you have seen. Simple? Read it again! You can appreciate that you will be well ahead of the game on the 31^st January, because you will have seen more than 31 species, but as the year passes the number of lapsed days gets ever closer to the number of species seen!

Looking back on my records for the last 3 years …

In 2014, it was 157 days before lapsed days = species, in other words 6^th June.   A reasonably good year

In 2015, lapsed days caught species sightings on the 145th day =  25^th May.     Not as good as 2014

In 2016, it was 170 species = 19^th June.     Numbers sadly distorted by my operation… I had done 170 at the 18^th May

Just a bit of fun, but a way of checking progress = improving knowledge.

Wednesday 24th August, and I had a cracking hour, once again at Attenborough Gravel Pits. I met up with Gill, a birding friend from Nottingham and after the swapping of medical symptoms and advise over a coffee, we ambled down, and up, to the Tower Hide. Sure as eggs, the guy with scope welcomed us with the traditional greeting, “you should have been here 10 minutes ago – there was Wood Sandpiper on the scrape”. Marvellous, a bird I wanted for my 2016 list. BUT NOT NOW.

Anyway, we settled down for the planned hour or so, and almost immediately heard the song I had been waiting to see (I had heard it already), a Green Woodpecker. It buzzed around a bit, then settled on the grass so we could see it hunting for ants. Good, that’s 173.

Being in the same hide as 12 days ago, to-day I had views of 2 Little Egrets, a couple of Ringed Plovers, a Snipe and a single Barnacle Goose (Feral). I didn’t discourage the chap who said it was the first time he had seen a great White Egret, nor did I point out the yellow feet, but I do know the size of Little Egrets can vary enormously. 

When there was no one around, we stood on the balcony of the tower hide which puts you above the bushes canopy and where you can more readily see birds popping in and out. A Cetti Warbler was briefly very visible, a year tick I think for Gill, but the best was yet to come.

In front of the hide there is a very substantial reedbed, good for Bitterns and Water Rails, but the reedbed is not very old, and there are still a lot of posts and netting spread around. Our delight was to see 2 Kingfishers to the left on posts, and also one to the right, appearing to be swinging on the netting. As we watched, all 3 were taking it in turn to dive, and at 12 o’clock, it was all I could do to tear myself away!!

I have recounted a couple of wow moments in previous posts, and I’m sure Gill will allow me to recount her wow moment which I had published, amongst others, in the Derby Telegraph in 2013. To quote her words:-

“When I was about nine, I had a small bedroom with my bed under the window and slept with the curtains open and the streetlight casting a window outline on the opposite wall.  

Something woke me one night and, facing away from the window, I could see the outline of a head on the opposite wall. Thinking that a burglar may be outside on a ladder, I slowly sat up, turned round and found a Tawny Owl just 4ft away. The Owl turned its head right round to look at me.  Our eyes locked – it felt like information exchange.

That Tawny Owl became my mascot bird, and demonstrates the enchantment that people feel when they see owls.”

If anyone has a wow moment to share, please put a comment on my blog.

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Monday 15^th August,  Ah that’s better, I’ve reached a week where birding is starting to become a bit more of a priority. Brill!

For a start, I briefly popped into Markeaton Park, and went through the archway to the craft village courtyard, only to be buzzed by a Swallow going up into the rafters. And even without bins I could see, each time the bird flew to the nest, 3 heads appeared.

There will be 3 young Swallows with a strange noise imprint on their memory, because in the courtyard that week, there was an outdoor film show, and they would have been listening to Star Wars!  Not the quietest of sound tracks.

Tuesday 16^th and I decided to be really adventurous, and have a trip to Blacktoft Sands. It’s only 1hr 25min so not far, and a much better run now the 3 year roads work speed limit of 50 has been lifted on the relevant M1 section.

Within minutes, I had a year tick of a female Marsh Harrier, and soon after a Ruff so that’s 172. But the brilliant sighting for the day, was to see a gorgeous grey male Harrier fly in carrying food, and seeing it pass the catch to the female, by dropping it as she flew below.

