I was at the Conwy RSPB bird reserve last week, and because it was low tide I went for a walk along the estuary towards the Telford Bridge. Along the way I saw about 50 curlew resting in the salt marsh and then about the same number of oystercatchers resting on a high sand bank. A few minutes later I noticed that the tide was turning and from the north (the mouth of the estuary), I saw a flock of oystercatchers flying south and landing on the sandbank with the original oystercatchers. Then another and another flock of oystercatchers appeared (reminescent of skeins of geese) and landed in the same place. For about ten minutes flocks kept arriving, differing in size from four or five to upwards of 30 birds. Then it stopped. I am assuming that these birds were feeding on the tide line and that the incoming tide displaced them and so rather than keep being displaced by the moving tide, they decided to fly to a fairly high sandbank up stream. Is this a valid assumption? Anyhow these oystercatchers rested for about thirty minutes before flying in groups towards the bird reserve, as the incoming tide covered the sandbank. It was really enjoyable seeing these birds and their behaviour and I was so lucky to be in the right place just as the tide turned.
Hello Applepud - I don't know much about the behaviour of Oystercatchers so I did a search on the web. I came up with an interesting article which said that they feed in the inter-tidal zone where molluscs are present. It's quite an intersting article which you can get by putting psychology,exeter.ac.uk/lundy/oystercatchers.htm onto your website browser.
Bob.
Am I in the right place now? I put something in early in Nov but when I looked for it I could not find it. I have just been on your Bird Group website again and I suddenly realised what I had done last time. I had clicked on blue words which said "Robins and Chats". Having looked at the article I tried to understand Forum. I thoght I could see how to "post" but could not see how I would reply. That is why I asked the question "how do I reply to postings".
I thought I had done it wrong but I have now seen a reply from Gruffalump. It dawned on me that I had used Forum in a website called Forum, Features and Fotos. So I looked at the other website again - the one called WG Bidwatching Group - where I found another Forum. It's all rather confusing. I will try another posting in the thing called Your Interests.
Hope you get this, Poppy.
Yes you did reach the right place. I'm sorry you were confused by the presence of a Forum module in both websites. You could actually use either. I hope you found the feature about Robins and Chats interesting. Did you have any questions - if so please post them in Your Interests and I will make sure you get a reply. Bob - Website Administrator.
Yes - posting still OK.
In the last few weeks I have seen snipe at several locations including the new Burton Marshes reserve. I assume that when the snipe are resting, then their heart rate decreases. Does anybody know if this assumption is right?. If this assumption is correct, then a lowered heart rate results in a lower circulation rate - so how does the bird keep its extremities (not sure this is the correct spelling) warm? This question arises as I end up with cold feet in the cold weather and yet I wear socks and shoes and do not stand bare foot in cold water as snipe seem to do for long time periods. I know that birds have a countercurrent circulation system in their lower limbs, which helps them keep warm, but with a lower circulation rate and cold outside temperatures, their feet must be cold. Are birds feet less ennervated than humans so that they don't 'feel cold'? Also is it true that waders stand on one leg so that the other leg can get warm or is it to rest a leg?
Reading the above it does seem a bit rambly but I would like to know why wading birds do not get frostbite in their feet. Can anybody suggest a good book on the topic?
Your guest Judy asks an interesting question (6th Feb) which I saw recently in your Forum. It would seem obvious that any animal at rest would have a lowered heart rate and that this would imply a lower circulation rate.
As she rightly says some birds have a counter-current circulation system in their legs which helps to keep them warm. I saw an article by someone associated with Cornell University, New York which talked about this. The warm blood from the body flows next to the cooler blood leaving the feet, so that cooler blood gets heated up before re-entering the body. This prevents more heat from being lost to the cold air then is necessary.
Judy’s point is that the lower circulation rate would tend to counteract the beneficial effects of the counter-current blood flow. She asks are birds feet less enervated than humans so that they don't 'feel cold? I don’t know whether this is true but perhaps the scales on the birds feet are less susceptible to frost damage than human flesh.
Otherwise I can only agree - Can anybody suggest a good book on the topic?
