Cold Edge Route Again

Winter is still The Boss and today was rather tedious especially at the Mixenden end 😾.

 Cold Edge Dams: the Barnacle & Canada pair plus c25 other 🇨🇦 s. 1 Greylag 3 Oystercatcher 6 eagerly displaying Lapwing. 1 Red Grouse 5/6 Curlew 1 Skylark a few Meadow Pipit. 1 large Gull sp. overhead in the drizzle.

A few Curlew around Stod Fold. Just a pr Canada on the reservoir. A brief burst of Chiffchaff song.

Cold Edge To Mixenden

Although a Mixenden Res finish was on my itinerary a call from BS stating a residue of the Whooper Swan flock were still present encouraged me to do the short route again 😊.

Cold Edge: a Barnacle Goose paired with a Canada, one of about 60 in total. The pr Greylag still in the same field as were 6 Lapwing. A single Redshank flew around calling 3/4 times. 5/6 Curlew & the pr Oystercatcher still in situ.

1 each Pied Wagtail Grey Partridge & Wheatear on top of Hunter Hill, a couple Curlew at the bottom.

The 14 Whoopers were seen down on Mixenden at 1210 hrs and were still noisy and wing stretching when I legged it at 1245. Also 2 Herring Gull.

Final bird here was another annual - 🎶 Chiffchaff.

Elsewhere a Barn Owl. A good session methinks.

Ogden Water To Mixenden

Despite the Spring Equinox Winter continues to grace our land with cold wind, low temperatures and frequent rainfall. This was the scene at Ogden this am, the scene now in the hovel is 🧥 and 👖 drying in front of the 🔥.

Twas arboreal avians that made for entertainment; not a single gull in sight. Chaffinch was the most vocal throughout the session. 

1 each 🌰 Hatch 🎵 🎶 Trush & 🌲 Creeper 👀. 7 LTT 3 Goldcrest 4 Blackbird.

The wind & rain increased as I braved the golf course and Carrs Beck section but I was rewarded with a pr of flighty Stonechat my first of the year. These were probably blown down the hill. Also in the vicinity were 3/4 Meadow Pipit & 3 Curlew.

A Herring Gull & a pr LBBG on Mixenden Res plus Canadas. Pr Coal Tit W bank.

Cold Edge and Mixenden Res

Despite the grinding SW'ly wind I had a fairly productive session this am.

Just a single Barnacle Goose in with c200 Canadas and a pr Greylag.

3 Curlew 4 Lapwing 1 Pied Wagtail (finally here) 4 Meadow Pipit. A pr adult LBBG were on Leadbeater Dam.

In a field near the top road footpath down Hunter Hill were 1 each of Oystercatcher Skylark & Wheatear. Further down the slope a pr Grey Partridge were feeding.

Only a few gulls now on Mixenden Res: 1 BHG 2 Herring & 4 LBBG.

Elsewhere a Barn Owl.

Soil Hill

1240 hrs in a SW/W'ly blow. Talk about feeling your age after this slog, in my case 87. The wind kept birds off the top; what action there was took place mainly at the bottom.

1 each Common Snipe & Grey Heron. Couple Lapwing 4 Curlew. 5 Skylark 6/7 Meadow Pipit. A distant calling Buzzard & a Kestrel. I’m running out of Pied Wagtail this year.

Also 3 Roe Deer.

Raggalds Flood is a misnomer, there are now about two soup bowls of water left. Plenty of Crows & Starlngs present.

Cold Edge To Mixenden

Cold Edge was on the busy side despite a niggling SW'ly blow. A pr. Barnacle Geese in among the many Canadas. 

3 drake Tufted Duck on Leadbeater Dam.

c35 Fieldfare over > N. They stopped for a few minutes and mingled with c200 Starling before heading off again.

4 Lapwing pr. 🦪 Catcher 8 Curlew. 5 Skylark singing on the top road.

Couple Curlew at Stod Fold. 23 Canada & about a dozen gulls incl 2 Herring on Mixenden Res.

Soil Hill Delivers

Bottom of the hellish hill 1035 hrs my first and somewhat early Wheatear of the year. A Common Snipe was chipping Skylark singing and Meadow Pipits displaying. A couple of Lapwing also present. A Kestrel on the hill top was flying around a wide area.

DB came over and his meandering in the deep bog produced a welcome Jack Snipe that provided the classic short flight then drop down scenario typical of the species. 

Daniel persevered in the area where the Wheatear was seen and got another two birds. They seemed to be in a rough line up and even at a distance their immaculate plumage almost sparkled.

After a pr Bullfinch at the top Ogden Plantation things nosedived. Ogden was rubbish, just an adult LBBH on the drink. A woman who I have encountered a few times  previously was almost insanely bellowing out her dogs name for about 20 minutes.  Madam the dog was in the distance trying desperately to avoid YOU!

Photos From March 3rd 4th 5th March (Behave Yourselves Then I Won't Post Anymore)

 

Cold Edge and Mixenden Res

The forecast of heavy rain clanged big time and the morning was mild and calm. 

