NestCam Update

Still no news I'm afraid - here's this morning's picture of the eight Blue Tit eggs in the nest:

Using another nest of which I know, I've recalculated the date of hatching to be Friday or Saturday this week.  Here's this evening's picture:

NestCam Update

Well yesterday (Day 14) came and went with no sign of any eggs hatching and so now we're in to Day 15 and still awaiting our first baby Blue Tit.  Here's this morning's picture from the NestCam:

NestCam Update

I haven't posted for a couple of days because Kate has stopped laying, with a total of eight eggs.  She now spends quite a lot of time on the nest turning the eggs, improving the nest, sleeping or preening.  No new feathers have been brought in for a few days now, so she must have decided the nest is warm enough.

Whilst on the nest Wills is bringing her caterpillar grubs and she does still leave occasionally to look for food herself.  We're just playing the waiting game now, looking forward for the first egg to hatch, which could be today or tomorrow if they stick to a 14 day schedule.

The commenting system on my blog has not been working properly and I hope that's why we haven't had any comments from all the many people who've visited the blog to see the NestCam. I've changed it to pop up in a window now - We'd really appreciate any comments that people would care to make under any post message.  Cheers!

Rindle Road and Astley Moss

I went out down Rindle Road for a couple of hours after work tonight hoping to see the Hobbies that have been reported catching dragonflies over the Moss in the last few days.  When I arrived there were at least five cars parked up (there are usually no more than two and often none) with other birders presumably looking for the same thing or the Cuckoos.

I parked at the top of the feeding station track and the farmer was driving his tractor up towards the gate.  As he got out to close the gate I asked him about the crops he was growing in the fields here. He's a nice bloke who I've met before and he's always stopped for a chat. He told me that barley was being grown in two fields, potatoes in the ploughed field and two fields were grass for silage. I checked that it was alright to leave my car here and he said that as long as he could get past with the tractor it was fine.

The first thing that struck me as I walked down the track towards Rindle Wood was the sound of Yellowhammers making their 'little bit of bread with no cheeeese' call. They weren't in the usual hawthornes and trees along the feeding track but somewhere out in the fields.  When I looked through my binoculars I saw a couple sitting on a fence wire bordering two of the fields.  This loud calling went on most of the time I was out tonight - I've never heard it so loud and clearly before.

As I entered Rindle Wood I briefly met a lady birder who had come here in search of Cuckoos, but who was leaving disappointed.  I told her she must come back because they'd be here for a while and show quite well when they do appear.  I also met a new character called Gordon from Martin Mere as most people seem to know him and had a really good chat with him about allsorts of stuff. And then on towards the SSSI.

Willow Warbler

There were lots of very pale Mistle Thrushes in the ploughed field on the edge of the Wood, and the Yellowhammers were obviously there too although I didn't spot any. As I approached the edge of the SSSI there were a couple of Willow Warblers singing from what seems to a favourite place in some dead brich tree branches.  As the light wasn't too bad, I took this opportunity to photograph them, even though they were quite high up.  Whilst I was doing this someone was looking at me through binoculars a little further down the path - it was Dave Thacker and he gave me a wave when he recognised me.

Willow Warbler

I went to meet Dave and he was with another lady birder who's name I'm sorry to say I've forgotton already. They were looking for Hobbies and Cuckoos but hadn't seen either, despite having been here a while. They mentioned lots of people who had seen them today including John Tymon who'd been here earlier and so understanderably they were both a bit fed up!  We talked about a few things (during which time I think I spotted a Linnet in a dead tree) before Dave and moved on to walk round the trail past the scrapes.

Is this a Linnet?

There really wasn't very much about tonight save for a pair of Tufted Ducks which I accidentally flushed off one of the scrapes.  There were quite a few dragonflies about however and that's why this is good Hobby country.  In fact on our way back towards Rindle Hedge we met another birder who knew quite a lot about dragonflies and he and Dave had a good chat about them, but it was all lost on me!  I'll have to get a book.

