Patch gold redwings

Brief update as we move into February with increasing daylight and rising temperatures. Redwings featured well this year so far. They have been in and around the garden, one actually sat in my hawthorn tree recently but two appeared at WOW this week - perched above the buzzard in the buzzard tree. Checking back revealed that they were the first redwings I have ever seen at WOW in over 20 years of visiting the site. We also had song thrush and mistle thrush on the same day but so far I have not yet recorded blackbird in 2020 - isn't birding wonderful!! I also added a sparrowhawk to the WOW list as it flew over harassed by a hooded crow. The species list hit 37 for the morning which is a good number for  three hours on the site. With a bit of diligence and a walk to Hide 2 I would have hit 40 fairly easily. The following photographs were taken recently around the observation room and the feeders.

Reed bunting

Mrs Shoveler

Mr Shoveler

Buzzard enjoying lunch, no idea what bird it was!!

WOW always gives you a nice teal

The following photo explains why my seed feeder was being emptied on a daily basis. The rook was sitting on a nearby branch happily munching sunflower seeds. A bit of pruning with the saw removed his perch so hopefully he will have a bit of a challenge in future. Now all I have to do is remove the cat which hides in the shrubbery looking for a meal. I think a mega super-soaker is called for!!

2020
93: Tree sparrow 
94: Sparrowhawk

 
Bangor West

47: Blackcap

48: Brent goose

Belfast WOW
58: Redwing

59: Sparrowhawk

60: Mistle thrush

Morelli time

Those of you familiar with Morellis of Portstewart will know all about the legendary "99", a vanilla cone with a chocolate flake. You may also know that the founder of the company passed away at the age of 99, an apt and fitting time to go. If you have been following this blog you will know that I am marooned on 99 at Belfast WOW/Kinegar with only 12 days to go. Last week I went in to help with a school only to be told by the other two helpers that long-tailed tits were around the building. You guessed it they vanished. (The reserve was completely iced over so the pupils struggled to see many birds.) The white wagtail was a pied wagtail and the shags are all cormorants!! Anyway enough of my complaints I still have two visits to WOW in 2017. Light recently has not been good so pictures are limited and I have not been anywhere else as I try to shake off the cold. I cannot remember the last time I walked the coastal path either - too busy in the run up to Christmas. Anyway here are a few pics taken since November 20th.

Still moorhen central

Birds, what birds?

Photogenic teal

You can barely see the Stena Terminal............

............ never mind Rathcoole Flats

There they are!!

Wigeon close in

Buzzard lunching on a shoveler

Shoveler keeping its head down

Close in male, usually they are further away.

Teal pair looking for millet

Will hopefully see something and push the totals up, last sighting at WOW was in October while the coastal path delivered in late September, so no change to the totals.

2017

212: Short-toed treecreeper

 

Bangor West  
67: Greylag
 
Belfast WOW

99: Razorbill