My birding friend down in the village gave me a quick call this afternoon to say that he had seen either a female or first summer Common Rosefinch in his garden. It had quickly disappeared into the undergrowth and subsequent attempts to find it had drawn a blank.
I had a quick look in my garden just in case it had moved away from the village but to no avail.
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Nest update
It has been a while since I posted any news about what has been going on around my home and my patch so I thought I would start with an update on what some of the breeding birds around here are doing.
First of all there is my Blackbird nest. I first spotted the adults taking nesting material into one of the banks that borders my garden on the 29 April. Then on the 1 May I located the nest which looked like construction had finished.When I passed the nest on the 2 May I spotted that the first egg had been laid with a second egg appearing the next day and a third the day after that. Then I had to go away for a few days. When I returned I found that there were five eggs on the nest. This meant that laying had been completed on the 6 May and therefore the eggs should hatch somewhere between the 18 and 21 May. Right on cue on either the 18 or 19 May all the eggs hatched. The next milestone will be when they fledge, which should be somewhere between the 30 May and 3 June. Yesterday, 27 May, my ringing trainer came up and we ringed the chicks who were all looking healthy and their feather development was going well.
Next, Starlings. I had noticed a number of Starlings visiting our byre back in April but with no obvious signs at the time of any nests it was thought that they had decided not to use the byre. Then in mid May I noticed that there were adults taking food into the byre. An initial look didn't come up with anything and any chicks that were there were keeping very quiet when the parents weren't about. Watching from the house at one point I spotted four adults go in with food in very close succession so there must be at least two nest in the byre somewhere. Subsequent observations from the house have seen six adults entering the byre so there are probably three nests in there. By the 20 May the chicks were starting to get vocal while the parents weren't about. Tracing where the sound was coming from plus the rapidly developing poo trail identified where two of the nest were. One was in a cavity right up in the apex of the roof and the other in a cavity next to one of the windows. On looking into the latter cavity four chicks could be seen. A second look on the 25 May showed that there were five chicks in the nest. A further check today (28 May) showed that there were still five chicks with quite advanced feathers. Not knowing exactly when they were hatched makes it difficult to predict when they will fledge but looking at the feathers I would say that fleding isn't too far away. As far as a third possible nest goes I have still to locate where that might be.
On the 25 May I noticed a pair of House Sparrows with food disappearing behind the gutter near the front door. A close look showed a possible small cavity that they were disappearing into. With careful listening I could hear the chicks. I have no idea how long it is since they hatched or when they are likely to fledge so I will just need to keep my eye on the garden for a load of young Sparrows appearing.
The final nest is in a field adjacent to my land. This field has been left alone by the farmer so far this year so it has the remenants of the stubble left over from last year. At the beginning of May I noticed that there was an Oystercatcher sitting amongst the stubble. Over a few days of observation it seem to spend most of its time in the same spot, with short periods of time where it would get up and walk about. A second Oystercatcher was always close by. On the 11 May, after my short trip away I went and investigated the area that I had seen the Oystercatcher sitting in. As I approached both Oystercatchers started getting quite vocal and moved away from the area. It didn't take me long to find the nest, which contained three eggs, in a shallow hollow. The eggs were well camouflaged so I marked the position with my GPS to make it easier to find on subsequent visits. Soon after I cleared the area one of the adults returned to the nest and resumed incubating duties. I was able to keep an eye on the nest location from the house and could see the adults taking it in turn to sit on the eggs. I paid a second visit to the nest on the 26 May and there were still three eggs. Again not knowing when the eggs were laid I don't know for sure when they will hatch. It should take somewhere between 24 and 27 days for the eggs to hatch. If the adult had been sitting on three eggs when I first spotted it on the 4 May then the eggs could hatch as early as today (28 May), if however the last egg was laid on the day I first visited the nest (11 May) then they won't hatch until possibly the 7 Jun. A further brief visit to the nest today showed that the three eggs were still in the nest so I will have to monitor the nest from the house and watch for any signs that the eggs have hatched.