As we approached the hedge, we looked across the ploughed potato field and Dave spotted two Grey Partridges on the edge of the ditch that separates the fields.  They were very hard to see as they crouched down in the grass and I wouldn't have spotted them on my own.  Apparently like many birds, they nest in the ditch and come out onto the ploughed field to feed.

Whilst we watching the Partridges we heard a Cuckoo calling for the first time tonight.  Dave scanned the trees with his bins and had soon found one sat some distance away across the fields. It was at the top of  a dead tree on the edge of the SSSI where we had first been talking some 20 minutes ago.  The calls continued for a while and another Cuckoo appeared briefly before they both flew off over the tree tops.  Well, at least we could report that we'd seen them tonight.

Oystercatcher

Dave and I walked back to the feeding station through Rindle Hedge where there were no birds at all tonight as far as I could see.  We looked in the barley field for the Whimbrel and Oystercatchers which had been there recently and couldn't see them until they popped their heads up above the long vegetation.  There was at least one Whimbrel and two Oystercatchers here tonight and we witnessed a very brief scuffle when one Oystercatcher moved the Whimbrel on its way.  And then they all disappeared into the long vegetation again.

Buzzard on fence post

It was at this point that Dave spotted a large Buzzard sitting on a fence post looking for voles.  It was some way off and close to the railway line, but it wasn't disturbed when a train went past - it must be used to this by now.  From time to time the Buzzard would drop down off its perch on to the ground before returning again a few minutes later, maybe after a meal.  Another birder joined us at this point who was an old friend of Dave's who he hadn't seen for a while.  We chatted for a while before deciding it was time to head for home.

Chaffinch

I left Dave and his friend at the top of the feeding station track and decided to try to get a little closer to the Buzzard for some pictures.  I walked up towards the level crossing at the top of Rindle Road whilst perusing the hawthorne hedge and taller trees.  I saw a Chaffinch and a pair of Goldfinches on the telephone wires here.  I looked for the Curlew in the field next to Rindle Cottages, but instead found another pair of Oystercatchers which might have been the ones we saw previously.  I took some photos here before looking for the Buzzard on the other side of the road.  It was still perched on the same post but the light wasn't good and it was still some way off, so I didn't get any really good shots.

Goldfinches

Well, I hadn't seen the Hobbies but I'd I met a few nice people and had a good birding session with Dave in which we saw a fair number of species this evening.  Happy Days!

Goldfinch

NestCam Update

It looks as if Kate has stopped laying now with eight eggs in the nest - let's hope they all hatch.  Here's this morning's picture of the nest:

NestCam Update

Back to work this morning so I could only have a quick look - I can only see eight eggs today, which is the average number laid and the same as yesterday, unless a new one is hidden from view.  See you later. 

Minor Update

Yep, we seem to have 'maxed out' on the eggs now - eight eggs visible this afternoon which is the same number as yesterday, so it looks as if Kate has stopped laying.  Only four or five days until we expect the first of them to hatch. Here she is turning the eggs:

Please leave any comments you'd like to make about the NestCam or the blog in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Moss Lane and Rindle Wood

A walk down Moss Lane and through Rindle Wood to the edge of the SSSI from 5pm to 7.45pm on a very windy but sunny late afternoon / early evening produced:

Moss Lane:

• 2 Red Legged Partridges
• 6 Pied Wagtails
• Swallows
• Carrion Crows
• Lapwings mating
• Our Marsh Harrier friend with the missing primaries

Ploughed field next to Rindle Wood and the SSSI:

• Skylarks heard but not seen
• Cuckoo calling and showing in tree tops in the usual place on the SSSI
• A brilliant display of aerobatics by up to twelve Swallows catching flies and just having fun flying low along the furrows in the ploughed field
• Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrushes and Blackbirds in furrows
• Carrion Crows and one Oystercatcher over
• No hobbies though

Drake Mallard raising its head just above the long vegetation in field next to Rindle Cottages and Curlew calling from nearby on way back to car. It was nice to meet Gary Mills out looking for hobbies too.