WINTER GARDEN BIRDS 2012
This past week as a result of the extra cold and wintery weather I have seen a greater number and variety of birds in the garden than in all the previous months. This cold spell in winter always produces extra numbers and varieties but for some reason this year, maybe I have been looking harder, I have seen more than before.
There has been the usual influx of thrush species, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Red wings, Fieldfares. The Blackbird numbers have been creeping up, with a maximum of 13, and then the Redwings have been about for some weeks, they have been demolishing the berries on the holly. However, with the snow came a rush of them one day with a flock of 7 eating the apples I collect in Autumn then put out in the depths of winter. This was quickly followed by a lone Fieldfare then another 5, who squabbled over the apples then finally munched them all to extinction. The Fieldfares hung around for eating them at a fantastic rate, with half a dozen going out each day.
One day a male Blackcap arrived eating the fat and peanuts that I put out. A couple of days later he was replaced by a very aggressive female Blackcap, who drove off all the other birds and ate the fat and peanuts whenever she had time. Then one day I looked out at the Niger seed and thought ’Strange looking Goldfinches!’ A closer examination showed they were two Redpolls, which apart from a single one last year, I had not seen for years. A few days later I noticed an extraordinarily bright one, with a pink head and a mass of bright pink on its chest, this was a total delight.
The one species I have not seen this year has been Siskin, I have seen it locally but not in the garden, there is still time for it, as I have seen it up until March, if the weather is cold enough. The other bird I have not seen for a number of years has been the Brambling, there are always plenty of Chaffinches and sometimes in late winter a Brambling turns up.As for other birds, there are regular Bluetits, Great tits, Coal tits and Long-tailed tits, also Wren, Robin and Dunnock. Goldfinch numbers seem to go up most years, though Greenfinches are still scarce, and always Chaffinches and Bullfinches.
There have been plenty of Wood- pigeons, Black-headed Gulls and members of the Crow family. A Great- spotted Woodpecker was a regular visitor to the fat every day last year, this year my neighbour seems to be getting it instead. There are, also the oddities, like the pair of Mallards who turn up every Spring, in the pond for a bit, then decide they don’t like the disturbance of my daily inspections round the garden and thankfully wander off to nest elsewhere.
It won’t be long before the first Willow Warbler is heard singing in the garden, things are already starting to move, with the Hellebores and Snowdrops flowering. Then Winter will be over, Spring has arrived and the whole thing starts again.
Liz.
Just a short email to say thankyou very much for a super weekend in Somerset. We think your choice of hotel was first class and please pass on our thanks to Brian and any others who helped take us to new birding locations for us. We certainly will think about going back possibly with the Macclesfield Group.
Regards - Ian & Lydia
Jean and I wish to personally express our gratitude for all the hard work that you must have put in to ensure another successful WGBG Weekend Away. The choice of hotel was excellent and everything went like clockwork throughout. It is always interesting to visit new sites and it was obvious that Brian had done his homework by the number of less common bird species we saw.
Please pass on our thanks also to Judith. Unfortunately, I do not have her E-mail address to enable me to communicate directly.
Thanks again - Ray & Jean
Hi Bob, This is something I saw this morning and I am very curious to know why it happened. Can you put it on the Forum, please?
This morning about 11.30 am I went outside to the drive and a neighbour pointed out the Buzzards circling in the sky. We often have Buzzards flying over, we are just off Stanneylands Road, near to open countryside and Styal. However, on this occasion there were 7 or 8 Buzzards circling around, overhead. They eventually flew off but why were there so many, usually we get one or two? Was it one or two family parties or were there a lot moving back into the area after winter? Can anyone explain?
Rookeries again
First of all I must correct my original entry. The two rookeries on the M6 are just a few miles apart. One is at Sandbach services, which is enormous and is on both sides of the motorway, but mainly on the northward side. Travelling past it is difficult to estimate the number of nests, but it must be upwards of 50. The other rookery is north of Sandbach services and occupies a few trees, parallel to the carriageway, and has about 20 nests.
On my travels along the M56 from Altrincham to the Chester by pass, I noticed one rookery just after the Frodsham turn off. It occupied about three trees- but I didn't have time to count the number of nests (Try driving more slowly next time!!)
Thanks Bob for your interest