Tuesday 11 May 2010

Pulling Rabbits Out of Hats

Barn Owl (with thanks to V Cowell)
Barn Owl (with thanks to M Gordon)
Talons with clunky ring - one for Ben!
Cuckoo (c) 2010 Phil Hargreaves

Cuckoo (c) 2010 Phil Hargreaves
Cuckoo (c) 2010 Phil Hargreaves
Yellow Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Record shot of Yellow Wagtail (female)
Whitethroat (c) 2010 Phil Hargreaves
Chaffinch - Only using one leg
Moorhen Nest
Record shot of Whimbrel
This morning’s session was probably one of the most productive classes this term, but the afternoon started very overcast with pouring rain & looked like a wash-out. Could anything be salvaged? The morning class saw plenty of Linnets and a few Meadow Pipits, but we enjoyed really good views of several Yellow Wagtails, mainly males, but a female was also on one of the muck heaps. A melanistic or escaped black rabbit was a bit of a surprise, but the weasel was more satisfying. We had a solo Whimbrel at Stone Creek, where we able to discern its head markings and its relatively short bill. 4 Redshank were also present, and a few Swallows flew past. On the return journey a Barn Owl allowed us to approach very near, and we were rewarded with amazing views, and then we saw a Cuckoo being chased by a Meadow Pipit!. Unfortunately, the pm session commenced badly with a heavy, squally shower full of sleet. I’m sure most participants thought the afternoon session would be hopeless, and they’d be better off starting for home straight away! We drove to all the am sites, with virtually no results, so went further north to another venue. On the way those in the 2nd car spotted a small group of Roe Deer, which soon made their getaway. At the final destination we stood entranced while a pair of Marsh Harriers participated in a food pass, plus an amazing fly past of a Cuckoo, a Heron, and every common member of the hirundine family. We also saw breeding plumaged Silver Plovers (OK, called grey in the books), some Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew, Shelduck and flocks of Dunlin & c.50 Brent Geese. We also eventually had good views of the target species: Yellow Wagtail, especially of one individual struggling with a large larvae. On the way back we saw more of the same, but nothing different. What looked like a complete disaster, ended far more than satisfactorily by the end of the extended session – only the Barn Owl refused to play ball in the afternoon!

No comments: