Birding
22-Feb-2009
There was no report made on the last Sunday in February, (22nd Feb.) but certainly one thing stood out and that was the song thrush fall, whose full song echoed from every corner of the Kromslootpark. Being one of my favourite bird sounds I was enthralled at the variation, the sharpness of tone cutting through the morning chill. Who would stay and who would travel further northwards, there is surely not enough space for all of them. Then again the fertile soil that is the polders, has treasures untold, and the bird density in the “park” is tremendous.
Naturally great and blue and long tailed tits did abound as usual, though they had to work hard to make themselves heard. The grey lag geese and the meadow pipits remained a fixture of the plain nearest the car park. The jays continued their dance along the path before me, leading me on as if to a wonderful discovery, then dodging away laughing as if to say, only fooling!
Posts tonen met het label birds. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label birds. Alle posts tonen
zondag 15 maart 2009
zondag 1 februari 2009
Birding 1/Feb/2009
Birding
1/Feb/2009
Location: Kromslootpark, Almere.
Time: 08.30-09.45h
Freezing conditions, most water frozen, little bits not frozen in some sheltered positions. No ducks, coots, moorhens, geese, rails, herons, swans, divers, dabchicks to be seen.
Tits were the main fare of the day, with many active / singing great tits, blue tits, 2 groups of long tailed tits particularly vocal in the old reed beds, whilst the group spotted in the trees remained somewhat silent being as they were, more intent on feeding. 1 Marsh (glanskopmees) or Willow (Matkopmees) tit, the one that makes the 4 single notes in a row. Vogelwerkgroep Meijendel recording has the Willow tit recorded as making 3 single notes, however I have heard the same note except 4 times in a row. Still a bone of contention for me. One pair of Dunnocks (hedge sparrows) giving what was a somewhat off-putting alarm call, but on close visual inspection the identification of Dunnock was indisputable.
Several blackbirds, several jays, 3 pairs of carrion crows, 1 or 2 common starlings who were in the company of a small flock, (maybe 20) of Meadow tit like birds, but more the size of a rock pipit, very wary, eschewing my proximity, and without the aid of binoculars, I was unable to decipher any unique features, except to say that the underside of the tail was completely dark brown, and easy to spot as the birds did a half turn in the air as they alighted from the wide open ground where they were grazing. Question for Wim Calame. Is this some strange artic bunting??
Always nice to see and hear are the goldfinches several of which were heard in the distance and also pair very close by, glinting in the morning sun. Wrens were conspicuous by their absence.
1/Feb/2009
Location: Kromslootpark, Almere.
Time: 08.30-09.45h
Freezing conditions, most water frozen, little bits not frozen in some sheltered positions. No ducks, coots, moorhens, geese, rails, herons, swans, divers, dabchicks to be seen.
Tits were the main fare of the day, with many active / singing great tits, blue tits, 2 groups of long tailed tits particularly vocal in the old reed beds, whilst the group spotted in the trees remained somewhat silent being as they were, more intent on feeding. 1 Marsh (glanskopmees) or Willow (Matkopmees) tit, the one that makes the 4 single notes in a row. Vogelwerkgroep Meijendel recording has the Willow tit recorded as making 3 single notes, however I have heard the same note except 4 times in a row. Still a bone of contention for me. One pair of Dunnocks (hedge sparrows) giving what was a somewhat off-putting alarm call, but on close visual inspection the identification of Dunnock was indisputable.
Several blackbirds, several jays, 3 pairs of carrion crows, 1 or 2 common starlings who were in the company of a small flock, (maybe 20) of Meadow tit like birds, but more the size of a rock pipit, very wary, eschewing my proximity, and without the aid of binoculars, I was unable to decipher any unique features, except to say that the underside of the tail was completely dark brown, and easy to spot as the birds did a half turn in the air as they alighted from the wide open ground where they were grazing. Question for Wim Calame. Is this some strange artic bunting??
Always nice to see and hear are the goldfinches several of which were heard in the distance and also pair very close by, glinting in the morning sun. Wrens were conspicuous by their absence.
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