Pannyfants Is GO!!!

It was a great day for common decency when I was forced return to Europe from Canada, leaving one of my best friends Kevin 'Bloody' Grundy behind. The boardwalks of the Riverside Trail have probably never been the same since.....

Fox

Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow








As promised, here is a link to Kev's new blog that will cover all of his banding work on weekends at Cruickston Hall Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge, Ontario.

Check Pannyfants out at: http://pannyfants.blogspot.com

Migrants at the Marina

A brief jolly with Moxey down to Crosby Marina on the spur of the moment this evening yielded a few firsts for the year. A Common Sandpiper was bobbing away on the newly installed barages. Through the railings over the pools at Seaforth, we clocked plenty of Cormorants and LBG's chilling on the causeway. A couple of Goldeneye's and a possible Spotted Redshank (courtesy of Moxey's astute hearing!). A probable swallow was wheeling around by the radar tower and gave rise to a new sport - field identification of fast-flying bird with binoculars through a fence without clocking your bins on the fence. I'm not sure it will take off, I'll be honest.

As we walked back to Renée (My trusty-yet-tempremental Renault Clio) we watched three swallows pass low over the Marine Lake.

A quick nosey at the boating lake just yielded the expected swans and tufties with a few Linnets bobbing over, not to mention the swarms of tracksuited youth off for a night in the dunes.....I never realised that the youth of today were so interested in Natterjack Toads.....I'd rather believe that's what they were upto anyway!

Keep checking back to the blog over the next few weeks because very soon there will be another hooligan launching his first expedition into the blogosphere, in the form of Kevin Grundy. Provisionally entitled 'Pannyfants' and be based around the migration monitoring banding project that he will be working on this spring/fall. For anyone who know's Kev (apparently he's still fat), it is bound to be a good read!

For now, back to the Chemistry books....

Separating the Chiff from the Chaff

A sunny morning in the suburbs of Liverpool with singing Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff's so up went the trusty 9m Ecotone...one Robin, two Blue Tits, two Great Tits and a Woodpig later, the first Chiffchaff of the year ringed in the garden. There was another one fluttering against the net, but wouldn't pocket...shame...but a good way to start off the weekend.



...Now all we need is a cheeky away win at Villa for the Blues, then bring on the Wembley! The last time I went to Wembley, I seem to recall a Paul Rideout header sending the Manc's back to Shoreditch/Shanghai/Santiago (or wherever they come from these days) with their tails between their legs!

Warbling Willowy Bird

First Willow Warbler of the year outside the Ilford residence this morning, showing well in the Silver Birch and singing enthusiastically.

Apologies for the lack of postage lately....been trés busy with buying a house, studying, working full time x 1.5!!!

I have been out recently, but relatively short sessions and low catch rates, most birds being on territory and using feeding stations sporadically!

Bring on the hirundines!