30/12/2014 Moore Nature Reseve

Glaucous Gull:  This would be my third trip in as many weeks to Moore, however on this visit I had more time so spent all day watching the gulls.

After spending two hours at Birchwood Pool I wandered over to Pumphouse Pool where I found a juvenile Iceland Gull, unfortunately not long after I picked it up the bird took off and I was unable to relocate it.

After losing the Iceland Gull I headed over to the upper hide on Pumphouse Pool with the hope of settling in and scanning through the building numbers.

Not long after I arrived Mike Mulholland turned up and it was from this moment that I simply spent the rest of the day chatting away with mike, no gulling, no birding.

I can however tell you some stories about Mike that includes a Frankie Goes to Hollywood T-shirt and Morocco, a lads weekend in Ibiza and a surprise visit from a Leatherback turtle in Conwy!

After we finally stopped gassing we spent some time looking through the gulls when I picked up a nice white winger amongst the flocks.
At first the Glauc in my mind was a bit small, however comparing the birds general size and bill size and next to the local argentatus we concluded it must be a Gluac and not the short legged, short billed, long winged Iceland Gull I spotted earlier.


On my way back I stopped off at Birchwood Pool where the gull numbers were much larger than earlier in the day it was here two young birders told me they just had a juv Gluac, juv Inceland and an adult Med Gull in the past hour or so.

(first two images where digiscoped)

24/12/2014 Hanley Central Park, Staffordshire

Smew: A nice little Christmas Eve treat!

Before the big day and the Christmas family trips and visits I decided to try and get some better images of a Smew after only getting very poor images from Cheshire's bird.

So I drove down to Hanley where there had been one knocking about for a few weeks, however the sun today was awful and the light on the pond was terrible.





So todays results were a little better than last week, but there is still a lot of room to improve.

By far my favourite sawbill, but I'm still chasing the snow white male!

21/12/2014 Pugney's Country park, West Yorkshire

Blyth's Pipit: Due to work, weather and a lack 'umph' its taken me this long to go up and see the Blyth's - but I'm glad I waited.

One of the things that has been putting me off is the idea that the only views would be a brief fleeting glimpse of the bird as it occasionally leaves the deck and takes to the air.

But not long after arriving, and after getting a little lost on the way, the bird spent around 15-20 minutes perching in a nearby willow.

It did take to the air and called a couple of times which was really good to hear. 

The other highlight of the day was Pugney's car parking charges, 60 pence for two hours, cheap and a lifeline after searching my penny tray and looking under the junk in the back I managed to find three shiny heptagonal-ish shaped coins!

19/12/2014 Newchurch Common, Cheshire

Smew: Nice to catch up with Cheshire's female Smew, with it being literally on the way to work, and December being such a manic month I haven't had the opportunity 

It was also nice to catch up with Rob Morsley who like I spent some time scanning through the big flocks of Wigeon and Coot in search of the bird. 

After a long and muddy walk around the lake we finally pinned the bird down - if however a little distant. 

07/12/2014 Gresford Flash, Wrexham

Caspian gull: I was always hoping to pick up my first Caspo myself, I have spent hours scanning over the flocks at Richmond Bank and Moore NR.







I was also hoping my first to be a full Adult, but I am happy to see a 1st winter bird so close to home and a first for Wales by all accounts.

What stood out for me was its extremely pale pear shaped head and neck, with its small dark set back pea-sized eye!

04/12/2014 Rossall Point, Lancs

Shore Lark:  This little cracker was showing incredibly well about 300 yards of the observation tower at Rossall point this afternoon.









A new bird for my list, made that little bit better having seen it as a county bird too - no big trips to the East coast or norfolk for me.

It was brilliant to see this male with it's sandy brown back, black chest band, a curving black mask, and head stripes that extend to the back of the head that are sometimes raised into tiny 'horns'.

The bird was very confiding and not camera shy at all, the tide was way out when I arrived and I did think it might be at some distance once I made it up there, however it came within 3-4 metres.

Distinctly smaller then a Skylark, it almost resembled a Snow Bunting in behaviour.

It was bitterly cold, the flood gates to my nose had opened and my hands were stinging from the biting winds. I stayed as long as I could before I retreated back to the warmth of my car.








What a stunner!

01/12/2014 Martin Mere WWT

Darvic's: Since David Norman has kindly agreed to train me up as a ringer more doors have opened up for me.

A few weeks ago Kane Brides offered an invitation to attend a training day capturing and ringing some wildfowl at Martin Mere.

I obviously jumped at the chance!

Whooper Swan: After suiting up in a pair of waders and appropriate PPE (masks & gloves), part of H&S.

We waited in the entrance of the pipe, Martin Mere's giant bird trap

Pochard: The pipe was baited to lure the Swans and Ducks in to the pipe before rushing out and closing the door. We then jumped in the pool, with waist high water and corralled the birds in to separate pens at the far end of the pipe.

Me: After the fast and dramatic capturing of the birds and after they were sorted, I was able to get my hands on them.

I personally rung, Whooper Swan, Pintail, Shelduck and even a Coot.

Pintail (male): Pintail in the hand was something else, they are such stunning birds and to record individuals biometrics was festinating.  

Pintail (female): I used G sized rings (diameter 11.0mm & weight 2.40g) on the Shelduck and Coot and once these were fitted I took some biometric data that included, skull size, wing length and weight.

We caught a good selection of male and female, where I was shown some good examples of ageing.

We used red Darvic's - the plastic identification ring, along with BTO metal rings sized Mi=Mc (diameter 26.0mm & weight 4.31g) these have a lip and nipple that fit and close together on the birds tarsal.

He wasn't too heavy, I think he weighed in at around 7.4–14 kg (16–31 lb) - this is about average for a male in winter.

This male Whooper was the first one I rung and placed a Darvic with the letters ANY on its right leg.

So if you take a trip keep your eyes peeled for it, its one of mine.

I lay the bird down, slowly took off it's swan bag, leant back and remember to make sure you hold on to the swan bag then......

 .......with one big flap he was off!

Awesome!

Coot: I wasn't too surprised that the Coots were not happy chappies at all, they used their huge feet and claws to scratch and their pointed bill to peck and pinch.

I didn't struggle too much however, under the guidance of Kane.

 

Kane: There is a certain loving look I give Dawn from time to time, this is the same look Kane is giving this Coot!

That chap off the TV!

The morning was topped off with a gorgeous cup of home made vegetable soup, courtesy of Tom Clare, MMWWT Reserves Manager - I am sure he would like to be credited for it!

Shelduck: Thanks again to Kane for thinking of me and helping me out, it was an excellent morning and one I hope to be involved with again, cheers dude.