birdman
Thursday 5th June 2003, 00:17
After a grey and showery day, the weather brightened in the late afternoon, and my hoped-for trip around “The Grounds” after work looked highly probable.
And so it proved.
So after finishing my finishing my evening meal purchased from the local Sea Food ‘n’ Tuber Emporium, I set off complete with binoculars and camera to check my new local patch. (I am hoping that the pictures I have taken will be of sufficient quality so as to illustrate a future report as Andrew (and others) do.)
Although I have lived at my current address for just over a year now, it is only in the last 10 days that I have birded the area over which I am fortunate enough to be looking as I write. A long time to take the plunge, I know, but that’s another story!
Now that I have, however, I am already filled with a feeling of sentimentality for the area, which I have never managed to acquire for any of my other local(ish) haunts.
I didn’t know what to expect this evening, but I was hopeful of picking up a few of the late retirees, and maybe an early owl.
As I opened the back door at 7.00 pm to leave, the song of Skylarks was present as usual. Taking what has become the customary generally clockwise route around the outback, I straight away picked up some of the usual suspects - House Martins and Swifts catching insects in flight, and a Magpie, I guess “doing the rounds”! Turning towards the pond, I noticed a high-hovering Kestrel, and Mallards frequented the pond itself – although once again the Mute Swans were conspicuous by their absence.
In one of the shrubs I could hear a bird that sounded like it might be a Whitethroat – I have been fortunate enough to see two singing recently – but I am not familiar enough with the song yet to know for sure. As I was trying to decide where the song was coming from a/the bird flew over my head and into a bush a few yards further away. Although I did not get a good enough view for id, the bush was also playing host to a Yellowhammer. On both my previous walks I had heard “a-bit-of-bread-and-no-chee-eese” but hadn’t seen the singer, so this was a pleasant event.
I could also hear Chiffchaff, but was never able to track one down by sight.
On the back side of the pond were a couple of noisy Coots, and Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon were also in the vicinity.
I continued a little around the back of the pond, slightly different from usual, and around a copse (might not have been a copse strictly speaking but you should get the gist!) and came across at least three more Yellowhammers singing away. To anyone reading who was at the North Bash, they were a vivid as the chap at the South Landing Car Park. One seemed to be making a special effort to raise his head feathers into a crest.
Back to the normal route, and more Skylarks, Martins and Swifts and a (non-Black-Headed) Gull, and then again another slight detour into a wooded area. There were quite a few birds evident here, a Robin showed himself, but most kept hidden away – not least because any fieldcraft skills I do possess went out of the window for about the next 10 minutes as I did my best to sound like a herd of elephants!
There was obviously a group of 5 or 6 (?) boisterous birds, and I was lucky enough to get a good enough view to id them as Mistle Thrushes.
Leaving the wood (not where I expected) I crossed a field and saw two Lapwings. Then once again rejoining the normal route, I saw a beautiful yellow juvenile Blue Tit, and an oddly marked Great Tit. I’m not as familiar with juvenile Great Tits, but I expect this was one.
Continuing along the path I heard plenty of calls, but all beyond my abilities. But no worries – it’s just so wonderful to soak up all the noises. One day I might get the hang of some more!
Turning back in the direction of home, although still a fair way to go yet, I heard Pheasant, and one Turtle Dove. For no reason, I turned to look behind me, and saw a Grey Heron flying over. Nice One!
Then I took a detour along a new wooded path. It was 8.30, and still light, but obviously much darker in the wood.
Immediately I heard a call in the tree next to me. I could see a small bird, but couldn’t make it out in the gloom. With binoculars, I never quite got the focus before it moved again, and so I never did get a good look. If you can help, the call was “hooey hooey hooey” repeated, each “hooey” rising but beginning on the same note. Quite a nice “rounded” noise.
Then a little further into the wood an even more tantalising song. A loud (although less than 20 yards from me, still loud in absolute terms) song of short phrases, usually repeated once, but then never repeated again. Starting with a couple of very Blackbirdy whistles, the third phrase I can only describe as a metallic tinkling waterfall (which literally sent a shiver down by spine!). I’ve never heard anything quite like it. The song went on for at least 5 minutes, possibly 10 without any obvious repetition. There were more flutey whistles, some more grating notes, some that sounded like mimic calls of alarms, and more metallic notes, not waterfall, but more random – a little like the sounds that used to be made by pocket calculator keypads.