Details of the Blackbird, Starling and Oystercatcher nests are being recorded as part of the BTO Nest Record Scheme (NRS). For details on this and how to become involved visit the BTO NRS website.
First of all there is my Blackbird nest. I first spotted the adults taking nesting material into one of the banks that borders my garden on the 29 April. Then on the 1 May I located the nest which looked like construction had finished.When I passed the nest on the 2 May I spotted that the first egg had been laid with a second egg appearing the next day and a third the day after that. Then I had to go away for a few days. When I returned I found that there were five eggs on the nest. This meant that laying had been completed on the 6 May and therefore the eggs should hatch somewhere between the 18 and 21 May. Right on cue on either the 18 or 19 May all the eggs hatched. The next milestone will be when they fledge, which should be somewhere between the 30 May and 3 June. Yesterday, 27 May, my ringing trainer came up and we ringed the chicks who were all looking healthy and their feather development was going well.
Next, Starlings. I had noticed a number of Starlings visiting our byre back in April but with no obvious signs at the time of any nests it was thought that they had decided not to use the byre. Then in mid May I noticed that there were adults taking food into the byre. An initial look didn't come up with anything and any chicks that were there were keeping very quiet when the parents weren't about. Watching from the house at one point I spotted four adults go in with food in very close succession so there must be at least two nest in the byre somewhere. Subsequent observations from the house have seen six adults entering the byre so there are probably three nests in there. By the 20 May the chicks were starting to get vocal while the parents weren't about. Tracing where the sound was coming from plus the rapidly developing poo trail identified where two of the nest were. One was in a cavity right up in the apex of the roof and the other in a cavity next to one of the windows. On looking into the latter cavity four chicks could be seen. A second look on the 25 May showed that there were five chicks in the nest. A further check today (28 May) showed that there were still five chicks with quite advanced feathers. Not knowing exactly when they were hatched makes it difficult to predict when they will fledge but looking at the feathers I would say that fleding isn't too far away. As far as a third possible nest goes I have still to locate where that might be.
On the 25 May I noticed a pair of House Sparrows with food disappearing behind the gutter near the front door. A close look showed a possible small cavity that they were disappearing into. With careful listening I could hear the chicks. I have no idea how long it is since they hatched or when they are likely to fledge so I will just need to keep my eye on the garden for a load of young Sparrows appearing.
The final nest is in a field adjacent to my land. This field has been left alone by the farmer so far this year so it has the remenants of the stubble left over from last year. At the beginning of May I noticed that there was an Oystercatcher sitting amongst the stubble. Over a few days of observation it seem to spend most of its time in the same spot, with short periods of time where it would get up and walk about. A second Oystercatcher was always close by. On the 11 May, after my short trip away I went and investigated the area that I had seen the Oystercatcher sitting in. As I approached both Oystercatchers started getting quite vocal and moved away from the area. It didn't take me long to find the nest, which contained three eggs, in a shallow hollow. The eggs were well camouflaged so I marked the position with my GPS to make it easier to find on subsequent visits. Soon after I cleared the area one of the adults returned to the nest and resumed incubating duties. I was able to keep an eye on the nest location from the house and could see the adults taking it in turn to sit on the eggs. I paid a second visit to the nest on the 26 May and there were still three eggs. Again not knowing when the eggs were laid I don't know for sure when they will hatch. It should take somewhere between 24 and 27 days for the eggs to hatch. If the adult had been sitting on three eggs when I first spotted it on the 4 May then the eggs could hatch as early as today (28 May), if however the last egg was laid on the day I first visited the nest (11 May) then they won't hatch until possibly the 7 Jun. A further brief visit to the nest today showed that the three eggs were still in the nest so I will have to monitor the nest from the house and watch for any signs that the eggs have hatched.
Details of the Blackbird, Starling and Oystercatcher nests are being recorded as part of the BTO Nest Record Scheme (NRS). For details on this and how to become involved visit the BTO NRS website.
Sunday, 12 May 2013
A trip to NRBO
I have just got back from my first visit to the North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory (NRBO) having spent five days over there (5-9 May).