Unfortunately, yet again I went there on a day when maintenance work was being done on the Marshland hide, which I didn’t know until I approached the hide – pity because it is one of the best hides in my experience, and I invariably see Water Rail and Bearded Tit there (the latter I have yet to see in 2016). They will have to wait for another day.

By the way, did you recognise a Corncrake last week on my blog? I’ve yet to see one or hear the distinctive call. The call is best illustrated by taking a credit card, and running it along the teeth of a comb, equipment that every birder will have with them when in the field.

I mentioned drones last week, and whilst I know there is a wide range of views, from “are they intrusive?”, to “do you want Amazon to drop (??!!) your purchase on the front door step by drone?”, I’m thinking of other advantages.

I do Like the concept of a beach lifeguard being able to deliver a lifebuoy to someone a distance offshore, quickly. But what I want is a camera that can tell me whether our 5 Osprey posts at Carsington Water are in need of any remedial work! 

No one has a 25ft pole with a mirror on the end, it’s a fag for the DWT to bring their 26ft ladder to visit 5 nests for a quick 30 second squint over the edge of each one, low flying helicopters are not an option (noisy, disruptive to birds, nests below tree canopy), and although we do get them, hot air balloons are unlikely to be steerable to exactly where the nest is.  So opting for sensible ideas, the drone is the answer. Thoughts?

Finally, I’ve had a word with the Blog’s technical adviser, Julian. I asked him if he could tell me how my readers could set their computer to get an automated message each time I posted a blog update. He went into Julian-speak, I went to sleep, and he said you’ve got the latest software, “let’s have a look”. This usually means that he will do things that you will not  understand, and you pray that he will leave it as it was!!

But fair do’s, he did find a gadget which is now installed on the front of my blog. So if instead of having to monitor the blog yourself, you would like to know when there is a new post, just enter your e-mail address on the front page. I cannot see any names, it is free, no registration or password da de da , but you will have a visual verification, to ensure a computer cannot be locked on.

You will get a verification/ validation e-mail which you just click, and youwill be ready for the next  release.

I’ve done it for Mary on her i-pad as a birthday present, but she doesn’t know that yet, and I don’t expect she will see it that way.

Happy Birding

4th September 2016 - an outstanding milestone for the Beginners Bird walks

Tuesday 9^th August and I went bird watching!!!    Well it was the first time for 12 weeks, and I had the urge.

I met Christine and John at Attenborough, and was even given a “haven’t seen you for a while” look by the lady at the tea bar which was nice. We chatted about all sorts of bird aspects, and the places that they have yet to go birding before the end of 2016. 

I subsequently got a copy of Chris’s sightings list for 2016, and after telling her that Guillemot entered twice is cheating, she was still on an excellent 180 year to date, and still 4 months+ to go. They have a bird watching break booked in Dorset later in the year, and Chris tells me that the possibles on that list COULD add 22 to her year total. I have committed myself (including here publicly) to give her a Gold 2016 Award if she achieves the 200. I have of course not said what form the award will take.

Chris tells me that she is now well into keeping records of the number of species she has seen, so as opposed to previously, she knows immediately how well she is doing in the current year. She blames me for this addiction, as I was always asking "what are you on this year?" meaning how many species. But she now gets quite a bit of pleasure as she can recognises that her species count, compared with previous years, is indicative of how her bird identification is improving. Of course the high count is not just due to better knowledge, but, as she now acknowledges, "she gets out more!!"

By the way, for those of you who did not identify the caterpillar last week, it was a Puss Moth. It is a common species in England with a wing span of 45-70 cm, an elegant grey colour with black lines, and so called because it has a cat-like appearance. They can be seen in May - July, and like Aspen, Poplar and Willow. Worth having a look on the internet for some good pictures. So much for to-days lesson on Lepidoptera!

Tell you what, here is another poser.  Pat, a friend of Mary’s came to check on my health progress, and brought in the following photo.  As a clue, it was taken on Island of Iona in July 2016. Any suggestions for what this bird is, can be sent via a comment at the end of the blog.

                              

Well I seem to be progressively getting in a bit more bird watching as my strength and endurance slowly increases.

