Sunday 10 January 2010

I managed to get out for a couple of hours with Trevor today. I was feeling a little sad at not having seen the Goldcrest or Firecrest in the garden for 2 days, and wondering if the cold weather had taken them from us and my mood wasn’t helped by the sight of a dead Robin below a tree just after we arrived at Par Beach Pool. It had not been dead long and there were no signs of injuries. In fact it looked in good health really and as I checked it over part of me wondered, if I picked it up and kept it warm maybe it would come back to life, but it was obviously gone. The worst part of it was that there was another Robin perched low in the tree on a branch just above the dead Robin. I had heard it’s alarm call as we had approached (maybe, trying to tell the dead bird there was danger heading their way), but now it was, sort of singing. It wasn’t singing that territorial confident way though; it was that quiet mournful twitter that they sometimes do and it just made me feel so sad. Trevor went to get some food from the car and placed it in front of the Robin in the tree. I would have moved the dead bird normally, but as this other Robin was there I felt it best not to interfere. I just hope he/she realized time was ticking on and it would be better for it to be feeding up all day so that it didn’t end up going the same way.

We also went to Menabilly, which was busy with hundreds of finches, Lapwing, Redwing, Fieldfare and birds of prey. I saw a Buzzard on a telegraph pole and got a shot on the camera, but it was doing a poo in the shot, so I decided not to use it! Maybe I shall put it up later on. Also saw a Kestrel, which caused a commotion in the trees, and then as I was standing on the car park/field watching all the flocks of finches (mainly Chaffinch) I heard a commotion of birds and turned around to see a Sparrowhawk crash into the top of a bush and swipe a small bird, as all the other birds fled in every direction. It all happened so quickly and it was gone with it’s prey in a flash. This part of nature I can deal with (although it’s not nice).

After we returned home quite early I couldn’t settle so I begged Trevor to take me to Porthpean. By the time we got there it was getting late and starting to snow quite heavily, but I managed to end the day on a higher note. We saw more Lapwing feeding among the Redwing on the grass and also had a life tick (Black-Throated Diver) – I just hope I ID’d it correctly!

The day list was 44.


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18 comments:

  1. Sad seeing the brave little mite dead. much consolation to be had from the rest of your day though.

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  2. Great post and lovely photographs Angie it is reassuring to see you back on form! I wish you and Trevor a happy new year and good health. Mike

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  3. Poor Robin!
    Great shots, good to see that your out and about again.
    Well done on the BT Diver

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  4. Great Images, i really like the mistle thrush.
    The birds are really suffering with this Arctic weather.
    Sam

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  5. That's really sad about the Robin Angie. Very tough for the birds at the moment. I always feel better in the morning when I see the regulars make an appearance in the garden.
    The pictures; excellent. Especially like that Godwit. Bar Tailed? I'm not 100% certain.
    Bar-headed Goose and Song Thrush are beauties too.

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  6. Hello Angie nice to see you have been out and about this very cold weather is taking its toll on the birds Julie and I have never seen so many birds in our garden and it is a job to keep the feeders topped up, thank you for sharing you nice photo's with us all.
    All our best Julie and Keith

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  7. Lovely Images Angie,what a sad story.
    Poor Robin.

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  8. Horrible Weather for them .. lets hope it clears up for them soon. Excellent post and photo's as usual

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  9. Sadly these things are happening at the moment Angie, I looked out of the upstairs computer room yeaterday morning and there was a Song Thrush in next door neighbours garden that was not looking at all healthy. By the time I got downstairs it had disappeared into the bushes and I could not locate it again. Anyway nice post with lovely photo's.

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  10. Thanks Adrian.
    Thanks Mike - Happy New Year.
    Thanks Ash, Sam & Lisa.
    Thanks Keith - I thought it was a Blackwit at first. Trevor asked me and I studied it - I couldn't decide and he has now concluded (with assistance) that it is a Barwit!
    Thanks Julie & Keith.
    Thanks John & Sue - Happy New Year.
    Thanks Mark - it is a difficult time for them.
    Thank you Monty. It is sad to see them suffer and they work so hard to survive.
    THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS - KEEP FEEDING THEM everyone!

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  11. What a good day of birding - loved the shot of the lapwing. The bar-headed - is it feral, part of a feral population that has gone wild, or a true wild bird that somehow found its way from C.Asia? We had one in our neighborhood last spring - almost certainly an escapee - since putting together a scenario of how it could have gotten to VT involved lots of convolution.

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  12. Sad news Angie, but regretfully he may not be the last. Super pics of all the species.
    Slight thaw here so numbers visiting has fallen a bit but the feeders are FULL. FAB.

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  13. Hi angie, I just realized that my comments are not getting posted - perhaps because I did not specify a google account. I hope this time it does. Anyway, love the photo of the lapwing. And I'm wondering if the Bar-headed is an escapee, feral gone wild, or a stray. We had one in my neighborhood, probably an escapee, since getting it to VT from anyplace that it naturally lives took very improbable scenarios.

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  14. Angie, Just discovered that my comments are not being posted. So this is just an attempt to try again. Hope it goes through

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  15. Hi Angie,
    it looks like it has been a great day for you... 44 species, I dream about that. I've only reached 30 since the beginning of the year!!! Well done on the pictures, they are really great. I love the lapwing and the bar-headed goose a lot!

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  16. Hi Chris P. Thank you for your comments. The Bar Headed must be an escapee. As we discussed before it has been seen here for three years on the run. It seems to like hanging out with the Canada Geese and although they are not sure of it they seem happy to tolerate it's presence.
    Frank - thank you . It is thawing here too tonight. I have just stocked the feeders and its time for bed!
    Hi Chris. Yes, it was a good day. Thanks. All the best.

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  17. Lovely photos, sad about the robin however natural it is I'd probably have cried if I'd been there.

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  18. I know how you feel Michelle. Thank you.

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