Brett's Goosey Ganderings

Oops

2012-02-23T10:35:00.004-08:00

An evening visit to Littlesea, The Fleet showed that the Hume's Warbler was still present. Also, the Black Redstart was still in residence. Otherwise, all the usual suspects, with 3 Grey Plovers the only other birds of note.

Last Saturday, the army got into a bit of bother whilst trying to get over to the Chesil Beach and their sentry points. It happened to be a very low tide. Now whether their little boat thingy wasn't up to the job, or they took a wrong turn I don't know. What I do know is, they got well and truly stuck. Sorry lads, but it did look funny from where me and my mate Fred were stood. I can imagine though, that you were pretty pissed off. Still, I'm sure you can laugh about it now.

Stonking Yellowthroat

2012-02-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

Note the rufous wash on the forecrown.

It was well worth the effort to pay homage to this stunningly beautiful 1st-winter male Common Yellowthroat, that has taken up temporary residence in Wales. Seems a crime to call it a Common Yellowthroat though,when it's only the tenth record for Britain.

Not too far away, an adult drake Lesser Scaup was also up for grabs.

Note similar size to Tufted Ducks.

Note black on bill tip confined to nail.

Note vermiculated flanks, purple glossed head and lump on rear of head.

On the way home stopped off at Torr Reservoir, in Somerset to have a look at the Cackling Goose.

Sure, it's origins are probably suspect. Seems very dark breasted compared to individuals I've seen on Islay, Scotland. But it was on the way back and it's damn cute I reckon. Was distant, but you can still see the half white collar at the base of the black neck sock. Also present amongst the Canada Geese were 7 Barnacle Geese and 1 hybrid, the latter of which you can see in the images above.

One Smew Doesn't Make A Winter

2012-02-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

It fucking does when it looks like this.

Drake Smew at Abbotsbury Swannery, Tuesday 14th Feb.

Thanks to a text from my good friend Steve, who's hospitality is always greatly received, this stunning drake Smew was well appreciated. Poor light and distance will be my excuses for the crap photos in this post.

This lovely adult female Marsh Harrier was floating around in the background behind the Smew.

Littlesea, The Fleet, Wednesday 15th Feb.

3 Avocets. Surprisingly scarce on The Fleet.

Good to see there's still a Black Brant amongst the Brent flock. Also a single Pale-bellied Brent was seen.

Tainted Otter?

2012-02-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

All the above images of this dog Otter were taken in deepest darkest Dorset. For the purists out there, these images are uncropped. Unbelievably close views down to about 10 feet. But now for a revelation. Why so tame? Well, rumour has it, that the Otters in this area, well, the adults anyway, are rehabilitated orphans that were reared in captivity, then released back into the wild. If true, then totally plastic. Might as well be a bloody zoo, with Otters nibbling your toenails and Foxes chomping on your bollocks.

Now for some gulls. This afternoon, popped into Radipole Lake and got lucky, as the 2nd-calendar year Iceland Gull that had been around for a while was on view.

Cute isn't it?

Now for something a bit trickier.

BIRD 1

A 2nd-calendar year Herring Gull showing some characters of argentatus. Note the overall freshness of it's plumage lacking any noticeable wear. Note the pale tips to primaries and also the tail pattern.

Again note the tail pattern, with blacker subterminal tail band and broader white tips to the feathers compared with argenteus. Also, the reduced amount of dark in the outer primaries producing a bigger paler window on the inner primaries. Size and structure was no different from the surrounding argenteus Herring Gulls, but if it were a small female, then it probably wouldn't differ much. The other alternative is that it's a intergrade argentatus x argenteus. My best guess is that it is probably just a small female Scandinavian Herring Gull.

BIRD 2

Another Herring Gull showing characteristics associated with Scandinavian Herring Gull. This 3rd-calendar year bird could at first glance be passed off as a 2nd-calendar year. Note the ventral bulge.

Note the tail pattern and hint of a mirror on P10. Maybe should be more heavily streaked about the head, but could be within range of variation. Or maybe it's an intergrade argentatus x argenteus. If both birds had been ringed, we would know their point of origin and their subspecific identities for sure.

Richard's Pipit

2012-02-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

Nice to get some good images of the wintering Richard's Pipit at Littlesea, The Fleet.

I know it's only a Goldfinch, but what a bird.

The wintering Hume's Warbler at Littlesea, The Fleet remains typically elusive. This was the only image I could manage. Crap isn't it.

The Black Redstart was also still present at Littlesea in The Bridging Camp.

Other birds seen today were a Great Northern Diver in Weymouth Bay and singles of Pale-bellied Brent Goose and Slavonian Grebe and 12 Black-necked Grebes, including 1 in summer plumage in Portland Harbour.

It's Just Below You Bob

2012-02-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, after work, I decided to go down to Radipole Lake. Hardly any gulls from the centre, but I was tipped off that a Bittern was showing well from Buddleia Loop. Now, first of all, didn't notice you in me pics until I got home Bob.

Anyways, it's just below you Bob.

In fairness to Bob, he wouldn't have been able to see it where he was.

