Firecrest? 10 years later and here comes another one!!

Alas on Wednesday 28^th February despite agreeing to get Torville and Dean to perform on the Carsington ice rink, not enough tickets were sold, so the centre had to close at lunch time, thanks to the Beast from the East.

The visitor centre was closed until Saturday, and with 14 fractured frozen pipes, and the consequential floods you can appreciate that all the centre staff had one hell of a job cleaning both upstairs and downstairs. It was only when I was there on Tuesday at 10.15 did the restaurant reopen, and all credit to Dan T, the restaurant staff and all the rangers, that on Tuesday, you could be forgiven for wondering what the problem was!

I was told by a tired and seasoned ranger, that he had experienced lower temperatures at Carsington,  but the wind chill had made this the coldest since records were kept.

So well done and thanks from all your customers…………………… very few of whom came for 7 days!

Hazards like ice in the car park, made the decision not to proceed with the BwB on Sunday 4^th the right decision, but for only the second time in 157 walks. We (think we-) contacted everyone to say the walk was cancelled, so you appreciate why we need your tel no. And data protection rules prevent us keeping a list of tel numbers, so log your tel number each time you book.

Monday 5^th March I know it’s only Monday but it’s shaping up to be a really mixed week, as plans have been subject to last minute changes.

Those of you who get my latest post before anyone has added a comment, may like to have another look at my post of 2^nd March, as Slim Bridge has posted an amusing account of his isolation in Lynton, until the snow plough got through. Put’s him in line for the 2018 Comment of the Year Award.

Whilst on the subject of the cold, I received this from Canada.

                      

Any of you who have been in the audience during any of the 28 talks I have given about the Carsington Osprey Project, will know that I am prone to wax lyrical whence I get on to the subject of bird identity rings, and how it brings some real excitement to knowing and being able to talk about specific birds.

In my blog of 24 February, I told you about my river Exe bird cruise and Ian Waite the commentator talking about the Dawlish Warren Oystercatcher that had been identified at Carsington Water. In the monthly Bird Notes from Carsington Bird Club for February, the recorders report that on 27^th February 10 Oystercatchers “included the barcode ringed male returning for his 13^th breeding season, appearing to be paired with another colour ringed bird from Dawlish Warren”. 

So what was the attraction that made the Dawlish bird fly 230 miles to see a barcoded bird??

On the subject of ringing, there has been a bit of a campaign in Bird Watching magazine about birds having more visible leg rings, which, if implemented would enable us to have a greater understanding about where birds go. The Osprey, Blue 24 seen at Carsington, Rutland and the Dyfi estuary, is a good example of id data working, as indeed is the movement data on the many rung Bewick Swans at Slimbridge.

                            

Thought this close up of an Osprey being ringed would be of interest.. White letters on Blue Ring = a Rutland born bird.

Mary and I do (attempt!) a lot of crosswords, and if in doubt the dictionary is consulted. Consequently, when a journalist wrote to me recently referring to birds “bunkering down” that had to be checked, because I always say “hunkering down”.

Conclusion?  Collins cites Bunkering as providing fuel to a ship, whereas Hunker means squat or crouch, often with down as in “hunker down”. So birds crouching down to stay out of the cold, must, in my ‘umble opinion, be Hunkering.

I’m ahead of myself this week (it’s only Monday as I write) so I’ll hit the pause button.

Tuesday 6^th March  Popped into Carsington to do a bit of admin, and whilst at the wildlife centre had an excellent view of a superb male Scaup. (Amanda emailed to-day asking if I had seen it, so I guess it is still there today(11th)).   

Also, a group of us spent a long time trying to id a Snipe that flew across from horseshoe island. It was somewhere in front of the wooden screen alongside the wildlife centre, and we watched in the pious hope it was a Jack Snipe. Patience was rewarded when it moved into view.. it wasn’t!

Wednesday 7^th March A search for Crossbills at a reservoir in S.Yorks, was abortive, but I made up for that by joining the crowds at Wombwell Ings (Near Old Moor) to get a good view of a Firecrest  although sadly not the Yellow Browed Warbler. I just seemed to keep being in the wrong spot for the latter, because it was seen.

Talking of the Firecrest, this was only the second time I had ever seen this species, and coincidentally that was in November 2007,…….at Old Moor! Surely not the same bird?

Anyway, Wombwell did add a flock of 20 Whooper Swans, so I move on to 125.

Future dates?  Sunday 18^th March            BwB at Markeaton Park

                        Sundays 1 and 8^th April    BwB   Carsington

And a now fixed date for the first BwB  Away-Day trip…. SUNDAY 27^th MAY more info later.

Happy Birding