Signing out?

Green-winged Teal near Sandgrounders, Marshside in March 2007.

Yesterday (25th) I nipped down to Marshside and joined Graham Clarkson for a couple of hours late afternoon birding on the Ribble. It hit me how winter was slowly turning to spring and it could be my last looks at some birds about to depart our shores.
Meadow Pipits were definitely on the move northwards, although I didn't get to stand long enough at an appropriate spot for a proper count. Thanks largely to Graham's diligence we ended up with some decent counts of 58 Avocets, 21 Ruff and there were still over 800 Golden Plover on the marsh by dusk. The drake Green-winged Teal was still showing off on Rimmer's Marsh and viewing the saltmarsh from the sandplant mound we found 3 Merlins, a Sparrowhawk and over 2000 Pink-footed Geese were feeding on the edge. At least 14 Sand Martins made their way over Rimmer's but a flock of 63 Whooper Swans flying across Crossens Marsh in the distance reminded me that winter wasn't quite done with just yet.

CASHBACK!

Harpy Eagle near El Palmar, Venezuela December 2007.

Why can't we have a few decent birds on our notes? A nice drake Garganey or adult summer Little Gull would brighten my day as I handed over the dosh while getting ripped off for something I'd need to buy a replacement for almost immediately or get done again. Still I shouldn't moan at least we're not devaluing our currency every five minutes and finding that note in my wallet gave me an excuse to dig out the pics of immature Harpy Eagles from the last two Venezuela tours. Chis Sharp has just told me that the famous Hato Pinero in the Llanos has been closed for good. What a disaster!

Harpy Eagle near El Palmar, Venezuela February 2010.

Here's my good friend Alejandro Nagy in on the Escalera road in southern Venezuela with a Southern naked-tailed Armadillo he rescued from the road. We saw this in the late afternoon as Tepui Swifts whizzed over near the guard post. What a great site this is: White Bellbird, Streak-backed Antshrike, Rose-collared Pihas, Tepui Brushfinch, Tepui Whitestart and best of all a Greater Flowerpiercer. Just love La Escalera.

Green-winged Teal at Marshside, 24 March 2010. It sticks its head under a wing if it can't submerge it in water.

I sat in the office working most of yesterday. The American Wigeon hadn't been seen the previous day at the Mere so it did cross my mind to check Crossens Marsh to see if it had re-located in Green-winged Teal style. The weather was pretty dire and the wigeon was refound at the Mere so lacking inspiration I continued working. Then the news broke of "possible Caspian Gull from Nel's Hide" at Marshside. I did go; didn't see a Casp', but Robbie was still there. Sounds as if Robbie #2 has gone to the Mere in the latest transfer window, unless there's a Robbie #3. Surely not?

Wouldn't look too shabby on a fiver, would they?

I've been travelling to South America for 20 years now. Ecuador was my first Neotropical destination and we had to use "Birds of Colombia" as there was no guide to Ecuador at the time. Soon, very soon, I'll be using it again.

Robbie Keane!

So, why Robbie Keane........?

Drake Green-winged Teal at Marshside (one of two drakes there this morning), 23 March 2010.

It's a long story so you may want to avoid the drivel that follows by browsing my notes for this morning and looking elsewhere:

Marshside 23 March 2010 (SE f3, o/cast, sny spells).
Sandplant - 2 Great Tits; Merlin, Kestrel, 50+ Pink-footed Geese on saltmarsh.
Fairclough's Pool - drake Green-winged Teal with teals, wigeons, pintails on island. Seen 0900 - 0930 when flushed by LBBG. Male Sparrowhawk near platform on Hesketh Road.
Golf Course - Chiffchaff, 2 Long-tailed Tits, Robin with nest material, 4 Mistle Thrush, Redwing.
Rimmer's Marsh - drake Green-winged Teal (from GC and later from Nel's - presumed same?), 46 Avocets, 320 Golden Plover, 200+ Black-tailed Godwits, 10 Ruff, etc, etc.
Wheatear Corner - drake Green-winged Teal (different bird - other one still on Rimmer's), Sand Martin.

