Winter thrushes

Three Buzzards perched in a tree behind Moat Lane pool in Rixton. They were extremely vocal.

Slavonian Grebe, Pennington Flash. The bird was a bit unco-operative for digiscoping, hence the superb shot below by the maestro!

Slavonian Grebe by John Tymon

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HGF remains relatively quiet on the pool though 6 drake Pochards this morning were a welcome sight. The Green Sandpiper made a welcome return on Wednesday and for the last two mornings a small flock of 18 Meadow Pipits have joined three Skylarks in the south field. The usual residents of Buzzard, Kestrel, Jay and Grey Wagtails all still around too.
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Earlier in the week I spotted the first winter thrushes here with two Redwings and two Fieldfares joining the resident thrushes on the “lawn” in the south field. For the last few nights I have been hearing migrating Redwings over Winwick – today I started with 18 Redwings flying over our house. A little later at HGF good numbers were moving through with 160+ Redwings and 60+ Fieldfares through east in just 20 minutes. Birds were also observed moving through in the distance but too far away to I.D. I would have liked to stay but work beckoned.
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On Thursday I managed a quick divert to PF to view the Slavonian Grebe and was delighted to catch up with Sid while I was there. Also present was a female Goldeneye but I didn’t have much time to spend there. Mid morning while visiting a client in Aintree I found a calling Tawny Owl in trees behind their factory while a Sparrowhawk floated lazily overhead.
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I have managed two brief visits to Rixton this week. On Wednesday six Buzzards were over the mosses with 14 Linnets on the wires – otherwise it was quiet. This morning I started with seven Jays feeding together under oaks at the top end of Hollybush Lane. Further down six Corn Buntings were perched on the wires while on the tip good numbers of large gulls were present including a Great Black-backed. Around 40 Fieldfares flew east over the tip. On Wednesday a Little Owl was calling around Lady Lane in Croft but it was too dark to see it.
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At lunch today I had a mooch around New Moss Wood. It was also deathly silent until 11 Goldfinches flew over quickly followed by a Great Spotted Woodpecker. Three Sky Larks were hanging around nr the edge of the wood and just as I got back to the car I came across a large tit flock. They crossed the path so quickly and disappeared straight away into the wood that there were several birds I didn’t get a chance to identify. The flock I did manage to view constituted 31 Long-tailed Tits, 13 Blue Tits, 12 Great Tits and 4 Willow Tits. I found two Tree Sparrows perched on wires off Woolden Road and further down where Glaze Brook runs under the road 7 Teal were observed swimming slowly upstream.

Grey weekend in North Lancs

Mediterranean Gull, Caton

Another Mediterranean Gull, Caton

Hawfinch, Sizergh

Song Thrush, Sizergh

Spot the Slavonian Grebe and on a very wet and grim Pine Lake!

Greenshanks from the Public Hide at Leighton Moss

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Early Saturday morning found me heading north once again to Crook O'Lune. I detoured to Pine Lake and signed in at Reception before heading to the north end of the pool to have a look at the Slavonian Grebe which has taken up residence there. The bird was distant and wasn't doing much, simply floating around with the aythya ducks. It was raining, grey and windy so I didn't linger - also present were 44 Pochard, 30 Tufted Ducks and 680+ Coot (yes I was stupid enough to count them!). The rest of the day was spent chilling and doing not a lot. A Buzzard, 6 Mistle Thrushes and a couple of Goldcrests at CO'L were nevertheless added to the days total.

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Sunday I got up early and headed up to Sizergh - only 20 minutes from CO'L! Another grey and windy morning though, at least sans le pleut (I bet this is terrible French)! I parked the car, let Billy out for a stroll and then pointed my scope at the nearest tree without too many leaves - four male Hawfinches were perched in the top of it! I watched them for around twenty minutes before they dropped down the back and into the castle gardens. A fifth bird flew over from the hill behind the car park - after this birds were seen regularly in flight in ones and two's so I haven't a clue how many were present. 25 Redwings flew over in two groups and a showy Song Thrush perched on the wall, otherwise it was devoid of birds and people. On the way back down I spotted my first Fieldfares of this autumn when a flock of at least 350 lifted off and across the M6 nr J34.

