Gone birding...

No updates for a while...see you in March!

Ruff crossing

Colour-ringed Ruff at Elmley Marshes, Kent, 27/1/13

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the highlights of a trip to Elmley Marshes recently were the great views of a flock of Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) feeding along the entrance track. Scanning through the birds, I spotted two colour-ringed individuals - the photo above is a record shot of the one nearest me. It's not a great shot but you can make out some detail of the rings, in this case: yellow-top/white?-below (left tarsus) and blue-top/white-below (right tarsus). I'd heard about wader ringing programmes in northern Europe before and a quick check online, via the excellent www.cr-birding.org, pointed me in the direction of Jos Hooijmeijer at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. I sent him this photo and he was good enough to fire an email straight back.

Jos instantly recognised this bird as being from an affiliated ringing programme and this is the information he sent. This is a 3cy male Ruff, first caught and ringed on the 3rd April 2012 in Gaastmeer, Fiskersbuorren (Netherlands) in the vicinity of Lake IJsselmeer. It subsequently moved south west to Gent in Belgium to what looks like an area of well-drained arable land, where it was first spotted in December 2012 before travelling due west across the channel to Sheppey:

 30-12-2012 Gent, Bourgoyen
Belgium 51.03.50 N 03.40.30 E
3-1-2013 Gent, Bourgoyen
Belgium 51.03.50 N 03.40.30 E
5-1-2013 Gent, Bourgoyen
Belgium 51.03.50 N 03.40.30 E
27-1-2013 Isle of Sheppey, Elmley
Marshes United Kingdom 51.22.31 N 00.47.15 E

The arrival on Sheppey seems to correspond with freezing conditions across north eastern Europe and south eastern England has thawed nicely since then so Sheppey would seem a good destination.

Anyway, always interesting to find out where birds have been - looks like another cold snap this week, so keep an eye out for more continental arrivals.

A ghost on the Moor...

Silent, searching

a Barn Owl yesterday:

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Staines Moor, 3/2/13

Or a good example of how not to be a wildlife photographer.

This Barn Owl that appeared on Staines Moor yesterday was just one of many highlights on a memorable trip out to West London for our 'Office Patch Swap'.

The only rule of Patch Swap is, there are no rules! Only that everyone has a great day birding around someone else's local area. Our first stop yesterday was South Ealing tube station, Richard's manor, to pay a visit to London’s most reliable and thus most papped waxwings. True to form, they were there – 14 birds loitering conspicuously in a tree by the bus stop as they have done for 35 days now. Are they waiting for the bus back to Scandinavia perhaps?

 At Staines Reservoir we were exposed to the elements but rewarded with excellent views of a Great Northern Diver. It was an evasive bird but a wonderful brute. Doing what a diver does best, it would come up for five seconds and then disappear under the choppy waters for twenty, popping up 100m away. That is some strength. It kept us fit but it was worth it.

From there it was to Staines Moor - a truly unexpected and undisturbed slice of wilderness, a precious alluvial grassland, a  SSSI, hemmed in on all sides by Heathrow and the M25. It was a strange feeling, heart and mind wanting to surrender to it but prevented from doing so by the constant hum. Nevertheless, as we wandered among the ancient anthills all afternoon, its nature slowly unfolded and the noise was easier to forget. We had wonderful views of a another wandering spirit, a Short-eared Owl, quartering the moor at dusk until it alighted on a bramble perch - its fiery eyes so weary and watchful. I shared this view through my scope with a passing dog walker who was thrilled. I think she'll remember that day she saw an owl.

There was more of course, that afternoon, but the story is much the same. The next office patch swap has a lot to live up to!

Some footage here (courtesy Daniel Greenwood):

Owl

Diver

A ghost in a tree: Short-eared Owl, Staines Moor, 3/2/13

Thanks to Rich, Vicki and Dan

World Wetlands Day

Water Street, East Lambrook, Somerset, Jan 2013 (Photo by M Werkmeister)

This photo was sent to me by a family friend recently, apparently the road is called 'Water Street'...I know!

So today is World Wetlands Day - a virtual hands up who knew that? Ah maybe you did, maybe you didn't...the main thing is you do now. It marks the day in 1971 when the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was signed in the city of Ramsar in Iran. What we now know as the Ramsar Convention has since taken massive strides in highlighting the importance of wetlands and shaping how they are conserved around the world. This year the theme is water management.

