my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[Robert]

Ian,

Thank you for all of the information. It sounds like they are doing some fantastic work restoring the habitat at "your patch".
Very    I look forward to more interesting reports from this area.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, I have just checked the bird species recorded in 2016 for the site. The total for the year was 170. I am just a casual observer rather than a bird watcher.

[Robert]

Ian,

170 species is a very impressive total!    Around 1 January the local birders do a bird count. I have not come across a recent report, however I do know that numbers are declining locally.

Sadly it is like "Silent Spring" around here. Last year there were no honey bees and pollination was terrible or did not happen at all. I have made a huge effort to grow a year round nectar supply for the honey bees in our yard. One of many reasons I like to grow annuals in our garden. Yesterday, I was out working around Salvia 'Bee's Bliss' (it is blooming now). The name is very appropriate. There were at least a few honey bees working the flowers. This is progress! Now I hope that the 'sleeper bees' will return and have a home in our garden.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, the bees and other invertebrates are declining here as well. This is probably due to farming practises and the use of more insecticides. As a result, the wildlife that feeds on invertebrates are also declining. "Progress," but which way?

[ian mcdonald]

A mild day with a cold wind later. When I got to the site I was told that vandals had broken into an on-site building and caused a lot of damage. This will no doubt have to be paid for by the public. Along the track there was a wheatear img. 1020340. Many black headed gulls have set up their nesting territory, among them were several coot img. 1020344. Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara are flowering img. 1020346. A green tiger beetle was hunting img. 1020351. The new wind turbine has been installed img. 1020353.

[ian mcdonald]

A male marsh harrier collecting sticks img. 1020355. On a track there was a goose egg img. 1020357. Red deer were browsing not knowing I was there img. 1020359. Looks like I,ve been spotted img. 1020370. Other wildlife seen were roe deer, and a rabbit. Birds seen or heard today were redshank, common snipe, lapwing, greylag geese, teal, mallard, shoveler, gadwall, moorhen, pheasant, buzzard, kestrel, blue tit, chiff chaff, willow warbler (my first for this year), blackcap (my first for this year), wren, robin, stonechat, song thrush, blackbird, skylark, linnet, goldfinch, chaffinch, dunnock, reed bunting and crow.

[Robert]

Ian,

Were some of the bird's seen on your last outing migratory? Many of the Warblers we see in California are migrants that pass though from South America to points north of California and back again. Back in the 1970's I would see Western Tanagers every spring on there way north. Now I never see them. The same is true for Bullock's Orioles, except I do see one or two in the spring. Never in the numbers as in the past.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, chiff chaff, willow warbler and blackcap are summer visitors here.

[ian mcdonald]

A cold dull windy day. The new pump has been tried and moves the water from the site very well img. 1020393. A deer skull was seen along one of the tracks img. 1020426. Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) is flowering early img. 1020442. Pussy willow S. caprea is full of flower and is being fed on by bees img. 1020444. Likewise, the flowers of crack willow (S. fragilis) are out img. 1020446.

[ian mcdonald]

There were quite a number of shoveler today img. 1020448. Following a tip off I saw a pair of  Pintail, a first for me, img. 1020420. Other birds seen or heard were black headed gull, bittern, greylag goose, teal, mallard, moorhen, coot, pheasant, marsh harrier, woodpigeon, collared dove, many sand martin (new record for this year) feeding up on passage, swallow(new record for this year) , house martin (new record for this year), great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, chiff chaff, willow warbler, blackcap, wren, robin, blackbird ,pied wagtail, chaffinch, reed bunting, crow, magpie. Please note.....the first records are for me, not other more serious bird watchers.

[Steve Garvie]

Ian, you have an impressive range of birds on your local patch.

Img. 1020420 is of a drake Pintail, not a Long-tailed Duck. Long-tailed Ducks (known locally here as Calloo and in North America as Oldsquaw) are essentially sea ducks. Here is an image taken of a drake in the Firth of Forth:

[ian mcdonald]

Thanks Steve, I,ve just noticed the error and changed it. It shows I,m not a serious birder.

[ian mcdonald]

Steve, I have just checked the local records as long tailed duck sounded familiar. There are records of this sea bird in our area, although they are not common. Sooner or later many species of wildlife occur here. There was once, not too long ago, a porpoise in the local river. We are about 50 miles from the sea.

[ian mcdonald]

Three large birds on the site img. 1010821.

[Chris Johnson]

That's a nice find, Ian - Common Crane (Grus grus).