rollingthunder
Well-known member
Hoylake Bird Obs? New one on me.....until the penny dropped
Laurie:t:
Laurie:t:
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Hoylake Bird Observatory (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter Jane Turner
- Start date
davewalters
Well-known member
Nice, I think I'm getting it but have become a bit of a technophobe since we last met!
It's essentially three elements.
Parabolic Reflector
Microphone (Any mic will fit in the Parabolic you suggest?)
Recorder
How do you position it? I do have a few trees on my property over 60 feet but I don't fancy that. Is it ok just outside on a tripod?
Looking forward to this. My Garden list stalled in the 90's. Not the decade obv!
Luv Dave
It's essentially three elements.
Parabolic Reflector
Microphone (Any mic will fit in the Parabolic you suggest?)
Recorder
How do you position it? I do have a few trees on my property over 60 feet but I don't fancy that. Is it ok just outside on a tripod?
Looking forward to this. My Garden list stalled in the 90's. Not the decade obv!
Luv Dave
Any Omni-directional mic will work in the parabolic - but the mic is where to spend your money. I usually open my office/seawatch hide window and point the parabolic upwards and out a bit over the beach. This has the advantage that the recorder is inside and can be powered.
You need some software too - I recommend Audacity and Raven [from Cornell] I use Audacity to listen and make quick assessments on sonagrams, isolate calls I want to look at further and cut out noise, whilst Raven is better for producing final sonagrams
In other news there was a Yellow-browed Warbler in ther back garden yesterday afternoon
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cm7iym1zzvno91r/Yellow-browed 19th October 2019-10-19 17-58-29.mp4?dl=0
This is a play through on audacity, using windows 10's recorder to capture a video.
You need some software too - I recommend Audacity and Raven [from Cornell] I use Audacity to listen and make quick assessments on sonagrams, isolate calls I want to look at further and cut out noise, whilst Raven is better for producing final sonagrams
In other news there was a Yellow-browed Warbler in ther back garden yesterday afternoon
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cm7iym1zzvno91r/Yellow-browed 19th October 2019-10-19 17-58-29.mp4?dl=0
This is a play through on audacity, using windows 10's recorder to capture a video.
Jan 1st 2020.
30 species recorded today, unsurprisingly 30 for the year. 42 birds caught, 15 of which were retraps.
The biggest surprise was a nominate race Chiffchaff which was caught in the front garden, in the buckthorn. Chaffinch and Goldcrest were also likely migrants.
A sound only Raven 4 Brent Geese, viewable down the mist-net lane and 200 or so Pink-footed Geese were the other highlights
30 species recorded today, unsurprisingly 30 for the year. 42 birds caught, 15 of which were retraps.
The biggest surprise was a nominate race Chiffchaff which was caught in the front garden, in the buckthorn. Chaffinch and Goldcrest were also likely migrants.
A sound only Raven 4 Brent Geese, viewable down the mist-net lane and 200 or so Pink-footed Geese were the other highlights
Jan 2nd
The weather deteriorated at lunchtime, but by then I had color-ringed two more Blackcaps 31st species for 2020
The weather deteriorated at lunchtime, but by then I had color-ringed two more Blackcaps 31st species for 2020
Up to 10 warblers now ringed this year, with another Chiffchaff. A surprise Redwing, trapped coming into roost was a 1st for the year.
After days of gales and lashing rain, it was a little calmer and brighter today.
2 adult Little Gulls, around 150 Kittiwakes and a Razorbill was new for the year [53 species]
There was a Great Northern Diver on Jan 25th as well as regular sighings of Chiffchaffs
2 adult Little Gulls, around 150 Kittiwakes and a Razorbill was new for the year [53 species]
There was a Great Northern Diver on Jan 25th as well as regular sighings of Chiffchaffs
Up to 61 species now this year with the surprise capture of a Tree Sparrow Yesterday. Never common on North Wirral, these species is declining markedly, so I was less that 50:50 about recording one this year, let alone ringing one.
Also new were Wigeon, Jackdaw and Rock Pipit.
A Fulmar Feb 23rd was unexpected.
In January I rang 85 birds of 15 species, but only 10 of 6 species in February.
