I went to West Hartford today in the hope of flushing out a Jack Snipe. A quick look on the bigger pool which had a juv Mute Swan - Patch Tick, a single Shellduck and 20+ Teal.
I started looking at the far end of the marsh next to the road and worked my way inwards. At about half way along I hadn't flushed a single Snipe so I just stood still on the chance that something might move, it did.
I was in the usual Snipe area on the edge of the new marsh pool when a Jack Snipe - Patch Tick, flew from my right and landed a short distance away on the other side of the pool.
I waded my way through and flushed out 7 common Snipe which called as the flew off high in the air unlike the Jack.
Again I stood still and again the Jack took off this time after about a minute and it was only a ft or so away from me.
It flew straight past me and I was able look at it through my bins where I noticed for the first time how small Jack Snipes bill and body in general is compared to a common snipe.
49 - Mute Swan
50 - Jack Snipe
51 - Skylark
Showing posts with label Jack Snipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Snipe. Show all posts
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
R.I.P ''Lazy Kestrel''
Since my main birding aim for this year is to get 120 species on my patch year list, I decided to walk from my house to the windmill on the border of Cramlington, somewhere I don’t check regularly enough.
After calling at my friend’s house we started at the marshy field at East Hartford. 100+ Linnets were flying around as well as two Stonechat, Reed Bunting and 2 Snipe were flushed.
Are aim was to flush the Teal onto the pool at West Hartford and check for Green Winged. A Green Winged Teal could easily hide for weeks at East Hartford and nobody would find it.
We flushed the Teal and after circling the marsh they flew off towards West Hartford.
When we got to West Hartford the Teal hadn’t landed on the pool but in the marshy patch left of the pond.
On the Pool there were 2 Mute Swan, 11 BH Gull, 2 Common Gull and 1 Shellduck- Patch Tick. The Shellduck flew off with the gull flock a while later.
The marshy patch left of the pond is flooded at the best of times and I thought it would be worse after last nights rain and the resent snow but the for some reason today I could walk in even further than normal.
I got to one of the open areas of water where I could hear the Teal calling but they soon flew off back to East Hartford.
There were 50+ Teal and still there could be a Green Winged, but I wasn’t going to chase them all day to find out.
Whilst walking around I flushed 30+ Snipe and 1 Jack Snipe. I didn’t get a long look at the Jack but it was silent when it flew and unlike the others it flew low to the ground and landed quite quickly.
I also noticed that it had bolder yellow stripes on its back in flight but it was to quick to see its beak size.
We found a gap in the hedgerow near the road and were climbing through when I found the body of a juvenile or female Kestrel in the ditch.
At first I thought it was missing its head but I flipped it over and found that it had a broken neck, apart from this it was in good condition.
The last few times I have been to West Hartford I haven’t seen the ‘‘Lazy Kestrel’’, which has been around for months. I can only think that this is the same bird and that it was a road victim.
Every time I saw this Kestrel it was either sleeping or very poorly trying to hunt for food.
We were also going to explore the small ponds and reeds behind the factories but since the last time I was there a private land sign has been put up and we couldn’t be arsed to run away from another Farmer or security guard.
There wasn’t much in the stubble fields around the windmill apart from a few Skylark and Carrion Crows.
In the past I have had Grey Partridge in the fields there and Holywell Birder has had a Red Legged Partridge, a bird I still need on the patch.
Shellduck - 65
Jack Snipe- 66
After calling at my friend’s house we started at the marshy field at East Hartford. 100+ Linnets were flying around as well as two Stonechat, Reed Bunting and 2 Snipe were flushed.
Are aim was to flush the Teal onto the pool at West Hartford and check for Green Winged. A Green Winged Teal could easily hide for weeks at East Hartford and nobody would find it.
We flushed the Teal and after circling the marsh they flew off towards West Hartford.
When we got to West Hartford the Teal hadn’t landed on the pool but in the marshy patch left of the pond.
On the Pool there were 2 Mute Swan, 11 BH Gull, 2 Common Gull and 1 Shellduck- Patch Tick. The Shellduck flew off with the gull flock a while later.
The marshy patch left of the pond is flooded at the best of times and I thought it would be worse after last nights rain and the resent snow but the for some reason today I could walk in even further than normal.
I got to one of the open areas of water where I could hear the Teal calling but they soon flew off back to East Hartford.
There were 50+ Teal and still there could be a Green Winged, but I wasn’t going to chase them all day to find out.
Whilst walking around I flushed 30+ Snipe and 1 Jack Snipe. I didn’t get a long look at the Jack but it was silent when it flew and unlike the others it flew low to the ground and landed quite quickly.
I also noticed that it had bolder yellow stripes on its back in flight but it was to quick to see its beak size.
We found a gap in the hedgerow near the road and were climbing through when I found the body of a juvenile or female Kestrel in the ditch.
At first I thought it was missing its head but I flipped it over and found that it had a broken neck, apart from this it was in good condition.
The last few times I have been to West Hartford I haven’t seen the ‘‘Lazy Kestrel’’, which has been around for months. I can only think that this is the same bird and that it was a road victim.
Every time I saw this Kestrel it was either sleeping or very poorly trying to hunt for food.
We were also going to explore the small ponds and reeds behind the factories but since the last time I was there a private land sign has been put up and we couldn’t be arsed to run away from another Farmer or security guard.
There wasn’t much in the stubble fields around the windmill apart from a few Skylark and Carrion Crows.
