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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Hoylake Bird Observatory (1 Viewer)

124th Species of the year was a Jay, which went through the back garden this afternoon. As with every day for some weeks, there has been a steady passage of tit flocks, including LTT and Coalies. Today's included one Goldcrest, one Chiffchaff and a Phyllosc spp
 
Starling 290, Fieldfare 2, plus a chacking thrush out of view behind the house that could have been an Ouzel, Great Spotted Woodpecker , 445 Chaffinches, with 245 in the first hour, 8 Meadow Pipit, one Rock Pipit which was new for the year, 22 Siskins, 20 Bramblings, though when flocks came low the number visible suggested that only quite a low % were callling, so this may be an underestimate - new for the year. Three Skylarks, 3 Reed Buntings new for the year, 6 Tree Sparrows (also new), a Grey wagtail 15 Linnet, 70 Greenfinch, and 6 Mistle thrushes completed the count.

Singles of Chiffchaff and Goldcrest were in the garden, associated with Long-tailed and Coal tit flocks respectively.

Four other new for the year records were a Snipe 4 Crossbills which flew West, a male Merlin which went fast and low down the beach and a west bound Lapland Bunting, which was also new for the house list and perhaps the most glaring gap filled.

Having checked the year list closely, and corrected some mistakes, like missing seabirds, the year list now stands at 133 and the all time list at 194
 
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I've not been birding so much today as hanging about in the garden, settling in some ex battery hens. However there have been birds pouring over. Probably 500 Fieldfares in all, in 6 flocks, which didn't start moving (to my knowledge till 10am). A few hundred Chaffinches, 10 or so Brambling, 8 Siskins, 4 Tree Sparrows, 100+ Long tailed tits, including a flock of 40 as high as the finches. 5 Skylarks, 23 Redwings a Rock pipit and a Grey Wagtail too. Also at lower altitude were 3 Goldcrests and a fine Firecrest, which was new for the year - 134
 
Had a small grebe (almost certainly a Slavonian Grebe) go west just before high tide tide and flew into the Dee Estuary. Later relocated it with another bird before they both flew off towards Hilbre.

CB
 
I just had my first female Blackcap warbler in the garden for this winter, she's early this time.
Also eight Fieldfares perched in the tallest tree near the house.
 
While the wife was busy I took a walk from West Kirby to Red Rocks . Not too many small birds around but did encounter Stonechats , Reed Buntings and Long-Tailed Tits . There were a good number of Little Egrets about giving good views including this ringed individual with the letter U on its right leg and F on its left leg . Oops , sorry Jane , didn't mean to intrude on your Hoylake Bird Observatory thread , I meant to list this under "Red Rocks " .
 

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Good job you didn't photograph it from behind:)

Have you looked into who is colour ringing them...

euro colour ringing said:
Combination of two rings engraved with a single vertical letter or number (one on each tibia).

Richard Hearn, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK.

e-mail: littleegrets ADD yahoo.co.uk

note 1: birds are ringed in the UK and Ireland, mostly as nestlings.

note 2: by end of summer 2008 approx. 300 birds had been ringed at 15 sites in the UK and Eire.

note 3: orange and red rings are both used and are regularly being confused, but can be identified by the colour of the characters; orange rings have black characters whilst red rings have white characters.
 
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According to Kelvin Jones , the Little Egret was ringed in North West Wales in June of this year . Apparently from a brood of four , two went to Ayrshire , one to Ireland and this one has been hanging around the Hilbre area since 15th November
 
The big news today came in the form of a phone call a few minutes ago to say that there was a Coot in view off Meols. By leaning out of the window I was able to see it (just) though was not in a position to rule out American Coot. However it wasn't one.

That's my first for the house and an incredibly rare bird up here.

135 for the year and 195 ever.
 
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