May 22, 2005
A taste of southern reedbeds
(NB - for those looking for the Little Auk / Gyr Falcon image - click here)
The south-easterlies seemed to have fallen by the wayside, as today was to be taken up by two activities of paramount importance; plastering the newly lined walls in the conservatory, and watching the FA cup final. Early on, I had to pop down the road to collect our portable CD player so I'd have music to work to, so took the opportunity to drive the heligoland and see what I could find - and was well-pleased to find a Grasshopper Warbler skulking through the rhubarb. Always a quality bird. It shot straight to the ramp in front of the trapping box, so I went to pull the cord that operates the trap, and watched the bird vanish before my eyes. Sadly not into the trap - it had found a minute crack in the wood and somehow insinuated it's mousy self through it to freedom in the rhubarbs outside the heligoland.
Still, even if I couldn't catch it for B to ring, it was a good bird to find and see at close quarters. And I got back home feeling pretty pleased with myself. The FA cup interrupted the plastering, and Arsenal's inexplicable lack of form against Utd kept me riveted as the otherwise completely useless Lemon pulled off a series of top drawer saves to keep us in the game. By the end of extra time I had the sick feeling that we'd weathered a storm only to go out on penalties. After all, my experiences of penalty shoot-outs is pretty lamentable. But a good omen was about to hove into view...
P called from the kitchen to come and see a bird outside. She sounded fairly urgent, so I dashed through. Something was being mobbed below the road, and whilst I couldn't see the cause of the agitation, the effect was plain to see - a swirling mass of Starlings and Hooded Crows doing their nut by the Roadside croft. I panicked - where were my bins? In the car. Car keys? Oh shit... P remained calm, and pointed out her bins were on the back seat of her car, so I sprinted outside, collected them and ran down the drive. A large brown raptor briefly appeared over the near horizon before dropping down out of sight, far too quickly to see it except with the naked eye, and leaving the impression of a pale head. Osprey? It then came back, this time stalling over some rosa rugosa bushes, and letting me clap bins on it - a Marsh Harrier. I had a feeling this was quite a good bird for the island, so legged it back inside to phone JL.
B arrived shortly afterwards, having also seen it. JL's arrival was slightly delayed, and despite searching extensively he hadn't refound it by dusk. P and I walked over the moor and round the golf course in a bid to relocate it for him, but nothing doing; lots of migrants though, especially hirundines; over a dozen House Martin, half a dozen Swallow, and 2 Swifts.
Checking the books, the harrier was only the 2nd for the island, so not bad going at all. A nice start to the spring for me. But not a BB...
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Come back soon!
Posted by Stercorarius at May 22, 2005 12:13 AM