Also new were Wigeon, Jackdaw and Rock Pipit.
A Fulmar Feb 23rd was unexpected.
In January I rang 85 birds of 15 species, but only 10 of 6 species in February.
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Another new ringing species for the house - though it didn't start too promisingly, since I had not reset the whoosh net
https://twitter.com/Turnershbo/status/1247051708045438976
However two hours later he caught himself in a net set to catch Blackcaps.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU528LzWsAA-Hzk?format=jpg&name=medium
Today the 1st Tree Pipit of the year flew over
https://twitter.com/Turnershbo/status/1247051708045438976
However two hours later he caught himself in a net set to catch Blackcaps.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EU528LzWsAA-Hzk?format=jpg&name=medium
Today the 1st Tree Pipit of the year flew over
I am doing a patchlist - so will endeavor to keep this up to date.
Long-tailed Duck, 6 Gannet and 6 Brent Geese was the highlight of January 1st.
5/6 Long Tailed duck a single then 5 in flight with Raven and Guillemot new for the year
Too many Scoter to count today - 10-30K at a guess, 110 Brent Geese, Wren and Pied Wagtail new for the year. 45 Red-throated Diver and 210 Great crested grebes as a result of boats in the windfarm (probably the cause of more visible scoter too.
39 for the year
Long-tailed Duck, 6 Gannet and 6 Brent Geese was the highlight of January 1st.
5/6 Long Tailed duck a single then 5 in flight with Raven and Guillemot new for the year
Too many Scoter to count today - 10-30K at a guess, 110 Brent Geese, Wren and Pied Wagtail new for the year. 45 Red-throated Diver and 210 Great crested grebes as a result of boats in the windfarm (probably the cause of more visible scoter too.
39 for the year
I forgot about this thread - so why not use it. Here is my 2nd ringed Tree Pipit of the year
Harry Stottle
Unknown-Known
Nice pic and bird. I was viewing them on my patch today too.
A few highlights from the intervening years :
A putative Iberian Chiffchaff (still with BBRC
But it has the right structure plumage and moult - nice Fresh outer primaries
and just the face pattern you would want
A putative Iberian Chiffchaff (still with BBRC
But it has the right structure plumage and moult - nice Fresh outer primaries
and just the face pattern you would want
From last Autumn, the second Barred Wabler for the garden (and 9th for Cheshire)
Best birds so far in April: 2025
My 8th Grasshopper Warbler ringed - interestingly ageable as last year's bird on two faded and brown outer primaries - well prob 3
but the outer is tiny)
An unexpected late Redwing - adult nominate and absolutely awash with stored fat
A very unexpected (on the date) new ringing species - and only the 4th ever in the garden - 2nd cal male Pied Flycatcher - a month earlier than my previous earliest.
and a huge fluffball of an Oddpoll
My 8th Grasshopper Warbler ringed - interestingly ageable as last year's bird on two faded and brown outer primaries - well prob 3
but the outer is tiny)
An unexpected late Redwing - adult nominate and absolutely awash with stored fat
A very unexpected (on the date) new ringing species - and only the 4th ever in the garden - 2nd cal male Pied Flycatcher - a month earlier than my previous earliest.
and a huge fluffball of an Oddpoll
Harry Stottle
Unknown-Known
You have some tasty birds in your garden! It must be in a migration hotspot.
Yes I have a scrubbed up, rewilded coastal garden, the only downside is that it's on the west coast
A wet and cold morning with just one Willow Warbler ringed, but a steady passage of Hirundines, including my first House Martins of the year. This young male Sparrowhawk was a new ringing species for the year 
Migration started at 06:15 and lasted precisely 30 seconds. Two Tree Pipits and two Willow Warblers arrived. Since then nothing. I teresting variation on the Pipits. The brighter one was also substantially bigger.
They chased each other into a net. As did this handsome chap (and his presumed missus - who was a retrap last seen in 2022). Spugs almost never get caught twice unless they are distracted.
They chased each other into a net. As did this handsome chap (and his presumed missus - who was a retrap last seen in 2022). Spugs almost never get caught twice unless they are distracted.
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