Writing this now from a hilly and residential South London suburb, wetlands seem far removed from everyday life. But those marshes and mudflats at the mouth of the Thames and those rivers and reservoirs threading through the wider landscape, allow us to live much as we do. They are alternately a sponge, soaking up the power of the high-energy waves and the vagaries of inclement weather; they are a fundamental and free-flowing source of hygiene and survival, they are simultaneously a natural drainage and storage system. They are many other things too.

As well as our reliance on them, wetlands are also unique and fantastically biodiverse habitats, home to a bewildering number of flora and fauna species and used by many more. I spent today doing my best to share the joys of one such place in West London, or at least, giving the punters what they wanted and showing off some pretty birds.

Kempton Nature Reserve is a relatively new reserve, created in the last decade of so by Thames Water. As a former working reservoir, water is the influencing force here and through time and careful management, a charming, rich mosaic of habitats has formed. Today we saw Reed Buntings flitting over a reedbed and a handsome Gadwall bobbing like a cork as it dabbled in the velvety blue pools. A Snipe did nothing save cast a shadow as it froze on an island to avoid detection. A Kestrel flew in and began hovering over one of the muddy banks, keen eyes looking for invisible trails or the twitch of a mousy tail. At one point the hide was full of kids and I asked them what they could see, "SWANS!!", "FISH!", "DUCKS!" were the answers yelled back at me. It was cold and overcast and February, but the place was still full of life...and I guess that's ultimately what World Wetlands Day is about. As photos like that at the top and recent news articles show, it is vital that sensitive wetland management is taken seriously by politicians - so much depends on it.

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) North London, Jan 2013

Cranes on Sheppey (and much more)

Some birds instantly catch the imagination so when I heard in the week that seven Cranes had been spotted on Sheppey, I longed for them to hang on for a few days. The encouraging news on Saturday was tempered by squalling conditions on Sunday morning as I picked up Martin and we thudded down the A2 in the rain. Pulling onto Harty Ferry Road with rain still lashing the car and bleak skies overhead, it felt like it was going to be a long day. It didn't stop us enjoying the sight of four Bewick's Swans in among a roadside flock of Mutes but it was ominous...

Four Bewick's Swans (on the right) Harty, 27/1/13

Fortunately though, as we arrived at the Capel Fleet Raptor Viewpoint, the clouds disappeared and opened up a warm blue sky from which the birds followed. As we stood in the car park, a tangle of boot laces and waterproofs, a Green Sandpiper shot overhead and quickly down into the ditch, looking every bit like the oversized House Martin it resembles. On the View Point we flushed a lone birder who was huddled out of the wind but it wasn't long before all eyes were scanning the surrounding fields. Happily, after only a moment, we were able to pick out the Cranes in a distant field to the west. Although a way off, all seven birds were out in the open showing well in the sunshine, making occasional short hops over the fence to the maize field behind. These flights showed their incredible wingspan from which their long legs dangled beneath. It was really great to watch. In fact, perhaps it completed a rarer picture as between us them, other birds flocked to a muddy arable field pooled with water. Lapwing, Starling, gulls in their hundreds and even Dunlin, all foraged and whistled, filling the sky around the cranes with flickering shapes. A Buzzard appeared, loafing along to settle on a fence post next to them while Marsh Harriers drifted by wherever you looked. The shallow, sweeping valley, pocked with maize and fallow fields, criss-crossed by ditches, created a window back to a time when cranes were not the rare or incredibly localised species they are now. However long they stay, it felt like a natural fit - something momentarily put right. As to where these came from, Norfolk seems most likely, perhaps they moved south along the coast to find better conditions away from the snow and ice - what do you think?

