Ton up at WOW

Surprisingly last week bird number 100 on the WOW patch  was a kestrel which flew over and away. I have seen kestrel there but not for some time although one was spotted in the autumn by one of the regulars over the waste ground to the east. This was one of 29 species including all the regulars plus buzzard, redpoll, snipe and a male pochard. Water levels continue to rise and there has been more rain this week. We are down to two Koniks and they are on their last hurrah as they are to be replaced by Dexter cattle next autumn.

The millet is pulling birds up to the window and one of the eight snipe we saw came over and gave excellent views to a visiting bird group.

Teal

Matching teal

Snipe

Sod's law, best snipe shot photo-bombed by a moorhen.

Common snipe, note central cream stripe on head

Wigeon

Spring shot of Koniks for old times sake.

Heading off to Bolton for a week and hopefully nuthatch and water rail providing I get a morning at Pennington Flash. Should get a post towards the end of the year with summaries and totals. Happy Christmas.  🎅 🎄 🎅

2018  
157: Twite

Bangor West
71: Curlew

Belfast WOW
100: Kestrel

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