Flying for Fun

Located as we are, on the edge of the uplands with classic mixed farming and mixed woodland, we are usually able to see nearly all the crow species in any one day (exception being the Chough).  

It is particularly good at the moment: with Barley harvested from nearby fields , the stubbles have great mixed flocks of crows and the most recent harvest of 15 acres of potatoes brought lots of interest from Hoodies and the odd Kite, eager to examine any spoil from the harvest.

Typical flight view: note long wedge shaped tail and large beak (c. K Mullarney) 

Ravens are the largest crow, indeed they are our largest passerine or perching bird.  We often see and hear 4 or 5 , their atmospheric calls echo all around us, but of most interest is their aerial antics..rolling along in dare devil chases they really do seem to fly for fun!

One summers day a Raven perched out in the open lawn area, a respectable distance but very unusual to see one perched  in the open without an obvious prey item nearby.  It was most probably a juvenile bird,  not long out of the nest: tameness was probably based on uncertainty of its surroundings.

More typical was the barking or croaking calls that I heard recently: delivered endlessly from an oak tree on our boundary.  I suspected a Fox or other competitor for carrion was also on the scene, hence the barrage of noisy scolding, so I went to investigate.  I brought the camera just in case, and manged to grab a shot as the bird exited in a hurry.  The beauty of digital photography is that you can always get a grab shot that might have interest. I wasn't let down on this occasion: though grainy and unsharp, I looked at the pic long enough to ascertain that the bird might be ringed: back on the computer I was able to blow it up to max and indeed it was colour ringed: AA,  black on yellow, as it turned out, from a ringing scheme operating locally.

AA Takes flight! (c. OOS)

A text to Damian, of NPWS brought a quick response: It was one of 200 Ravens ringed, this bird ringed three years ago and is the first resighting of this scheme.  The bird was marked in Clara Vale, so it hasn't travelled too far, about 10 kms as the Raven flies. I suspect resightings will continue to be  hard enough to come by, they are generally shy and wary of humans, which is not unsurprising: as carrion eaters they also have to run the risk of taking  poisoned bait. 

Worth looking out for Ravens, ringed or not, they never cease to entertain.  

Hunter and Hunted

A great feature of the autumn is the now regular appearance of dragonflies such as the Autumn Hawkers down on our East Coast Nature Reserve.

They were only first recorded in Ireland in 2000, from the south east, near Carne, county Wexford, and have since spread north and west along the coastline, inhabiting suitable wetland habitats and woods. They are one of the latest dragonflies to appear, with records of insects right up to the end of October.  They are of course spectacular looking, with bright blue abdominal markings and the distinctive little yellow 'golf tee' on the thorax.

Autumn Hawker (c. OOS)

They patrol the rough grassland and trees around the pools of the reserve, often perching and giving nice views.  They are of course, spectacular hunters: the Latin Odonata stands for teeth.. So, midges and flies are fair game for these beasts. 

Over the last few days, this gregarious predator has become the hunted and have had to share the marshes with a far larger hunter: a Hobby.  This scarce falcon is a passage migrant that has taken to patrolling the open fields, superbly adapted to agile and precise hunting: they can take dragonflies on the wing and glide along as it brings its prey from claw to beak, with no need to stop and perch.  The recent balmy weather has really brought the Autumn Hawkers out in numbers, attracting the attentions of the passing Hobby, who is now feeding for extended periods on this source, before it continues its journey south to Africa for the winter. What a spectacular sight, hopefully this drama will continue for a few days yet.

Hobby (c. Tom Shevlin)

Wine & Gold

There's a nice autumn feel to early mornings and evenings: dew on the slowing lawn, mushrooms and toadstools appear at random and the plants are taking on their autumn hues.

 Robin ( c. Michael Finn)

The still misty mornings right now are perfect for listening to that September stalwart: the Robin.  That slow drizzle of notes is repeated around the garden as we get used to the idea that one of our most common birds is setting up territories for the winter ahead.  Many of these birds are only hatched this summer and not long out of their mottled juvenile plumage.  However there's no time to waste with birds in the garden: Wood Pigeons are coming to the Elder trees for black berry juice, no doubt thirsty after a day in the stubbles picking up spilt barley grains.

Wood Pigeon in the Elders (c. OOS)

Best autumn colour this week is with an established Rowan Tree, russet and red, still with berries which add to the display. 

Rowan tree (c.OOS)

 The willow trees are green leaved with an insipid pale yellow coming through.  Best of all and with the best still to come are the Dogwoods: the leaves are showing  great accents of reds and yellows and once the leaves part company, there's bright red stalks and icy white berries to look forward to.  

Dogwood , Cornus alba (c.OOS)

A Late Flourish

3 Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock (c.OOS)

You can definitely notice a change in temperatures: it is still very pleasant by day, but there's a noticeable dip in temps after dark: I wonder how the late rush of butterflies are faring?   There are still plenty of flowering plants in the garden, and larval plants such as nettles are at their peak.  I found the Teasel plants that scatter about at random to be a great attractant at this time, but not a Goldfinch in sight!

There are lots of other flying insects (though Wasps have dropped off, thankfully).  This Willow Warbler, having inspected the seed feeders from a  few feet, reverted to type and retrieved a blue bottle from the willow tree.

