Kes!

Photos of Kestrels at HGF with male on post and also four juveniles plus mum (bottom) on the edge of the barn roof and individual juveniles

28th June

At HGF this evening the young Kestrels emerged from their nest box with three juveniles perched on top of it and both parents keeping a watchful eye on them from the tree. They all look on the verge of fledging! I spent a bit of time just watching their antics – a couple of them were mobile enough to move around on the branches before retreating back to safety again. Well chuffed!

By the pool the resident pair of Oystercatchers were taking exception to an intruding bird which clearly didn’t get the message and had to be flown off. Two Great Crested Grebes are now incubating – the pair on the north side and also the pair which had lost their nest at the point where the eggs were due to hatch. More aythya ducks today with 27 Tufties on the pool.

29th June

Had a quick visit to HGF this evening. Three Little Ringed Plovers were wandering the water’s edge. Just one juvenile Kestrel was on show at the nest box with both parents present. A House Martin was a rare visitor.

30th June

This morning I rolled up at HGF to find FOUR juvenile Kestrels and mum all lined up on the edge of the barn roof while dad was hunting nearby. Superb! A Common Sandpiper was by the pool, as were four juvenile Grey Herons with an adult keeping an eye on them. Two Stock Doves were in the south field and a Jay flew across the road near Myddleton Hall.

After work I nipped over to Rixton. On Moat Lane pool 1 the Common Tern was still incubating – very difficult to see now because of the vegetation which has sprung up around the nest. Not a bad thing. The other half was perched on a mud bank in pool 2 where it tends to go and rest when not fishing. The Tufted Duck has just one duckling surviving and it was zipping around the pool with mum. The Lesser Whitethroat was rattling away behind Moss Side Farm.

I then headed off to the pool by Collier’s Landfill site at the end of Moss Side Lane. A Little Grebe fishing in the pool was a welcome addition. To the left of the pool is a small stand of phragmites and a Water Rail was present there – it hardly seemed large enough. The Mute Swan pair and youngster were still present, as were two pairs of Canada Geese with well grown youngsters – none of these were the Moat Lane birds.

Late evening I had a walk down Barrow Lane where Jonathan had recently found a Quail. For some reason I visit this place in winter to walk Bill and hardly ever see anything and thus never bother in summer. I did track a couple of pairs of Corn Buntings which were present either side of Parkside Farm for several years – last year they just seemed to disappear. The only bird I had seen recently (from driving past) was a male Yellowhammer which, for several weeks, has perched on the wires just south of the farm – he was present again this evening.

Anyway it was a very enjoyable walk down the lane with birds seemingly everywhere. There was no sign of the Quail but there were lots of Skylarks, three singing Corn Buntings by the concrete bollards and also three Yellow Wagtails – a pair north of the oat field and a male which dropped into the potato patch. On the way back a Buzzard carrying a young rabbit flew over. It was a very sunny and enjoyable evening walk.

Video clips

A few recent clips taking with the digiscoping gear:

Mediterranean Gull and Green Sandpiper at Upton Warren
Goosander and young at Bull Beck, Caton
Juvenile Kestrels at Houghton Green Flash

Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve (aka Upton Warren)

Photos from Upton Warren:

Second summer Mediterranean Gull

Green Sandpipers

Juvenile Little Ringed Plover

Bullfinches

Sedge Warbler

Male Reed Bunting

Juvenile Black-headed Gulls (smart birds)

Red Admiral

27th June

A Black-necked Grebe was present on HGF early this morning and there was also a small influx of aythya ducks with 19 Tufties and 9 Pochards present. In the south field a large juvenile Lapwing was present with mum and dad – the only one I have seen reach this stage of development here this year.

This evening I dropped in to Upton Warren (working in Droitwich tomorrow) starting at the flashes. I spent quite a bit of time in front of the Hen Brook Hide which is positioned at the edge of a reed bed. Apart from a small patch of water in front of the hide, all you can see are reeds. I spent half an hour there listening instead of watching – it was fascinating listening to the various sounds from birds going around there daily business and trying to figure out what was going on! Some birds were visible, mainly Reed and Sedge Warblers with one example of the former species determined to chase off anything that came near the hide area.

