Twite: After a very excellent Easter bank holiday weekend I found myself working up near Middlesbrough again today pondering the idea of a four day weekend being the holy grail to a peacfull life.
My day started at the bottom of Zinc Works Road just off Tees Road past RSPB Slatholme where there has been half a dozen twice kicking about over the last few weeks.
These small finches feed predominantly on seeds and here some nice folk has been regularly seeding a small area to encourage them down to feed. They are a real coastal speciality although some breed on moorland.
As is so typical thesis days the UK's twite population has dramatically declined in recent years, particularly in England where they're on the brink of extinction as a breeding bird. In winter, numbers are boosted by migrants from continental Europe.
Twite often spend the winter on coastal saltmarshes, where they form flocks and sometimes join groups of linnets. This small flock was doing just that, having around with the linnets and goldfinches and forming large flocks to feed on the seeded area.
Twite are small finches, about the size and shape of a linnet. They have a very short, stubby yellow beak. They're brown on the back with darker streaking, and paler buff-white on the belly with more streaking on the breast and flanks.
In summer their beak is grey, but it turns yellow for the winter. Their face and upper breast also become a richer orange-brown in winter. Males can be identified by their pink rump.
Here is a good comparison of both twice and linnet.
With some patience and the right fieldcraft you can get partially close to these birds as they would drop in close and and being to feed feelings after as the feeding flock grows.
I never thought I would be views like this, when I arrived they were pretty distant perched on the barbed wire fence and high in a nearby tree. But once I noticed the seeded area next to a tall wild mustard plant I sat quietly for most of the morning watching the mixed flock come and go.
Most of the twice were cooler ringed a scheme designed to give data that is being used in studies addressing population structure, migratory connectivity (relationships between groups over time and space), flock fidelity (relationships between individuals within groups) and population genetics.
These elements all provide important information on how the birds interact with each other across the European distribution, exchange genetic information and respond to conservation management implemented on both breeding and wintering grounds.
Dunnock: The twice were associating with linnet but were also joined by chaffinch, dunnock, goldfinch and even skylark. All descending on the seeded area to take advantage of an easy meal.
I was really enjoying my morning here, went for a walk around the adjacent golfcourse hoping to find an ouzel or redstart. Then I noticed a young lad wearing a lack hoodie and walking a small pack of dogs, around 5 of them.
I saw this lad take the time to bend down and pick up the dog mess left behind on the dunes from one of his small dogs. he collected it in a black poo-bag before slinging it against the side of the dune. I was indignation was through the roof!!!!
As we walked away and I crossed over along the same pathway he was walking I counted seven tied up full poo-bags along the pathway in various locations all left behind by this brainless, selfish moron!
I meant just leave to dog mess on the ground if you have no intention of bagging it and taking it away with you, why on earth spend the time picking it up only to dump it on the ground?
Anyway back to the birds, here are the colour rings I noted, (white over red), (white over blue), (dark blue over light blue), (yellow over white), orange over black) and (red over pink).
I've really enjoyed spending the morning with these charming little birds.