In the past I have had Grey Partridge in the fields there and Holywell Birder has had a Red Legged Partridge, a bird I still need on the patch.
Shellduck - 65
Jack Snipe- 66
Saturday, 20 December 2008
4 Hours, 3 County Ticks, 2 New Sites and 1 Lifer.
Out again with Steve holliday this afternoon in the south of the county for a change.
First stop, Dinnington in search of Little Owl. We searched the Owl's usual tree but no sign, so we checked the trees to the right and there a few feet off the ground was a Little owl half asleep against the tree trunk, to far away for a photo of one of my favourite birds- New County tick.
We then went to Havannah Nature Reserve, somewhere I have never been. I didn't know what to expect and was suprised to see a slightly different reserve perfect for Snipe and wintering duck.
A Green Woodpecker flew across from the field behind the first small pond we came to- County tick.
We checked the big pond and flushed two Mallard and a Fox which ran around the pond in and out of the reeds. Only one common Snipe flew overhead as did 500+ Woodpigeon. Blue tit, Long Tailed tit, Reed Bunting and a Goldcrest were also in the trees.
We then noticed 9 Birds on the tree tops a couple of hundred yards away which were 3 bright red male and 6 duller green female Crossbill - Lifer, which stayed for about five minutes before flying east.
A good half an hour at a site which I will definetly visit again.
Next we went to Prestwick Carr (another new site for me) where after walking around most of the site in an hour, saw 2 buzzard and flush a jack Snipe, they were the highlights.
We stayed until sun set but no sign of any Hen Harriers.
We might be heading up the cost in the afternoon tommorrow, weather permitted.
First stop, Dinnington in search of Little Owl. We searched the Owl's usual tree but no sign, so we checked the trees to the right and there a few feet off the ground was a Little owl half asleep against the tree trunk, to far away for a photo of one of my favourite birds- New County tick.
We then went to Havannah Nature Reserve, somewhere I have never been. I didn't know what to expect and was suprised to see a slightly different reserve perfect for Snipe and wintering duck.
A Green Woodpecker flew across from the field behind the first small pond we came to- County tick.
We checked the big pond and flushed two Mallard and a Fox which ran around the pond in and out of the reeds. Only one common Snipe flew overhead as did 500+ Woodpigeon. Blue tit, Long Tailed tit, Reed Bunting and a Goldcrest were also in the trees.
We then noticed 9 Birds on the tree tops a couple of hundred yards away which were 3 bright red male and 6 duller green female Crossbill - Lifer, which stayed for about five minutes before flying east.
A good half an hour at a site which I will definetly visit again.
Next we went to Prestwick Carr (another new site for me) where after walking around most of the site in an hour, saw 2 buzzard and flush a jack Snipe, they were the highlights.
We stayed until sun set but no sign of any Hen Harriers.
We might be heading up the cost in the afternoon tommorrow, weather permitted.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
West Hartford patch tick
I had a quick half an hour trip to West Hartford today betwen 2;00 and 2;30 on the off chance that yesterdays Snow goose had decided to return overnight.
I decided to go through the business park entrance today rather than the marsh field way. A female Kestrel was resting on top of a lampost near the entrance before it went hunting over the roadside.
As I came to the end of the road where the permanent rubbish pile is I saw 8 Fieldfare feeding on the ground and in the trees near the metal fence area.
I could see there were no geese on the pool and only a few Herring Gull so I came back. Since the snow has melted at West Hartford the ground is soggier than ever and more plants are starting to grow from the puddles.
I was watching a wren on top of the reeds in one of these newly formed mini snow melt pools when I moved forward and flushed a Jack Snipe (Lifer)!
It ran out from the reeds on to the grass for a few seconds before it gave a snipe like call and flew off over the pool and out of sight.
When I first saw it I thought that it was another fieldfare because of its bold dark brown patterns on its back and sides. I wasn't sure whether it was a common snipe at first but the colours were darker, it was smaller, the call wasn't as loud, the beak was shorter and it's flight was straight rather than in a zig zag shape.
No sign of the Snow Goose or a short eared Owl but never then less a good patch tick.
On my way back a group of nine Greylag Geese flew north, I wonder if it's the same group that was with the snow Goose which is at Holywell Pond?
I decided to go through the business park entrance today rather than the marsh field way. A female Kestrel was resting on top of a lampost near the entrance before it went hunting over the roadside.
As I came to the end of the road where the permanent rubbish pile is I saw 8 Fieldfare feeding on the ground and in the trees near the metal fence area.
I could see there were no geese on the pool and only a few Herring Gull so I came back. Since the snow has melted at West Hartford the ground is soggier than ever and more plants are starting to grow from the puddles.
I was watching a wren on top of the reeds in one of these newly formed mini snow melt pools when I moved forward and flushed a Jack Snipe (Lifer)!
It ran out from the reeds on to the grass for a few seconds before it gave a snipe like call and flew off over the pool and out of sight.
When I first saw it I thought that it was another fieldfare because of its bold dark brown patterns on its back and sides. I wasn't sure whether it was a common snipe at first but the colours were darker, it was smaller, the call wasn't as loud, the beak was shorter and it's flight was straight rather than in a zig zag shape.
No sign of the Snow Goose or a short eared Owl but never then less a good patch tick.
On my way back a group of nine Greylag Geese flew north, I wonder if it's the same group that was with the snow Goose which is at Holywell Pond?
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