Migration Watch/Bird Movement Report 2006

Another subjective and again hopefully informative (if not wholly Scientific) view of Bird Migration from the Eastern edge of the Reserve.

15/04/06 Visit 1 Enjoy thy April now whilst it doth freely shine

Fear not you regular readers of our yearly bird movement watches! Autumn did not begin in April, although the temperatures seemed to suggest that Spring was furthest from Mother Nature’s mind, no we had simply decided that a couple of Spring watches might not come amiss hopefully adding spice to our usual Autumnal observations!

Butchersfield Tip was, as ever, our vantage point with our orientation being the only difference at this time of the year i.e. we set our bivouac facing South in order to note the incoming birds and reassuringly we noted our first north bound Swallow at 0719.

The arrival of our first Swallow almost caused a major hiccup in our ‘victual ritual’ as the excitement of seeing this welcome summer visitor nearly caused me to drop my still warm wedge of Spanish Omelette! Fortunately Dave Bowman (our quartermaster) soon settled my nerves enabling me to carry out both the recording and consuming with a steady hand.

The song of Willow Warblers filled both the air and the souls of us three watchers as we gazed out across sunlit fields and over our groups Chairman’s Mecca---Lymm Golf Course! This backdrop of sound didn’t detract us from the calls of over flying birds but simply added a tingle of joy to our ‘mature’ frames. 

Winter still cast it’s shadow when we noted both Fieldfare and Brambling as they raced away from our shores and no doubt into the lives of continental birdwatchers who no doubt have craved for their welcome return to their shores.

The gaps left by the winter visitors were soon filled when both Sand Martin and House Martin flew onto our list followed swiftly by an obliging Wheatear, which simply dropped out of the sky and onto the slope below our observation point. This latter bird then joined our team and hung around the area for an hour or so before it powered on north to be noted, no doubt, by some eager birdwatcher up in them there hills!

Our resident Scott of the Antarctic expert, Les, soon turned the conversation around to his hero before he himself went on a walkabout returning within the hour after claiming the tip for King and Empire!

Dave and I needless to say simply kept up the observations whilst ‘washing’ them down with oodles of Tea and Coffee.

The breeze still swept in from the south adding some warmth to the proceedings whilst our hearts were warmed by the obvious signs of an unstoppable spring passage of birds.

We were also treated to displaying Raven, Sparrowhawk and Lapwing as these birds confirmed the season to our grateful gaze.

The bird highway that lay beneath us i.e. the Ship Canal gave up two Common Terns to Les’s sharp eye, as they powered west on their migration race.

Then to close the morning’s proceedings we were treated to the sight of a Peregrine Falcon as it toyed with a flock of Woodpigeons. At this sighting we closed the book with the usual promise that we will return to endure/enjoy yet another watch ASAP!

29/04/06 Visit 2 We saw the Swallows gathering in the sky

The second of our own spring watches followed rapidly on the heels of our first owing to the enthusiasm of the team in wishing to bathe in the swell of the now unstoppable season.

No sooner had we settled to our task i.e. swilling down our first cuppa when Roy spotted two Roe Deer beneath our gaze on the ship canal track adding Mammal watching to our migration watch bow! These weren’t the only deer noted for no more than an hour later we spotted a further two on the fields opposite our base camp.

Swallows soon made their appearance on our horizon but their numbers didn’t quite match the time of year but at least they crept into double figures by mornings end.

The raptor for the day didn’t make us wait too long when we noted a Hobby flying East-West at 0810 no doubt in pursuit of any weary hirundines as they make their final push on their long migration to their traditional nesting sites, hopefully their barns won’t have been converted!

Then the bane of Meadow Pipits etc made it’s more than welcome appearance as it called and then flew across our observation point adding Cuckoo to our growing list and swelling hearts.

The bird movements seemed to slow down by 0825 giving us time to dine on Mr Bowman’s plentiful food supplies, note a couple of ships move along the Ship Canal and note that the breeze had increased from the North reducing the effect of the struggling sun!

Local observations gave three soaring Buzzards rising on the thermals whilst a Green Woodpecker posed atop a nearby Willow calling all the while resulting in two more joining it before they moved off onto their favourite No1 bed----ants beware!

The ornithological inactivity pervaded the restless spirits of two of our team and before long Roy and Les went on a walkabout whilst Dave and I stuck to our posts with a brief period of excitement filling the void when we tracked a distant raptor. We eventually concluded that this was a Buzzard accepting that Raptors are forever a challenge especially when at this time of the year anything can turn up.

Our wanderers eventually returned and soon took up their positions at the dining table with Roy being our lead player in this conspicuous consumption begging the question where does he hide all those pies within his svelte like frame—it must be all the gardening he does!