This post will cover just my birding activities, I have put a post covering my ringing activities on my other blog - Orkney Ringer
The Observatory
As the name implies the Observatory (Obs) is located on North Ronaldsay, the Northern most island in the Orkney island group.
North Ronaldsay is well-known as one of the best birdwatching sites in the country and the variety and number of birds that arrive here on migration in Spring and Autumn can be spectacular.
The Obs, which is situated in the Southwest corner of the island, was established in 1987 and its aim is to study and record the migrant birds that pass through Orkney's most Northerly island each year.
Visitors are welcome to stay at the observatory which includes guest house accomodation, a hostel and camping area. For full details visit their website
www.nrbo.co.uk
The Obs is one of the two main ringing sites, the other is just up the road at Holland House.
As well as the usual mist nets and whoosh nets used to catch the birds the Obs also makes use of Heligoland traps. This consists of a mesh funnel that the birds move down through until they reach a catching box. When not in use there is a trap doo on the catching box that is closed to prevent the birds from getting caught in when the trap is not in use. The funnel is open so that the birds can get in and out when the trap is not in use.
To be continued :-)
This post will cover just my birding activities, I have put a post covering my ringing activities on my other blog - Orkney Ringer
The Observatory
As the name implies the Observatory (Obs) is located on North Ronaldsay, the Northern most island in the Orkney island group.
North Ronaldsay is well-known as one of the best birdwatching sites in the country and the variety and number of birds that arrive here on migration in Spring and Autumn can be spectacular.
The Obs, which is situated in the Southwest corner of the island, was established in 1987 and its aim is to study and record the migrant birds that pass through Orkney's most Northerly island each year.
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| The Observatory |
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| Guest Dining Room |
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| The Obs Cafe/Bar |
Visitors are welcome to stay at the observatory which includes guest house accomodation, a hostel and camping area. For full details visit their website
www.nrbo.co.uk
The Obs is one of the two main ringing sites, the other is just up the road at Holland House.
As well as the usual mist nets and whoosh nets used to catch the birds the Obs also makes use of Heligoland traps. This consists of a mesh funnel that the birds move down through until they reach a catching box. When not in use there is a trap doo on the catching box that is closed to prevent the birds from getting caught in when the trap is not in use. The funnel is open so that the birds can get in and out when the trap is not in use.
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| Heligoland Trap |
To be continued :-)
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Mixed seasons
Since my last post Spring has continued its advance, although today it might have paused as there is a sprinkling of snow on the hills on the Northern perimeter of Scapa Flow and a raw North-Easterly wind to go with it. The bird bath was also frozen this morning.
Over the last couple of weeks I have seen upto four pairs of Skylarks displaying and defending territory and each day it is great to hear them singing away. Another sign of Spring is the flowering of the first Daffodils in the garden. There is also signs of various shoots appearing in the bank along the track leading to our cottage.
This is our first Spring in this cottage so we are waiting with anticipation as to what will appear. The neighbours have told us that past occupants were great gardeners and that there were all sorts of things that used to flower. The garden was neglected by the last occupant so we now have our work cut out to get it back under control.
We also plan to make it more attractive to the birds so that hopefully we will have a lot of visitors to the garden.One of the garden projects is the pond. Work on restoring the overgrown pond has commenced, with the large mass of matted grass being removed along with the ripped liner. We are now working on a larger pond which will be more wildlife friendly.
Numbers and species of birds visiting the garden is still low but we do seem to have a pair of resident Blackbirds and at least a pair of Greenfinch that are in the garden every day. The number of Starlings fluctuates quite wildly, some days there are only single numbers and on others, flocks of over 50 turn the lawn black.
I've not been able to get out round the patch since the last post but I have been keeping an eye on part of it when I have been heading to Kirkwall. The main road to town takes me past Echna Loch and Bay. On the 19 Feb I saw my first Mute Swan on the Loch this year. Usually there is a pair of swans that breed on the Loch but they seem to disappear over the winter so it was good to see one back on territory. A couple of days later and it seemed to have disappeared again and I had no further sightings until yesterday when I passed the loch and spotted two swans feeding. Hopefully this is the resident pair and they are now back and preparing to raise another family.