The Bittern. Record shot in poor light.

Ah, it's the weekend. Yippeeeee!!!

Bloody Hell

2012-02-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

What the hell is the Dorset Bird Club up to on their news page? One, they can't get the fucking date right. Two, the Hume's is near Littlesea Holiday Park? Yeah, it's fucking near alright, considering it's in it and always has been. Yes the wood is part of the Park. Three, the Richard's is in Wyke Regis Bridging Camp? Well, it wasn't in the Bridging Camp when I saw it and anyway, like I keep saying, it's in Chickerell not fucking Wyke Regis.

Also, what the fuck is this government doing giving all our hard earned taxes away to fucking countries who don't need it? Fuck them off and let somebody else have the money. Oh yeah, us would be a good idea, seeming this country is a trillion quid in debt. Who votes for these twats, that's what I want to know. And how is it that politicians and council bods spend money we haven't got like it's going out of fashion? Take for a little instance these stone things on metal posts as you enter Weymouth on the new road. What the fuck? There was a pond put in there to counteract the environmental damage done by the road. So, what do they do? Yeah, they fuck that up by putting up some stupid modern art thing that apparently cost £350,000. Wankers, the lot of them. Here's hoping they all burn in hell.

Phew, glad I got that off my chest.

Hume's Still Alive And Kicking

2012-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

Did some birding today. My first port of call was Littlesea, The Fleet. Spring tides meant lots of mud and lots of birds. The area was smothered in Mediterranean Gulls, but really not much of note other than 8 Little Grebes, which was a good count for there, plus a flock of Dunlin and some Grey Plovers. A single Golden Plover flew over the fields that harboured 19 Lapwing. The Hume's Warbler, Richard's Pipit and Black Redstart were all still present.

Popped into Radipole afterwards, with nothing but a Kingfisher for my efforts. Then after a brief look at Lodmoor from the car park, which produced nothing, it was back to Radipole, where on my arrival, a 1st-winter Scandinavian Herring Gull flew past me and headed off towards Weymouth Harbour, and where was my camera? On the bloody passenger seat of my car. BUGGER!!!

Photos from Littlesea, The Fleet.

One of the Lapwings. Stunning birds me thinks.

After hearing it call, this was all I got of the Hume's Warbler. A thorough search failed to relocate it. This bird has attracted a constant stream of admirers this winter. This remarkable bird should be wintering in India. Good to see it's still alive and well.

It seemed there was a swarm of Mediterranean Gulls today. The commonest gull at this site today.

Like the Hume's Warbler, the Richard's Pipit didn't perform well for the camera. This bird still doesn't have any adult median coverts yet.

Incoming! The Black Redstart prepares to land.

Male Stonechat. Another one of yours Ian?

A couple of photos from my first visit to Radipole today.

Adult Herring Gull. Note the dark eye. Not the first time I've seen this in adult Herring Gulls. This is certainly a trap for the unwary.

A lovely Water Rail.

And what's this I see on the left leg of the infamous Hooded Merganser? Plastic fantastic.

You Birders/Scientists Can't Handle The Truth

2012-02-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

From my last post, it end with me saying about going on a twitch. This I duly did with me mate Fred. Our target was the Spanish Sparrow that was in residence at Calshot, Hampshire. Well, we connected with thy beast and what a handsome fellow he was too. This was the first time I had seen this species in Britain, so I was well pleased. Plenty of pics on other sites, so won't bore you with more. Anyways, didn't take me camera. On the way back, we also saw the Dark-eyed Junco at Hawkhill Enclosure in the New Forest, again, plenty of photos of this bird on the net. Also, some showy Crossbills at this site. We searched in vain for a Great Grey Shrike in the New Forset, but did manage a stunning male Hen Harrier, one of my favourite birds. We ended up at Blashford Lakes, Hampshire, where I did set eyes briefly on what was being claimed as an adult Caspian Gull (see photos on the Hampshire Ornithological Society website), but my views were inadequate to be happy that it was one. Instead I had to be content with a few Yellow-legged Gulls, some beautiful Goosanders and cracking views of Lesser Redpolls. More on the latter later in the post.

Yesterday, I went twitching again. Cripes, do I do any birding? I hear you say! Well, just haven't had time, but must get out there and find stuff soon. Anyway, back to the twitch. Went to Black Down, West Sussex, with Fred and Luke, in order to see the Parrot Crossbill reported from there. Luck was on our side and the bird was in situ on our arrival. Now, there has been some debate as to whether this bird is the real deal. Well, I'm certain it is one and I hope the accompanying photos will convince you. Oh yeah, apologies for the quality of the pics, as they are record shots taken in not the best of light. Also, trying to get used to new toy.
Click on images to make them bigger.

Now, this is a male Common Crossbill that we also saw at this site yesterday. Note the depth of the lower mandible, the tip of which can be seen protruding above the upper mandible.

Now for the female Parrot Crossbill. Note the depth of the lower mandible, with the tip of the lower mandible not protruding above the upper mandible. Also, you can clearly see that this bird has a bulky head and neck.

