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

xxxx

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.

xxx

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.

xxxx

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.

xxx

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.

xxx

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.

xxx

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!

xxx

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!