Apart from the swans the loch was fairly quiet with a few Mallard, Tufted duck and Wigeon.
On the otherside of the road is Echna Bay and with a receding tide there were 30 Oystercatchers, three Redshank and six Lapwing along the water's edge. Out on the water were three Great Black-backed Gulls and six Long Tailed Ducks. There were lots of Fulmars flying over the bay and along the small cliff face on the North side of the Bay.
The forecast is for light snow showers and strong winds for the next couple of days then after that hopefully Spring will be allowed to continue.
Over the last couple of weeks I have seen upto four pairs of Skylarks displaying and defending territory and each day it is great to hear them singing away. Another sign of Spring is the flowering of the first Daffodils in the garden. There is also signs of various shoots appearing in the bank along the track leading to our cottage.
This is our first Spring in this cottage so we are waiting with anticipation as to what will appear. The neighbours have told us that past occupants were great gardeners and that there were all sorts of things that used to flower. The garden was neglected by the last occupant so we now have our work cut out to get it back under control.
We also plan to make it more attractive to the birds so that hopefully we will have a lot of visitors to the garden.One of the garden projects is the pond. Work on restoring the overgrown pond has commenced, with the large mass of matted grass being removed along with the ripped liner. We are now working on a larger pond which will be more wildlife friendly.
Numbers and species of birds visiting the garden is still low but we do seem to have a pair of resident Blackbirds and at least a pair of Greenfinch that are in the garden every day. The number of Starlings fluctuates quite wildly, some days there are only single numbers and on others, flocks of over 50 turn the lawn black.
I've not been able to get out round the patch since the last post but I have been keeping an eye on part of it when I have been heading to Kirkwall. The main road to town takes me past Echna Loch and Bay. On the 19 Feb I saw my first Mute Swan on the Loch this year. Usually there is a pair of swans that breed on the Loch but they seem to disappear over the winter so it was good to see one back on territory. A couple of days later and it seemed to have disappeared again and I had no further sightings until yesterday when I passed the loch and spotted two swans feeding. Hopefully this is the resident pair and they are now back and preparing to raise another family.
Apart from the swans the loch was fairly quiet with a few Mallard, Tufted duck and Wigeon.
On the otherside of the road is Echna Bay and with a receding tide there were 30 Oystercatchers, three Redshank and six Lapwing along the water's edge. Out on the water were three Great Black-backed Gulls and six Long Tailed Ducks. There were lots of Fulmars flying over the bay and along the small cliff face on the North side of the Bay.
The forecast is for light snow showers and strong winds for the next couple of days then after that hopefully Spring will be allowed to continue.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Spring is coming
First of all a bit of a catch up on the Patchwork Challenge. Since my last post I added Hen Harrier to my patch list on the 31 Jan to give me 38 species at the end of the first month of the challenge.
On the 9 Feb I added Fieldfare to my list after one landed on the power cables over Bailey's Paddock.
Today, 17 Feb, saw the first signs of Spring when a Skylark was heard and seen over the field just to the North of the estate. Soon after a flock of about 20 Twite flew over the estate heading North. So without really trying another two species were added to the patch list. This now gives me 41 species and 49 points.
On the garden front it has been very quiet with only a Blackbird last week and a Blackbird, Greenfinch, eight Starlings and a couple of Rock Doves the week before. Hopefully with Spring approaching it will soon be time for the garden to start getting a bit busier.
On the 9 Feb I added Fieldfare to my list after one landed on the power cables over Bailey's Paddock.
Today, 17 Feb, saw the first signs of Spring when a Skylark was heard and seen over the field just to the North of the estate. Soon after a flock of about 20 Twite flew over the estate heading North. So without really trying another two species were added to the patch list. This now gives me 41 species and 49 points.
