Frustrating

Photos:

Fox, Little Egret and Song Thrush at Moore NR with juvenile Iceland Gull on Arpley Landfill Site

April 2nd

I took Bill for a walk to HGF this morning. Not much about really. The Chiffchaff is still singing, one of the Blackcaps was doing likewise and Tufted Duck numbers had dropped to 19 from 29 yesterday. That was about it. After a few errands etc I found myself with some birding time and considered where to go. With rain forecast it would have to be somewhere with a hide so I settled on Seaforth and headed off there. I hadn't gone far when I realised I hadn't arranged for a pass for my new car. Doh! In comes Plan B - I decided Inner Marsh Farm would be a good alternative and set off again. And then realised Karen still has my RSPB pass. B*gger! In came Plan C - Moore.

I rolled up at Moore and decided to wander down the north side of the ship canal to see if the Ring Ouzel was around. On arrival a chap in a hi-viz was wandering through the gorse so I suspected even if it was around, it was probably keeping low. Cue birder with camera with big lens wearing camouflage gear. Using no field craft whatsoever he wandered into the gorse and began peering in the tops of bushes. What the f*ck? I decided that the thrush wasn't going to show even if it was there and headed off back to Lapwing Lane. I did pick up here the vast majority of the 12 Chiffchaffs I detected on the reserve and same for 5 Blackcaps plus 2 pairs of Bullfinches.

At the car park a Jay and a couple of Mistle Thrushes entertained and a Little Egret flew over from the direction of Birchwood Pool. I later relocated it on Lapwing Lake. I hung around for a bit for the Lesser Pecker but didn't see it. I was chuffed to see a fox though which has clearly found a Pheasan nest at some point and was stashing some eggs. It eventually trotted off carrying one of the eggs. Showers started setting in so I gave up on the woody and headed off to Pumphouse Pool (at least it has a hide). There were few gulls on the pool, however the shower quickly went over so I decided to watch the tip from the top of the access road.

There were fewer gulls than of recent with the vast majority being adult Lesser Black-backed. I quickly picked up a juvenile Iceland Gull which looked interesting. It had a wide, pale brown wash along the shafts of the primaries which gave it a Kumlien's feel when in flight. It isn't though - no dark tips to the primaries and no obvious tail band. It's a weird looking bird - almost like a super pale Herring Gull at times and the brown wash on the primaries is a little troubling - I haven't seen one before with markings on the primaries as extensive as this. I stayed for a while and picked up this same bird on two more occasions but nothing else of note.

While I was there one of the site managers stopped for a natter and I gleaned some interesting information. The current license expires at the end of 2013. This summer they will submit an application for an extension for 12 more years. If they don't get this passed, they have an obligation to manage Moore NR to 2016 and then they leave. What happens then? Also irrespective of this there are currently plans to open up a series of paths at the back of the landfill site which will give access to the river nr Richmond Bank. There will also, apparently be 4 new bird hides with at least one overlooking Richmond Bank and one overlooking the estuary further down. Can't wait!

Late afternoon there were 50+ Tree Sparrows and 4 Yellowhammers at my feeding station. I also went back to HGF to see if the showers had dropped any hirundines. None present but the pair of Little Ringed Plovers were, as were 3 Stock Doves.