On the way to the far hide I watched a Peregrine perched on one of the radio masts. On the mud were quite a few waders with at least eight Green Sandpipers and five adult Little Ringed Plovers with two young juveniles too. The Avocet count was 14. At one point a cracking second summer Mediterranean Gull came in and had a bath. It stayed for around 20 minutes before departing with the “yow” call. Very black primaries, don't you think? At the Moor pool it was a bit quieter so I just watched Bullfinches and Reed Buntings plus various warblers flitting around. I do like this place.

Bull Beck

Photos:

Common Tern plus Little Ringed Plover peeping out from behind a Tufted Duck at Moat Lane pools, Rixton

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker and Pheasant at Crook O'Lune HP

Various gulls at Heysham

Bar-tailed Godwits and Knot at Teal Bay, Morecambe

Pied Wagtail at Abbeystead

Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper and Goosander with young at Bull Beck

24th June

HGF this morning was overcast and gloomy. Not much to report other than the two pairs of GCG’s have rebuilt their nests and the third still incubating. Wonder how long these will last?

A Yellow Wagtail was feeding on insects in the middle of the road on Holcroft Lane as I travelled in to work.

Late afternoon I visited Rixton. Pretty much as was. Yellow Wagtail and Corn Bunting seen over the mosses. Little Ringed Plover and the two Common Terns on the pools. Quite a few Swifts and House Martins today too! The carrot? field at the bottom of Holly Bush Lane now holds 45+ Lapwings – these numbers have been building up over several weeks and are presumably non or failed breeders. The Crow flock is also building back up with three figure numbers present today.

Yellowhammer and Coal Tit in the garden today.

HGF again this evening – two nests were flattened again….

25th June

HGF this morning – yesterday evening’s flattened grebe nests were rebuilt again. Then headed north to the van. Karen decided to go and visit the Peregrines at Warton Crag this afternoon while we were out and about. The pair were perched up in the far corner of the quarry – sad that all three breeding attempts have failed this year. Otherwise the place seemed devoid of birds and birders – it was pretty wet. Earlier we had driven around Kilington Lake and not been able to see the lake from the road due to the rain! Fortunately the services are handy for refreshments. Why does coffee and cake taste better when its wet?

In the evening with slightly better weather I took Bill for a walk to Forge Bank weir (Halton Mills weir). Some signs have been put up indicating the footpath will be closed shortly while building of the new eco houses takes place. Bu**er!

Anyway there was plenty to see with a Common Sandpiper bobbing around in its usual area, a Kingfisher flashing down river and a juvenile Dipper up near the nest site. Around 70 Swifts were feeding over the river but curiously no Sand Martins. A Goosander also flew over.

Heading back to the car park I could hear a Robin cracking up near the fishermens hut. I stood and stared into the trees and suddenly realised a Tawny Owl was staring back at me from a low branch in a Sycamore. It was very dark due to shadows so the camera didn’t capture much and I ended up just standing and watching the owl. Eventually it got fed up of the audience and flew off.

26th June

Got up this morning and headed off to Heysham. The north harbour wall seemed deserted except for a few large gulls. A single Redshank was on the wooden jetty but nothing else. A brief seawatch over high tide seemed futile – nothing moved. I quickly got the gut feeling this was a waste of time and headed off to Morecambe.

There were a few birds at Broadway with a flock of 40 Eiders (mostly sub-adult birds) plus some Curlews and a couple of roosting Red-breasted Mergansers. At Teal Bay there was more action with 48 Bar-tailed Godwits scattered around (including a summer plumaged stunner) plus Curlews, Oystercatchers and some Knot. Oh and lots of Crows!

I then went over to Bull Beck. There were quite a few Common Sandpipers including a family group of 5. I stood and watched the antics as an adult would find some food and then be immediately mobbed by the youngsters. I got the impression the adults were trying to get away….

Three Little Ringed Plovers (all adults) were flitting around and a female Goosander and her brood of six were fishing at the river edge. A Garden Warbler was singing nearby and several Coal Tits moved through the trees. There is a narrow wooden footbridge over a small stream here. Bill occasionally gets dizzy spells (one of his many ailments) and crossing back he unfortunately chose this moment to have one and fell off the bridge! Fortunately he landed in two feet of water with soft mud beneath but the look on his face was a picture!