Willow Warbler with insect prey  (c.OOS)

There's a few birds passing through: a Spotted Flycatcher was my first in the garden, this year.. I would love to have them breeding: open fronted nestboxes await you!
Blackcaps and Blue Tits are testing the fast ripening Elder berries; all are enjoying this time of plenty.

Butterfly bliss

Late August, and we have a good selection of nectar bearing plants at their peak:  Sedums, Russian Sage, Verbena and Catmint are all excellent for hoverflies, bees and butterflies.

Silver Washed Frit. ( with matching food plant!) (c.OOS)

We had our first Silver washed Fritillary last week, a lovely insect that remained with us for a half hour or more. 

Constantly present are the Small and Large White butterflies, easier to admire these when you dont have a crop of brassicas to protect!

Green Veined White (?) (OOS)

Large White on Verbena (c.OOS)

A Small Copper out on the lawn made it a nice weekend for watching and photographing insects, though birds are beginning to come back to us in numbers: 

Small Copper (c.OOS)

Chaffinches are flocking around here since excess grain from the harvest spills over on every corner.  We still have late nesters: a Wood Pigeon has a nest with well grown young located in a Cypress tree, demonstrating a use for a much maligned tree species.

Young Wood Pigeon, sitting tight (c.OOS)

 Swallows are doing well everywhere with first and second broods gathering in noisy mixed flocks:  the ones in the photos below are well advanced and are located inside the Pat Walsh hide on the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve..

How could you refuse! (c.OOS)

Swallow nest (c.OOS)

Fruit to Go

Mid August, time to look back and assess the growing season.. Soft and Hard fruit showed a big improvement on last years disastrous outturn.  Raspberries, Strawberries and Blackcurrants were all good, though only the last mentioned made it into the kitchen and safely preserved into clear glass jars, a treat to spread on cold mornings ahead.

Rowan blossom, late May (c.OOS)

Because I neglected to cover the ripening soft fruit from eager Blackbirds and others, we never really got to see or feel the ripe Strawberries and invariably a Blackbird was in attendance around the Raspberry bushes.. I will cover most of them with netting, next year, though the very hot spell meant that Blackbirds and Thrushes found it hard to access insect prey from parched ground, so fruit was a useful alternative for them, at least!

Our remaining cultivated fruit to harvest is a good crop of Apples from 2 trees that are only 15 months or so in the ground but in a warm sheltered position in the garden and free from damage from deer or others.

Juvenile Blackbird gets down to business (c. OOS)

Right now, the birds attention, especially Blackbirds, is with wild fruit.  The autumn procession has started with Rowan, progressing from creamy white blossom in late May to scarlet red berries, colour deepening by the day.  The crop is already being picked by a gingery coloured juvenile Blackbird: their favourite August food apparently; I doubt if there will be a berry left come September!  I am always amazed how long the berry crop lasts on Rowans grown in more urban situations: they are a favourite food of Waxwings in late winter, indeed a failure of the rowan drop in northern Europe triggers nomadic wanderings and irruptions for a number of northern European species.

Speaking of wanderings, we often notice a 'fall' of Willow Warblers on damp or misty mornings, the migration is on, and its always nice to follow the activity in the willows trees, the warblers show great agility in picking off insects  from under leaves, always on the move, calling each other along from tree to tree.

Willow in the Willows (C.OOS)

Starlings: birds for all seasons

I was down at the coast last weekend and heard the clear mewing call of a Buzzard, or more likely, what sounded like a Buzzard..

A quick check of a nearby TV aerial, and there was the imposter: a juvenile Starling amongst a flock of youngsters, ever busy and giving off a mischevious air.  They remind me of a teeneagers out for an afternoon: only happy with their own kind, no adults in sight, lots of noise and chatter and always on the move.  I suppose if they were really like teenagers they would  sleep late and frequently require lifts.. but we wont go there!

Juvenile Starling: Plumage is subtle by adult standards (c.OOS)

The juvenile Starlings are quite subtle in plumage, compared to the showy, sparkling adults, who themselves sport two outfits a year.. Early season juveniles have a a plain sandy olive appearance , with pale creamy chin .

The juveniles in autumn begin to take on an adult appearance, their drab cloak reduced to a plain looking neck-warmer with the winter adults spotty body plumage beneath.  Flocks get bigger at this time too, particularly at evening roosts: look out for them in hedgerows: they are adept at stripping ripe black Elder berries or Blackberries from the trees; they're just a few weeks off ripening now.

Motley Crew: autumn juvs and winter adults (c. Shay Connolly)

Adults in winter are striking, particularly if seen in good light when the iridescent plumage is sprayed by pale chevrons sprinkled over dark base feathers.  These chevrons remain until the spring when they are gradually worn off but the bill then takes on a deep yellow colouration.

Sparkling winter adult (c. Shay Connolly)

There's also the winter murmurations to look forward to, the massive swirling waves of birds massing pre-roost.  Numbers are swollen at this time because we normally receive quite a large immigration of Starlings for the winter months with birds arriving from as far away as Russia.  These often arrive by day, the East Coast is the place to spot the Starlings, making steady progress, flying low and direct over the sea, to make landfall and immediately replenishing spent energy by feeding in coastal pastures.. 

Breeding plumage: less spots, pale bill (c. Shay Connolly)

Truly a remarkable species, I'm not surprised they mimic at all: they seem like the kind of bird that would have a good sense of humour!