The birds moved steadily across our collective gaze with a few highlights such as a small group of Swift noted during our 11am slot but we had to admit that the autumn watches normally offer greater bird movement and we soon resolved that our next visit would be in September once we had spent a glorious Summer birdwatching-what else!

02/09/06 Visit 3 See, the white storm-birds wing across!

September barely had a chance to settle into our collective consciences when the team found themselves racing to the top of Butchersfield Tip raring to get our first autumn watch under our satiated summer filled waists!

The minor detail in terms of the weather had been pushed aside as we tucked into Almond Croissants and took up our northerly viewing aspect.

The cool south-westerly breeze was insufficient to push away the overcast conditions but our enthusiasm, Canute like, held back the thoughts of the incoming rain clouds as we tightened up our waterproofs and settled into the task in hand.

Swallows skimmed by on their single-minded push south whilst Willow Warblers made a less showy exit along the riverside vegetation. A Chiffchaff gave a brief snatch of song no doubt bidding us farewell as it too moved on it’s own less distant (than the previous two species noted) but still southerly journey.

The viewing area had not yet been obscured from our view and we were able to scan as far North as Winter Hill but the gloom crept upon us and soon this and other notable landmarks bowed out of our sight as the first drops of rain started to stain my notebook.

A retreat to the nearby tree line was called for by 0815 and a debate then followed as the happy countenances on the faces of Les and Roy faded at the thought of enduring what now promised to be a persistent dousing from rain laden clouds that filled the grey skies.

My take on the situation was that we stuck it out enabling us to see how the rain affects bird movement and this stance was also taken by Dave Bowman therefore by 0900 we bid farewell to Les and Roy as they migrated West towards the comfort of their homes.

I then consigned my notebook to my pocket and introduced the wonders of technology to our proceedings and made use of my Dictaphone, which captured the rest of the day’s sightings plus the dulcet tones of the Steel/Bowman duo as we called out our somewhat sparse bird sightings.

As sure as eggs are eggs, as they say, as soon as there was a lull in the driving rain the birds made a dash for it lifting Dave and I from our rain induced torpor and gaining records of Swallows and Linnets as they shot by. The latter birds seemed to be tracking west east and later on my return journey home I noted that these birds had been feasting on an Oil Seed Rape crop that lay in a field adjacent to the A57.

Food was as ever in plentiful supply as was the tea and coffee therefore Dave and I didn’t neglect our combined picnic inspite of the deluge that lay siege on our proceedings!

We received encouraging phone-calls from that most stoic of ringers Dave Riley who had hung around No1 in the vain hope that he could gain a few more ringing records for the reserve but even he had to admit defeat and signed off by 11am.

A move to observe from the eastern section of our soggy observation point gave a brief lull in the weather and a consequent rise in the number of birds moving including a cheering sighting of 48 House Martins as they bid the North a rapid farewell----who can blame them!

Then came that long awaited slot the 1130-Noon half hour in which Dave and I revelled in the fact that we had rode the weather and by way of a thank you by the birds we recorded our second highest bird movement of the morning.

Then we graciously retreated down the hill and joined Les who had returned to No1 bed to give us a lift back to civilisation what an absolute Gent!

15/10/06 Visit 4 easy, like Sunday Morning!

Retirement is supposed to be, I believe, a time of quiet reflection when free time is in plentiful supply. This simply is not the case especially where birdwatching is involved hence the reason why Dave Bowman and I (both early retiree’s) had to carry out the forth Migration watch on a sleepy Sunday Morning and not on our usual day of the week, Saturday, as we had been just too busy enjoying the month and had to schedule in this visit before October flew by!

The start to the proceedings was a half hour later than last months owing to the lessening of the daylight hours but this didn’t lessen our enthusiasm and we had soon set ourselves up for the treat ahead.

The weather was a lot kinder to us than on last months watch. It could hardly have got much worse on that visit but as with all things the damp of September’s vigil was swept away by the mild and sometimes bright conditions that prevailed throughout the morning.

Needless to say the food and drink was as ever in plentiful supply. (I am of the belief that Dave tries to compensate for the numerous occasions when he leads the team birdwatching to foreign climes and he sees my plate often filled with the meagre amounts that I am offered as a vegetarian in Countries that haven’t quite grasped the fact that Chicken is not a vegetarian dish!)

As soon as the season progresses Woodpigeons creep ever more often onto our list of observations as these birds flock up and are possibly joined by the influx of continental birds that may visit our mild winter shores. Not to be outdone by these perhaps more prosaic winter visitors the sky was soon lit up with our first small flock of Redwings as they made their somewhat belated entry into our area.

