The Lincolnshire Bird Club

I have been following Andy's example and spending a couple of hours over the last fortnight first thing checking the local patch. I haven't found the range of species that he has in the Boultham area. Yesterday was typical: 11 Chiffchaff along the Witham, with a Lesser Whitethroat and a few Whitethroat and Blackcap and one Willow Warbler - but no Whinchat, Redstart, Spot Flys or Wheatears. I did find 3 Wheatears in the Martin Fen yesterday, in a ploughed field - I thought their preferred habitat was short grass - but not inland? There is grassland but perhaps not a great deal. There was an adult Yellow-legged Gull with about 20 LBBGulls there as well.

And there's the question of where these birds go after 10 when they seem to disappear - which has happened sometimes. Do they simply take off south or go somewhere else - and if so, why don't others simply turn up??

Any help appreciated: since I've started this local patch, I realise how little I know about the activities of common birds. Presumably Mistle Thrushes and Song thrushes are moulting - only seen one of each this month. The same for Skylarks which have disappeared?? My first Meadow Pipit for about 6 weeks flew over a few days ago - are they only winter visitors inland?? Phil and I saw some displaying in the area a while ago, so that doesn't seem likely.

Rob

Hello Robert,

Commendable enterprise.

You may be interested to know that I found two Little owls at Stixwould yesterday, one I think a juvenile but it flew into an ivy covered tree and I lost it before I got the glasses on it. Likely, because it is a known nest site. Also at Stixwould a brood of 7 juv. Red-legged partridges with adults and at Furze Hill, Horsington a brood of at least six juv. Grey partridges with adults.

Last year my annual post-harvest partridge count on Abbey Farm, Kirkstead showed that Greys had a very good breeding season there, 8 prs. + 60 juv., whereas I found 25 ad. Reg legs with only 4 juv. between them. I am waiting for combining to be completed before I can do this autumn's count.

Regards,

John