A quieter weekend but not unexpected for this time of year.
Nonetheless there were changes in the bird population with new arrivals and
fresh departures. Saturday was grey and drizzling but Sunday was crisp and
bright, cold at first but soon warming up. As I drove down towards the moor on
Sunday morning I could see pockets of shallow mist, looking like pale grey
pools, lying in the lowest pockets of ground.
Misty morning (c) Tom N-L
Goldfinch warming up in the sunshine (c) Bark
The heron “previously known as Prince” finally seems to have
departed. It was last seen on Tuesday and has not been reported since. The drop
in night time temperatures seems to have finally prompted its departure. It has
been a great bird to have on the moor and has attracted many admirers even if
it has been very reluctant to show itself.
Chiffys Above (c) JR below (c) Bark
Other departures include the summer visiting warblers that
are now being replaced by smaller numbers of over wintering warblers like Chiffchaffs
and Blackcaps. Our Cetti’s warblers continue to shout from the hedgerows,
albeit with quieter voices and not a full song. Their call certainly seems to
be stimulated by seeing movement going past. There is one along the bridleway
to Noke that certainly calls almost every time you walk by.
Stonechat (c) Tom N-L
We still have a few passage migrants on the moor, there was
a Wheatear out on big Otmoor and a Whinchat on the Pill and another in July’s
Meadow. Four Stonechats were out on the MOD land and a further three up at
July’s with the Whinchat. Some of the Stonechats will of course remain
throughout the winter.
Julys Meadow Stonechat (c) Bark
On Sunday there was a small flock of approximately one
hundred and thirty Golden Plovers seen in flight, a number that will have
swollen to the thousands by the end of the winter. Two Jack Snipe were found on
Saturday; it is interesting to note that there were reports of this secretive
species from several other sites around the county on the same day. It will be
worth examining the muddy margins in front of the screens for a small snipe
with a bit of extra bounce!
Snipe (c) Derek Lane
Most interesting new arrivals are a small family group of
two adult and one juvenile White Fronted Geese. They were spotted out on
Ashgrave with the resident feral Greylag and Canada Geese on Sunday morning.
Closer examination revealed another juvenile that appeared to be separate from
the family group. One of the advantages of having a settled feral flock of
geese on the moor is the way it can make other truly wild geese feel more secure
and settled. I just hope that they don’t fall prey to any of our trigger happy
neighbours.
Bittern over the reedbed (c) Tom N-L
Raptors continue to harry the Starlings that are coming in
to roost in the reedbed a female Sparrowhawk harried them on Saturday evening
and a Peregrine was also seen. Among the Marsh Harriers seen this week was a
wing tagged individual, clearly not one of “our” birds and obviously on
passage. On the same day a Short Eared Owl was seen on the northern edge of
Greenaways, the first recorded from this winter period.
Shorty (c) Roger Wyatt
Bitterns too are being seen from time to time and not just
in or over the reedbed. There have been three sightings of birds along the
stone track and on the edge of some of the smaller reed clumps on Greenaways.
All we really lack now for our full suite of wetland species
are Bearded Tits. We are approaching their prime eruption period now and I do
hope that we have some of these delightful birds dropping in in the next few
weeks.
The fallow deer that spent the last three or four years with the cattle on Ashgrave seemed to have disappeared and we assumed she had wandered off and ended up as venison! However she is back and is now accompanied by a fawn about half her size, although she is much more cautious now and reluctant to take the fawn too near to the cattle.
Fallow and fawn (c) Paul Greenaway
White-front family on Ashgrave courtesy of Badger please view at 1080 HD
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