On this image, note the slight bulge on the gonys. It is slight, but it is there. Come on, how much like a parrots beak do you want this to look like. Plumage-wise, it did look a tad duller than some of the accompanying female Common Crossbills, but Crossbills are so variable, I'm sure you could find a female Common Crossbill looking the same in plumage tone.

We'd lost the bird for a while. Then I heard a bird fly in and on call, I kind of knew it was going to be it. It then landed on top of a pine tree and here she is. The call was definitely deep in tone. Unfortunately I don't have any sound gear, but a sound recording of this bird would definitely confirm it's identification as a Parrot Crossbill.

Parrot Crossbill was something of a bogey bird for me, having dipped on them in Lincolnshire in 1991, Hampshire in 2000 (the last English record) and seeing a group of birds in Abernethy Forest that were big bulky headed and billed, but not being close enough to get any real value on them. The latter was very frustrating, you know, seeing the bird, but not really seeing it, I hate that.

But was it all worth it? Well I like to see birds whatever, but when are we gonna get a grip and accept that these Crossbills are all the same species. Personally, I think Common, Scottish and Parrot Crossbills should be lumped. So what if there is different bill sizes and some are heavier than others. These differences are subtle. So what if there is all these different call types. Ever heard of regional dialects. Maybe you're gonna tell me that "Northern" Bullfinch is a different species next. Come on guys and gals! These is so much overlap in plumage, that it renders identifying them on that useless. Are you telling me that all these Crossbills around the world that all look the same, albeit with subtle differences in size, size and shape of bills and different call types, yet all genetically the same are different species? What a load of bollocks. Then there's Redpolls. You can lump them as well and that includes Arctic. I do think all these bird forms are gorgeous though and seeing them is worth it, not just for the sake of a tick.

Back to the Parrot. I've heard it said the head shape, in relation to the forehead and crown, is wrong. Surely this can change with posture.Why isn't it a Scottish? I hear you say. Because I'm reliably informed that they are resident, though some people would argue with that fact. Why isn't it a "Eastern" Common Crossbill? I hear you say. Well, this is the first time I've heard these mentioned. Look I think it's a Parrot and who cares anyway, it's just a fucking Crossbill.

Whist in West Sussex we also took in the juvenile Rough-legged Buzzard at Burpham and again ended the day at Blashford Lakes, Hampshire where we endeavored to see the Caspian Gull and failed completely.

Watch Out, I'm Back

2012-01-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

Well, hello there. I'm back. Now then, just to warn you, I don't intend to be politically correct on this blog and as a consequence, some of my posts will contain swearing. I want you to read this as if I were speaking to you face to face. Those who know me well, know I don't want to take things seriously, 'cause that's boring. This is not intended to be a blog about me bragging about what I have seen or what I'm going to see. It is merely a blog where you can follow my passion for birds and other wildlife, where hopefully, both myself and the reader will enjoy and indeed, may learn something new through the photographs I'll put on the posts. I may, from time to time, go off on one and have a rant. This, of course, will get whatever is bothering me off my chest and I can vent my opinion on what subject it may be about. These rants will obviously contain my warped sense of humour, which I know is an acquired taste. Basically, if you don't like what I say at times, don't read it, or if you do read it and get offended, then tough. I'm fully entitled to my opinion and how I express it, it's a free country after all, apparently.

Now then, that's the formalities out the way. So, what have I been up to this year so far? On The Fleet, the news has been dominated by the continued presence of the wintering Hume's Warbler and Richard's Pipit. Both have provided excellent views at times and both are residing at Littlesea, which for any Dorset Bird Club website followers, is in Chickerell, not fucking Wyke Regis. And yes, the Bridging Camp, which I include as part of Littlesea, is also in Chickerell, not Wyke Regis. There, you have been told. You'll no doubt not listen to a word I'm fucking saying anyway, so I don't know why I'm wasting me breath/fingertips. Also at Littlesea, I've seen the wintering Black Redstart and up to 18 Pale bellied Brent Geese. I have done a couple of trips away from The Fleet so far, to take in the fabulous Longham Lakes with my good friend Peter and his wife Eileen, where a redhead Smew, 1st-year drake Scaup and redhead Goosander were the highlights and the western most part of Dorset with me mate Fred, where 2 drake Ring-necked Ducks at Chard Junction Gravel Pits and a 1st-winter Spotted Sandpiper, along with 19 Purple Sandpipers at Lyme Regis were the highlights. Otherwise, a 2nd-winter Iceland Gull, found by Luke, at Radipole Lake, was another good bird that I've caught up with.

The Richard's Pipit and Black Redstart in the Bridging Camp, at Littlesea. Just check out the size of that pipit. Note the long tail.

Another view of the Richard's Pipit. Note the pale lores, long legs and contrast between the white belly and peachy coloured flanks and breast.

And here it is again. Note, and I know it's not the clearest of images, but the long hind claw can be seen on the right foot. It can be aged as a 1st-winter by it's retained juvenile median coverts.

I'm off twitching tomorrow, more on that another day. So, until then, see ya!