Up above Allendale the other day, on the back road between the town and Sinderhope had some excellent views of the East Allen valley along with this poser who was much more relaxed now breeding is done.
Went out early this morning to try and re-locate a Quail calling in a field of barley at Bellasis Bridge. No calls heard but plenty of noise from a family of Buzzards begging in the plantation to the west against a background of Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting and Swallow calls. After walking up to the copse and finding a couple of Bullfinch met ADMc on one of his bike rides who had just heard a Quail in a field of barley nearer to Stannington. Perhaps Quail like barley?
As we chatted about birds and the likleyhood of Kingfisher being present, the very same called and flew under the bridge upstream toward where they were still working on the electricity pylons. Two tractors moved up the lane and ADMc's keen eye spotted a Green Sandpiper flushed from the fields which flew toward us, then off west. A splendid start to the day but it doesn't encourage you to return to work!
Having endured the pains of labour and crossed another task off the list was returning home and had an early evening walk down the Carr. I flushed a bird from Holmes muck heap which vanished over the hedge but as I rounded the end of the copse a Kestrel was hovering nearby and I assumed it was the bird that had been hanging round that area for a few days. Two Buzzards squabbled over some food near the woods and after chatting to some youngsters about the number of Kestrels, returned back down the bumpy road. As I passed the muck heap a bird flushed and flew at hedge height down the lane, in a figure of eight round a bush then returned toward me as a couple of Mistle Thrushes were startled up onto the wires from the field. The bird returned past me at head height thirty or so feet away and I got the bins on it....brownish back, squat head, long tail, barred chest, flat regular wing beats ....that's no Kestrel ......it's a juvvy Cuckoo! and so.....
93. Cuckoo
A canny day all said and done and the list goes on
What a good day out. Prestwick Carr is certainly a very rewarding place to visit.
ReplyDeleteYes I love it but a word of caution. Many birders don't as all they see is Crows. As I live on the edge, work from home and hate my job I spend a lot of time there checking virtually every time I leave and return home.
ReplyDeleteIt is very irruptive. Just add water and see what turns up! This morning 31 Mistle Thrush, 8 Snipe, 3 young Buzzards and 3 Kestrel. If you and yours ever plan a visit, drop me a line and if you wish I'll show you the best spots.