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I headed off back to CO'L for breakfast. As I passed a field next to a laybye approx 0.25 miles west of CO'L on the A683 I noticed a small flock of gulls and almost without thinking pulled in to scan them. Straight away I found two adult Meds and also a slightly confusing Black-headed Gull which had white primaries. Maybe a hybrid? Nice run on Meds I seem to be having at the moment. Anyway they soon buggered off and I did the same.

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Early afternoon I headed for Leighton Moss. The Morecambe complex was quietish - 13 Little Egrets and no sign of their larger cousins. Nearly 700 Redshanks and 120 Blackwits were on the pools plus Wigeon and Teal etc. I left because I got fed up of the wind and rain blowing straight in through the hide windows - approx 600 Blackwits were also present on the Barrow Scout pool. I then headed off to the main reserve where I spent 20 minutes trying to count tits on the feeders and then gave up! I had just one Marsh and four Coal Tits though.

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I trundled off down to the causeway after hearing news about a possible Cetti's Warbler. A group of birders had congregated around a small bush on the left hand side approx 20 yds shy of the grit trays. They were listening to the Cetti's singing its heart out and having a discussion about whether it was indeed a Cetti's Warbler. I joined them and stood listening to both them and the bird while thinking that there was fat chance of it showing with all the babbling going on. Suddenly to prove me wrong the bird showed briefly - I was the only person to see it though as I was the only one watching the base of the reeds instead of their tops. I thought one chap was going in after it when I told him I had seen the bird.

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The Public Hide was full and I perched on the end of a bench at the left hand end. A nice chap next to me asked me what the waders were on the left hand end of the island - I put the scope onto them and identified three sleeping Greenshanks. And that's all they did. Sleep. While I was messing around with the digiscping stuff, the chap next to me (he was at least watching the place which was more than I was doing) said to me "is that a Marsh Harrier?" I looked up and shouted "Bittern" (I don't know why I shouted - I was just in a funny mood) and we watched a Bittern fly right across the pool and down the left hand side of the hide - superb views!

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Lots of ducks on the water with 77 Pochard and 16 Pintails being the pick and the usual pair of menacing Great Black-backed Gulls on the island. I soon got fed up and headed back to CO'L - a very noisy Tawny Owl last night was the only other bird of note there. This morning I had a quick ten minutes at the Waterworks Lane feeding station. At least 60 Tree Sparrows were present with three Yellowhammers and a couple of Greenfinches. A female Sparowhawk seemed to materialise out of nowhere and went for the Yellowhammers which were around a third of the way down the hedge. Not a single Tree Sparrow moved (they were all at the top end) though the noisy chattering suddenly ceased. They all seemed to perch in the top of the hedge watching the Spar chase the Yellowhammers like it was a spectator sport!

Ambling around Anglesey

Juvenile male Peregrine, Cockersand Abbey

Second winter Mediterranean Gull, Penrhos Coastal Park

Stonechat, Southstack

The Southstack lighthouse

The sea below Southstack cliffs - like somone has just spilled a few thousand gallons of milk!

Trearddur Bay

Herring Gull, Penrhos Coastal Park

Chough, Southstack

Pale-bellied Brent Geese, Beddmanarch Bay

Tornado F3 - over Penrhos CP. A doomed species with the advent of the Eurofighter!

Hawk trainer over Penrhos CP. These are based at nearby RAF Valley and are common sights.

RAF training helicopter looking suspiciously like a Police chopper. Again over Penrhos.

The bay at Malltraeth looking over to Newborough Warren

Puffin Island (now sadly devoid of Puffins until next Spring) from Penmon Point

The bay at Beaumaris, looking across to the Great Orme and Llandudno.

