Busy times

A busy week last week, kept me away from my patch and I was always wondering what I was missing.

I know I did make it down  a few times for brief spells, most notably the 7th when I got up extra early and headed down the Loddon path in search of Tawny and Barn Owls.

It was clear I'd missed the window for Tawny already at 06:40, but hearing Snipe flying about gave me some hope for Barn. Sure enough barely beyond the river junction and I picked one up quartering the rough grassland between the river courses and 2 minutes later realised it had company, 2 Barn Owls, very nice, both drifted off silently towards the North end out of sight, then one re-appeared above the footpath and quickly away North, no further sign by 07:05.

I then went into Ron's hide and set about checking all the big gulls, not that there were so many. I am doing this because 1st winter Yellow-legged annoys me, because I find them hard work.

Now I have said more than once that if you are trying too hard to convince yourself of the i.d. of a species, it generally isn't one. But without making exceptions, I think it is well within the bounds of reasonable doubt that Yellow-legged, like most bigger gulls, is pretty variable and can be overlooked.

So apart from one, maybe two 1st winter gulls, nothing had me thinking I've definitely got a YLG. Then yesterday there were quite a few more immatures about and possibly the best one was with a Lesser Black-backed, too far up the landfill to even begin to make a positive I.D. But it could have been one.

Here is Marek's shot taken during the work party and I've had nothing that looks like this individual.

It is pretty much a trademark YLG
















I'll keep checking all spring and keep my fingers crossed a nice easy one like this shows up.

Yesterday the bird walk was almost without anything interesting, but the first Skylark rising over the far landfill put me on 81 for the year. Renton's count of c130 Pochard on BSL was interesting, c160 Wigeon on LFGP was less so.

In fairness I had my best birds of the day before I left home, 7 Brambling dropped into my neighbours trees around 08:30, but as I was a little distracted, never saw them drop, or leave. Either way it is the first time I have seen Brambling in any of the Woodley gardens I have had since moving here in 2004.