Late afternoon I called in at Tower Lodge while passing through. After ten minutes of scanning I located a pair of Spotted Flycatchers – then the heavens suddenly opened and I retreated back into the car. A couple of Nuthatches were also seen plus a Grey Wagtail in the brook. Driving back I diverted briefly via the road alongside Hawthornthwaite fell which comes out nr the car park at Abbeystead. The rain meant nothing much was visible but going past the farm I noticed a male Redstart in one of the hawthorn hedges. I also spotted a Kestrel and a Buzzard having a tiff near Gresgarth Hall. At the van, 27 House Martins moved through the field while two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, male and a juvenile, were in the trees around the van.

Grebe Traumas

Photos:

HGF under a gloomy sky and an image of the east bank. The thin dark green line of vegetation beneath the two trees on the left is where the water level usually is.

Common Sandpiper and Ringed Plover at HGF late evening

Little Ringed Plover, Chiffchaff and Kestrel at Rixton

Cormorant at Newton Lake

20th June

A Stock Dove was perched in the garden this morning. Quite a bold one too – they usually just skulk about right at the back and bolt at the first sign of a disturbance – this one was perched openly near the windows and generally ignored us.

Rixton after work and the Common Tern is still incubating on Moat Lane pools. Jonathan had e-mailed me about a pair of Tufted Ducks with young (they had five left) and also a singing Lesser Whitethroat – it was behind Moss Side farm somewhere. A single Little Ringed Plover was also around. A single Oystercatcher was on Moat Lane pools with another on the tip pool and a third feeding in a field off Holly Bush Lane. A Yellow Wagtail was also observed taking food into a nest site – same place I found one last year. Later the seep call of an over flying bird was heard.

I wandered around HGF this evening in heavy rain. The first thing I noticed was that the pair Great Crested Grebes which had been incubating for 28 days have had their nest completely flattened. The sad pair were busy trying to rebuild it. I am somewhat stumped as to what or who is systematically flattening these nests – every day it occurs. I can’t imagine a predator or another grebe being so consistent and I am leaning towards some scrote who walks round the place or someone sending their dogs in. I think 28 days is about the limit for incubation so I would have expected the eggs to hatch at any time. The other pair which started incubating yesterday was still sitting. A flock of House Martins, 67 in total, passed through over the pool in the rain, heading generally eastwards.

21st June

Wandered around Moat Lane pools after work today. The Common Tern is still incubating – no sign of the other bird. I must make an effort to find out if it is predominantly the female that incubates. The pair of Tufted Ducks are now down to two ducklings while one of the Coot pairs now has a single youngster. There was a pair of Little Ringed Plovers on pool one and a second pair on pool two and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over.

Holly Bush Lane was interesting – around 50 Sand Martins were feeding over the mosses in a flock and generally drifting south. Migration already? A male Yellow Wagtail was part way up the lane – he flew off and seemed to drop down somewhere near the nest site. Three Grey Partridges also there plus 20 or so Linnets including a few juveniles and a Corn Bunting were also on the lane.

HGF this evening was raining again! A couple of waders did brighten up the trip though with a Common Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover present. I read an article that indicates that female Common Sandpipers do start to migrate back in June and this didn’t look like a smart juvenile. A couple of Sand Martins were also feeding over the pool – the first for several weeks.

22nd June

HGF this morning was at least fine and, contrary to the last two nights, I didn’t get wet! There were 18 great Crested Grebes this morning with one bird still incubating and another busy rebuilding yet again. The pair which had incubated for around a month now appear to have given up. The Ringed Plover was still present but there was no sign of the Common Sandpiper. In the south field a Lapwing pair now have a fairly well grown youngster which may be of a size that is beyond most predators. Having said that I found the wing of an adult Lapwing on the south bank – I wonder what happened to that one?

Had a wander around the end of Moss Side lane in Rixton today. I could hear the Lesser Whitethroat rattling away somewhere behind Moss Side Farm as I walked down the road. The tip pool does a big loop around here and I could see small sections of it through the trees. It was relatively full but nothing much on it except for a few Mallards and a Grey Heron. I then took the footpath from Moss Hall Farm which wanders through a bit of a jungle at times in the general north easterly direction of Glazebrook Moss.

This was an enjoyable section with the path alternating between relatively open countryside and at times being lined with trees and bushes. A Goldcrest wandered through the trees at the side of me and a couple of Garden Warblers were present along with several other warbler species. In the open bits were a couple of Buzzards, three Yellowhammers and six Stock Doves. I eventually found a boggy area full of reedmace and watched a Whitethroat with three juveniles and then a cracking Sedge Warbler! I can’t imagine anyone comes here it is so overgrown but it looks like a cracking birding spot!