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Last Friday heralded the start of our holidays. I kicked it off with my usual visit to HGF – nothing different to report though 52 Pink-footed Geese heading SE was a welcome site. The Green Sandpiper was still around though this was the last time I saw it. The usual pair of Buzzards were loafing around Midhops farm and both Linnets and Skylarks were present in the south field. The weather was superb – a nice, cold and crisp day with plenty of sun. A male Sparrowhawk visited the garden this morning and best of all – 14 Tree Sparrows at the Waterworks Lane feeding station – the first birds there since I started putting seed down again.
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We then set off for Anglesey. We have been coming here for years and again I got that feeling of coming home. This time we were staying in Trearddur Bay. The only birding in Anglesey today was a quick pit stop at Four Mile Bridge. Twelve Brent Geese flew off the Inland Sea and also present were 25 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Little Egrets and around 120 Wigeon. Tonight we viewed Jupiter without the normal light pollution – five moons and the bands around the planet were clearly visible! Saturday was a family day out the only birds of note were around 55 Shags and a couple of Guillemots from Penmon Head and a Purple Sandpiper with various waders on some rocks at high tide in Trearddur Bay – a nice spot from the living room window!
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Sunday morning I started with a quick mooch around Rhoscolyn – in contrast to the last few days it was grey and cold. Various waders around the bay and 25 Redwings flew through. We have been hearing migrating Redwings at night since we got here – otherwise nothing much to show for the brief sojourn. Around 35 House Sparrows were chattering away in the garden where we stayed.
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Tuesday was the first birding day but grey skies and rain restricted birding efforts. The day kicked off with 15 Brent Geese flying off the Inland Sea and over the A55. I then headed off to Malltraeth, arriving around an hour after high tide. Predictably the area below the cob was flooded and aside from a Snipe and a few Little Grebes the pool by the road side was empty. On a small flash in the opposite fields were around 40 Pintails while 85+ Lapwings stood still in the rain nearby. Out on the sea were 50+ Wigeon, 120+ Shelduck while a Black-tailed Godwit flew over and along the edges patrolled 11 Little Egrets, 80+ Dunlin, 57 Curlews and 170+ Oystercatchers. A Raven also flew over.
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At the nearby duck pond at Llyn Parc Mawr there was nothing interesting with the pool full of Mallard plus a few Teal and Gadwall. I next ventured over to Llyn Coron where the world’s supply off Greylag Geese were present, along with four Buzzards and the same number of Stonechats. The day remained miserable and viewing difficult so I headed back to Penrhos Coastal Park, one of my favourite places, and thankfully the rain stopped. The tide had turned and I missed the first Great Northern Diver of the autumn here by about 30 minutes.
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The star of the afternoon was a second winter Mediterranean Gull which was feeding along the tide line out in the bay. Just like the Ring-billed Gull 18 months ago it decided to visit and loiter around the car park with the Black-headed Gulls. Around 30 pale-bellied Brent Geese were feeding in the bay with juveniles clearly outnumbering the adults. I love watching these little geese and Penrhos is one of the best places to get close to them. Lots of waders around including 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, a few Grey Plovers and plenty of Dunlin, Curlew and Ringed Plovers. The other bird of note today was a female Blackcap at Breakwater Country Park.
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On Wednesday I made another visit in sunshine to Penrhos and got some better views of the Med Gull. 7 Little Egrets, 30+ Brent Geese and the usual wader line up with around 450 Golden Plover in the distance. I later made a trip to Southstack – as I approached I noticed a raptor flying around the base of Holy Mountain. I stopped the car and got out and was rewarded with….a Kestrel. I was sure this was not the bird that had caught my eye so I stayed still and a few minutes later an adult male Peregrine joined the Kestrel with the two floating briefly side by side. Marvellous! At the reserve the wind was blowing steadily and the cliffs were largely empty. I ended up following a group of Stonechats around – four Choughs and a couple of Ravens also put in an appearance. And that was the end of the Anglesey trip.
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Thursday morning I wandered over to Cockersand Abbey. It was nice and sunny and devoid of birders, but not so birds! I expect most birders had gone down the road to Bank End Farm to see the dowitchers, however as I had an appointment to keep in the afternoon I couldn’t take the risk of being cut off by the 9m+ tide (thanks to a local birder for telling me this). Initially most birds were distant but after an hour or so the tide started to rise and push birds closer. It really is a superb place to watch waders and the sun doesn’t get in your eyes!
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Grey and Golden Plovers, Redshanks galore, lots of Dunlin and a flock of over 1000 Knot flitted around – it was great to watch the Knot flocks swirling around the sky. I spotted a drake Scaup in the channel – around 40 Eiders, 40+ Pintails and 6 Red-breasted Mergansers were also floating around. A couple of birders did eventually show up with one poor chap getting excited by a distant row of fence posts which he mistook for a group of birders watching the dowitchers!!! Best of all was a juvenile male Peregrine which flew over and was mobbed by a flock of corvids. Suddenly he dropped and grabbed a Crow and flew around 200m before letting the shocked corvid loose. He made a repeat appearance around 30 minutes later. A second winter Great Black-backed Gull was busy swallowing something whole – I could see a pinkish leg and a webbed foot sticking out of its mouth. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the site – I will definitely be back here.
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Today I started with over three hundred Pink-footed Geese lfying east over Rixton as I drove along the A57 to work. Late morning I had a quick look at the feeding station. A flock of 35+ Tree Sparrows were present along with a male Yellowhammer. They suddenly flew off while alarm calling – a Peregrine then flew off a nearby pylon and revealed itself to be the cause. Three different Peregrines on successive days – superb! I came back at dusk this evening – the Tree Sparrow flock was busy chattering away in the hedge and a covey of eight Grey Partridges were feeding steadily. When the Tree Sparrows flew off to roost I counted 54 birds leaving the hedge! Amazing.

