Starling Roost

Dropped in late afternoon to Watermead Country Park North to see if there was any sign of the Bittern that was reported last night. I bumped into Jim Graham who had been there for a few hours with no luck.

As the light faded plenty of Woodpigeon were roosting in nearby trees and large numbers of corvids were passing over to roost at Birstall… and then it happened the magic that was the Starling roost. Jim and I stood mesmerised as the Starling twisted turned and threw shapes in the air. Backwards and forwards across the reedbed the Starling flashed before vanishing into the reeds. Spectacle over!

Happy New Year.

You’ve Been Fleeced – Yuletide Special

A couple of festive fleece encounters. The first is courtesy of my Brother-in-Law, Matthew and was spotted doing a bit of last minute shopping on Christmas Eve.

The second was taken in Tesco in Stockport by my sister Mandy yesterday.

Celebrity Birder Yearlist Challenge

After this years dramatic increase in the celebrity birder, I thought I would challenge you all to a celebrity birder yearlist.

As for rules – I guess we have to see the birders in a wild and unfettered state – i.e. wearing bins and/or carrying a scope and well, I think that’s about it. Sightings of birding celebrities in shops etc will not count – unless they are buying new bins and/or scopes.

As far as I know here is a list of celebs who claim to be birders – I don’t intend to allocate celebrities to any sort of heat style rating system such as A list or Z list.

Bill Bailey, Alex Zane, Jeff Green, Rory McGrath, Chris Packham, Bill Oddie, Ken Clarke, Elliott Morley, Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn, Marc (Lard) Riley, Vic Reeves, Van Morrison, Dr Fox, Caroline Quentin, Trudie Goodwin, Sean Wilson, Bill Drummond, Tim Burgess, Guy Garvey, Sam West, Paul McCartney, Sean Bean, Joanna Lumley, Mick Jagger, members of British Sea Power and The Guillemots, Jeremy Clarkson, Mike Hooper (ex Liverpool goalie), Cameron Diaz, Steve Jones (probably not the Sex Pistol), Alex Horne, Alison Steadman.

 Not an exhaustive list I’m sure but good hunting!

Berry Christmas

Not wanting to waste the sunny conditions I headed out to Cossington Meadows. After my success with digiscoping the ‘Sibe’ Stonechat on Monday I thought I’d practise a bit more digiscoping. I was hoping for a nice male Bullfinch but didn’t find any, even females.

The Hawthorn hedge though was full of berry gobbling Thrushes so I grabbed plenty of images both digiscoped and with the DSLR. Can you spot which is which?

Fieldfare

Redwing

Redwing

As well as the Redwing and Fieldfare there was plenty of action out on the ice at Tern Pool. This Coot seemed pretty cocky, preening whilst standing on one leg.

Coot

Watching this Lapwing I wondered if the cold was making him want to pee?

'Ooh, I'm bursting'

Not too many other birds were seen but this confiding Pied Wagtail was making the best of things in the paddocks.

Pied Wagtail

Lastly no winter scene would be complete without a Yuletide Robin.

Robin

Robin

Siberian Stonechat

In an attempt to get yesterday and the major dip out of my system, I headed to a part of the Country I’m still very touchy about – the former Nottinghamshire coalfield – to Bevercote Pit Wood on the site of the old pit.

Putting my politics aside I had gone for the Siberian Stonechat – and what a beauty!

'Siberian' Stonechat

The bird was incredibly mobile – seemingly vanishing and appearing somewhere behind me. At one point I lost if for about 20mins and was on the point of giving up when a female Common Stonechat popped up on a fence to be promptly chased off by the male Sibe. He was an aggressive little sod – Wrens got equally short shrift.

Siberian Stonechat

The photos are digscoped images – no chance with the DSLR

Wedippeda Gyr Gyr, Wedippeda Gyr Gyr

Another trip west of Swansea, another dip – this time on the Gyr Falcon that had taken up residence on The Gower.

We didn’t even see too many other raptors except Buzzard and Sparrowhawk and oh yes a Kestrel or two. Standing on a windswept Welsh hillside for five hours is no fun I can tell you. I did allow me to revel in that last bastion of racism though… taking the piss out of the Welsh and Dave in particular. Our favourites, well certainly Colin and I was when we saw a police car – ‘quick scarper lads… it’s the Heddlu.’ The straw that finally broke Dave’s back though was my throwaway line in the McDonalds near Swansea – ‘it’s just like and Indian call centre… they’ve got English names and everything.’ Needless to say, Dave was not amused.

Battle Cruiser

If Little Grebe is a fast Naval Launch then Red-throated Diver is the Frigate but the largest of all the battleships has to be the Cruiser – in birding terms the Great Northern Diver. This moulting adult has taken up residence on the Rowing Course at Holme Pierrepont in Nottinghamshire. Also on site were a pair of Smew on the Waterski Pit.

The bird came really close at times, indeed the course is only 100m wide, but I have to thank Jamie MacArthur (hope I got your name right) for the loan of his 600mm lens.

Whoop whoop!

‘Harold’ the Whooper Swan remains at Watermead Country Park South – he seems to have queered his patch somewhat but hey, if he stays into the New Year, I won’t be complaining.

Since his arrival bearing a BTO ring ZY0349 on the right leg there is now a yellow plastic ring on the left leg. I’m not too sure of the full number but the last two digits are 3G, the first is possibly B.

Common?

Common Gull is not really common – it winters in good numbers and breeds in the North in small numbers. It is thought it gets its name from the habit of wintering on Commons.

Black-heads

A selection of Black-headed Gull photos taken at Watermead Country Park South today.

Even in mid-December a few birds are starting to come into summer plumage.