Drake Green-winged Teal on Fairclough's Pool, Marshside 23 March 2010.

We do pretty well for American ducks in the north-west. I've seen a couple of Ring-necked Ducks since moving here, there's an American Wigeon at Martin Mere at the moment and the Ribble Regional Park has been a regular haunt of Green-winged Teals over the last few winters. A few weeks ago I was watching football on the telly and while I was waiting for the ball to return to Earth's atmosphere (I think Stoke were playing), I challenged local birders to a little game. If a footballer were a bird, which one would he be?

Some were easy: Peter Crouch = Crane / Great Egret (obvious); Shag - too obvious, won't mention who; Wayne Rooney, Jurgen Klinsmann and Paul Gasgoine received special mentions. One that stuck was the Green-winged Teal and Robbie Keane analogy. Local birder and wit Andy Bate suggested this as the GWT is always commuting from Martin Mere to Marshside and can't really make up its mind where he wants to be. Poor little Robbie is much the same. A promising career started at Wolves (I think) and then he was snapped up by midland giants (?) Coventry. Things took a turn for the worse when Robbie decided that White Hart Lane was the place for him playing for those total-footballers the Lilly Whites. Unable to remember the words to Chas 'n' Dave songs and longing to be part of a big club and title-chasing team, Robbie wanted to move on but couldn't find one so settled for his beloved Liverpool. Senor Benitez wasn't a big fan though and although Robbie maintained that age-old tradition of scoring against Arsenal as an ex-Spurs player, he was not long for Merseyside and gave up football returning to Spurs in time for their end-of-season party at Xmas. Poor Robbie has retired to the SPL now but I think his wanderings will continue for some time yet.
So having resisted the urge to visit the mere and see Robbie there, it was good to find him at Marshside this morning.

Having lost Robbie in the panicking ducks escaping the prowling larger gulls I decided to take a walk along the edge of the golf course, seeing a couple of Dabchicks on the ponds and a Chiffchaff. I was a little surprised to see Robbie, or what I thought was him, on Rimmer's.

Robbie was performing quite nicely, if a little distant from Nel's, along with 10 Ruff, 320 Golden Plover and 46 Avocets.

Drake Green-winged Teal with Teals on Rimmer's Marsh, Marshside 23 March 2010.

Strolling along the beach, returning to the car at Hesketh Road, I noted Merlin on the saltmarsh and scanning Fairclough's Pool from Wheatear Corner in the hope of Garganey I was a little surprised to see a drake Green-winged Teal again. My, you are mobile Robbie!

Looking north over Rimmer's Marsh from Wheatear Corner at Marshside, Lancs 23 March 2010.

But no; Robbie has a substitute! 'Scoping back over Rimmer's I could see Robbie #1 near the Marshside Road end. Two drake Green-winged Teals then ......

Drake Green-winged Teal from Wheatear Corner at Marshside, Lancs 23 March 2010.

Green-winged Teals are of course easily identified by their headless appearance, something I've noted before on this blog. Every now and then they do come up for air, but mostly they do this .......

Coming soon: Steve Claridge (far right) and mates.

So my prediction for the next week on the Ribble is Steve Claridge (American Wigeon - totally clueless, just as confused as Robbie and been to even more venues) and Robinho (Garganey - flambouyant and definitely a fair weather friend).

Oh, just to balance things up - Red Grouse = Arsene Wenger and Cristiano Ronaldo = any tit you care to think of!

Barm barmy on a balmy Ribble.

Took Mrs B. out for lunch today .....

Heaven is sausage 'n' bacon barm on the Ribble Estuary.