I originally posted this report on the Manchester Birding Forum.

NestCam Update

There are eight in the bed this bright and sunny morning and Kate has just popped out for breakfast with Wills.  Oops, now she's come back and she's making little squeaking noises whilst on the nest.  I wonder how many eggs she can sit on before she can't cover them all up?

The eggs seem to be different colours but I don't know if that's just a trick of the light or due to the camera and computer processing.  I'll have to look it up on t'internet.

 

Kate, the female Blue Tit, is now spending more time on the eggs during the day and so she is more likely to be there now when you view the live video feed from the nestcam.

BTW - here's a link to my favourite picture of Wills the male bird which I took in my garden this week.

Please leave any comments you'd like to make about the NestCam or the blog in the comments section at the bottom of this post.  Just click on the word Comments and select  Anonymous in the Comment As: box.before clicking the Post Comment button.

NestCam Update

Now we are seven! Seven eggs in the nest and loads of feathers. Just how many feathers does a girl want?  Every time she leaves she returns with a few more!

We're starting to think about the eggs hatching now. Our prediction for the first egg to hatch is May 7th or 8th and we're wondering if they'll hatch one-a-day like they've been laid - does anyone watching know?

Please leave your answer or any other comments you'd like to make in the comments section at the bottom of this post.  Just click on the word Comments and select the Anonymous profile.

NestCam Update

Six eggs at breakfast time today - I got up a bit later this morning and the birds had already gone.  However they did return from time to time to bring in fresh feathers.  It's pretty windy at the moment and the mike in the nest box makes it sound like a hurricane (but you can't hear that on the NestCam at present).

Astley Moss and Rindle Road

Whimbrel in field

I went out fairly late this afternoon for a look round Rindle Wood and Astley Moss in the hope of seeing the cuckoos which have been reported there this week.  There were no birds at all along the often packed feeding station track as I left the car and approached the Wood.

Whimbrel on the move

The first thing I saw was a pair of Whimbrel in a field and so I spent some time trying to get a decent photograph through the trees along Rindle Hedge - unfortunately the results aren't that great - it was very windy and I couldn't keep the camera completely still without a tripod.

One Pheasant has been alerted by my presence

I also saw a pair of plump Pheasants in the same field who scurried away as soon as they heard me coming and I could hear Willow Warblers in the trees but I couldn't see any here.

And now bith of them have

By now I was at the bottom of Rindle Hedge and so I decided to walk the opposite way round the SSSI trail to my normal anti-clockwise route. The water in the scrapes here was very low and there were quite a few flies about.  There weren't many birds about at all, save for a couple of Carrion Crows above the trees in the distance.

Then, as I approached the newly created raised pools, I heard a Cuckoo call in the distance.  After 10 minutes of looking through my binoculars I couldn't see it and so I carried on up the path where I did see a Reed Bunting and a Yellowhammer in the trees and several other LBJ's flying from the Moss into the trees that border the ploughed field.

A little further down the path the Cuckoos called again, this time for a longer period of time. When I looked though my bins I got a brief glimpse of two grey birds flying over the distant trees on the edge of the Moss - I'm sure these were two Cuckoos because their wings were very pointed - and then they were gone, not to be seen again tonight.

At the far end of the path I met up with Dave Thacker and we had a good chat whilst looking in the newly ploughed field behind Rindle Wood.  There were many different birds here, which I've listed below:

• A single Oystercatcher
• Lapwings
• Skylarks
• Blackbirds
• Mallard
• Mistle Thrushes
• Pied Wagtail
• Many Swallows flying low over the ploughed field catching flies

Before leaving we had a last look for the Cuckoos to no avail, but we did see a couple of Willow Warblers singing their hearts out and silhouetted against the sky as the sun was going down. As we walked back to Rindle Road, we heard a Curlew calling in the distance and then eventually saw it on the ground in the far field next to the new Rindle cottage.

