Some more good waders

Alkborough Flats viewed from near the first hide

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Alkborough Flats

Summer-plumaged Long-billed Dowitcher, Neumann's Flash. The views were definitely better than the photos!

Ropey digiscoped shot of a juvenile Green Woodpecker in the rain at Neumann's Flash

Juvenile Tree Sparrow, Waterworks Lane, Winwick

Four of the six Buzzards soaring above Moat Lane pools

Common Blues - Rixton

Female Common Darter, Rixton

Mating Common Darters, Rixton

Common Blue Damselfly (female), Rixton

Common Blue Damselfly (male), HGF

Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar in the garden. I found this character crawling across the drive.

Mother of Pearl Moth, HGF

Garden Spider with liquified bluebottle lunch....yum!

Starlings, Cadishead Moss

Common Sandpiper, Seaforth

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Last Saturday I had a quick visit to Newton Lake while taking Karen to the hairdressers. It was a nice sunny morning and plenty of birds were flitting around. Two Green Sandpipers were feeding on the usual patch of mud and a male Kingfisher was perched in a willow nearby. On the water were 10 Teal, 15 Gadwall and a Little Grebe.
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Later in the morning I had a quick mooch around Cadishead Moss. Around 130 Black-headed Gulls and a few Stock Doves were present in the fields in front of Holcroft Hall Farm in Culcheth on the way through – nothing else in with them though. On Woolden Rd over 1000 Starlings were flocking around the pig pens – few gulls about though.
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In the garden on Saturday it was good to see male and female Bullfinches on the feeders – I hadn’t seen the latter for several weeks. A tit flock passed through and contained a couple of Coal Tits while a shower late in the afternoon brought four Swifts feeding around the garden.
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An evening visit to HGF didn’t produce anything amazing though the area was busy. The Coot numbers are up to 80 with 55 Tufted Duck, 6 Pochard, 40 Mallard, 8 Great Crested Grebes and a Buzzard. Six Swifts and 14 House Martins were feeding over the field.
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Sunday morning and I got up thinking where could I go today? I had been reading about Borth and had seen the amazing video clips of feeding shearwaters on the north wales website. Bit too far – maybe I’ll go to Formby Point. In the end I did neither and had a wander around Rixton. I actually started off by parking in Waterworks Lane to see what was about. In the hedge by the feeding station a large flock of sparrows was passing through – around 70 House Sparrows but also at least 8 Tree Sparrows including a few juveniles. Given the numbers that turn up at the feeding station it is somewhat remarkable that these are the first birds I have seen this summer. Good to see evidence of breeding though! Also present were 12 Greenfinches, 2 juvenile Whitethroats and an adult and 2 juvenile Yellowhammers.
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In Rixton Moat Lane pools were also relatively busy – they have been practically dead for a few weeks now. On pool 1 joining the Mute Swan JP4 were two Teal (with two more overflying) and eight Mallard. Oh heady days! Five juvenile Grey Herons were also there and a Yellowhammer at the back of the pool. In the air above the pool were 16 House Martins and 6 Swifts. I walked round to pool 2 – there I found 2 Grey Wagtails and a Green Sandpiper. I heard some Buzzards calling and looked up to find six birds in the air engaged in all manner of playful activities. I know with many birds the power of flight is simply a mechanism to get from A to B. With Buzzards on a sunny morning like this they seem to simply revel in the power of flight – much like Otters love to play in water. The mosses were somewhat quieter with a few juvenile Yellowhammers the best bit – the Crow flock was also feeding further up Holly Bush Lane than usual and numbered 115. On Cadishead Moss there were 254 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 75 Black-headed Gulls – most asleep.