Spending the whole of Saturday indoors, catching up with reading, report writing and other general "office duties" while listening to footy on the radio was OK but it sure was good to get out today. The weather was perfect so Mrs B and I drove down to Marshside where, inspred by the spring-like weather, went in search of migrants. Chiffchaff singing on Hesketh GC and 3 Sand Martins over Rimmer's Marsh were welcome as was a fine adult Mediterranean Gull. Just as welcome was the "butty van" on Marshside Road half way round the circuit. Several hundred Golden Plovers flew over as we munched on our barms (that's northern for rolls or baps) - this service enhances the Ribble birding day to near-perfection!
Back to the birds: at least 30 Avocets on the marsh with 250+ Black-tailed Godwits and by the time we got to Nel's Hide several hundred Golden Plover had joined them.

Still likin' them.

On the way home we popped into Hesketh Out Marsh where in no time at all I added a female Hen Harrier and 3 more Avocets (the first at HOM this year) to the day's tally.

See - took her out for Sunday lunch!

GLAWK!

2nd winter Glaucous Gull, Marshside 19 March 2010.

Went to Marshside today. Bloody good it was too. I was in "migrant mode" this morning but a quick look on Crossens Marsh produced 1200+ Pink-footed Geese including the Barnacle x Pink-foot hybrid in the flock (more on that later) plus an adult Mediterranean Gull. Apart from 370 Golden Plovers on Crossens Inner that was about it. Shame the migrants weren't in the same mode as me.

I joined up with Graham Clarkson and Pete Allen for a walk around the old sandplant where we scored with a nice male Wheatear before taking a stroll around Rimmer's Marsh via the Hesketh Golf Course path. A trio of Fieldfares and 16 Redwings on the playing fields was good to see. There's been a few Med's in the morning gull roost of late so we were checking for white-wings when Graham picked out one, but not a Med'. This Glaucous Gull was sitting with the Herring Gulls, generally making life difficult by not showing much of its head and bill, but soon got up revealing the barrel-chested shape too.

Glaucous Gull (centre, loafing with Herring Gulls), Marshside 19 March 2010.

Glaucous Gull eyeing a tasty Teal morsel at Marshside, 19 March 2010.

Continuing our round we picked up Great-spotted Woodpecker and Long-tailed Tits at the edge of the golf course and Merlin on the saltmarsh before reaching Nel's Hide where the Glauc' was in full view on Rimmer's. We enjoyed cracking views of this brute as well as a fine adult Mediterranean Gull, 11 Ruff and 40+ Avocets.

Barnacle Geese with Pink-footed Geese on Crossens Outer Marsh, Lancs 8 November 2010.

A good day then. I mentioned that hybrid out on Crossens with the Pinks. Well the other day I noticed a post about this hybrid goose at Caerlaverock WWT recently It looked strangely familiar and as "our" bird on the Ribble had been hanging out with Barnacle Geese during the winter and hadn't been seen recently, I guessed it might be "ours". Well, it's not, as "ours" is still with us here on the Ribble. Shame, as it conveniently gave the Ribble Barnacles reasonable credentials (as wild). I'm still of the opinion that many of the Ribble Barnacles are wild though; check out this family party in the photo above from Crossens last autumn.


So, this weekend should see more Wheatears, Sand Martins, White Wag's and Garganey then?

Thinking further afield.

Black-faced Hawk near Las Claritas, Venezuela February 2010.

The spring-like weather enticed me out again yesterday morning. I'd wanted to check the Ribble Whooper Swan herd to make sure there were no Bewick's still around. There's not. At least there wasn't yesterday when I walked from Banks to Crossens Outer Marsh along the seawall. There were 15 Greylag Geese in with the 67 Whooper Swans though. Single Barnacle Goose with the Pinks far out on the saltmarsh, too far off to check thoroughly (I bet there's something good out there with them).Spotted Redshank at Banks Marsh, Lancs.

The pools at Banks Marsh had a nice adult Mediterranean Gull, Spotted Redshank, 125 Black-tailed Godwits and 35 Dunlin. A female Merlin flew across, no doubt pleased in the slight increase in Meadow Pipits on the marsh. I counted 592 Golden Plovers huddled together on the pools towards Crossens with a further 37 Dunlin. No stints and I couldn't find the dowitcher either but I bet it's lurking somewhere on the estuary.