The repetitious style is (I believe) typical of Song Thrush, and whilst I can’t say I would recognise a Song Thrush song if I heard it – I’ve never heard anything like this.
I’ve listened to my CD, and even there the Song Thrush song sounds too weak. I even listened to Nightingale, but none of the sounds I heard seemed to be on the CD version. Again, if you can help, that would be great!
Unfortunately, I now had the option of following this path into the sunset (said for atmospheric effect rather than astronomical accuracy!) or doubling back to get home, so I doubled back.
Pleased with the walk, and what I had seen and heard, I started going over in my head what I might write here, when my eyes were caught by a “Kestrel” flying low and, although some distance away, head-on toward me. I grabbed the old binoculars for what would have been quite an impressive view – only to see that my Kestrel was an owl!
I was able to watch it gliding a few feet above the ground for two or three minutes (give or take spectacle steaming up time!) before it dropped, obviously onto some prey, and out of sight.
Not really knowing what to go on, it was obviously not a Barn Owl, I tried to pick up some distinguishing features and was happy to notice the dark upper wing patches.
So, book out, I look to find that it was either Long-eared or Short-eared Owl! Further reading which suggests SEO looks light in flight – this certainly looked rufous brown – and the locality lead me to believe we are talking Long-eared, and that’s what I shall list it as. (You will perhaps have noticed I am less strict with my Outback sightings than my Life List, and as I already have a (roosting) LEO on my life list, I don’t feel I’ve missed out.)
In terms of my evening out – what a fantastic finish!
List follows (* = heard only)
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff *
Coot
Cuckoo *
Great Tit
Green Woodpecker *
Grey Heron
House Martin
Kestrel
Lapwing
Long-eared Owl
Magpie
Mallard
Mistle Thrush
Pheasant *
Robin
Skylark
Swift
Turtle Dove *
Unided Gull
Woodpigeon
Yellowhammer
And so it proved.
So after finishing my finishing my evening meal purchased from the local Sea Food ‘n’ Tuber Emporium, I set off complete with binoculars and camera to check my new local patch. (I am hoping that the pictures I have taken will be of sufficient quality so as to illustrate a future report as Andrew (and others) do.)
Although I have lived at my current address for just over a year now, it is only in the last 10 days that I have birded the area over which I am fortunate enough to be looking as I write. A long time to take the plunge, I know, but that’s another story!
Now that I have, however, I am already filled with a feeling of sentimentality for the area, which I have never managed to acquire for any of my other local(ish) haunts.
I didn’t know what to expect this evening, but I was hopeful of picking up a few of the late retirees, and maybe an early owl.
As I opened the back door at 7.00 pm to leave, the song of Skylarks was present as usual. Taking what has become the customary generally clockwise route around the outback, I straight away picked up some of the usual suspects - House Martins and Swifts catching insects in flight, and a Magpie, I guess “doing the rounds”! Turning towards the pond, I noticed a high-hovering Kestrel, and Mallards frequented the pond itself – although once again the Mute Swans were conspicuous by their absence.
In one of the shrubs I could hear a bird that sounded like it might be a Whitethroat – I have been fortunate enough to see two singing recently – but I am not familiar enough with the song yet to know for sure. As I was trying to decide where the song was coming from a/the bird flew over my head and into a bush a few yards further away. Although I did not get a good enough view for id, the bush was also playing host to a Yellowhammer. On both my previous walks I had heard “a-bit-of-bread-and-no-chee-eese” but hadn’t seen the singer, so this was a pleasant event.
I could also hear Chiffchaff, but was never able to track one down by sight.
On the back side of the pond were a couple of noisy Coots, and Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon were also in the vicinity.
I continued a little around the back of the pond, slightly different from usual, and around a copse (might not have been a copse strictly speaking but you should get the gist!) and came across at least three more Yellowhammers singing away. To anyone reading who was at the North Bash, they were a vivid as the chap at the South Landing Car Park. One seemed to be making a special effort to raise his head feathers into a crest.