I did forget to tell you last week, that the 11 people on the August bird walk picked a Lesser Black Backed Gull, as the bird of the day.  People new to birding can find identifying gulls a problem, particularly as probably 75% are black headed. So it was good to have a close view during the walk, and as a starting key point, people could see that that black gull had yellow legs. A good learning hint is “The lesser feller has the yeller”. Great Black backs are pink.

So I had a couple of hours at Attenborough, and was reminded very early on that it was still summer, with Swifts, Sand Martins and Common Terns still flying round. The tower hide, the limit of my walk, yielded a Snipe, Dunlin, 2 Little Egrets and one for the year a Green Sandpiper.

I probably told you in May that I was on a YTD of 170, but I have to admit that White Wagtail was on the list as well as Pied Wagtail, which, as a sub-species does not count as a species in its own right. So I have had to delete it, but replacing it with the Green sandpiper, I am still on 170. Now I have a clear conscience.

Bit of forthcoming news. Sunday 4^th September 2016 will include someone on my Bird Watching for Beginners walk at Carsington water who will be the 2,000^th booking in the 11 years of these walks. This milestone will be reported in local magazines (Images and Village Life) and Bird Watching magazine. That lucky someone will get a gift of some description to commemorate milestone. If you wish to be in with the chance of a free raffle prize (!) Tel 01629 540696, book your place(s) and turn up at 9.55am.

I wanted to ask about drones, but I’ll save that for next week.

Happy Birding

                              

GB 12 H 44956. R I P.

……… ………………. And whilst on the subject of leg rings (was I?), I did have a real time experience of how the bird ringing system does actually work.

Probably about 5 years ago, I was bird watching round Stones Island at Carsington Water in Derbyshire, when I came across the remains of what turned out to be a racing pigeon. How the pigeon died is unknown, but as is often the case the remaining carcass was surrounded by feathers everywhere (I hope I’m not spoiling your meal!!!), but on the intact legs remained a metal ring.  

Having been indoctrinated into knowing that recovered rings should be reported, I poked the ring until I could read and write down the full number.

That evening I went into the BTO web site to report a sighting (deading?) and as my number did not seem to fit the reporting form, it asked if the ring was solid or not. As people interested in birding will no doubt recall from TV and the media, wild birds have a ring which when fitted to a live bird, is then very precisely squeezed for a permanent but comfortable fit.   But racing pigeons have a solid ring.

So I was then redirected to the Royal Racing Pigeon Association to report the information that I had. Pondering on the name of the organisation made me recall that the Queen races pigeons and thus has a racing loft, presumably hence the Royal title. (any jokes about the Queen races pigeons, and came third) will, if found as a comment on my blog, be deleted.

In the course of entering the ring number, and which would be something like GB R 12345, submitters are asked to check the underside of the wing feathers to see if the owners name or telephone number has been ink stamped. With hindsight, I could have had a busy morning checking all the far flung feathers around the carcass.

A couple of days after reporting my findings, I received an e-mail telling me the name of the owner and that he lived at Yardley Birmingham. Then a week later, a message left on my telephone was from the owner thanking me for reporting his missing bird. Unhappy but a satisfactory conclusion.

And now for something completely different:- (Apologies to Monty Python)

Amanda, a fellow birder and a volunteer at Carsington Water and Old Moor, sent me the following interesting photograph. I received a photograph in which the subject was lost in the greenery, so I’ve cropped and zoomed to make it easier for you to see it.

                                 

You may need to zoom in to see that it is in fact a picture of …………………………..?? Next week for the answer, unless YOU want to post an a comment/answer!

Sunday 7^th August, was my regular monthly Bird Watching for Beginners walk at Carsington. I am not yet strong enough to walk for 2 hours, and I’ll be blowed if I am going to use a wheelchair, even if it IS motorised, and free for me. So I welcomed, checked and sent the 11 people (including 3 newbies) off under the care of Keith and Gary, and then meandered down to the Wildlife Centre to await them.  

During the week, Amanda (she always has a story to tell!), had told me the story about a couple she met at Old Moor who were new to birding and had just joined the RSPB. Amanda was on duty in one of the hides, and was able to point out more than one Kingfisher. So much so that the lady was so thrilled she was reduced to tears of joy.

