End of March and spring is here (really?) and so non-resident birds are moving. The winter visitors are heading north or northeast in the main, and summer migrants are starting to put in an appearance.
Down at Blashford Lakes at the weekend was a good cross over location.
Black-tailed godwits waiting to go back to Iceland (these are from the Islandica sub-species). Whilst I was there several birds had colour rings on their legs to individually identify them to anyone with a telescope. 2 birds there had been ringed right back in 1995, and a huge life history of their movements and wintering pattern built up.
There was also a large number of Shovelar present, at least 200 - a really colourful male duck, with its spectaular bill. These will soon move off to breed in a line from the low coutries to western Russia. As I've noted previously we have had a few on the flooded meadows this winter, with a single male present today.
So, at the same time as these were present flying low over the lakes were Sand Martin and a few Swallows.Why they have kept flying north when they first encountered the cold air stream hitting us at present I can't guess. I haven't spotted a Swallow over the meadows yet, but this evening there were 3 small groups of Sand Martins totalling 35 birds.
A week ago I heard a Chiffchaff calling, but this was probably an over wintering bird.
The major excitement this afternoon was firstly seeing a ringtail Hen Harrier, ringtail meaning it was either a femal or immature male. The plumage was generally brown, with the white rump, unlike the superb grey colours of the adult male.
Then shortly after that I spot another large bird of prey, firstly moving north up the valley, and then reappearing as it worked its way south with a few circles but generally pretty direct. This was an immature Marsh Harrier. This is a bird that nearly died out in the UK, breeding in the reed beds of east Angla. Today many birds winter here, and so individuals can turn up almost anywhere, and their breeding sites now include farmland.
Not to be outdone, the other end of the farm had a pair of Wheatears, and Lapwing had increased to 3.
An impressive list of birds, particularly the harriers. I can't believe you have swallows and sand martins - what a shock they must have had arriving ion the cold. They will also have had some pretty bad weather getting through southern Europe which is where the jet stream is sitting at the moment.
ReplyDeleteOne can only guess at what they are going to find to eat over the next couple of weeks! Yes a rather nice if surprising list.
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