Two rushed weekends...

After several fruitless trips looking for the Glossy Ibis, last weekend started as intended relaxed day.  Just a potter round our local RSPB reserve to see what was about. The usual culprits were about, a largish gathering of lapwings doing their usual impressions of squeaky toys, and weaving through them were a small group of curlew sandpiper. We were treated to a brief view of a Water Rail slinking for cover. Suddenly the lapwings sprung into the air, and wheeled around alarm calling... Then above we saw the grey and white shape of a sparrowhawk coming over. The hawk wasn't interested in the lapwings, but in something behind the reeds; probably one of the snipe who were being rather elusive this morning. Anyway, it didn't seem to get anything, as it came stomping around the reeds with no sign of a kill. For a few minutes it looked more like a gull hunting worms than a hawk! And then it decided enough was enough, and headed off  to the other side of the reserve. By sheer chance I got a shot mid-takeoff - it's very grainy as the light was bad, and quite a distance away, but gives a good view of the underwing patterns.

So there we were, gently relaxing, when the phone gave a quiet tinkle - a facebook alert saying that the Ibis were back at Horwich, and this information was less than an hour old... Quick decision to be made, but in reality there was only one answer - quickly pack up and dash back to the car for the hours drive to Bolton.  All the while thinking, how long would they stay this time??

We needn't have worried; as we arrived there were a couple of birders by the side of the road, and a quick glance into the field as we pulled into the layby confirmed that the Ibis were still there.

We got out, and watched as the four birds worked their way around the field, at times less than 6 feet away from the wall where the watchers were gathered. Thankfully they didn't seem at all bothered by our presence, which was just as well as there was quite a stream of  cars and vans arriving, birders tumbling out and scuttling across the road; it seems we weren't the only ones who had been struggling to catch up with these delightful birds.

Why this field? These birds had visitied several local spots, and clearly found some safe spot to roost at night, yet again and again they were returning to this spot; there must have been something particularly attractive to them. Perhaps it's the slight hollow at the bottom, where water seems to gather, not as a pond, but rather a distinctly more marshy patch? Talking with a local who had grown up in the area, he said that this field had always been a hot-spot for visiting birds, so it seems that whatever it is that is there, this was no mere random choice of field.

Having finally caught up the the Glossy Ibis (and clocked up something like 460 miles in the process!), we decided to stop off at Pennington Flash on the way back, and resume the leisurely day.. This was our first visit to this country park, and a right gem it turned out to be. Each of the ponds had a hide, and each hide revealed something different. Nothing particularly rare, but such a variety of woodland and wetland birds. One pool revealed these goosander amonst the many teal. These look similar to the female red-breated merganser, but can be distinguished from them by the sharp border on the neck and the slight downward dip on the end of the bill.

On another pool there was an pinky-orange colour on a distant post; suddenly it became an electric blue flash as the bird came to a closer post; a kingfisher!  Then it came even closer, to a post right in front of the hide, and gave a five minute display of fishing before heading back down the pool. There is something special about these birds, and the experience was electrifying...

Moving on to another pool revealed this character. A shy bird, usually heard cackling at the top of trees rather than seen, this Jay was moving to and thro on the mound in the scrape, oblivious to our eyes. Seen in the open, the plummage seems quite exotic with it's own blue flash.

Another pool, by now to dark for photographs, revealed a group of cormorants, lined up with their wings streched out to dry, and then a mass of rooks and corvids taking off from the trees above and circling above calling, a good ending to a long day.

This weekend was by necessity much shorter, enforced by other commitments. We could just grab enough time, first to dash to West Kirby at high tide to see the Brent Geese that gather there at this time of year, and then to Derby Pool to catch the Snow Bunting that has been on the embankment there for the last few days. This bunting, like the Glossy Ibis, seemed to show little fear of man, only flying off as cyclists passed within inches, and then returning straight back to the sea wall, working it's way along the edge looking for insects.

 Hopefully this little beauty will stay a while, but only time will tell. In the meanwhile it's back to work, and beginning to plan for next weekend!

A strange ol' weekend

The weekend started with promise. I'd noticed some tweets from local birders about a Turtle Dove in Leasowe, just a couple of miles from home. A quick dash after work, and we managed to find the bird while there was enough light to take a few pictures. What this bird, more usually found in the South and East of the country, is doing here is a bit of a mystery, but welcome nonetheless, especially as this species is declining and considered under threat.

