Willows passing through..

It's been noticeable over the past few weeks,  the soft 'wheet'  contact calls of our most abundant summer migrant: the Willow Warbler.  After the breeding season I usually notice a rush of migrants around the garden, from late July into August.  They are restless and move from Willow scrub down to perennial plants and even forage on the lawn: small insect prey is found in all these places at this time of the year. 

Many of the first year birds are beginning the first tentative movements south, culminating in an arrival in West Africa, via Iberia, in late autumn / early winter, all going well.

Willow Warbler  (c. John Fox)

Willow warblers are showing a trend of increase on the Countryside Bird Survey, occurring in 70% of 1km squares surveyed.  However once the pleasant summer song abates in early summer, they are a little more difficult to locate, and indeed separate from their close relation, the Chiffchaff.  

Chiffchaff  (c. David Dillon)

In seeking to separate the two close relatives (both are no bigger than a Blue Tit in size), note the colour of legs and feet: black in Chiffchaff, a bright yellowish in Willow Warblers. Chiffchaffs are generally duller in colour tone, and more 'plain faced'.  The wing length is noticeably longer in Willow Warbler, compared to Chiffchaff.  Both are restless and flick wings and tail as they move through cover, sometimes hovering around large, cracked, autumn leaves of the Sycamore tree: occasionally you can even hear them snap their beaks on insect prey, fuelling up for the long journey south!

Bees, but no Butterflies

Bumblebee on a drumstick Allium (c. OO'S)

Despite the garden showing off some serious, nectar loaded flowering plants, I have noticed a complete absence of butterflies at this time: After the storms and rain, the plants have literally stood up quite well and the Alliums, Crocosmia, Goldenrod and Teasel are in full flower..

Hoverflies and Honeybees are constantly on the Goldenrod (c. OO'S)

There's a great number of bees and hoverflies: a constant movement amongst the flowering stems, but you would really miss the bright and delicate outline of a Red Admiral or Small Tortoiseshell, hopefully they will come yet!

Red Admiral, from this time last year, on Teasel (c.OO'S)

Late Broods

Our Swallows returned about on time, last May, and set about building a new nest on a north facing down pipe under the eaves of the house.

Adult Swallow  (c. J. Coelho)

Given the wet summer,  a brood of four was about right, and this reduced to 3 as the runt of the brood, fell out of (or was pushed from ) the nest and perished on the ground.

Three eventually fledged, though one was very weak in flight and I watched it fly at ground level and just above, and in turn it attracted the attentions of the cats: I found a pile of feathers on the lawn, a day after its first flight.  

The remaining two fledglings seemed to be able to take care of themselves, but like teenagers, they return to the nest to rest and overnight.. this continued for about a week into mid July when they moved off to the local gathering place, a telegraph pole on our boundary.  About 12 or 14 young Swallows gather here, chattering and exchanging information , no doubt, and emitting frequent alarm calls, to alert for real or imaginary predators.  

Two juveniles ready to fledge (c. O. O'Sullivan)

After a quiet week or so, the adult birds have started to return to the nest site and sing from the adjacent telephone cable, holding a territory.  I suspect they are now on a second brood, latish but not too late, especially if we get a good August.

  I suppose just two young raised is not a great return after their migration up from Africa last spring and with a return journey ahead of them in September/October.. Swallows are the Olypians of the avian world!

Adult singing in August.. second brood on the way! (c. O.O'Sullivan)

Swifts in a hurry?

Given the awfully wet June and early July, it's no surprise that summer migrants such as the Swift are literally 'under the weather' in their search for aerial insect prey.

Swift over Tacumshin lake (c.OOS)

I am still noticing small parties of low flying, breeding birds, screaming round the streets of Wicklow, Redcross, Rathnew and Rathdrum, to name four locations.
  

Swift feeding  (c.OOS)

Swifts can cover relatively long distances in a day, 300km or more, not entirely surprising, given their superb shape,designed for life on the wing: these birds don't touch the ground: they mate on the wing and only land to nest under eaves of old buildings.

Swift at speed  (c.OOS)

We often notice feeding parties of birds, ranging over the Murrough Wetlands, along the Wicklow coast, typically up to a few  hundred birds availing of the rich insect life over the wetland habitats. 