On the garden front it has been very quiet with only a Blackbird last week and a Blackbird, Greenfinch, eight Starlings and a couple of Rock Doves the week before. Hopefully with Spring approaching it will soon be time for the garden to start getting a bit busier.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
First Diver
A quick detour this afternoon on my way home from a trip out to South Ronaldsay took me to Echna Bay and Echna Loch.
The lock itself was fairly quiet with a variety of ducks, mainly Tufted Duck and Mallard with a solitary Goldeneye, but nothing new for the Patch List.
The bay was also fairly quiet. There were a few Long-tailed Ducks and couple a Great Black-backed Gulls out in the bay itself and at least 40 Fulmars on the small cliff to the North side of the bay.
Then up popped a Great Northern Diver in the bay fairly close to the shore giving me another new species for the Patch List.
That gives me my 37th species so far and a total of 43 points.
The lock itself was fairly quiet with a variety of ducks, mainly Tufted Duck and Mallard with a solitary Goldeneye, but nothing new for the Patch List.
The bay was also fairly quiet. There were a few Long-tailed Ducks and couple a Great Black-backed Gulls out in the bay itself and at least 40 Fulmars on the small cliff to the North side of the bay.
Then up popped a Great Northern Diver in the bay fairly close to the shore giving me another new species for the Patch List.
That gives me my 37th species so far and a total of 43 points.
Garden surprise
Yesterday I was doing some repair work with my neighbour on the track leading to our houses. Having nearly emptied the trailer of its load of stone I headed back to the house to get a broom to sweep the remainder of the load out of the trailer.
I took a shortcut over the fence at the bottom of the garden and across the lawn. As I got to the farside of the lawn I spooked a Woodcock that was sheltering by a small stone wall next to the pond.
I have seen Woodcock here before but it was the first for this year and another new one for the Patch List.
Once we had finished the work on the track we had a quick coffee break and while we were chatting a Kestrel flew across the fields to the side of the track giving me another new species for the Patch List.
So for a week that seems to have been mainly devoid of birds around the house adding five new species to the Patch List has been a good achievement.
I took a shortcut over the fence at the bottom of the garden and across the lawn. As I got to the farside of the lawn I spooked a Woodcock that was sheltering by a small stone wall next to the pond.
I have seen Woodcock here before but it was the first for this year and another new one for the Patch List.
Once we had finished the work on the track we had a quick coffee break and while we were chatting a Kestrel flew across the fields to the side of the track giving me another new species for the Patch List.
So for a week that seems to have been mainly devoid of birds around the house adding five new species to the Patch List has been a good achievement.
Thursday, 17 January 2013
New Garden and Patch birds
After moaning about the lack of birds yesterday today saw a slight improvement in activity.
As dawn rolled into full daylight a male Blackbird was spotted feeding on the lawn. The bird bath wasn't covered in a layer of ice this morning so a bit warmer but there were still remanents of yesterday's frost on sheltered parts of the lawn.
Then in the morning sun a male Greenfinch arrived sitting atop of one of the Fuschia bushes in the garden. He looked very smart with his bright yellow wing feathers. The Greenfinch was a species that I expected to see on the first day of the year but was noticeably absent so his appearance this morning was a first for this year and a new one for the Patch List.
Late morning saw the arrival of a Dunnock on the lawn. Not only was it the first Dunnock of the year for me, but also another new species for the Patch List and a new species for the Garden List. The Dunnock remained in the garden well into the afternoon.
At one point it had the company of a female Blackbird. I'm still not seeing the large numbers of Blackbirds that were around before I went South.
I had to pop out at lunchtime and as I was driving back up the track between the garden and the Estate two Collared Doves flew overhead. So they were the third new species for the Patch List. I did take a quick look while I was out for the Long-eared Owl that had been seen recently but no joy with that one.
While I was getting my lunch I could see out on the fields to the West of me a flock of around 50 Lapwing and about 40 Starlings. There were also a good number of Common Gulls flying about on the breeze.
So a bit more activity today but still fairly quiet.
As dawn rolled into full daylight a male Blackbird was spotted feeding on the lawn. The bird bath wasn't covered in a layer of ice this morning so a bit warmer but there were still remanents of yesterday's frost on sheltered parts of the lawn.
