Duelling Pieds

Nearly did it again then with 'Duelling Banjo's' (which film? answers on a postcard please).

On 'walkabout' I came across two Pied Flycatchers singing (duelling) at either end of a small wood and as they were my first it seemed rude not to stop and study. The photos are really only record images as I don't have ANY and pushing the limits for publishing on a blog. I was 'well made up'.

While I was busy watching the Pied Flycatchers, three Pied Wagtails decided to have a barney (duelling) and I was left with this one, erect on the wall wondering where the opponents had gone, I had to smile as they'd dropped off the wall, still scrapping. What, where, who what?

I've included the image of the Wheatear, far from being a great photo of the bird, I rather liked the concrete and natural vegetation and the colours of the bird itself.

As the Pennines reach skyward from the west Lancashire river plain I spotted the odd bird flitting about and finding a suitable place to stop, I was disappointed it was a male Chaffinch, then a couple of Linnets and surprised to see a Willow Warbler. Excellent.

Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher

what, where, who, what? Pied Wgtail left wondering what the fight was all about

matching colours, Wheatear

male Chaffinch

Linnet

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Wigeon and stuff

Again I am afraid these are historical images, the Wigeon taken on 13 November...

 Juvenile Pied Wagtail – in a tree?

'burning bush'

'spooked'

chasing Hilda Ogden

fly by

more fly by

whoops by fly

before settling.... eventually

bathed in morning light

male wigeon

chas and dave

one small step...

More images from me travels...

Something you don't see very often – a Pied Wagtail in a tree, while over at Newton Marsh one evening I came across the 'burning bush' and very little else. 

One day I was up at the crack of dawn at Newton Marsh just as the sun rose and again the images are more or less in reverse order. It was generally very quiet on the marsh apart from all the usual suspects but the ducks appeared to be particularly nervous and kept their distance – unusual. A Great Black Backed Gull made an appearance and then the wildfowl were spooked by something but I didn't see what – but it led to the air filling with wheeling wildfowl before eventually settling back down on the water.

While most are Wigeon, I find it fun to see what else you can spot (sad eh!)Teal, Shoveler... Because the light was awful by this time the pics aren't very good, but the 'flatness' has its own merits and looks to me like it could be wallpaper of something... and one day I will get Hilda Ogden's three ducks on the wall! Thanks to Martin who turned up he spotted a distant Peregrine sat on one of the Pylons, I had missed it flying across the marsh but clearly what had put the wildfowl up.

As the sun rose above the horizon there was a very brief interlude where the sun shone almost horizontally across the marsh and I managed to sneak up on two Wigeon and managed the two decent photos.

Similarly one day I managed to sneak up on a Chas and Dave (rabbit) lit by the evening light. And I don't know if any of you have noticed but a big white thing appears in the evening sky from time to time – in this case I was looking for and found Jupiter – which I couldn't photograph so made do with this evening picture.

Bits and Pieces (again)

I have been somewhat remiss in not keeping up-to-date, but days pass and become weeks and I'm sure you don't want to be bored with the same old subject. Anyhoo here are a selection of images from recent weeks from me on me travels. A Linnet at Knott End is enclosed as I have seen several reports of Twite, yet I have seen non, but I have seen Linnets – but no sighting reports of Linnet and thought it odd. On 20 October over at Eagland HiIll I saw my first influx of Pink Footed Geese estimated at about 6,000 and the sky was full of skeins of about 150 dropping in, hence the photos, taken as always as the light was failing. A Sparrowhawk flew past hunting the hedgerows and about 2,000 Starling were flocking before moving on to roost in Blackpool no doubt.

On my local patch I came across a buzzard being harassed as they so often are, sadly I haven't seen it since and those wing tips are so distinctive. Autumn is the time for reaping the nut harvest and windfall, this Jay was reasonably obliging while a Great Spotted Woodpecker has set about stripping the bark off one of the trees.

The Pied Wagtail I caught just taking-off along the esplanade at Knott End (on a very miserable day, but the flat light produced an almost monochromatic Japanese print effect) and included the Chaffinch as the colours of the bird reflected the colours of autumn and the moss and lichen on the branch.