Even more remarkable though are the reports of 1,000 or more birds feeding over Tacumshin Lake, County Wexford.  This shallow freshwater lagoon is extensive, running to about 460 hectares and was formed behind a sandy ridge of dunes along the south Wexford coast.  Swifts have been present in great numbers since early July. They appear to be adult birds; the thinking is they may have cut short their plans for breeding this season and instead are taking the opportunity to exploit the rich feeding over the lakebed.  


Where these birds have come from is open to opinion.. The weather in the west of England and Wales has been very poor, perhaps they have taken the journey across the Irish Sea, or maybe they are birds ranging down from urban areas such as Dublin or Belfast on the Irish east coast?


Whatever the origin of the Wexford flock, make sure to enjoy the sight and sounds of Swifts, and let me know of any more concentrations or indeed absence of birds.. They will begin their journey south to The Congo over the next couple of weeks, our shortest stayer, and no wonder!

A superb flying machine (c.OOS)

Greenfinches and the Hardy Geranium

All summer the peanut feeder is in demand, mainly from Great Tits , Blue Tits and Greenfinches who bring the family round and ensure the feeder needs refilling on a weekly basis.

Greenfinches (c.OOS)

It's good to see the Greenfinches are healthy: we haven't had an outbreak of trichomonosis round here: that disease affects the Greenfinches ability to swallow food and they become lethargic and eventually die.  Its reckoned the disease has knocked back the Greenfinch population, indeed the days of hordes of them bossing the bird table area are but a memory for most.


It was great to see a juvenile Greenfinch busy on the mound of Hardy Geranium, Geranium renardii: On a closer look, I saw that it was attracted to the ripe seed capsule on the plant, borne on a longish stalk: hence the common name of Cranesbill for this colourful family of perennials.  

A juvenile Greenfinch tucks into Geranium seeds (c. OOS )

Apart from the little buzz to witness a voracious peanut eater take to the seed of something you planted, I really value plants that have all round appeal:  great foliage,great flowers and wildlife interest too!

Geranium renardii: white flowers with purple veins & lovely foliage (c. OOS)

Spots and Stripes

Having sorted out the variables in Blackbird plumages, now we can move on to separating Mistle Thrush from Song Thrush: two closely related species that sometimes cause confusion.  They both have distinctive songs, but at this time are quieter and likely to be out in the open, hunting down prey for themselves or hungry youngsters.

Compare the Mistle Thrush, above with the Song Thrush, below, both in a similar posture.  The Mistle is however more erect in stance, often referred to as 'barrel chested'.  Looking carefully at the Spots: The Mistles are blacker and rounder, more extensive on the lower belly and on a whiter background

The Song Thrush has a similar pattern to the underparts but with subtle differences: The spots are less extensive on the lower breast and on close inspection are shaped like arrowheads.  The Song Thrush has a lovely warm buff wash to the upper breast and flanks, contrasting with the white under belly.

Overall, the Mistle has a colder, greyer tone to the upperparts, compared to the warm russet tones of the Song Thrush.. great birds to see at any time.. and, they can sing!

Mistle Thrush

The young ones

More Blackbird activity.. the glut of males foraging on the wet grassy areas of lawn has now swollen:  Juvenile Blackbirds are out of the nest and begging for food, despite their full size and fledged appearance, they are either lazy or need to be coaxed and trained in to feeding themselves.

2 juvenile Blackbirds seeking food from a male bird

Identifying young Blackbirds often perplexes members of the public who find their plumage confusing and Thrush like: You can see from these pics that they are indeed spotted down the breast but the colour tones are close to an adult female Blackbird and they have the characteristic 'jizz' or appearance of Blackbirds: note the long tail, cocked upwards, very distinctive of prowling Blackbirds

Juvenile Blackbird, note characteristic stance

Juv Song Thrush has a clearly spotted breast

A juvenile Song Thrush has the spotted breast but more extensive than the young Blackbird, and much more clearly so: note the creamy base and distinct darker, black spots on the breast.  The colour tones of the upperparts are less tawny and colder brown in appearance: they are a neater bird in size too..


Separating Song Thrush from Mistle Thrush: now that might be a little more difficult, perhaps a good subject for the next post?