Then in the morning sun a male Greenfinch arrived sitting atop of one of the Fuschia bushes in the garden. He looked very smart with his bright yellow wing feathers. The Greenfinch was a species that I expected to see on the first day of the year but was noticeably absent so his appearance this morning was a first for this year and a new one for the Patch List.
Late morning saw the arrival of a Dunnock on the lawn. Not only was it the first Dunnock of the year for me, but also another new species for the Patch List and a new species for the Garden List. The Dunnock remained in the garden well into the afternoon.
At one point it had the company of a female Blackbird. I'm still not seeing the large numbers of Blackbirds that were around before I went South.
I had to pop out at lunchtime and as I was driving back up the track between the garden and the Estate two Collared Doves flew overhead. So they were the third new species for the Patch List. I did take a quick look while I was out for the Long-eared Owl that had been seen recently but no joy with that one.
While I was getting my lunch I could see out on the fields to the West of me a flock of around 50 Lapwing and about 40 Starlings. There were also a good number of Common Gulls flying about on the breeze.
So a bit more activity today but still fairly quiet.
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Where have all the birds gone?
I can't believe that we are already half way through the first month of the year.
I suppose heading South for a week hasn't helped. Just before I left on my travels I was treated to some nice views of a Short-eared Owl hunting over part of my land. He didn't quite get within the boundary of what I call the Garden but he was definitely over the part of my land which I affectionately call the Estate. This consists of a paddock covering about 3/4 acre and about 1 acre of some heathery moorland type ground. I was able to watch it for a good 20 minutes before a passing tractor caused it to move on.
Now I'm back I find that the garden is pretty much devoid of birds but not sure why. Before I went South there were at least 10 Blackbirds in the garden daily along with House Sparrows and Starlings and a few Greenfinch.
Before I left I made sure all the seed feeders were topped up and some apples put out on the lawn. On my return the seed feeders had hardly been touched although the apples were pretty much gone. Could it be that a respite in the recent bad weather we had over the closing weeks of last year and the start of this has allowed them to move on? Or is it due to the colder air now moving in that has encouraged them to move on? Maybe it was because they realised that the human activity here had stopped and they went looking elsewhere.
On Monday I didn't see a single bird in the garden or in the surrounding field. Yesterday I saw a solitary Blackbird. Today there has been one Starling and one House Sparrow, both of which were visiting the feeders. Perhaps the word will go out that I'm back and they will all return and bring a few more friends too!!
A look out of the window at lunchtime today produced three Hooded Crows which gives me species 31 for my Patch List.
I suppose heading South for a week hasn't helped. Just before I left on my travels I was treated to some nice views of a Short-eared Owl hunting over part of my land. He didn't quite get within the boundary of what I call the Garden but he was definitely over the part of my land which I affectionately call the Estate. This consists of a paddock covering about 3/4 acre and about 1 acre of some heathery moorland type ground. I was able to watch it for a good 20 minutes before a passing tractor caused it to move on.
Now I'm back I find that the garden is pretty much devoid of birds but not sure why. Before I went South there were at least 10 Blackbirds in the garden daily along with House Sparrows and Starlings and a few Greenfinch.
Before I left I made sure all the seed feeders were topped up and some apples put out on the lawn. On my return the seed feeders had hardly been touched although the apples were pretty much gone. Could it be that a respite in the recent bad weather we had over the closing weeks of last year and the start of this has allowed them to move on? Or is it due to the colder air now moving in that has encouraged them to move on? Maybe it was because they realised that the human activity here had stopped and they went looking elsewhere.
On Monday I didn't see a single bird in the garden or in the surrounding field. Yesterday I saw a solitary Blackbird. Today there has been one Starling and one House Sparrow, both of which were visiting the feeders. Perhaps the word will go out that I'm back and they will all return and bring a few more friends too!!
