New Brighton - Leach's Petrels

The Wirral coast is capable of producing some of the best possible birding action and one spectacle I've been dying to witness is the aftermath of a big blow during the Autumn passage period. Leach's Storm Petrels are heading South right now and strong South Westerly winds push them near to land. As the wind veers to the West / North West they get funnelled into the Wirral area and many find shelter in the Mersey estuary. Provided the winds stay strong, the morning session should see the birds leaving (or trying to leave) the river mouth, with a few lingering in the area.....

A day off work beckoned and I got to New Brighton first thing, joining a crowd of 'Petrel watchers' sheltering in the lee of Fort Perch Rock. The previous two days had seen the best of the action but there were at least six Petrels on show not far out.






I wandered down to the water on the ebbing tide....






It was a bit of a wait for one to come close enough for photography but eventually I struck lucky...






Amazing action with birds within 50m of the shore!










Using the wind is simply a 'breeze' for Petrels, they simply glide into the troughs, dancing on the water in search of morsels of food?






Perhaps the most amazing sight of the day was one Petrel who decided to fly over the sand!








Wonder what this golden sprinkly stuff is like to dance on?








Ouch - that hurts - sticking to water next time....










An Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater, Guillemot, Common, Sandwich and Arctic Terns were also seen. Even a Curlew trying his luck in the surf!






The incoming tide and easing wind strength meant little of note after 5.30 but what a day!






By the end of the day I had 'sussed' tactics for this sort of situation out. A 300mm lens is not much use back in the car boot! I'll be ready next time! Who know's how long I'll have to wait though....

Shropshire Corncrake!!

An intriguing post hit 'Shropshire Birds' yesterday evening - a Corncrake had been collected and added to the list of a local Telford moggy....

Sadly and not surprisingly, the bird was not in the best of health and after a trip to a local vet, the bird ended up at the Cuan House Wildlife resue centre. A positive ID had already been obtained but Geoff Holmes asked me to nip over and take a picture of the bird - 'for the record'.

You might think this would be easy but in a dimly lit room and with the cage door briefly held ajar at 1/4 sec hand held with no flash of course, I didn't fancy my chances. Here is the result - one juvenile Corncrake.....






It was not to be a happy ending however. A planned release Wednesday evening never happened as the bird died during Tuesday night. How long before one turns elsewhere I wonder, as Martin George so aptly put - the challenge is now to find one - without the aid of a cat!

More from Chelmarsh......

A quick call at Chelmarsh this morning and it was a bit busy there due to a ringing session - amazingly the two Curlew Sandpipers were unperturbed so it would have been rude not to take some more pictures?






I've had a bit of feedback about the nice 'reflections' couldn't help taking some more!








A Dunlin was keeping the Curlew Sandpipers company, he will have to grow his legs a little bit to try and and keep up with them!






Shallower water, that's what is needed...








A juvenile Water Rail was creeping about in the nearby reeds, occasionally flitting across in front of me and lingering at the edge once or twice.....








A chance to see evolution in progress too as the local Mallards take the first steps from being 'dabblers' to seed feeders. In a short while (well, a few tens of thousand years or so) we'll see this strain adapted with longer necks and bills adapted for crushing seed?

Did I catch the moment it all began? It just takes one.....






Then another.....






And another.....






Apologies for delays in posting at present, I try and keep everying moving in chronological order but the 'talk season' is upon me and it gets a bit frantic....

Chelmarsh - Curlew Sands!!!

So far as Shropshire is concerned any additions to the 2010 yearlist are going to be classy birds and I was hoping for something special today? There was nothing happening at Venus Pool when the mobile rang at 8.45.....

......next stop was going to be Chelmarsh scrape ASAP with news from Yvonne of TWO probable Curlew Sandpipers and the first 'emergency response' for 'JET' my new Megane!

On arrival, the two waders were indeed most definitely Curlew Sands and amazingly, feeding frantically in front of the hide! Trying to capture two waders, with all the depth of field constraints is not an easy matter but these are the pick of many attempts!!








The close they came, the harder it was to keep both in focus....






Next challenge was to concentrate on one bird and hope for some sharp quality. They were feeding in such a frenzy, it was difficult to catch moments when the bill wasn't entirely submerged or a completely blurred!

The birds enclosed by their own ripples.....








Close up with all the key features on show. The long evenly decurved bill, scaly uniform plumage and prominent supercilium. These are juvenile birds with the charactersitic peachy wash across the breast and 'fresh' plumage.....












All of the above images were taken during the first 20 minutes or so. After that, they spent most of their time up by the island at the other end of the scrape!

One of my favourite images from the day, not a close up by any means but a brief pause from feeding/preening....






Wonder what's next?- Pec Sand before too long and hopefully at VP this time!

Venus Pool - Arachnophilia take 3

This is probably the last installment for 2010 on the Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi) colony at VP but covers images of their legacy, vital for their continued existence! We've seen the males and females together, they have mated (very bad news for the now consumed males) and the females are getting bigger!

This female was in the open grass of the seed crop field and is the largest I've seen so far....








One or two unusual angles of this charismatic spider.....










Here's their legacy. Courtesy of the spider minder Helen who pointed me in the direction of their fascinating egg cases. These are amazing structures over 2cm across like a huge papery seed capsule with a coccoon of eggs within. The capsule is available in either plain or striated versions and can be spun to order!








The adults will die, the egg cases will overwinter and given their success following last years extreme cold, it will be astonishing if they don't survive! I look forward to bringing you images of hatching spiderlings next Spring......

Venus Pool - Another Marshie!

A trip to Norfolk was sadly put on hold as there was no room in any of the B&Bs approached (and I was well into double figures when I gave up!) Next week maybe....

What would Shropshire turn up? A late start at Venus Pool got off to a cracking start with a flyover Marsh Harrier! A great bird for Shropshire and even scarcer at VP, a female - probably adult but immature not ruled out given the distance, light and flying away angle. Record shot alert.....






A Greenshank dropped in and was straight back out but at least the Common Snipe flying around had the decency to linger.....






I was getting itchy feet by midday..... Just before I set off, here's a couple of shots of the Kingfisher taken during the week....








Off on a Tit Clee Black Redstart hunt then.....

Titterstone Clee - Black Redstart and Kestrel

The Wryneck is history now but Titterstone Clee has real potential at this time of year. I opted for a mid afternoon session, with luck at least a Black Redstart have been on the cards? It did show - but not in the derelict buildings! I had to walk through them and up towards the boulder scree to get my first fleeting result (it was just that). One look at me and off he went - clearly a 'he' though....






I had one or two more sightings, usually on the ridges above me and won't bore you with the even more distant record shots! On return to the ruins, I could see he had given me the runaround but was still just as far away!






You can always rely on the Wheatear to be more obliging! A real rarity this - no colour rings!






One bird you can't rely on to oblige normally is the Kestrel. This female was giving a show as good as it gets, almost following me around!

Caught low over the hillside....






In mid hover.....






Whilst hoping for the Black Redstart as I hid myslf by the ruins - I had to settle for the Kessie again!!








Two quality Shropshire birds on the day then and pretty good supporting cast, the bubble is bound to burst soon?