Local movements of birds again took in small flocks of Linnets and the now almost expected clash between Carrion crows and soaring Buzzards-who can remember that not that long ago a Buzzard was a bird of more remote areas and not a raptor that is now more often seen than our now slowly declining Kestrel?

A Chiffchaff moved along the tree line of the river reminding us that we are now treated to reasonable numbers of these birds throughout the winter and we have to presume that this could be a continental bird that has chosen the UK as it’s winter base. The ringers may shed light on the bird’s origin if it obliges them with its brief presence in one of their ringing rides!

In deference to the now traditional wanderings of Les, who was unable to join us on this watch, Dave and I had a wander to check out the Southern aspect of ‘our hill’ but we were soon driven back by the sight of bland fields of winter wheat, which glowed, green in the autumn light. This sight darkened our birdwatching souls as we noted that the lack of winter stubble was robbing our beleaguered farmland birds of what was once their tenuous lifeline for survival into spring.

A strong cuppa pushed aside dark thoughts of the Common Agricultural Policy and we were soon light-heartedly noting such birds as Meadow Pipits as they ‘pip-pip-pipped’ their way down from their hilltop summer haunts.

The season, as seems to be the case of late, gave mixed messages as Dave and I noted Bees, Hoverflies and a dashing Red Admiral but the birds were not to be outfoxed by these mellowing signs of a less harsh autumn and they kept on flowing past us in their need to chase distant food supplies.

Then came noon and another ‘perfect morning in time’ had flown by allowing Dave and I a chance to migrate down the hill reflecting on yet another successful watch and both grateful for having this privilege thrust upon us.

18/11/06 Visit 5 every moment blows blusterous winds

Then came November and our penultimate watch for 2006 was upon us and before long we had settled into our task inspite of the cold crisp and frosty conditions atop our crow’s nest.

Roy had managed to get yet another note from his wife to be excused hilltop duties but at least Les had returned to the fold to increase the team by a magnificent 33%----don’t you just love statistics!

We had briefly made contact with Dave Riley who, as expected, was stationed on N01 bed – no notes from his wife whatever the weather he is always on ringing duty!

Our start time again had to be 0730 due to the short days of late autumn but as soon as the light filtered through the birds made their move especially the Woodpigeons which streamed by in their thousands.

We had experienced such numbers of passing Woodpigeons during our October watch in 2005 but the sight still filled us with the delight in knowing that at least some birds are still to be found in good numbers inspite of all that the modern world throws at our avifauna!

Another delight came during the 0900 slot when Dave Bowman produced Cheese and Chilli sandwiches—he knows that his ‘army’ definitely marches on its stomach! Mince pies washed down with one of Dave’s cuppas ensured that his team would follow him to the top of Butchersfield whatever the weather!

The two Buzzards which had been sat out on some nearby fields had no such fancy fare but they seemed content in consuming what appeared to be a plentiful supply of earthworms- it always seems incongruous to me that these large raptors take such prey but I imagine that is the secret of their expansion-adaptability!

The air remained quite chilly but at least we didn’t experience the rain that seemed to be tracking west east along Winter Hill. The chill crept into our collective old bones and we had a bit of a stomp about taking in views from the eastern edge of our hill but soon we were back in situ following the steady movement of Fieldfares, Starlings and Woodpigeons.

Conversations flowed covering such subjects as Birdwatching in Peru to the latest Dylan album all the while there was a steady flow of birds which eventually incremented to our largest count of the five sessions we have had this year!

The wind veered through all points of the compass save north with the guarantee that from whatever direction it blew it went straight through the three of us but rescue was at hand as the fingers on our watches pointed due noon and we were off like a shot with another watch warmly tucked up in my notebook!

16/12/06 Visit 6 For unto you at last she flies

With the shortest day looming on the horizon Dave and I decided that we would extend the length of one of the shortest days of the year by sitting out in the elements on our favourite perch. For each of these sessions always seems to add a piece of eternity to our lives as we are embraced by the chill of late autumn.

Needless to say Roy had referred to his book of schoolboy wheezes and had dug out yet another excuse not to attend whilst Les had given a half-hearted promise to join us at a later hour. Dave and I coming from the era of grazed knees, dripping butties and endless days out in the elements set out on our mission in gleeful anticipation of our final (for 2006) migration watch!

The air was fresh from overnight rain and the weatherman had promised a dry morning although we saw the weather in a different light noting that heavy clouds were tracking over Winter Hill therefore we prepared ourselves for the inevitable showers that crept towards our vantage point.