The Jays have it!

First winter Mediterranean Gull, Heysham

Adult Mediterranean Gull, Heysham

Sunset over Winwick

Red Admiral, Caton

The Lune at Sunderland Point

Redshank, Sunderland Point

A covey of ten Grey Partridges doing their best to ignore me, Rixton Moss

Male Kingfisher, Moat Lane Pool, Rixton

Lapwing, Sunderland Point

Curlew, Sunderland Point

Curlews, Heysham

Common Darter (female), Rixton Clay Pits

Common Buzzard, Caton

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Today I have seen eleven Buzzards in various locations. Started off with the usual two at HGF, four at Rixton Mosses, two at Glazebrook, one at Culcheth, one at Hermitage Green and one at Parkside Road. This was well beaten by the 18 Jays I saw in various locations on Saturday. It says something that Buzzards are nearly as common as Jays though!
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HGF remains reasonably quiet. The Green Sandpiper is still around and a couple of Buzzards seem to spend most of their time walking around the south field. For the first time in forever the last few days have seen no aythya ducks present on the pool. At least a drake Pochard had the decency to turn up this morning, though yesterday’s drake Ruddy Duck had left. Over the last week or so I have noticed a Great Crested Grebe that spent more time perched on the banking than it did in the water. Last night at dusk the bird was fast asleep on the banking, this morning, unfortunately, the bird was dead. On Saturday morning a few migrants popped in – nine Skylarks were flitting around the south field and 47 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over south.
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Rixton has been a bit more interesting. At least four Buzzards most days and an amazing flock of 65 Skylarks nr Prospect Lane on Saturday afternoon. Jays seem to be everywhere – I counted 18 on various travels on Saturday with most of these being around Rixton. A Shelduck was unusual on the tip pool on Saturday – this lunchtime a Great Spotted Woodpecker was also hanging around the tip. I also had my first Redwings of the autumn today when two flew over Moat Lane pool. Ten Teal, two Little Grebes and a bunch of Canadas were also present – previous days the pool had been devoid of life other than Coots and a male Kingfisher on Saturday.
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Yesterday a covey of ten Grey Partridges were in the field by the farm on Prospect Lane, today a single bird was hopping on one leg down the lane! At lunch today I also got my closest ever views of a Buzzard – stood by the hedge in Moat Lane one popped over the hedge no more than three feet away. I don’t know who was the more surprised. A Sparrowhawk floating over the fields and a Kestrel completed today’s raptor line up.
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Winwick has been reasonably quiet with little in the garden either. Last night at dusk two coveys of Grey Partridges (seventeen and six) were in the field behind our garden. This morning thirteen birds were present and were being stalked by a black cat. The moggy had approached to within a few feet of the partridges before I decided to spoil its fun.
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On Sunday I ventured over to Leighton Moss early morning. Unlike the recent nice weather it was grey, cold and wet. Around 700 Black-tailed Godwits were present on the pool in Barrow Scout Fields. Next I went to the causeway and stood watching the grit trays – before long male and female Bearded Tits were feeding on the grit trays. They stayed for over ten minutes. I found a couple of Marsh Tits in a hawthorn near the Pheasant pens at the top of the causeway and then headed off to Caton to get Karen and myself a bacon and egg butty.
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Early afternoon I dropped into Heysham and had a mooch around the north harbour wall. An adult and a first winter Med Gull were hanging around – the adult didn’t stay long. 22 Curlews flew south, otherwise not much around and the wind was blowing heavily straight in off the sea. I checked out the wooden jetty for Purple Sandpipers and found none – I then checked the outflow and to my delight found five adult Med Gulls there!
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Next stop was Sunderland Point. I’ve not been there on my own and it’s a while since Jonathan showed me how to get there so I was amazed that I found the place without getting lost. The tide was starting to come in by mid afternoon and though lots of people were around, there were still plenty of good birds. The following were observed:
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44 Wigeon
6 Eider
2 Red-breasted Merganser
220+ Curlew
140+ Bar-tailed Godwit
700+ Golden Plover
1500+ Lapwing
12 Turnstone
12 Dunlin
1500+ Lapwing
450+ Redshank
1 Pink-footed Goose
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At Caton Sunday evening six Swallows headed through south. The night sky, with no light pollution, was superb and I watched Jupiter through my scope – I also saw at least four of its moons!
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This evening a quick trip to Newton Lake and the Teal flock is up to at least 92 ducks. The usual pairs of Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Little Grebe and Grey Wagtail were present with seven Tufted Ducks. The Moorhens are doing well with 16 hanging around this evening and a Mistle Thrush was being noisy near the entrance.