Paradise Jacamar near Las Claritas, Venezuela February 2010.

As predicted I've had to extract a few pics from the latest Venezuela tour for this post. Good to get back in the Neotropical mood with the impending Colombia tour anyway. The Black-faced Hawk pictured above was perched just outside somebody's garden on a track near a forest patch where some Capuchinbirds lek at Las Claritas. A "truly rare bird" according to The Birds of Venezuela, and I'm sure that's correct and we were just lucky to see two or three there in a couple of days. Black-faced Hawk belongs to the genus Leucopternis, a very attractive set of birds, many of which soar around the canopy. Black-faced Hawk doesn't do this however and this may prevent detection as it spends much of its time perched or flying just over the treetops.
Paradise Jacamar is fairly widespread in South America, but maybe more common in the east than in western Amazonia.

Certainly not winter, but not spring either.

Male Bullfinch at Mere Sands Wood, Lancs 13 March 2010.

Marshside today - I still like 'em.

I spent a fabulous morning WeBS counting on the Ribble early on today. Nothing rare, just plenty of birds to count on a sunny, brisk British spring morning. Despite the transition from winter to spring there are still thousands of birds on the estuary and I counted over 1500 Wigeon, 250+ Black-tailed Godwits and 320 Golden Plover plus stacks of other wildfowl and waders. The Pink-footed Geese are a bit tricky to go through at the minute, spending much of their time far out on Crossens Outer Marsh. I counted 44 Whooper Swans out there too, but couldn't make out any Bewick's at that distance. Maybe I'll take a walk out to check them later in the week if they're still about.

Mainly grey, black, white and a little bit of chestnut, but still a thing of great beauty: Drake Gadwall (with Teal) on Crossens Marsh, Lancs 14 March 2010.

Once I'd finished counting I took a stroll around Marshside RSPB. Blind optimism took a grip as I walked around the edge of the old sandplant in search of migrants. No Wheatears. How a bout a Garganey then? No. The diving duck are thinning out too, with just 20 Pochards and 51 Tufteds and Avocets were down to 42 (incidentally the nearby Martin Mere WWT noted an increase today) and a single Ruff showed from Nel's Hide.

I managed to pick out 3 adult Mediterranean Gulls on Rimmer's Marsh today. Here's one of them. It's not a good photo, but I've run out of American Wigeon pics.

Yesterday I spent a very enjoyable morning at Mere Sands Wood with the Edge Hill University "Birdwatching & Beyond" group organised by Graham Clarkson and Dr. Alan Bedford. We attended a ringing demonstration by Dave Fletcher and other members of the South West Lancs Ringing Group. It was great to see Bullfinches, Tree Sparrows and Reed Buntings in the hand. We also saw some pretty decent stuff in the woods and on the wetlands within the reserve too. These included Goosander, Goldeneye, Gadwall, Kingfisher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch and a couple of female Bramblings. Tawny Owl singing in daylight was nice, even if we couldn't find it.

If I don't see any migrants soon I'll have to delve back into the Venezuela album .....

Recycling, WMD's and Cross-billed Toucans.

WMD's = Weapons of Mass Distraction.

There's something about recycling that cleanses the soul. It does something for me that no other domestic chore can achieve. I honestly enjoy it, down to every tin can, plastic carton or any of Mrs B's sherry bottles. Naturally when I do it the bins and 'scope are in the car and I have to pass Hesketh Out Marsh on the way. OK, it's not on the way.
So, Hesketh Out Marsh was pretty good today. Cracking Hen Harriers: male over the stubble field and ringtail over the car park (it's that good - go there!), Peregrine, Buzzard and was there a bit of movement today? A few northbound Skylark flocks dropped in and a Siskin headed across the Ribble as I was gawping at the male Hen Harrier.

