Evenin viewers ....
I hope that everyone has had a good day today ?
Here are today's goodies from Old Moor ..
There was a weasel spotted near to the Farmhouse which was a good start for someone's visit !
There were 2 green sandpipers reported but of no fixed abode ... Possibly the Field Pool ?
The Cetti's warbler was reported again .. This has been a very obliging bird, in that, quite a few people have managed to get pretty good views of it ... Even to the point of photographs apparently !
The kingfisher was again seen near to the Wildlife Pools .. This too is becoming quite a regular thing .. Very nice !
Over on the Mere were 24 white-fronted geese (we lost 3 !) and a sparrowhawk ..
A redshank was on the Wader Scrape along with a red-legged partridge and 10 grey partridges .. Partridgefest !!
Last of all was a mixed flock of lesser redpolls and goldfinches which were seen flitting around near to the Bird garden ..
There .. All done !!
I feel another 'Did You Know ?' coming on ..
In fact ,, here it is now !
White-fronted geese ..
Did you know ?? .. Two races visit the UK in winter - birds that breed in Greenland and birds that breed in Siberia. The Greenland birds have orange bills whereas the Siberian ones have more 'pinky' bills .. The Greenland White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons flavirostris, breeds in west Greenland, and migrates via Iceland to winter in Ireland and Britain. Crossing the 2700m high Greenland ice cap is an astonishing feat of endurance for a large bird ! .. After wintering in the UK they leave to return to their breeding grounds .. En route to Greenland they fatten up for three weeks in Iceland as there are no feeding opportunities over the ice cap.
It's good to have a little background knowledge so that the next time you see one of these birds, you can marvel at how much they have had to go through just to be here with us ..
Respect to geese !!!
Night chaps ...
Bert xxx