Colombia

Golden-bellied Starfrontlet 

About a third of the way through leading this year's Ornitholidays Colombia tour now with fabulous birds seen daily. 
We started in Bogota, birding the marshes for Bogota Rail (above) at dawn, Apolinar's Wren, Silvery-throated Spinetail and best ever views of Noble Snipe (below).

After a great morning's birding near Bogota watching Andean Ruddy Ducks, 150+ Blue-winged Teals, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and a few migrant warblers we moved into the Andes only an hour or so by road from the capital at La Chicaque.

The near endemic Golden-bellied Starfrontlet (above) had been discovered coming to feeders near the restaurant here by Diana Balcazar recently. We couldn't resist a trip to see this stunning hummer, almost unavailable to birders until this recent discovery. Collared Incas, Mountain Velvetbreast and Glowing Pufflegs kept company at the feeders.

Definitely winter

Pink-footed Geese at Marshside this morning.

I've not had a lot of spare time for birding this week, all my outings being short and without time to wander from the truck. Not that it prevents you from seeing lots of birds locally at the moment. The mosses around Martin Mere are full of Pink-footed Geese still (although I've not seen anything else in with them this week) and there are plenty of Whooper Swans in the fields. The biggest herd I saw this week was near Bescar; must've been over two hundred birds, but I couldn't stop to count them accurately. It's about time the first Bewick's Swan of the winter was found too.

Woodpigeons have made the local news of late with some incredible "guestimates" on flock numbers, with up to 50,000 (!) in the Martin Mere area. I noticed this large influx the other day while I was goose counting at dawn (although my notebook only reads 50K+). The huge flocks have sparked some interest in this otherwise low key species, mainly in the origin of these late autumn visitors.
I can remember sitting at my watch point in Dumfries & Galloway a couple of years ago, noting an autumn movement of these birds (they were fairly uncommon at this study site), mooting the idea that they were of Scandinavian origin. A quick read of the Vismig Yahoo Group and a search in the BTO migration Atlas and Birds of Scotland indicated otherwise, with the general view that these are indeed just British birds. Take a look at the BTO Migration Blog or any of their sites for more.

Otherwise my moss tours have produced Peregrines, Marsh Harrier and Merlin and a quick look at the southern end of Marshside RSPB this morning was pleasant enough, if not very rewarding. Thousands of dabbling duck out there. Looking forward to having a thorough look at the reserve when I get the chance. This time last year there was a few European Whitefronts and Tundra Bean Geese to look for in the goose flocks on the Ribble. I see that over twenty possible Tundra Beans were seen off Flamborough Head this morning. Perhaps there's a few on their way?

Don't forget the North West Bird Watching Festival at Martin Mere this weekend. Graham's doing some guided walks and talks. I can't make it, but I'm sure it'll be fun.

Out for the count (again).

Pale-bellied Brent Goose with Pink-footed Geese at Banks today.

I was out counting on the Ribble again today; WeBS this time. I covered a section of Banks Marsh after getting a sneak preview from the seawall at Old Hollow where I could see the Great White Egret and a Spoonbill out on the NNR.
The marshes were actually pretty unimpressive but 3650 Pink-footed Geese in the fields inland of the seawall deserved a bit of attention and duly rewarded me with 3 Barnacle Geese and a Pale-bellied Brent Goose. 
Two each of Peregrine and Merlin were the only raptor highlights during WeBS but Graham Clarkson and I saw a ringtail Hen Harrier out at Hesketh Out Marsh yesterday afternoon towards dusk. A redhead Goosander was the first I've had at HOM and even as darkness fell I could see a couple of hundred Whooper Swans inland of the RSPB reserve.
Otherwise it's just been a couple of quick spells looking through Pink-footed Geese near Martin Mere this weekend but nothing unusual.
Bit of a frustrating time with the Pink-footed Goose neckbands this weekend. One bird from the UU hide at Martin Mere just wouldn't show the letters on the collar yesterday, not stretching its neck until it flew. Another bird, XX...... something (couldn't read the last letter due to ruffled feathers) today but I did see the blue neckband B2S Pink-foot ringed in Denmark during WeBS.

So after spending the first year or so of its life wintering in Holland and Belgium, B2S decided it would like to join Icelandic birds wintering in the UK. 
It's estimated that there's an annual exchange of around a few hundred individuals between Svalbard and Icelandic breeding Pinks, mainly taking place in severe winters (Goose Populations of the Western Palearctic; Madsen, Cracknell & Fox).

