Thrush rush

With a cold front passing through at dawn (plus a piddling drop of rain), many redwings were forced to land. They have been coming from the east, having first travelled across the North Sea from Scandinavia. There are lots of Hawthorn bushes at Priory and the birds were very noticeable up until about 2 pm.

I had to make a visit to the feeders to fill them and it was only then that I realised that I had misjudged the ringing opportunity today. The moderate wind was tempered slightly by the bushes in the 'rough', enough to make ringing possible. So home I went, found my long-johns, made a flask and some sandwiches and went back and set up a couple of nets.

I did manage to catch two Redwing but the big deal was the ten new Goldfinches that I trapped.
Might give it a try in the semi-darkness tomorrow morning - if I set the alarm. Not too hopeful that I'll catch more than a couple of Redwing, the main target, though.

There was a record count of some 38,000 Redwings passing over the Pinnacle, Sandy, today. Most of the birds were moving NW, suggesting that they made landfall along the Suffolk/Essex coast after crossing the North Sea.

A glorious sunny autumn day

Monday: Not an early start - things to do. Went off to Harrold Country Park, mainly for a walk but always with some birding in mind. First, we came across a flock of Wigeon in the NW corner, 37 in all. The place was "heaving" with Coot as usual with a fair number of Tufted Duck as well. Two deer (Muntjac) were spotted in a stubble field but my camera is only set to 1Mp & 10x at best so forgive the images. I certainly wasn't going to put my hand out to focus on in the next pic!

Next, further along the northern path we came across quite a few Hornets, busy in the Hawthorns bordering the path. They can give you a very good "wallop", but are very unlikly to sting in the first place, unlike some dozy wasps. All the grebe were down one end and this seemed to be where the Cormorants were fishing, too.

Further round, we went into the hide. A flotilla of Tufteds passed in front as we scanned the Cormorants (17), spotted a Snipe, and watched a Little Egret preen high up in a tree. Next we went into the 'nature reserve' bit, where Richard (ranger) tried to run us over in the Landie.

Finally, we went and sat on a bench where we used to bring the Greylags ashore for ringing when they were flightless. Many geese, swans and ducks were 'loafing' on the island shore and we counted about 26 Gadwall. As we sat there 30-40 Redwings suddendly "fell" out of the sky "lickety-splick", and disappeared from view in the bramble bushes (middle right in the above pic) on the island, safe from predators (?). They were probably going to an early 'roost' at the possible end of their long, overnight migration from Scandinavia.   There has been a sudden influx of these birds over the weekend according to the "vis-miggers" that I have contact with. A real sign of autumn!

3s a crowd

Pass the Parcel

Grandson Thomas  is three tomorrow but the party was today. That's him in the white "cheeky" T-shirt with Nanny Newman to his left. Most of the rellies came including 'Great Uncle Roger' from N. Lincs.

Uncle Bulgaria - getting too tall for his hair

Going, I took the fastest route A421/A1(M)  and in the "back way". Jenny still beat me - all the way from Heacham. Mind you, she did have to take Timmy for a walk before the party started!

Big sister, Erin, and cousin, Jordan.

We left about 3.30. I got Shanghai-ed into bringing back an enormous box, some sort of kitchen set-up which Ali bought Tom for Xmas and which I've got to keep in the spare bedroom!

The man himself - in between dances

"I'll amuse myself, thank you"

 

Grey pattern

Tues: the grey skies seem to have made the birds look for more easily accessible food sources. Grey days keep the insects inactive and harder to find, hence the alternative feeding strategy for "them boidies". This works to my advantage - if I want to ring some birds in the garden.

Net up as usual - Long-tailed Tit 8, Blue Tit 3 (3) [one of these retraps is Martin's from Renhold], Starling 2 [both females, of different ages] & Goldfinch 4 [all young, one definitely 'on the move'].

I always think that the pattern of the underside of a Starling (this one is a first year post PJ moult) is fantastic. At this age the "arrowheads" are bold, but next year they will be smaller and more delicate.

Journey to the south.

Sunday: Intentions of going for a walk down the park scuppered by request to go to Dunstable STW, which is open on the first Sunday of the month. It's a fair way from Bedford and no direct route to Thorn, just off the A5. Mr Rob Dasley (current chairman of the Bird Club) saluted as we drove in, reminded us to sign in and gave us a quick run-down of what's about and a mini H&S spiel.

 Jen took a while to get a good view of a Common Snipe asleep in a rack cut into the Phragmites; with the aid of the telescope, she claimed it as a 'tick'. Next, a short walk up along the lagoons, giving a closer view of a pair of Ruddy Shelduck which have been hanging around the Beds/Herts border for some while. Tick No.2!

 Ruddy Shelduck pair at Dunstable STW. Andy Whitney.

After spying good numbers of Gadwall, Shoveler and Tufted Duck, plus a lone Dabchick and the ubiquitous Black-headed Gulls and Cormorants, we returned to the hide. RD came in and proclaimed that those manning the gate had seen 4 or more Swallows hurrying south. Kestrel, Buzzard, Heron in the distance and 20+ Teal out front. 

After a shout of "crake or rail", every one studied a small patch of reed until a spanking Water Rail calmly walked out, giving one of the best views anyone could wish for. Tick No.3 for the lady!

Changes expected

On the last day of September, myself and Davy Howes netted the 'rough'. The weather was fair but overcast. The forecast for the weekend was wind and rain, the latter having been absent for a month now. There are still several Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs passing through, so we thought we'd have a go. As a back-up, we also put a net across the feeders.

We managed a grand total of 38 birds, 14 of which were tits we caught by the feeders (8 Great & 6 Blue).
Highlights were:    3 immature Blackcaps on the move, a large male Chiffchaff and a couple of Treecreepers.
The Chiff was on the large size (64mm wing) but not grey enough for an abietinus and too big in the wing for one. In all we had 12 species.

Davy had just come back from a ringing course in the Isle of White. He brought back greetings from some of the trainers and trainees that I have known well in the past. They had also had a slow time of it during this year's migration and numbers caught were down considerably, mainly because a Swallow roost did not form.

Two days later:     I swapped the 30' net on the east side of the garden for a 40' on the west side (the other side of the feeders). My reward was 4 Goldfinch (the first for quite a while), a young Blackbird, a young Starling, a young House Sparrow and a couple of Blue Tits. The grass is very dry and the lawn has cracks in it; this didn't stop me putting the mower over it as they keep telling us that we're going to get some rain soon. I'll believe that when it happens!

The change in the weather should mean a change in the birds. The lack of rain has meant a lack of birds in the garden especially.