WeBS Day

Today was WeBS count day, both the Budge Fields and Big Pool were completely frozen again, though there were a few birds gathered on the ice, mainly teal and gulls. There were some curlews on the field to the west and some greylag geese on the fields to the north.

There were also about 2000 grey geese, mainly pink foots, on the fields N of the Haul Road, outside my recording area. I spotted one bean goose form the hide and was reliably informed there were at least two. I went for a better look at them (and to look for a reported merlin) from the end of the road, I had just gotten out of the car and started scanning when this happened.......



And why did they all fly up?

Because this whazack in a microlight came flying over. Microlights are a bloody menace, they always put everything up when they come over and with BTO/RSPB etc telling us to avoid disturbing feeding and roosting birds during cold weather it's just not on!

When I worked 'on the bay' there was some kind of a agreement with the local microlighting club that they shouldn't fly over the reserves on the bay and we used to report offenders to the club. I took this guys number down so will be giving them a call tomorrow.

Another thing got me thinking today, there was a gang of menacing looking marauding magpies at Druridge today, moving around the reserve looking for bother. If even a third of this lot hang around and breed, imagine the dint it could put in the number of lapwings getting away this spring. I wonder if NWT have a predator control policy on reserves? That's two phone calls to make tomorrow....

81 long-tailed tit