A look out of the window at lunchtime today produced three Hooded Crows which gives me species 31 for my Patch List.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Patchwork Challenge begins
As I didn't go too mad on the New Year's Eve celebrations I awoke at daybreak (around 8ish here in Orkney) ready to start my 2013 list and my Patchwork Challenge list. I thought it would be an easy start with a few species ticked off early on. Checking out the window there was the usual female Blackbird feeding on the lawn. As the light level got better she was joined by a few more Blackbirds and half a dozen Starlings. However there was no sign of the usual House Sparrows or the Greenfinches.
A quick look at the fields around the property didn't come up with anything either. Then a heavy rainshower moved in followed by a couple more.
While having breakfast 3 Greylag Geese flew over closely followed by 11 which landed in the field behind the house.
Then the Starlings started to arrive on the lawn with 43 the peak count. Soon after a Raven flew past to the North of the house.
By 11am the sun was out so it was time to do the first look around the patch. Setting off, the fields along the track to the road were deserted. Where were the Twite and the Fieldfare that had been there for the last few days? Even the Rock Doves were missing.
Heading down the hill was a bit more productive with the fields holding a mixed flock 40 Lapwing and 40 Golden Plover along with 14 Curlew, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls and 11 Common Gulls.
Next stop was Echna Loch which was holding 10 Mallard, 22 Wigeon, 11 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 11 Common Gulls and 20 Lapwings on the field to the side of the loch.
Echna Bay was fairly quiet with just a couple of Cormorant seen. However by this time there was a heavy shower moving through and the sea was also quite choppy.
I then headed for Littlequoy Farm. Along the way I added a couple of Redwings to my Patch List who were sitting quite clearly on the top of a stone wall. Again the fields seems void of birds a part from a few small flocks of Rock Doves.
Out in Hunda Sound towards the North end of Hunda were 7 Eider. On the Northern half of Hunda itself there were 2 Herring Gulls, 23 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Grey Heron.
Arriving at Littlequoy Farm apart from being greeted by the two dogs there was also a flock of 37 House Sparrows and a Wren appeared on the wall.
After exchanging New Year pleasantries with the farmer I headed down the track to the causeway across to Hunda. Roosting on the leeward side of the causeway were 17 Oystercatchers and on top of the causeway was a flock of 37 Lapwing and 8 Great Black-backed Gulls. A solitary Redshank was spotted over on Hunda just South of the causeway.
A short stroll to Wha Taing revealed a roost of 150 Curlew and out on the sea a flock of 170 Wigeon. On the shoreline there were 2 Rock Pipits.
As I was walking back to the car a solitary Fulmar whizzed past.
A return visit to Echna Loch revealed nothing new but out in Echna Bay I spotted a couple of Long-tailed Ducks bobbing about on the waves.
Next it was off to the Southern boundary of my patch. As I rounded the South Eastern corner of the patch there is a stretch of shrubs/trees which can be good for small birds. It wasn't long before I spotted a pale coloured bird flitting through the vegitation heading away from me. It kept popping out onto the outer twigs/branches giving me a tantalising glimpse then headingback into the undergrowth. Finally I identified it as a Chiffchaff.
I continued on down the road a bit further and caught glimpse of something gliding low along the bottom of a field. Stopping the car I was just in time to see the bird rise up above the field and turn. Immediately I recognised it as one of the familiar hunting birds here, a Short-eared Owl.
After watching it for a few minutes I went to the end of the road turned round and headed back. Then I spotted the Owl again, this time closer to the road and sitting on a convenient fence post.
I headed further back down the road when I spotted another Owl land in the field on my right. I wasn't sure whether this was a second Owl or the first one which had followed me down the road.
Having completed my round I headed home and contacted my friend Barry to let him know about the Chiffchaff as it was on the part of his patch that overlapped with mine.
He went and took a look and then rang me to say that he hadn't seen the Chiffchaff but had seen a Water Rail in the same area of vegitation. I decided to pop down and see if I could find the Water Rail. On my way I was treated to a Sparrowhawk flying across the road right in front of the car. Arriving back at the site of the Chiffchaff it didn't take me long to spot the Water Rail hiding in the undergrowth.