As much of a mystery is this Snow Goose, found on the river Clywd at Rhuddlan.
While this goose is wandering around quite happily, it's not a natural wild bird at all. Most likely is that it has escaped from some wildfowl collection or other, and it has been reported in the Rhuddlan area for about a year now, so clearly happy with it's location.

At the same place we saw a seal cruising up and down the river. Presumably it had come up the river with the tide, and hopefully found its way out the same way. What we didn't see though was the Glossy Ibis that had been reported here.... So we went over to Bolton to check on the four that been there for the last week or so. When we arrived there was a birder just packing up. We asked about the Ibis, and he replied along the lines of, "Oh yes, they're just over there... Oh, wait a minute, they've gone...."

Sigh, for all the joy of seeing the Turtle Dove we had the frustration of not finding the Ibis - that's three trips to Bolton now, and one to Clywd, and no joy.  And then we get home to the news that one was seen flying into one of our local reserves, Inner Marsh Farm at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands just as it was closing!!  Argh!!

So Sunday afternoon we dash down to IMF, to find that there was no news... The Ibis has again evaporated...  Instead of rushing around looking for it, we decided to stay for a while and check out the pools at IMF.

Among the delights were a good number of Snipe. Unlike at Conwy the previous week, these Snipe were less keen to be seen - there is one in this photo - but can you see it ?!?

 In with the many teal and lapwing there were about half-a-dozen curlew sandpiper. These small waders could be seen busily moving through the groups of other larger birds, busily dipping for food, head moving rapidly up-and-down. It took quite a few photos before we finally got one shot with the distinctive curved beak clear of the water.

 Also in the pools were around two doxen Golden Plover. These handsome birds with their short dark bills brightened up everyone's day with their 'kindly' faces, as one observer put it.

 Several time during the afternoon the flock of lapwings took to the air, wheeling around. Clearly something had spooked them. We searched the skies for signs of a Peregrine or a Harrier - but couldn't see anything. Yet something had them on edge - indeed at one point, as the lapwing took off, all the teal hurried from the four corners of the pool to gather in one cluster at the deepest point. Perhaps there was a fox around? We didn't see anything, but clearly there was something around tht was perceived as a threat.

The highlight of the afternoon had to be this Greenshank, moving around the pool, seemingly oblvious to the excitement - perhaps with its extra size it felt safe from whatever was around. Certainly it was clearly comfortable, and gave good views to those watching.

 So despite the frustration of fruitlessly searching for the Glossy Ibis, the weekend had it's rewards. While seeing a new bird always brings a feeling of satisfaction, there is as much satisfaction from seeing the more familiar, but perhaps seeing a bit more of their behaviour, learning a little more about their behaviours and characteristics.

Snipe and Jack Snipe

It's been a long summer, and there's so much we've seen. However, rather than try and catch up in one, here's something small just to get back into the swing of things.

As summer has come to an end we've seen more snipe arrive. Beautifully marked, these birds are present at many of our pools over winter, yet are almost impossible to see when tucked up in the reeds, and easily overlooked.

However, even more elusive, and a lot scarcer, are Jack Snipe. These can be much harder to find, so when a note went up on RSPB Conwy's twitter feed saying that there were some present and showing well, I just had to scoot across on Sunday afternoon.

At first there was just one present, moving slowly along the edge of a reed bank, never quite in view, more seen by the movement than anything else.

This shot was the best of about a dozen. Here you can just about make out the shorter stubbier bill, and the two broad golden stripes on the back. In real life the clincher was its incessant bobbing movement.

Happy with this, I was about to move off, when another was pointed out - this one right in front of the hide window, much nearer, and in the open. Even better there was a Common Snipe nearby to provide a contrast; the Jack Snipe being more 'yellow', and the Snipe appearing much greyer.

It's not simply a case of size. Putting some of the shots together will hopefully show the differences more clearly, Snipe on the left, Jack Snipe on the right.

I've mentioned the bill size, and the prominent golden stripes on the back of the Jack Snipe (stripes are present on the Snipe too, but much less prominent). Note the head markings too. Snipe have a central bright crown stripe, with a back stripe either side, while the Jack Snipe has a central black 'cap', with golden stripes either side. And lets not forget that bobbing!

What a grand day out!