WAGS – Yellow and not a footballer's girlfriend in sight

Sheltering from the 'hoolie'

Juvenile Pied Wagtail

Two Juvenile Yellow Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail – near the tennis courts

Two Juvenile Yellow Wagtail on the bowling green

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail, with Pied Wagtail

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail with Pied Wagtail 

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail

Juvenile Yellow Wagtail

While, quite rightly all the fuss was over the Grey Phalarope at Fairhaven, I had been on site for several days in pursuit of another migrant – the Yellow Wagtail... to no avail. I spent a few days down there, in much variable weather, my memory isn't what it was but one day it was blowing a hoolie. .. and with it 45 degree rain. Then the sun popped out! Regular readers will know, I know nowt and had never realised or thought of the coast as an environment for wagtails of any description. Over the years Lytham and environs have proved happy hunting ground for wagtails.  I tend to have trouble with Pieds, although I can generally recognise the juveniles, but anything after that I haven't a clue... and as for mozzarella and yarrelli, I know one is a cheese!

Anyway because it was blowing a hoolie and lashing it down, even though it doesn't look like it, the wags were taking shelter on the leeward side of the hedge(s)... make a mental note. A dodgy picture illustrating the point... there were loads of wags about. So having parked up near the bowling greens and tennis courts, here's a photo of one of the many juvenile pied wagtails in the car park, again sheltering close to a hedge.

Catching up with the juvenile yellow wagtails was not quite so simple... but perseverance and after a few days I eventually came across the two of them 'loitering' near the car park (hence the photo). They were not, never going to let me or anyone else anywhere near (unlike the grey phalarope!). If anyone came within twenty yards (metres) and they were off. I did catch one napping near the tennis courts, but only after doing 'Cluseau' impressions and hiding from tree to tree, I have know idea what anyone watching must have thought ... I gave up worrying what anyone thinks a long time ago... I believe the padded cells are quite comfortable.

Nevertheless, in the conditions everything was 'disappearing'. However I have a 'nose' for these things... so off to the bowling green (never been before) and of course as soon as I turn the corner a number of wagtails disappeared into the distance. Whoops Betty! I must watch too much tele, because 'I have a cunning plan!' I took myself off into the north west corner of the bowling green and plonked masen down on the next to last bench... and waited... and waited. Of course it was still blowing a hoolie et al, but here surrounded by buildings, fences and hedges, it was reasonably sheltered... and guess who showed up?  A number of Wags, pied and two juvenile yellow. Not only that as I sat on a cold and wet bench... they proceeded to come towards me. The only problem was they ended up in the 'gutter' of the bowling green so I couldn't get any photos until they popped out... and then they were off! 

I managed to grab a couple of photos. Phew... four, five days in the making... 

... and of course there was a certain distraction on the lake. It was in fact a Black Tern I clocked as the sun set, feeding on the evening hatch along with a couple of hundred black headed gulls. I'll stick those on another post so you can see, it isn't always 'perfect', indeed far from it!

Out and about...

Newton Marsh has not produced a great deal recently other than the usual suspects, Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and two Mute Swans, a couple of Curlew and singing skylarks and the exception, an old friend from December, a Merlin. The water appears to be too deep for the waders or indeed the dabbling ducks and I am not convinved the additional man-made features as enhancement has actually helped, it seems to be holding too much water and not draining properly; perhaps in time the 'improvements' will show benefits. There is certainly a lot more traffic to the Waste Disposal Site and contractors to United Utilities Site appear to be creating a disturbance forcing the birds deeper towards Freckleton and away from the east end. Perhaps as the days grow longer, earlier and later visits may produce something 'interesting'.  This fleeting glance of a Merlin, on a grey day was short lived as it was disturbed by a passing wagon. On one visit it appeared to be 'bath day' as about twenty wigeon were busy calling to each other while all taking a bath, splashing and preening.

Merlin

Male Wigeon

Male Wigeon

Female Wigeon

Female Wigeon

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker – tree hugging

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker

Starling

Pied Wagtail (female)

Siskin (female and male)

Siskin (male)

Jay

It always surprises me how Great Spotted Woodpeckers know where you are and always disappear around the other side of the tree – not quite this time! The tendons in their feet must be amazingly strong the way the grip the bark – unlike my arthritic hands – make you wonder if they suffer the same in time. A couple of 'common birds', those we so frequently overlook – fewer Starlings have been visiting the garden recently but a pair of Pied Wagtails have been regular visitors, especially during the colder and harder weather. I was surpsrised to see these Siskin, a first for me, and outwitting Jays to get a photo is a major pre-occupation taking a great deal of patience, time and suitable weather conditions.