birdman
Saturday 1st May 2004, 14:41
Before relating this morning’s trip out, I should mention that I’ve added Tawny Owl to my outback list courtesy of hearing one on Thursday evening and my bringing my improving id skills for calls into play. Strictly speaking it’s not a new addition, as I now know that I heard them regularly last year, but these things take a while with me, and so it makes it’s first “official” appearance on the outback life list.
So what would this morning add?
Well, I’m going to have to be fairly brief here, as I usually write up my Saturday sightings at leisure in the evening, but as we’re visiting, I must do it now, while lunch is cooking and my daughter is plumbed into cartoons!!!
The four usual suspects went out on this bright and breezy morning, with my daughter commenting just how much things have grown over the last week.
The absolute undoubted highlight of the walk will become evident very soon, but to maintain the suspense, the notable events that would otherwise have stolen the show are; the return of the House Martins, and a Swift along with a Greylag Goose on the pond… all year ticks, an overflying Cormorant, which qualifies as a patch life tick, and the first appearance of ducklings on the pond. I’m sure they must be Mallards, but I haven’t counted them as such – but there were six.
In fact, someone we passed on the walk (who knew enough to know there are Willow Warblers about) mentioned that the House Martins have been around for two or three days now… I guess this has coincided with being at work!
Three possibles don’t make the list… a likely Willow Warbler, but I’m not yet that familiar with the song and we only heard it briefly, a couple of unided Partridges, doing their usual flying directly away from you bit, and likely, but un-confirmed Goldcrest – definitely a ’crest, but it avoided positive identification.
Five species of butterfly; Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip and a “White”.
And the undoubted highlight… well you’ll spot it easy enough… as it’s in red italics and there are photos attached – poor quality, but with the relevant salient id marker visible. I guess from the colouring, that it is a juvenile, but I’d be grateful for any confirmation or otherwise of this.
And for the record, the only reason I saw it at all, is because my daughter pointed it out to me!
Plain text = Outback day tick
Bold text = Outback year tick
Bold italic text = Outback life tick
Bold italic red text = Life tick
(Number in brackets is highest number of individuals identified at one time)
Greylag Goose : 1 (1)
Mallard : 7 (5)
Green Woodpecker : 1 (1)
Swift : 1 (1)
Woodpigeon : 14 (3)
Moorhen : 1 (1)
Coot : 2 (1)
Buzzard : 1 (1)
Kestrel : 3 (1)
Cormorant : 1 (1)
Jay : 1 (1)
Magpie : 10 (3)
Jackdaw : 2 (1)
Rook : 1 (1)
Carrion Crow : 1 (1)
Blackbird : 2 (1)
Mistle Thrush : 1 (1)
Starling : 8 (3)
Nuthatch : 1 (1)
Great Tit : 4 (2)
Blue Tit : 9 (2)
Long-tailed Tit : 7 (3)
Swallow : 1 (1)
House Martin : 6 (6)
Chiffchaff : 3 (1)
Blackcap : 1 (1)
Whitethroat : 1 (1)
Skylark : 8 (2)
Pied Wagtail : 1 (1)
Meadow Pipit : 2 (1)
Chaffinch : 15 (2)
Linnet : 2 (2)
Common Crossbill : 1 (1)
Yellowhammer : 2 (2)
So what would this morning add?
Well, I’m going to have to be fairly brief here, as I usually write up my Saturday sightings at leisure in the evening, but as we’re visiting, I must do it now, while lunch is cooking and my daughter is plumbed into cartoons!!!
The four usual suspects went out on this bright and breezy morning, with my daughter commenting just how much things have grown over the last week.
The absolute undoubted highlight of the walk will become evident very soon, but to maintain the suspense, the notable events that would otherwise have stolen the show are; the return of the House Martins, and a Swift along with a Greylag Goose on the pond… all year ticks, an overflying Cormorant, which qualifies as a patch life tick, and the first appearance of ducklings on the pond. I’m sure they must be Mallards, but I haven’t counted them as such – but there were six.
In fact, someone we passed on the walk (who knew enough to know there are Willow Warblers about) mentioned that the House Martins have been around for two or three days now… I guess this has coincided with being at work!
Three possibles don’t make the list… a likely Willow Warbler, but I’m not yet that familiar with the song and we only heard it briefly, a couple of unided Partridges, doing their usual flying directly away from you bit, and likely, but un-confirmed Goldcrest – definitely a ’crest, but it avoided positive identification.
Five species of butterfly; Speckled Wood, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip and a “White”.
And the undoubted highlight… well you’ll spot it easy enough… as it’s in red italics and there are photos attached – poor quality, but with the relevant salient id marker visible. I guess from the colouring, that it is a juvenile, but I’d be grateful for any confirmation or otherwise of this.
And for the record, the only reason I saw it at all, is because my daughter pointed it out to me!
Plain text = Outback day tick
Bold text = Outback year tick
Bold italic text = Outback life tick
Bold italic red text = Life tick
(Number in brackets is highest number of individuals identified at one time)
Greylag Goose : 1 (1)
Mallard : 7 (5)
Green Woodpecker : 1 (1)
Swift : 1 (1)
Woodpigeon : 14 (3)
Moorhen : 1 (1)
Coot : 2 (1)
Buzzard : 1 (1)
Kestrel : 3 (1)
Cormorant : 1 (1)
Jay : 1 (1)
Magpie : 10 (3)
Jackdaw : 2 (1)
Rook : 1 (1)
Carrion Crow : 1 (1)
Blackbird : 2 (1)
Mistle Thrush : 1 (1)
Starling : 8 (3)
Nuthatch : 1 (1)
Great Tit : 4 (2)
Blue Tit : 9 (2)
Long-tailed Tit : 7 (3)
Swallow : 1 (1)
House Martin : 6 (6)
Chiffchaff : 3 (1)
Blackcap : 1 (1)
Whitethroat : 1 (1)
Skylark : 8 (2)
Pied Wagtail : 1 (1)
Meadow Pipit : 2 (1)
Chaffinch : 15 (2)
Linnet : 2 (2)
Common Crossbill : 1 (1)
Yellowhammer : 2 (2)