Back to the normal route, and more Skylarks, Martins and Swifts and a (non-Black-Headed) Gull, and then again another slight detour into a wooded area. There were quite a few birds evident here, a Robin showed himself, but most kept hidden away – not least because any fieldcraft skills I do possess went out of the window for about the next 10 minutes as I did my best to sound like a herd of elephants!
There was obviously a group of 5 or 6 (?) boisterous birds, and I was lucky enough to get a good enough view to id them as Mistle Thrushes.
Leaving the wood (not where I expected) I crossed a field and saw two Lapwings. Then once again rejoining the normal route, I saw a beautiful yellow juvenile Blue Tit, and an oddly marked Great Tit. I’m not as familiar with juvenile Great Tits, but I expect this was one.
Continuing along the path I heard plenty of calls, but all beyond my abilities. But no worries – it’s just so wonderful to soak up all the noises. One day I might get the hang of some more!
Turning back in the direction of home, although still a fair way to go yet, I heard Pheasant, and one Turtle Dove. For no reason, I turned to look behind me, and saw a Grey Heron flying over. Nice One!
Then I took a detour along a new wooded path. It was 8.30, and still light, but obviously much darker in the wood.
Immediately I heard a call in the tree next to me. I could see a small bird, but couldn’t make it out in the gloom. With binoculars, I never quite got the focus before it moved again, and so I never did get a good look. If you can help, the call was “hooey hooey hooey” repeated, each “hooey” rising but beginning on the same note. Quite a nice “rounded” noise.
Then a little further into the wood an even more tantalising song. A loud (although less than 20 yards from me, still loud in absolute terms) song of short phrases, usually repeated once, but then never repeated again. Starting with a couple of very Blackbirdy whistles, the third phrase I can only describe as a metallic tinkling waterfall (which literally sent a shiver down by spine!). I’ve never heard anything quite like it. The song went on for at least 5 minutes, possibly 10 without any obvious repetition. There were more flutey whistles, some more grating notes, some that sounded like mimic calls of alarms, and more metallic notes, not waterfall, but more random – a little like the sounds that used to be made by pocket calculator keypads.
The repetitious style is (I believe) typical of Song Thrush, and whilst I can’t say I would recognise a Song Thrush song if I heard it – I’ve never heard anything like this.
I’ve listened to my CD, and even there the Song Thrush song sounds too weak. I even listened to Nightingale, but none of the sounds I heard seemed to be on the CD version. Again, if you can help, that would be great!
Unfortunately, I now had the option of following this path into the sunset (said for atmospheric effect rather than astronomical accuracy!) or doubling back to get home, so I doubled back.
Pleased with the walk, and what I had seen and heard, I started going over in my head what I might write here, when my eyes were caught by a “Kestrel” flying low and, although some distance away, head-on toward me. I grabbed the old binoculars for what would have been quite an impressive view – only to see that my Kestrel was an owl!
I was able to watch it gliding a few feet above the ground for two or three minutes (give or take spectacle steaming up time!) before it dropped, obviously onto some prey, and out of sight.
Not really knowing what to go on, it was obviously not a Barn Owl, I tried to pick up some distinguishing features and was happy to notice the dark upper wing patches.
So, book out, I look to find that it was either Long-eared or Short-eared Owl! Further reading which suggests SEO looks light in flight – this certainly looked rufous brown – and the locality lead me to believe we are talking Long-eared, and that’s what I shall list it as. (You will perhaps have noticed I am less strict with my Outback sightings than my Life List, and as I already have a (roosting) LEO on my life list, I don’t feel I’ve missed out.)
In terms of my evening out – what a fantastic finish!
List follows (* = heard only)
Blackbird
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff *
Coot
Cuckoo *
Great Tit
Green Woodpecker *
Grey Heron
House Martin
Kestrel
Lapwing
Long-eared Owl
Magpie
Mallard
Mistle Thrush
Pheasant *
Robin
Skylark
Swift
Turtle Dove *
Unided Gull
Woodpigeon
Yellowhammer