So at the end of first day of the Patchwork Challenge my total number of species seen stands at 30 and my score is 34 points. (Species seen shown in bold text).
Hopefully the Greenfinches will return to the garden tomorrow.
A quick look at the fields around the property didn't come up with anything either. Then a heavy rainshower moved in followed by a couple more.
While having breakfast 3 Greylag Geese flew over closely followed by 11 which landed in the field behind the house.
Then the Starlings started to arrive on the lawn with 43 the peak count. Soon after a Raven flew past to the North of the house.
By 11am the sun was out so it was time to do the first look around the patch. Setting off, the fields along the track to the road were deserted. Where were the Twite and the Fieldfare that had been there for the last few days? Even the Rock Doves were missing.
Heading down the hill was a bit more productive with the fields holding a mixed flock 40 Lapwing and 40 Golden Plover along with 14 Curlew, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls and 11 Common Gulls.
Next stop was Echna Loch which was holding 10 Mallard, 22 Wigeon, 11 Tufted Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 3 Great Black-backed Gulls, 11 Common Gulls and 20 Lapwings on the field to the side of the loch.
Echna Bay was fairly quiet with just a couple of Cormorant seen. However by this time there was a heavy shower moving through and the sea was also quite choppy.
I then headed for Littlequoy Farm. Along the way I added a couple of Redwings to my Patch List who were sitting quite clearly on the top of a stone wall. Again the fields seems void of birds a part from a few small flocks of Rock Doves.
Out in Hunda Sound towards the North end of Hunda were 7 Eider. On the Northern half of Hunda itself there were 2 Herring Gulls, 23 Great Black-backed Gulls and a Grey Heron.
Arriving at Littlequoy Farm apart from being greeted by the two dogs there was also a flock of 37 House Sparrows and a Wren appeared on the wall.
After exchanging New Year pleasantries with the farmer I headed down the track to the causeway across to Hunda. Roosting on the leeward side of the causeway were 17 Oystercatchers and on top of the causeway was a flock of 37 Lapwing and 8 Great Black-backed Gulls. A solitary Redshank was spotted over on Hunda just South of the causeway.
A short stroll to Wha Taing revealed a roost of 150 Curlew and out on the sea a flock of 170 Wigeon. On the shoreline there were 2 Rock Pipits.
As I was walking back to the car a solitary Fulmar whizzed past.
A return visit to Echna Loch revealed nothing new but out in Echna Bay I spotted a couple of Long-tailed Ducks bobbing about on the waves.
Next it was off to the Southern boundary of my patch. As I rounded the South Eastern corner of the patch there is a stretch of shrubs/trees which can be good for small birds. It wasn't long before I spotted a pale coloured bird flitting through the vegitation heading away from me. It kept popping out onto the outer twigs/branches giving me a tantalising glimpse then headingback into the undergrowth. Finally I identified it as a Chiffchaff.
I continued on down the road a bit further and caught glimpse of something gliding low along the bottom of a field. Stopping the car I was just in time to see the bird rise up above the field and turn. Immediately I recognised it as one of the familiar hunting birds here, a Short-eared Owl.
After watching it for a few minutes I went to the end of the road turned round and headed back. Then I spotted the Owl again, this time closer to the road and sitting on a convenient fence post.
I headed further back down the road when I spotted another Owl land in the field on my right. I wasn't sure whether this was a second Owl or the first one which had followed me down the road.
Having completed my round I headed home and contacted my friend Barry to let him know about the Chiffchaff as it was on the part of his patch that overlapped with mine.
He went and took a look and then rang me to say that he hadn't seen the Chiffchaff but had seen a Water Rail in the same area of vegitation. I decided to pop down and see if I could find the Water Rail. On my way I was treated to a Sparrowhawk flying across the road right in front of the car. Arriving back at the site of the Chiffchaff it didn't take me long to spot the Water Rail hiding in the undergrowth.
So at the end of first day of the Patchwork Challenge my total number of species seen stands at 30 and my score is 34 points. (Species seen shown in bold text).
Hopefully the Greenfinches will return to the garden tomorrow.
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