I therefore could not resist, finding Amanda in the Wildlife Centre at Carsington, when she asked me how my health was improving, replied that I was so upset; after she had put her arm around me to comfort me, I had to tell her that I was so sad having just seen a Canada Goose! Her reaction is unprintable, and was only saved by the urgent attention as to why the lapwings had suddenly taken flight….yep, there it was high above.. one marauding Peregrine Falcon.

Keep looking up!!!

     

The Osprey Saga....... The Sequel

My father was a journalist on the Bristol Evening World (and coincidentally his brother was a journalist on the Bristol Evening Post) and my Dad always said “If you’ve got something that makes good copy, milk it as much as you can!!”  

So with his words ringing in my ears, I’m back to the subject of Ospreys and what is a continuing saga, and does indeed make good copy.

My blog of the 23^rd June 2016 mainly revolving around Blue 24, was an interesting story, but as you will see to-day subsequent events turned the story into a drama, in fact with elements that included at least 4 of the 7 deadly sins**.

Oh Yes? You say… read on.

Let’s recap the characters in my earlier blog    

            Blue 24.           A female Osprey. Born at Rutland Water. 2010  Seen at Carsington Water 11^th June 2013, at Rutland 13^th June 2013. Tried to muscle in at Dyfi estuary in early 2014 and 2016.     

            Glesni              Female “Owner/resident” of a nest at the Dyfi Osprey project. In 2014 and 2016, she ejected Blue 24 who returned first to the nest after migration.

            Monti              Male, Glesni’s mate who lets the girls sort things out themselves, but is happy to mate with either or both.

So far we have evidence of Blue 24 returning, obviously with envy**(1) , with covetousness (2) intentions and lust (3) for the attentions of Monti, only to face the anger (4) of Glesni. 

Some may wonder how a Rutland bred female seems to have developed a liking for the Welsh, and keeps returning to Dyfid. My Welsh relatives will give me plenty of reasons, but one coincidence is a geographical fact. Each time Blue 24 set off to return to the UK, she would fly more or less north, and the Dyfi estuary is virtually on the same latitude as Rutland Water, her natal home.  I guess the satnav needs tweaking! 

28^th July 2016, and I read of a tragedy at Dyfi. My research reveals that in fact the tragedy happened on the 18^th and 20^th July, but the newspaper had to wait for political dramas to abate before finding 10 column inches to report the event.

When I left my 23^rd June report, Monti and Glesni had 3 eggs on their nest in the Dyfi estuary, and Blue 24 also had 3 eggs at her nest in a separate location. Monti is responsible for all 6.

The first bad news was for Blue 24. During the first 6 days of incubating her eggs, Monti made no attempt to bring her any food, and Blue 24 took off to get some food for herself. Whether she stayed away too long, or due to predation, her 3 eggs were lost. Knowing how persistent she is, hopefully she will have more success in 2017.

Blue 24 at Carsington captured by James Owen during a short visit (by Blue 24!)on 11th June 2013.

Glesni, watched by and fed by Monti, continued to incubate her 3 eggs, and on the 24^th May the first egg hatched, a male to be called Ceri. He was then followed 5 days later by a female, called Tegid. (So far I have no English translation of these names!) The third egg sadly failed.                                              

Both of the young Ospreys were continuously fed, and had got to the stage of stretching and flapping their wings attempting to fly, including some short flights away from the nest.

The real tragedy was on the 18^th July, when for some reason Ceri toppled backwards off the nest, and fell 25ft to the ground. He did manage to get back to the nest, but on the 20^th July he died.

So in what looked like being a good year ahead for Monti, only one egg out of six actually produced a healthy chick, the female Tegid.    By now she will be getting ready to her first migration journey to Senegal. Hopefully despite being the only survivor of 6 potential chicks, she will have a safe and speedy journey, and she will back, most likely in 2018.

As for the remaining deadly sins, I saw no evidence of (5) Pride, maybe some (6) slothfulness towards Blue 24 by Monti, but not to Glesni, and no (7) Gluttony!

Just think how this story came together, all due to being able to read leg rings.