Went to the Lyn Dyke area of the reserve on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the roosting Long Eared Owls, but no luck, they must have found somewhere else to kip!! Got a good look at them a couple of years ago, as they are fairly regular visitors at this time of year (Oct onwards), but don’t think they were around there last year. They are normally quite shy birds and only congregate to roost. The “ears” are not ears at all but tufts which can be raised to look just like ears. They have been declining in Britain, possibly due to competition from Tawny Owls.
Anyway, I didn’t see them but was surprised to see a number of cormorants perching on electricity pylons and wires. The pictures aren’t very good but gives you an idea.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/f/fairburnings/index.aspx
We were told there were “swarms” of redpolls and mealies, but didn’t see them. However, we did see flocks of redwings, which I was dead pleased about. There’s still plenty of berries on the bushes and trees and they were feeding on these. I have seen redwing, but only from a distance and to get a recognisable photo was brill.
Tag: redwings?
Gulls, snow and redwings????
Took Sparky for walk on fields over back. About 5 – 6 inches of crisp white snow and all was very quiet. At 3.30pm as I was making my way back I saw the gulls heading north above me, as they do every day around late afternoon (dusk). I stood and watched them rising up from the housing estate and counted around 500 gulls all in groups of 10 – 20’s. There’s the Asda supermarket on the estate and a large secondary school, which no doubt attracts the birds with easy pickings. I’m not very good at identifying which gull this would be. I will try to be more observant and let you know!! By the time I got home at 4, there were more flying over. This happens every night – one of the most successful birds – scavengers! Crow are as well aren’t they? And rooks! The Red Kites are as well and are pretty successful around here.
Anyway, when I got home into the back garden a flock of about 20 thrush like birds flew overhead, some of which landed in the sycamore tree behind my garden. I couldn’t get a really close look even through bins, but from size and jizz (behaviour/movement) I reckon they were Redwings. I was hoping they had spied my feeders and would descend into my garden, but alas they buggered off!!!