Mealy madness

Went looking for the Mealy again today. Saw three Lesser Redpolls, 40+ Linnet, 30+ Goldfinch, a Little Egret and 2 Peregrine. There was a bit of stake out going on for the Mealy. Various factions of the BFBG were covering various positions. It is always inconvenient when a rare turns up because it means that various factions have to run the risk of 'being near' each other. Needless to say I was enjoying the anthropology more than the Redpolls.

Redpoll taxonomy also popped up as a topic of conversation which led us to discussing the rationale behind those on the BOURC, which then as usual ended up on the Booted Eagle and then the Slender-billed Curlew. Basically in conclusion those of us who haven't seen the Mealy are anti-BOURC and support a redpoll lumping and those of us who have seen it, support the BOURC and this particular split.

Beddington Farmlands- it stinks

The wind must be have an east componet to it. The catch with living on an emerging urban nature reserve is that it is emerging from the restoration of a landfill site and sewage farm which doesn't always smell too clever. On nights like tonight it absolutely honks. There is a blinking pump going 24/7, draining out the Northern lake for the restoration that not only sings me to sleep but is also draining the water revealing the sediment which smells too- adding a new liquer to the cocktail of smells. Only 12 years to wait for the reserve.

Philosophical interlude

If you happen to be partial to wild language, over the top rhetoric and lots of ranting than visit:

www.peteralfrey.blogspot.com

Redpolls at Beddington

Mike found a flock of Redpolls this morning with a Mealy Redpoll among them. I couldn't find the Mealy but this is the first time I have seen a flock of Lesser Redpoll feeding on the farm- there were 25+. The trees that were planted around the perimeter when the development started have now grown up and attracting good numbers of passerines. Also a few Redwings and Fieldfares buzzing and chacking around.

Some more on Redpolls here from a visit to Tring earlier on in the year: www.peteralfreybirdingnotebook.blogspot.com/2009/04/redpolls-observations-on-specimen.html

Those were the days

I just found this screen grab of blog statistics from my stay on Corvo, the Azores. This blog was getting up to 1000 page views a day and made it in the top 5 on the Nature Blog Network. Nowadays it is getting around 70 page views a day and hovering around the 65 mark on the Natue Blog Network. I can't possibly understand why not so many people are interested in a landfill site in Croydon. I don't get it:-)

Local Guardian Article- Beddington Farmlands

Click on to read.

Pretty good I thought overall- I like Mike scoping the Short-eard Owl (Roger's photo)- nice touch.

Looking good Mike- bastards left me out of the photo- I did some good poses- wasted. Glad they got the Tree Sparrows in and hopefully the return of Short-eared Owl will be a marker that the restoration has been successful.

Waifs and strays

Went looking for a storm blown waif at Beddington but instead saw three Bullfinches, two Redpoll, 10+ Redwing, 8 Fieldfare, 30+ Goldfinch, 4 Linnet, 1 Reed Bunting, 10 Long-tailed Tit and 15+ Chaffinch along the footpath. Also Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker together and two Kingfishers on the lake.

Very pleasant little dudey morning.

Oh yes, I had a Tawny Owl wake my up at 0330 three nights ago- calling along the railway line. That's Bullfinch, Woodcock and Tawny Owl in the last few days- can be very difficult birds to get at Beddington. Haven't seen three Bullfinch over there in over a decade.