Cold Edge: the dams didn’t have any notable birds on them just a few Canadas and dullards.

The fields produced 6 Lapwing 3 Reed Bunting 1 Red Grouse 4 Oystercatcher & 3 Curlew. Plenty of BHG around and a Herring.

Down at Stod Fold another 2/3 Curlew were calling while moving.

Mixenden Res was rotten with a mix of Gulls. Only other birds present: 1 each Cormorant & Moorhen.

Maspalomas Photos March 1st & 2nd

 

Queensbury To Ogden Water

The exercise value outweighed the birding value especially when it snowed for about 50 minutes thus quenching what little ambition I had for Mixenden.

A bunch of 7/8 Goldfinch on the feeders at bottom of Persecuting Rd.

Soil Hill was passage only - nothing doing at all. A Curlew flew over Causeway Foot.

Apart from a Blackbird and 4 Crows all birds at Ogden were on or around the feeders. Blue, Great, Coal & LT Tits & a Dunnock.

The small mix of Gulls on the water decided to leave when the snow started. 2 BHG were in summer plumage.

c16 species in total. I often wonder how a guy with a modicum of intelligence and common sense could choose birding as a hobby 🤔. It’s taken me around 60 years to realise it chose me 🙄.

D Shields Bramblings

 

Queensbury Bird Reserve Update

 Hi Nigel,A very belated Happy New Year! Nothing unusual here for a while.

Three Bramblings in the garden today. We haven't seen any since November so presumably on their way back.

Usual suspects - up to 30 species so far - also coming in. Maxima of 21 Blackbirds, 22 Stock Doves, 11 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 16 Goldfinch and 7 Greenfinch. I was surprised to see 3 Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush on the patio in the snow. Chaffinch numbers are lower than we used to have, barely reaching double figures much of the time, when we used to see high teens and low twenties most winters. The only ringed bird has been a British-ringed Goldfinch but I haven't managed to get a full set of numbers. 

Regards

Denise

Amazing info Denise! I’d forgotten what a Brambling looks like. Unfortunately I couldn’t copy the three photos from your email into this post as the HTML code screwed them up. I will rectify this tomorrow hopefully.

NK

Last Call From Birding Hell

OK you win, apart from the Queensbury area that is. Temperature 23C at 1053 fresh breeze from SW so no visitors other than 3 Plain Swift.

The Purple Heron showed very well. 2 Whimbrel were noisy. The Parakeets are begging to have their necks wringed 🥸.

A pr of really ignorant LRP came too close so we had to step back to take photos.

Blackbirds here have both dark and yellow beaks.

Species list at 35 and I had to add feral Pigeon to achieve that.

Another Long Slog Rewarded

I won’t be jumping through hoops but I got a lifer on this mornings walk to the Marsh. 4/5 Common Waxbill gathering nest material. Technically I suppose I got a second as the drab Blue Tits I saw are endemic Canary Islands Tit.

The wind has switched to a NE’ly so I didn’t raise my hopes but was pleased to see a Spotted Redshank (Winter Apparel) feeding.

The Purple Heron showed once again as did a single Dunlin and the Common Sandpiper.

I’ll stick my neck out and say the two more musical songs I heard were from Spectacled Warbler as both birds remained unseen. Sardinian Warbler is a much more staccato affair. 

Looking forward to Saturday and Queensbury in snow and 1C temperatures. Right now I’m plagued by 22C and blue skies 🤡.

SE’ly From Africa Drops A Few In

Concentrated on the marsh only this am and it was back to being busy once again 😁.

A Black-tailed Godwit made for a few good photos as did a Greenshank & the BW Stilts.

Fresh in were a Common Sandpiper again being kind to the camera & 3 Dunlin 👍. 2 of the latter in Winter garb the other setting up breeding gear.

Whimbrel still here, 2 Redshank 3 YLG ditto Grey Heron & Spoonbills. 1 Hoopoe ditto singing Sardinian.

Casa del Diablo

How foolish of me, I went out birding again this am 🥱.

I encountered a group of Devil Worshippers who were crying.

They told me El Diablo found this dump depressing and had gone north to Queensbury wherever that may be?

I told them No Worries folks, give it 9/10 days and you’ll all be kissing his feet again.

A new species in a really chronic session; a pr Cattle Egret flew low overhead a couple of times thus reducing the incessant boredom by 13.43 seconds.

Shoreline and Marsh Reprise

Looked around the nearby park lake. Dullards absent here replaced by silent Muscovy Ducks. 1 Little Egret, many Collared Doves.

Shoreline: 1 Little Egret, 2 each Kentish Plover, Sanderling. 3 YLG 1 Cory’s Shearwater.

Lagoon: Whimbrel now at 6 birds. BW Stilt at 5. Usual suspects but failed on the Greenshank. 1 Hoopoe overhead.

Still no Hirundines Larks Pipits Wagtails Chats. I got a brief warbler song probably Sardine.

