Distant Sparrowhawk mobbed by Mipits
A poor year for Grouse again.
Meadow Pipit taking a dip.
White Wagtail , alba
1 of 17 Wheatear
alba
Reflections, The Nab. Still waters.
- A very annoying hot and sticky day with no breeze at all first thing then an ultra light SE>1-2 at 20 degrees rising to 25 late afternoon. Early morning mist in the valleys.
- With the high temperature and lack of breeze the flying ants and midges were out in force attracting a hoard of passerines down around the shoreline with at least 17 Wheatear,
- 9 Pied Wagtails plus 1 alba, white, and several Meadow Pipits.
- A steady vis mig morning with all the movement taking place over the ridge to the east of me and being picked up by the Oxenhope lads, Hawkeye Creber (HC) and Supersonic hearing (DCB). See their Trek report.
- Driving back up the track late morning several Mipits were mobbing a bird on a fence post and as I got closer , what a shock to see a Wryneck, which unfortunately, as soon as I stopped the car it was away , low over the gate and between the wind turbines keeping low heading >E towards Ogden.
- Question is, could this be the Wainstalls bird or have we had 3 in the area. I think the Oxenhope bird was a high flyer so that would have been a separate bird.
- Looking back at the area it was in, the bank below the post it was on was identical to the Wainstalls area with a high soil vertical banking and several ants present.
- VISIBLE MIGRATION
- 398 Mipits.....................>S
- 7 Alba Wagtails............>SW
- 9 Pied Wagtails...........blogging
- 1 White Wagtail..........blogging
- 12 Magpie..................>W unusual for here.
- 6 Herring gull............>SW
- 1 Wryneck.................>E
- 17 Wheatear..............blogging
- PRESENT
- 1 Sparrowhawk
- 6 Red Grouse
- 21 Canada geese
- 8 Mallard
- BS
