Today we headed out to RSPB Mersehead, to see the geese that flock there on migration and stay the winter. It's been a mild winter so far this year, and most birders are noticing that the migratory birds just haven't been arriving yet, specifically the geese and swans. Anyone watching BBC's Autumnwatch will know what I mean, poor Chris has been predicting the migration wrong for the last 4 weeks or so, and the truth is that this mild weather isn't helping.
With that in mind, as we drove along the track to the car park, my mum remarked that the last two times they had visited there had been huge flocks of geese in the field by the track. There were about 30 Barnacle Geese taking a keen interest in the grass, and that was all. My heart did sink a little, I will admit, because one of the main reasons I agreed to come on holiday with my parents was because it was going to be a purely birding holiday.
As we arrived so did a few more geese, but nothing like the numbers my parents had been describing. We bumped into one of the reserve volunteers, had a bit of a chat and discovered they had about four thousand geese on the reserve, which sounded pretty impressive till he added that they usually get about fourteen thousand. Great, I thought, today is going to be a total let down for geese, time to get the camera out and make the most of whatever else might be around.
We headed off up the trail to the first hide, and there were little birds flitting around everywhere! Coal Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, House Sparrows, Robins, Blackbirds, Chaffinches and to top it off, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer. Today is only the second time in my life I have seen a Yellowhammer, the first being at WDCS Spey Bay, Scotland. So for me it was well worth the trip and I got some photographs of birds I'd not photographed yet. When we reached the hide we were greeted by Pintail, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Greylag Geese, lapwings and a Mute Swan cygnet. Plenty to look at, then there was a commotion and suddenly there were hundreds of Barnacle Geese flying past. Not quite the spectacle I was hoping for, but it was impressive nonetheless.
Then, as we were walking back to the centre, another commotion and nigh on two thousand geese took to the sky. THAT was impressive, and I got to see what I wanted. Thinking that was the end of impressive displays, we popped into the centre for coffee, and discovered two Tree Sparrows on the feeders, whilst chatting to a few of the staff. I managed to pick up six new pin badges too which helps the RSPB no end. As we were leaving, we were discussing the Starlings that roost there, and how big the flock is compared to others, when a flock of roughly fifty small birds appeared on the wire behind the volunteer's head. They were Twite, a flock of about fifty Twite, and the best bit was that I got to identify them because he had no idea what they were. A very accomplished day in the end, and I am going to sleep like a log tonight.
Tomorrow: Red is the colour.
No comments:
Post a Comment