On the mosses at least one Yellow Wagtail was constantly flitting around and calling while a flock of around 300 Swifts were feeding over the fields and gradually drifting east.

After work I finally managed to find a way to view the second pool at the tip at the end of Moss Side Lane. It looks like a place with lots of potential and I was chuffed to find the pair of Mute Swans from the fishing pools here with their cygnet. They had disappeared a few weeks ago. Three pairs of Coots on the pool, two with young, one on a nest and a Mallard with a largish brood. Three Grey Herons were perched on a small island in the middle.

23rd June

I visited HGF this morning to find the Great Crested Grebe pair still incubating and that two other pairs had built up nests overnight. Came back in the evening to find the two new nests flattened yet again. 20 GCG’s present today plus 16 Tufties, 2 Pochard and 9 Coots. This evening a Buzzard drifted over accompanied by around 40 Swifts. The female Kestrel was perched up in the tree above the nest box.

Nipped over to Newton Lake after work. A Cormorant was busy fishing – it caught one fish which I would estimate to be 2-3 pounds in weight and promptly swallowed it before settling in to preen. A Little Grebe, 5 Tufted Ducks and an overflying Buzzard were the best of the rest. There are some weird and wonderful looking Mallards on this pool, some of which bare only the slightest resemblance to their distant ancestor!

Pleasant Valley Sunday

Photos:

Wood Sandpipers, Altrincham Sewage Works

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bromham

Barn Owl, Chew Valley Lake

16th June

Drove back from MK and called in at Altrincham Sewage Works to watch the two Wood Sandpipers. One showed well with the other skulky for a while. A Grasshopper Warbler perched on the fence and a Kestrel dashed over my head. Two Little Ringed Plovers also present. At HGF the two pairs of GCG’s were rebuilding flattened nests – fortunately the regular pair are still incubating.

17th June

Early visit to HGF and a nice Black-necked Grebe present on the pool. Around 140 Swifts were feeding over the fields nr Midhops – presumably the same birds were over Waterworks Lane a few hours later.

Drove down to my brother-in-law Mark’s new place in the south west. In the early evening I took Bill for a walk in the rain and found a male Great Spotted Woodpecker flitting between Mark’s garden and next door. It clearly can’t fly but seems otherwise quite wick! The rain stopped for the Simple Minds concert at the national arboretum – they were awesome!

18th June

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker still in Mark’s garden. Sparrowhawk through plus large tit flock including a juvenile Coal Tit. Spent most of the day cabbaged.

19th June

One of the good bits about staying with my brother-in-law is that Chew Valley Lake is within striking distance and I usually get a few visits there each year. The flip side is that these weekend visits are supposed to be “non-birding” – a concept I am struggling to get my head round. So anyway this morning I managed a couple of hours at CVL.

First stop, very early am, was at Hollow Brook to look for the Blue-winged Teal. I eventually found the place after crawling through some barbed wire and through the branches of Willow trees and found this is the only spot where you can view this section of the pool. On a mud flat, asleep and behind a scrub Willow were a drake Garganey, an unidentified female Teal-like duck and several Teal, all asleep. Fortunately the BWT was the one next to the Garganey and she did wake up and stretch her wings to confirm the ID. She then went back to sleep! There was also a cracking drake Ruddy Duck here – just think a few years ago I used to see 80-90 on HGF and thought nothing of it. Today I was chuffed to bits to see one, however DEFRA have confirmed they won’t be leaving any Ruddy’s alive so I guess its days are numbered. A couple of Cetti’s Warblers were also singing here.

Nest stop was Herriott’s Pool which was full of aythya ducks and Gadwalls (164 of the latter) plus three Barnacle Geese. Nothing much else here so I wandered over to Heron’s Green Bay. A birder I talked to at HP had told me the Barn Owl was nowhere to be seen – within 2 minutes of my arrival it was playing out! I watched it for 20 minutes or so (it caught one vole) before it disappeared. Little else here and time had now run out. Back at Mark’s house the male Great Spotted Woodpecker was still wandering around his garden.

Got home late this evening and took Bill to HGF. The usual Great Crested Grebe is still incubating and one of the other two pairs is now sitting on a completed nest. Not much else though.