I see B2S decided to have another look at the Low Country wintering grounds in late 2007 though, albet briefly.

Lapland Bunting

Another quick visit to the estuary around high tide at lunchtime produced a fly-over Lapland Bunting. No harriers or owls as the tide flooded Crossens Outer Marsh but Merlin and Peregrine were using the logs as perches, hundreds of Golden Plover and a few Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits feeding on the pools with five Whooper Swans and a few hundred Pink-footed Geese spread over Crossens. The Great White Egret could be seen alongside several Little Egrets out on Banks Marsh but the oddest bird of the session must be the female Red-breasted Merganser that flew over my head, circled and then landed in one of the flooded creeks. Don't see many Mergs on the Ribble Estuary, certainly not this far up.

O23 Pink-foot.

 So the Pink-footed Goose I saw yesterday near Martin Mere with the white neck band was controlled on 29 March 2011 at Vest Stadil Fjord in Denmark. This is presumably a Svalbard bird that normally winters in Denmark, whereas the Lancashire wintering population comprises of Icelandic birds.

He is in this flock of Pink-footed Geese (near the front, right of centre). Blow it up a bit (below) and you can just see his white collar.  

Thanks to Fred Cotaar of the Goose Specialist Group in Holland for the info.

Big tide on the Ribble.

Disappointing at Hesketh Out Marsh with the ten metre tide today. Very little of note apart from a Ruff with 30 Dunlin, several Little Egrets, 3 Grey Plovers and Sparrowhawk. No harriers (now there's a surprise!), no Merlin (that IS a surprise), no owls. Nice to see a few smaller birds in the hedges though including a Brambling and two Yellowhammers with the Linnets and Reed Buntings.
A Peregrine nearly took a Shelduck on Banks Marsh East where there were 26 Whooper Swans and over three hundred Golden Plover. The Whoopers flew inland and I followed them to Hundred End where I counted 345 in one stubble field.

Another Danish ringed Pink-footed Goose?

Well, it would seem so.



Another couple of hours with the seven thousand plus Pink-footed Geese near Martin Mere WWT this morning was pretty uneventful. I could only find a single Barnacle Goose but I did pick out a Pink-foot with a white neck band. I've never seen one with a white band before but managed to find a clue in the "News" section of the Tracking Wild Geese website.

Ever get the feeling you're missing something?

Local Barnacle Geese.

Popped out for the last two hours of daylight (if you can call it that?) this afternoon to watch the geese going to roost at Martin Mere. I had a bit of time to go through the six thousand plus Pink-footed Geese feeding in the stubble near the wetland centre and was surprised to see 84 Barnacle Geese ("of unknown origin") with them.
Couldn't find anything else with them in the murk, have to have another go soon.
They flew into roost on the reserve while I was walking around the reed bed trail (this is the second "wave" of geese) ...... 



Marsh Harrier over the reed bed at dusk, brief views of Water Rail and a male Sparrowhawk. 

More whiffle waffle.

Whooper Swans and Pink-footed Geese near Martin Mere, 11 November 2012.

 Pink-footed Goose count so out and in position before sunrise this morning. Barn Owl first bird of the day with the Pink-footed Geese leaving the WWT grounds at Martin Mere shortly afterwards. 

There was a steady trickle of Whooper Swans throughout my two hour stint watching over the mosses near Bescar with plenty more species to keep me occupied: 30 Ruff, 4 Grey Partridge, 30+ Stock Doves, "clouds" of Woodpigeons (at least 5000 birds) and at least 3 Bramblings.

Pink-footed Geese heading out to the coast near Southport.

Thirty four Corn Buntings were flushed by a female Merlin near Bescar.

A quick look through a couple of thousand Pink-footed Geese on the WWT grounds at Martin Mere produced just a single Barnacle Goose, with my second Merlin of the morning, a single Marsh Harrier and three Peregrines. 

Pink-footed Geese and Whooper Swans near Martin Mere WWT, 11 November 2012.

Ribble Whoopers.

Whooper Swans on Tarleton Moss, Lancs 10 November 2012.

A fine morning and just enough time to nip out to the Ribble Estuary. This nice herd of Whooper swans on Tarleton Moss stopped me on the way. There were 39 on the flooded stubble, 6 juveniles but they all flew off towards the estuary eventually.