A short while later we carried on up the hill and joined the track down towards Muswell Manor. Glancing back at the fields from the ridge we were treated to the sight of all seven cranes in the air, circling high over the area for several minutes before settling again. A magnificent moment, photos don't do it justice:

Common Cranes (Grus grus) (middle of photo) Isle of Sheppey, 27/1/13 (digiscoped)

Seven cranes in flight (blurry specs in middle of frame) from Harty hill, 27/1/13

Bar an ill-advised detour across a waterlogged field, it was a nice walk down to the Manor in bright and breezy conditions. Dunlin skimmed the fields, skylarks chirruped above and a Peregrine cruised by in pursuit of something. A couple of Brown hares spooked at our presence and splashed off across the fields. The sea off Leysdown was quiet but the high tide pushed a stream of Sanderling along the coast towards Shellness and further out a small flock of Wigeon passed by. Heading back along the track, a flock of Golden Plover arced overhead as dozens of curlews probed the sodden fields around us.

Once back at the car we took a slow drive back down the road, passing the now-busy viewpoint. Several Corn Bunting chattered from a patch of brambles and weary partridges scooted among the tussocks. A flock of thirty or so Lesser Redpoll gathered in a tree near the main road was a nice spot and we watched as several flew down to drink from roadside puddles.

Gorgeous colours: willow growth in hedgerow, Harty

We headed back via Elmley Marshes on the off chance of spotting a Short-eared Owl. No score on that front, the species has been much harder to pin down in North Kent this winter, but a short way along the entrance track we did come across two Ruff showing superbly at close quarters on the marsh. In their tortoiseshell finery, the birds dazzled in the soft dusky light. It's been a while since I had views this good and again I noted their odd proportions, the distinctly colourful legs, 'long' body and small head. Lovely stuff, a Ruff.

Carrying on down the track we passed a row of cars piled up by the side and another flock of Ruff turning heads. In amongst these eighteen or so birds were two colour ringed individuals. Down at the farm we stopped for a look off, as everyone does, behind the toilet block. A quick scan found a Peregrine sitting out in the middle of the marsh and some very distant grey geese. A single male Pintail snoozed on the pools with Teal and others for company and a Water Rail dashing for shelter amidst the reeds on the near shore was a great spot by Martin. A moment later it emerged, giving excellent views in the open as it busied itself in the leaf litter. Finally, a single Goldcrest moused its way through the brambles behind the block - not the bird most likely to be found in the middle of a marsh. And that was that, a memorable day on Sheppey capped a fantastic weekend, made all the sweeter by hearing the football scores on the way home.

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

Insert your own pun here_: Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), Elmley Marshes,  27/1/13

Sheppey bridge: Possibly my favourite bridge in southern England

A winter sunset looking west from Elmley

A quick twitch before work

Well, I say twitch, it was certainly one of the more relaxed in that category, but needless to say I took a detour to work this morning, popping into Hyde Park in central London for a look at the two Bearded Tits (or Reedlings) that have been present for some weeks now. Now obviously they're not a rare bird in the grand scheme of things, but a first record for inner London is worthy of note and of course, they're always cracking little birds to see. It's even more remarkable considering their temporary home is a thin strand of reedbed adjacent to a main path of a park filled with runners, dogwalkers, people running with dogs, dogs walking themselves and the odd hundred tourist looking for Princess Diana. But as ever, it shows that if the place is right, nature isn't fussy. The birds were apparently giving the kind of views that would shame a Buff-bellied Pipit, so it was also an opportunity to appreciate the birds at close quarters rather than as the fuzzy little shapes pinging through reedbeds so often encountered.

Phrag-mighties:

Two female Bearded Tits (Panurus biarmicus), Hyde Park, London, 23/1/13

The birds were also feeding on the ground at the base of the reedbed, not more than 4ft from me, but protected by a small park fence which caused havoc with autofocus:

Look at the paint job on that fence

Best to head elsewhere for what I'm sure will be stunning professional shots but hopefully this gives some impression. The birds, both female, have been ringed and close observation of better photos than these has been able to confirm that this took place at the RSPB's Rye Meads reserve fifteen miles or so north of here in November 2012. That's another fascinating aspect to these birds' presence - given that the wandering instinct of bearded tits is rarely mentioned or, I imagine, successfully monitored. As I watched them waddle around among the leaf litter like fat little hamsters with stiff, pointed tails I almost forgot where I was supposed to be going...

A heron ponders the meaning of it all on the Serpentine, Hyde Park, London, 23/1/13

31

And so the sunsets on another year.

Sunset at Dungeness beach, 15/1/13