Bearded Tit at Leighton Moss

A bit ropy but another attempt at filming using my little Coolpix and the scope. It was wet and windy at Leighton Moss early Sunday and I was also stood in the edge of the reed bed to avoid blocking the path. That's my excuse anyway!

A little bit of change

Red Sandpiper at HGF! The rising sun bathed everything in a warm glow yesterday morning, including this Green Sand.

A snap from last weekend that I forgot to post - Spotted Redshank at Leighton Moss

Leighton Moss.

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This morning a few slight changes at HGF. Unlike the previous two days (cold, crisp, clear and sunny) the morning was just cold and grey. I love autumn mornings as long as the sun is out - Wednesday and Thursday the rising sun made me feel almost as though I were on Mars! Anyway this morning kicked off with a couple of Snipes flushing beside the path in the south field. By the pool the Green Sandpiper was busy feeding - it has been here all week. As I scanned the pool I noted a single drake Pochard (now sadly an almost unusual sight) and then four Wigeon. In previous weeks the odd Wigeon has dropped in to the pool and the resident drake has completely ignored them. This morning was different and he was busy mooching around with the new birds, consequently I am confident that they are the first returning birds and not just passing through.

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Yesterday the Little Grebe flock crept up to 9 before falling back to normal levels today. Also yesterday a third adult Mute Swan and two juveniles were present. The Buzzard was again perched on the wires and was desperately flapping its wings to maintain its balance while being mobbed by a Crow. Last night at dusk I simply stood on top of the north bank and watched birds flitting between the trees around Myddleton Hall and the narrow wood beside the M6. All common stuff but just nice to stand and watch. Two Nuthatches, a Jay and a Buzzard made it worthwhile.

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One thing I did track while standing there was the movement of corvids out of the Myddleton Hall rookery. I eventually counted 64 Jackdaws and 33 Rooks all heading north at dusk out of the rookery, no doubt to some communal roost. This morning the Jackdaws all returned at dawn and spent 10 minutes or so just wheeling over the rookery as though ensuring it was still there. I remember when I lived in Barnoldswick I used to watch a Jackdaw roost near to the canal. There was a hill which was quite prominent and had a small wood on top of it. In Autumn around 500 Jackdaws would descend upon the wood to roost. Because of the hill I could see them coming from all directions and from a long way out, a bit like bomber squadrons approaching a target I always thought. The noise just before last light was deafening and then everything would suddenly go quiet. They only ever stopped for a couple of weeks before moving on to another roost site.

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In the garden this morning 11 Goldfinches were present on the feeders.