Our first notable record of bird movement came when we saw hundreds of Jackdaws flying North from their Southerly roosts whilst a Green Woodpecker called from a nearby copse.

Woodpigeons or as we now have to say ‘Common Wood Pigeon’ (yes the new BOU bug has hit the Cheshire Recorders Computer!) were as ever plentiful and by mornings end had added a couple of thousand birds to our list.

Showers hit Dave and I by 0815 resulting in the use of my Dictaphone which captured only a few minutes of our observations for unlike Visit 3 the rain moved swiftly on only to hit us for a further 5 minutes (in the 0830 slot) leaving Dave and I only having to contend with the cold and the mountainous waves of food that Dave produced from his Rucksack!

The skies provided a moving feast of hues and colours throughout the morning and as ever I made feeble attempts to capture these on my

Camera in between scribbling down the constant movement of birds that we were treated to throughout the morning.

A Song Thrush being deceived by the unseasonably mild weather serenaded us as it uttered it’s lyrical song whilst my chilled hands wished to inform said bird that it didn’t seem that warm as they strove to record the over flying birds. 

Our restless legs took Dave and I to view the Southern fields but we soon turned back to our observation point when we noted that that particular area was being traversed by a party of ‘rough shooters’ and any birds we had wished to record in this area had wisely moved elsewhere!

An apparition then assailed our eyes as we noted the ephemeral Les who had deigned to join us for the last hour of our last watch. He was all the more welcome when he produced a few more tasty snacks to top up our mornings calorific intake. We then rapidly washed down these offerings with the last of my organic hot chocolate—oh how we suffer on these watches!

Then came the noon and all that was left was a quiet retreat down the hill and a pressing need for me to sit at my PC and summarise our efforts for 2006.

I am now sat at said PC on Christmas Eve 2006 replete from a nice evening meal which was inevitably washed down with a nice bottle of Red Wine and in a somewhat reflective mood as I review our birdwatching year at the Eyes made especially poignant as I mourn the passage of our all time best Quartermaster-Pauline Bowman who sadly passed away this year.

All I would like say is Pauline’s legacy lives on as she certainly trained Dave well and he is keeping up the tradition of feeding the few who happily sit atop Butchersfield Tip counting our beloved birds!

In Memory of Pauline Bowman.

Dave Steel.

Summary of the six visits made by Dave Bowman, Les Jones, Roy Taylor and Dave Steel

Woolston Eyes Migration Watches 2006
	Date	15/04	29/04	02/09	15/10	18/11	16/12
	Time	700-1200	700-1200	700-1200	700-1200	730-1200	730-1200
	Species
1	Mute Swan	2	1	5	9	6	5
2	Whooper Swan	0	0	0	0	0	2
3	Pink-footed Goose	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Greater Canada Goose	7	2	84	55	32	28
5	Eurasian Wigeon	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Gadwall	16	6	4	0	6	6
7	Eurasian Teal	0	0	5	0	3	3
8	Mallard	30	18	80	31	32	16
9	Northern Pintail	0	0	0	0	0	0
10	Northern Shoveler	0	2	0	0	0	0
11	Common Pochard	4	1	0	0	0	0
12	Tufted Duck	13	2	0	2	0	0
13	Goosander	0	0	0	0	0	0
14	Grey Partridge	0	2	0	0	0	0
15	Common Pheasant	3	2	13	2	2	4
16	Little Grebe	0	0	0	0	0	0
17	Great Crested Grebe	4	5	0	2	0	0
18	Great Cormorant	28	6	12	11	25	17
19	Grey Heron	3	6	3	2	2	4
20	Northern Goshawk	1	0	0	0	0	0
21	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	13	5	6	3	2	1
22	Common Buzzard	18	32	6	21	14	4
23	Common Kestrel	1	11	0	5	1	0
24	Merlin	0	0	0	0	1	0
25	Eurasian Hobby	0	1	0	0	0	0
26	Peregrine Falcon	1	0	0	0	0	0
27	Common Moorhen	1	0	1	4	1	1
28	Common Coot	0	0	0	2	0	0
29	Oystercatcher	3	0	0	0	0	0
30	European Golden Plover	0	0	0	0	0	0
31	Northern Lapwing	28	26	142	8	21	17
32	Common Snipe	0	0	10	1	0	1
33	Eurasian Woodcock						2
34	Common Sandpiper	0	0	0	0	0	0
35	Black-headed Gull	236	160	176	332	163	536
36	Mew Gull				1	0	1
37	Lesser Black-backed Gull	57	16	4	13	6	13
38	Herring Gull	2	0	0	2	2	0
39	Great Black-backed Gull	0	0	0	0	0	1
40	Common Tern	2	0	0	0	0	0