• A single Curlew
• 2 Grey Partridges
• A Marsh Harrier

We had great views of the Marsh Harrier being mobbed by the Curlew and a Lapwing as it looked for nests on the ground.  It had a couple of inner primaries missing from its right wing and Dave now thinks this was a 2nd calendar year male, but I'll have to take his word for that! 

Here's how the story unfolded:

Curlew sees Marsh Harrier

Curlew goes for Marsh Harrier

Curlew hits Marsh Harrier and veers off

Lapwing joins in

Lapwing bides its time

Lapwing goes for it

Marsh Harrier flies off luckily without losing any more feathers

Thanks Dave, I'd have a missed a lot these birds if you hadn't been there tonight. Here are some enhanced pictures of the Marsh Harrier with a bit of artistic license:

NestCam Update

There are 5 eggs in the nest box this morning and we're now wondering how many we're going to get.  Another box I know already has 9 and the average in 8.  It's Will and Kate's big day today, they're going to be watched by millions on TV - the wonders of my little nestcam and the internet!

NestCam Update

There were four eggs this morning at 5:30am when I checked, keeping true to the 'one-a-day' laying schedule so far.  At this time the male bird was calling outside and the female left for a short while before returning to sit on the nest.  While she was doing this the male flew in and out feeding her caterpillar grubs several times as he did last night. Later on she left the box and currently (9:30am) the four eggs are in full view.

Minor Update 1:

Crikey she's been busy this morning! When I last looked at 9:35am the four eggs could be clearly seen - now at 9:54am the nestbox is absolutely full of feathers!

Minor Update 2:

Today's four eggs at 5:19pm this aftermoom - a much clearer picture than the one taken this morning.

 

NestCam Update

This evening for the first time we got a good view of the male Blue Tit feeding the female whilst she was sitting on the eggs.  He would fly away into a nearby willow tree and return with small whitish grubs which are probably caterpillars.

When he got near the nestbox he would make a short call and the female would make an excited reply from the nestbox.  Then he'd fly into the box and pass the grub to her.  This carried on for about ten minutes or so with the male returning every 2 or 3 minutes with another grub for the female.

Pennington Flash

I spent a very pleasant few hours walking round Penny today hoping to add some new birds to my list.  Here's the best of what I saw:

• Black-necked Grebes - excellent views only a few metres away from me at Horrocks Hide
• Common Sandpiper - year tick
• Redshank
• Oystercatcher
• Common Tern
• Little Ringed Plover
• Abberant Lesser Redpoll with yellow poll on forehead

No sign of the Scaup or the Garganey though.

NestCam Update

Three eggs this morning and counting - it seems that one is being laid every night.  The female only returns to the nest a few times during the day when she brings in more feathers and sits on the eggs for while.  She seems to be settling down for the night round 7:30pm and getting her morning alarm call from the male at about 5:45am.

I did a bit of research on the web yesterday and have discovered that Blue Tits lay between 5 and 16 eggs, although 8 seems to be the average.  They take 14 days to hatch and up to 19 days to fledge - we can't wait.

There's also been a Magpie snooping around this morning so I'll have to put my cats on sentry duty - they'll never catch it but they might scare it off.

BTW - we've decided to call them Wills and Kate - how cheesy is that !?!

River Ribble - Marles Wood to Dinckley Hall and Hurst Green

I went for walk along a short stretch of the River Ribble with two work colleagues today and this produced the follwoing birds:

• Female Goosander with seven young in tow
• 2 Dippers near the bridge
• Female Mallard with about ten ducklings
• Two drake Mallards
• Lots of swallows over the fields
• Curlew calling
• Chaffinch and Chiffchaff singing loudly in the woods near Stonyhust College
• Lots of unidentified warblers - still learning the calls
• Grey Heron over the river on the way home

I wrote the original report of these sightings on the Manchester Birding Forum