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An afternoon trip to HGF produced quite a few hirundines feeding over the field – around 70 Swallows, 16 House Martins with 4 Swifts. A Kestrel was perched again on Midhops barn – viewed from distance but appeared to be begging for food so I guess the juvenile again. An adult Little Grebe was also on the pool.
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Monday at HGF – I had 2 visits. In the morning visit (sunny) there were 24 Linnets on the wires and Great Crested Grebes had increased to 10 with the first autumn juvenile present. In the evening it was raining. I had parked up by Midhops opposite the strip that was a potatoe field a few days ago and watched in the rain to see if anything interesting was feeding in the mud. The rain suddenly stopped, the sun came out and a falcon went barrelling down the mud strip just a few inches above the ground. The bird then flew towards the trees over near Arbury Lane and with superb agility it had a pop at a couple of small brown jobs near the tops of the trees. This spooked 250+ Woodpigeons out of the trees. The falcon was a Kestrel!
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This bird was soon joined by a second from the roof of Midhops Barn – again the juvenile I suspect from the way it pestered the adult. A Common Sandpiper was calling from the edge of the pool – I never saw it. A HGF almost mega was a Coal Tit flitting around the north end of the pool – I see very few of these here. Two adult Little Grebes were also present. A drive home through Rixton after work had yielded nothing other than a field full of Lapwings and 2 Grey Partridges. At dusk I watched three Green Sandpipers feeding at the back of Newton Lake.
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Tuesday morning and the Common Sandpiper was still present at HGF. A single Swift flew through. A juvenile Little Grebe was around this morning but no sign of the two adults from yesterday. Working away today and this produced an opportunity to visit Alkborough Flats (http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/alkborough-flats.html#cr). The main attraction was the Semipalmated Sandpiper. When I arrived at the hide the only other birder present was already watching it though the hide quickly filled with an endeless stream of birders. The bird was associating with a mixed flock of Dunlin and Ringed Plovers and was quite distant – I had the scope on high zoom to see the bird in any detail. I wouldn't like to have to try and ID such a bird given the recent dicussions on various forums. One birder did have a snap of this bird which showed the partial webbing on its feet. Cracking bird - this is one of those I have always wanted to see.
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Alkborough Flats looks like an absolute cracking place for birding. As I approached the hide three Greenshanks flew off calling – a Wood Sandpiper had been right in front of the hide but I missed it by seconds. Lots of Ruff and Avocets and various other waders plus Little Egrets on the pool plus a Yellow Wagtail at the back. Definitely a place I would love to return to.
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Returning home from work on Wednesday night I called in briefly at Neumann’s to see the Long-billed Dowitcher – possibly the summer-plumaged bird seen at Marshside a few months ago? The bird was mooching up and down the spit for a while with the occasional kip or fly around. At 18:10 it suddenly took off and zoomed off straight up. I felt so sorry for a guy who had just arrived. He had been setting up his scope while his wife watched the bird through my scope – it flew off just as he was putting his face to the eyepiece. A few Curlews and a calling Green Sandpiper also present plus Jay and a juvenile Green Woodpecker on the fence near the hide. At least 700 Lapwings were present on the spit at one point – these were slightly outnumbered by the 800+ Canada Geese on the water.
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Thursday morning at HGF and a large mixed finch flock was busy feeding in the fields behind Midhops – at least 130 Linnets were present. This morning the Linnet population had increased to around 200 birds with House Sparrows and other finches present in numbers. Five Swifts were feeding over the south hedge this morning. Yesterday the Mute Swan pair that has been present on HGF for several days were joined by 8 others – again this morning 10 birds still present. Coot numbers had increased to 89 and Great Crested Grebes to 11.