The nice thing about birding is that there's always a few extraordinary ordinary birds. I've seen loads of Aythya hybrids now, mostly Tufted x Pochards. I remember a paper in one of those ancient London Bird Reports on such beasts and I must admit that discovering one of these hybrids on a local pit or reservoir gave me some perverse satisfaction. Dumfries & Galloway appears to be haven for these unfortunate birds and I've encountered individuals of various parentage. Most manifest themselves in the guise of the classic "Lesser Scaup Type", but of late I've seen a few male hybrids with male Pochard colour heads and dark grey mantle and flanks. The above bird is a Greater Scaup x Tufted photographed at Caerlaverock on my last Solway trip. It's been there a couple of winters now. I've also seen one like it (but with a paler mantle and more prominent tuft") on the sea with Scaups, so beware!

All this preamble is in fact a feeble excuse to show a picture of this Channel-billed Toucan we saw in Venezuela last month. I can't see how this bird would struggle feeding though; unlike the Violet Sabrewing (a hummingbird) I saw at some feeders in Costa Rica a few years ago.

Just a couple of more photos of the Caerlaverock American Wigeon to finish. I promise there'll be no more but these were the only ones I could take by digiscoping once it swam far enough away from the hide.

I lied about Mrs B and sherry by the way.

She likes Baileys.

HOMsick?

Corn Bunting at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, Lancs 9 March 2010.

American Wigeon, Martin Mere WWT, Lancs 10 March 2010.

Lot of good birds around locally at the moment. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust seem to have the monopoly on American Wigeons at the moment with drakes at Caerlaverock on the Solway and Martin Mere here in Lancs. I'm sure the WWT will share their goods with the South Ribble marshes soon, just like they did last year with American Wigeon, Wilson's Phalarope (both at Marshside) and Lesser Canada Goose (Banks Marsh). We'll just have to wait and see.

I spent a few hours at Hesketh Out Marsh on Tuesday afternoon (9th), mainly away from the reserve. A walk along the path towards the Douglas produced some quality birds, with my favourites as usual being these Corn Buntings. By the end of the afternoon I'd seen 20 birds, some of which were singing, if only half-heartedly. I get immense pleasure from seeing this rather "understated" species - there's something about their modest appearance (as in Gadwall and Stock Dove) that I find so endearing, especially at close quarters.
No geese or swans around HOM at the moment but plenty to look at: a Peregrine, 3 adult Mediterranean Gulls (I can never get enough of those either), 2 Gadwall, 19 Stock Doves, 2 Collared Doves (not common here), 182 Golden Plovers, a male Yellowhammer and a Raven being mobbed by 30+ Carrion Crows. The afternoon finished on a high note with 19 Black-tailed Godwits and a Barn Owl at the reserve.

Avocets at Martin Mere WWT, Lancs 10 March 2010.

Spring had definitely sprung at Martin Mere when I popped in to take a look at the American Wigeon. There were surprisingly few people in the Ron Barker hide and the AW was showing well in one of the channels nearby.

He fed for a while with the Eurasian Wigeons until something spooked the whole flock and they flew along one of the channels and out of view. Plenty to see at the Mere with 20+ Avocets (I like 'em), Ringed Plovers and a few Ruff mingling with Dunlins in the shallows. Hordes of Whooper Swans on the Mere of course and a Raven was making a meal of something for quite a time.

I couldn't resist a quick check at Banks Marsh where the Long-billed Dowitcher was still present (and still distant) with Spotted Redshank, a female Merlin that piled into the Dunlin flock and the 9 Twite were "wheezing" their way around the muddy areas near the farm. I spent five minutes looking across HOM on the way home from the viewpoint but couldn't find anything new on the reserve. A male Hen Harrier quartering the north side of the Ribble at Warton was a real treat through the 'scope though as it's the first I've seen for a few weeks on the estuary.

The Bean Geese are still present at Plex Moss apparently; I can't say I can ever remember such a good selection of scarce or rare birds so close to home. South Ribble rocks!

Drake American Wigeon with Eurasian Wigeons at Martin Mere WWT, Lancs 10 March 2010.