I encountered another birder in an even worse state

than me. He told me he had always been a big happy beer 🍺 drinker in Norfolk then he moved out here for marital reasons. Within two weeks the grim barren landscape had driven him into an unbearable state of total sobriety 🥴.

Bird Movement Ergo Improvement

Had another bash at the seafront and finally got results. 3 Whimbrel overhead from the direction of the African coast. They were heading towards Calderdale (coughs discretely). A single Whimbrel was on the beach and boy did it become a celebrity. It just looked bemused as many mobile phone cameras were pointed at it and never appeared stressed 👍.

Made three attempts at distant sea watching and managed 6/7 YLG plus a couple of large wave skimmers. Myself and another birder had a 🧠 brainstorm and concluded they had to be Cory’s Shearwater. 😜😎. c17 Sanderling flew onto the beach just before I headed inland.

Back on the lagoon 3 Spoonbill were frenetically feeding in unison. The Glossy Ibis & Bar-tailed Godwit once more giving good views. Other in your face birds were a pair of territorial LRP.

Magpie is a missing species here along with  Carrion Crow. Not a problem, the replacement in terms of numbers appears to be RNP  🦜. 

Meloneras Shoreline Walk

DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU’RE HAVING A GOOD DAY!

An hour along the mainly rocky shoreline produced not a single seabird of any classification. This really signifies the value of the 2-4 YLG that boss the lagoon. The tide turned on the return leg showing a small stretch of sand complete with a pair of busy Sanderling.

I spent some entertaining time with the local Lizards one of which came within 5/6 inches of my outstretched 🤚. Wise Lizard decided fingers not fit for consumption 🦎.

Back at the lagoon: Greenshank still present along with the usual suspects. I’d like to end on a positive but who am I kidding? No Hirundines and no Chats and looks like no chance. Mixenden is starting to look 👀 appealing…

Maspalomas Marsh Again Wherelse?

More mixed fortunes this morning. Tried the spacious sand dunes - not a Lark, Pipit or Wagtail in sight or sound. I did get a decent burst of calling Sardinian Warbler and that was it.

Had a stroke of luck on approaching the lagoon, a Greenshank gave it up for 3/4 goodish photos 😋. A Sanderling was further away and the shots had to be binned.

3 Black-winged Stilt showed very well, again despite the presence of humans some 3/4 yards away. The Bartail seems to be a permanent fixture.

Apart from the Kentish a few Ringed & Little Ringed Plover were very busy.

A Purple Heron landed in a 🌲 for 10 minutes or so before flying towards us admirers. The 2 YLG perched nearby went bananas 🍌 and really scolded it, resulting in said Purp flying off to find some peace.

Charca de Maspalomas

Looks like I’m stuck to this venue for the duration unless I take a trip out ☹️. North East Mallorca I apologise will you take me back puleeze!

Learned a lot this morning. Three large white wading birds with spatulate bills were, according to Mr Ornithology PELICANS. Why Me? 😢

Known for my vast array of seawatching skills I somersaulted down to the shore for them Procellarii hotties 😍. Well after a long 13 minutes nothing was Shearing the water and back on the beach nowt was Turning stones ☹️.

Wasn’t all 💩 crap. The Barwit was again feeding so close up I could here the screams of its menu items. Although wader numbers were down from yesterday a couple of Sanderling & a Redshank flew in. A Kentish Plover posed a couple of times and the YLGs performed. 2 Hoopoe ditto Kestrel.

1 Common Swift Spanish Sparrows with nest 🪹 material. Serin photo obtained and RNP in abundance.

 

A Well Earned Bunch

As I get older my ambitions outweigh my capabiliies for certain. Yet another slog mostly tedious (sounds like Ogden dunnit) but when I finally found the wetland I was looking for in a barren volcanic landscape I got some results.

Glossy Ibis 1 Spoonbill 2 (Raith Rovers 3 Hamilton Academicals 4 😂). A good photo obtained of a Whimbrel and a Little Egret stood together 👋. Kentish & Ringed Plovers Dunlins. A Bar-tailed Godwit feeding twixt 2/3 yards away with approx 40 humans stood on a wall chatting.

Plain Swift were flying around giving reasonable views mebbe about 6 of em.

Tweren’t all plain sailing though owing the problem of sorting out endemics 🤔. Was it 2 Iberian or Canary Island Chiffchaff I saw and heard? I thought I’d got a Bonellis Wobbler until I looked it up - nothing like! I think I’m right about the endemic Serin which were more like a Pandemic.

Collared Doves so tame they walked a few feet in front of you. 5/6 Blackbird 1 Grey Heron ditto Common Buzzard. 

5  brutal Yellow-legged Gulls Atlantis?

1 Kestrel several Spanish Sparrows. Quite a few Ring-necked Parakeet.

I can’t go on I see the tears of boredom on 😢your faces, you two who read my posts. Still I can’t publish photos yet so it’s not all bad.