Round-up

Thursday March 27

Spring  migrants have been trickling in during this last few days of sun and warmth. We've managed to connect with two species - and I've lucked on a winter remainer.

After another poor night's sleep,  we gave the first session of this year's moth-ing at Natural Surroundings, a miss and made a late morning drive to Morston. Our luck was in today. After touring the boat parking area, we settled to watch a large area. We'd seen a few birds in flight ,but not well enough to identify. Seeing a birder stroll around the other side of the boats, we followed. Many pairs of eyes help. A group of four birders, which included Greg and Val, were standing near to where  a small bird in flight had been seen. As we sat there chatting, Pam noticed the female type Black Redstart appear from behind a boat to perch on a rusty axle. It then flew on to a tyre. As Greg was leaning against the car, Pam couldn't move so that I could photograph the bird, apart from through our tinted and distorted windscreen. No-one is seeing THAT photograph ! A dog walker, animal off the lead, made the bird take flight. We didn't see it again, despite a search. This seems to have been its history here. 

Eye Field next. I scoped in vain from Coastguards. The field is very large, heavily coarse grass tufted, and undulating.I suggested that I have a last scan from Beach Road, as there was very little traffic today. As I started scanning, Pam, looking through the windscreen, spied a movement. A female Wheatear, busily food hunting. Although a fair distance away for a small and very active bird, it was worth a photo shot or two.

 




Lovely, one of my favourite birds, spring is here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier in the week, whilst scoping the Eye Field, I saw the group of nine Lesser White-fronted Geese fly from North Scrape towards, and then landing on, Simmonds. At last. Unfortunately, Pam couldn't see them, that takes the gloss off for me.

When we got home, Pam started filling the bird feeders, a daily task. Whilst out there, she heard an unfamiliar bird noise, so activated Merlin ( a bird song identification app) on her phone.

This is what came up on the screen.:

Greenfinch

Goldfinch, 

Chaffinch

Robin

Song Thrush

Brambling

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Blackbird

Long Tailed Tit

Pheasant

Wood Pigeon

Dunnock

Coal Tit

Jackdaw

Wren

Great Tit

Waw, no wonder our twenty feeders have to be filled daily, The Chiffchaff which had been calling most of the day, plus the regular Nuthatches and House Sparrows, can't have been present.

 

 

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