Sunday 21 February 2010

WeBS Day

Today was WeBS count day, both the Budge Fields and Big Pool were completely frozen again, though there were a few birds gathered on the ice, mainly teal and gulls. There were some curlews on the field to the west and some greylag geese on the fields to the north.

There were also about 2000 grey geese, mainly pink foots, on the fields N of the Haul Road, outside my recording area. I spotted one bean goose form the hide and was reliably informed there were at least two. I went for a better look at them (and to look for a reported merlin) from the end of the road, I had just gotten out of the car and started scanning when this happened.......



And why did they all fly up?



Because this whazack in a microlight came flying over. Microlights are a bloody menace, they always put everything up when they come over and with BTO/RSPB etc telling us to avoid disturbing feeding and roosting birds during cold weather it's just not on!

When I worked 'on the bay' there was some kind of a agreement with the local microlighting club that they shouldn't fly over the reserves on the bay and we used to report offenders to the club. I took this guys number down so will be giving them a call tomorrow.

Another thing got me thinking today, there was a gang of menacing looking marauding magpies at Druridge today, moving around the reserve looking for bother. If even a third of this lot hang around and breed, imagine the dint it could put in the number of lapwings getting away this spring. I wonder if NWT have a predator control policy on reserves? That's two phone calls to make tomorrow....

81 long-tailed tit

5 comments:

Stewart said...

At this time of year Iain Magpies group up before pairing off. The large gangs are always chasing and squabbling. I saw a dozen at Amble the other day....No doubt the local pair will win and the others ( maybe last years younguns?) will be driven elsewhere...

Ghost of Stringer said...

Don't get me started on those lawn mower powered idiots ! Every summer they are over the Long Nanny tern site causing mayem, despite an agreement that they won't do it.... thats schedule 1 disturbance in my book....

Tim Sexton said...

Don't worry about the Magpies - nature has it's own way of dealing with them. Check this out: Magpie gets it!

Ipin said...

Stewart - there were three pairs of magpie nesting on the patch last year with two pairs of carrion crow, the poor lapwings don't stand a chance!

Tim - excellent video, shame it doesn't show the end, the related one showing the sprawk drowning the magpie in a garden pond was impressive too!

Unknown said...

I had a gang of 32 Magpies at Holywell last night.