The Great White Egret was way out on the salt marsh with an immature Spoonbill at Banks and scanning towards Hesketh Out Marsh I could see where the Whoopers had flown to as there were 81 in a ploughed field at Hundred End.
Several Little Egrets, loads of Pink-footed Geese flying around, thousands of Wigeon, over two hundred Golden Plover and fifty mobile Dunlins. Single Grey Plover and Black-tailed Godwit on the pools with Merlin and Peregrine perched on posts.
A Little Owl was causing a bit of a commotion by the farm as I went back to the car with Fieldfares, Mistle Thrushes, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds mobbing it.

Life in a northern town ......

OK, technically it's a city but that doesn't work ......

Some of the 150+ Waxwings in Preston City centre this morning. 

That's the Waxwing fix done.

Taiga Bean Geese

Taiga Bean Geese, Slamannan Plateau (Falkirk District) 8 November 2012.

Yesterday (8/11) I had a look for the Taiga Bean Geese on the Slamannan Plateau near Falkirk. They can take a bit of finding in this area, the rushy grasslands with conifer plantations may be the nearest these geese can get to their Taiga habitat, but it makes for lots of "dead ground" when viewing the site.
Anyway I found a small flock of 33 feeding after a short drive around and although I immediately noticed one was collared, the views were poor into the strong sunlight.

I bumped into Angus Maciver of the Bean Goose Action Group by chance and he sent me around to a larger flock (I could see 60+, but about 90 were about) with better viewing conditions. A few collared birds were present in this flock too; difficult to read though. Fifteen were trapped in October 2011 and four fitted with GPS transmitters and Angus told me of a sighting in Norway involving seven of these birds (see here).

Winter grazing habitat for Taiga Bean Geese, Slamannan Plateau 8 November 2012.

Probably my favourite "grey goose", the Bean with its bright orange legs, feet and patch on bill. The longish swan-like neck of these fabalis can be seen on the alert birds in the top two photos and the far left bird in this one. The "stretched" triangular bill shows nicely on all these birds. 

Tundra Bean Goose, Marshside, February 2012

This is one of the many Tundra Beans (stocky, short-necked and a stubby, wedge-shaped bill) I was fortunate enough to see last winter for comparison. The reason for this influx has yet to be fully explained (nor for the unusually high numbers of European Whitefronted Geese for that matter), certainly not a cold-weather infux, it may have been a staggered "drift" of birds displaced into Norway from northern Scandinavia and northwest Russia (GooseNews).

Oh yeah ....... I saw two Hawfinches at Sizergh Castle in Cumbria yesterday too.

Local birding snippet and Pink-footed Goose PBH.

Pink-footed Goose PBH on Downholland Moss, SW Lancs 25 October 2012.

Nicked a couple of hours birding yesterday afternoon (5/11/12) while the crisp weather lasted and went to Hesketh Out Marsh with the tide. Pretty quiet yet again though with just a single female Merlin the only decent raptor. Up to 200 Golden Plovers pushed onto the fields with Lapwings by the tide, 23 Whooper Swans, a small number of Pink-footed Geese coming to roost on the NNR, 5 Little Egrets and a single Tufted Duck (still a HOM rarity). 
Single Spotted Redshank the highlight without doubt. 

Meanwhile back on goose front .......

Looks like PBH likes Lancashire, particularly Downholland Moss where I also saw her last February:

Goose stalking.

Plenty of geese to look at / through in the Ribble area at the moment. Presently the Martin Mere area is probably the best local place for viewing Pink-foots on the deck, although that may well change in the coming weeks as birds feed elsewhere or even move on to winter in Norfolk.

Picked out a few neck banded birds in the Pinks of late and reported them to the WWT. Do that and you'll receive one of these (probably from Kane Brides), letting you know where your goose was first controlled and where it's been; even who's seen it.

This is the data for TTI:

So TTI was a new one for me but as you can see one of my fellow Lancashire bloggers saw it on New Year's Eve 2010.

LSK was around too. I see it's been seen by a few birders I know on his travels too:

The Cumbrian birders have blogs too. Craig's blog can be seen here and Darren's here.

So if you see any of "my" geese (TTI, LSK, IFG, IZU, PCH, PZA, LNC, PBH, LPF, PHP, PZL, TJS, TVF, TXJ or blue collar 2SB) please say hello.

Thanks to Kane once again for all the data.