Meds, goldies and other stuff

Little Egret, HGF

First winter Med, Seaforth

Whimbrel (right), Seaforth. Another candidate for Wildlife Photographer of the Year!

Goldfinch flock, Rixton Moss

Common Hawker, Rixton. I found this insect on the floor - still alive but in a bad way. I left it on some vegetation in the hope it would recover - I supect it had been hit by a car.

Curlews, Bank End

Two adult Meds on the north harbour wall, Heysham. The Czech-ringed bird is the one on the right.

Dozing adult Med (left) in Caton

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I’m a bit behind with my inane ramblings again. Here’s a summary of the last week or so.
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Last Friday (13th) started off quite well. While walking Billy around the park in Winwick I found a roving tit flock which contained a Willow Tit. Said bird stared out of a bush at me for a few seconds and then quickly disappeared. In the evening at HGF I had a season high count of Tufties (51) with a single Sand Martin and 23 House Martins around the pool. The juvenile Kestrel was perched on Midhops barn again.
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Saturday morning there were 7 Sand Martins and 3 Swifts at the pool along with numbers of other hirundines. A small flock of 14 Linnets were on the wires and a chattering flock of around 40 House Sparrows moved along the south hedge. Later at Rixton I found a mixed finch flock of around 160 birds in the rape stubble field at the bottom of Holly Bush Lane. The vast majority were Linnets with Goldfinches and Greenfinches also present. Nearby I found a pair of Grey Partridges with two juveniles.
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Late morning we headed off to the van. On the way into Caton I noticed a field which was literally covered in gulls. Over 1200 Black-headed Gulls were present – trawling through them I found a sleeping adult Med. Mid afternoon the field behind the van seemed to attract hirundines with 130+ Swallows and 30+ House Martins feeding. A Buzzard and 2 Kestrels were mooching around the place. Late afternoon I had a wander around the north harbour wall at Heysham – apart from 2 adult Meds I saw nothing and to be honest wasn’t that interested. In the evening I took Bill for a walk by the Lune at Crook O’Lune. A male Sparrowhawk flew over and hunted the trees by the river and a Kingfisher used an overhanging branch to try for fish.
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Sunday morning I was busy counting the Jackdaws feeding in the field next to the van when they all spooked and flew up. I scanned the skies and found a distant raptor – it flew towards the van and directly overhead – a brown juvenile Peregrine! A Nuthatch was calling in nearby trees though the feeders were devoid of birdlife all weekend.
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In the afternoon I wandered over to Conder Green. I arrived at high tide and met a couple of experienced birders called Maurice and Tony – I seem to bump into these guys from time to time and they are always good for a chat. They told me that a tosser in a kayak had entered the creek and flushed all the birds just before I arrived. A Greenshank and a Common Sandpiper had commuted to the pool –everything else had scarpered. A Little Egret flew over too. I then drove around to Glasson – big mistake. I spent ages in a traffic queue while various yachts came into the marina – I then found the light too harsh to view the salt marsh.
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Having discussed my lack of Lancashire Yellow Wagtails with Maurice he had suggested I try the marsh at Bank End. I wandered over there after the debacle at Glasson to find Maurice and Tony already there and watching a juvenile Yellow Wagtail. I got onto it briefly before it flew off – we later had the bird walk virtually right past us near the farm. Around 50 or so Pied Wags were on the marsh too and a Little Egret. I also found a huge (and I mean huge) female Peregrine which was busy plucking a kill. As a foot note – Maurice and Tony also found Ring Ouzels in Buttertub Pass earlier in the year – pretty close to where I found a female a month or so ago.
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Monday morning at HGF a Common Sandpiper was wandering around the muddy fringe. The pool is filling up again now and the water is now level with the vegetation around the pool. Consequently it is no longer that attractive to waders and it is very hard to see any that are present. 24 Linnets were on the wires, a Little Grebe was also on the pool. 14 Swifts, a Sand Martin and a Great Spotted Woodpecker completed the interesting line up. After work I drove around Rixton Mosses. A flock of around 50 Linnets were flying around the tip pool – a couple of Teal were on the water. Further up the lane in the thistle bed by the farm was a flock of over 250 Goldfinches – I spent quite a while watching this spectacle! A Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the garden today on the feeders.
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Tuesday morning was grey, grim and wet but was brightened up considerably when I found another Little Egret at HGF. The Linnet flock on the wires had increased to 34. I then spent the next couple of days working in the Isle of Man. No chance of any birding over there due to incessant work pressures t the moment.
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Thursday and while working in the area I managed a quick trip to Seaforth. It was raining and grim (and no birders) and at low water there were very few gulls on the reserve. I did find a first winter Med on the salt water pool. Two Whimbrel were the pick of the finds. Plenty of Black-tailed Godwits and Dunlin, a single Knot and two Common Sandpipers observed – a flock of around 90 Goldfinches were flitting around in the rain. Terns numbered around 200.
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Friday morning I got to and away from HGF just before a thunderstorm. Six Sand Martins were feeding over the water. At home in the evening a Sparrowhawk buzzed over next door’s garden and at Newton Lake a single Green Sandpiper was present – plenty of Gadwall again at the back of the pool.

Twitching and an evening at Upton Warren

Kingfisher, Upton Warren

A playful Fox, Upton Warren. It was fun watching it trying to catch mice and voles!

Juvenile Common Terns, Upton Warren

Canada Geese, Upton Warren

I walked out of a manufacturing plant on an industrial estate in the midlands, looked up and saw two of these!

Common Crane, Hoveringham

Baird's Sandpiper, Idle Valley NR

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Sunday (8th) I decided to do a bit of twitching. I spent part of the day watching an adult Baird’s Sandpiper at Idle Valley NR. The only previous specimen of this species I had seen was a juvenile so it was good to see this bird. I wasn’t really in birding mode though and paid little attention to anything else though I did see a Hobby and a Green Woodpecker around the area plus Dunlin and Turnstone on the mud flat with the Baird’s. Down the road I also caught up with a Common Crane which had been hanging around Hoveringham Park.
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Monday 9th – a single adult Black-necked Grebe present on HGF this evening – otherwise it was quiet. I managed to nip over to Pennington to see the very showy Wood Sandpiper – easily the closest views I have had of this particular species.
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Tuesday evening while working away I headed for the Moors Pools at Upton Warren. Having just spent 24 hrs in the SW in pouring rain while driving and stuck in the middle of a manufacturing plant with no external light during the day, it was bliss just to walk around and soak up the evening sun. I parked myself in one of the hides and watched a wide range of common birds go about the daily business. A Green Sandpiper was patrolling the far shore – it was soon joined by a Common Sandpiper and a juvenile Little Ringed Plover. The pool was full of mostly Mallard and Canada Geese with the odd Teal or Shoveler thrown in.
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A female Sparrowhawk appeared off to the right – she was being chased by three juvenile Spars all begging for food and making a right racket! She gave them the slip and flashed across the front of the hide. Later a male Sparrowhawk appeared in front of the hide on two separate occasions. One of the volunteer wardens arrived and we had a very pleasant chat. Superb job they do at Upton Warren. A female Kingfisher also appeared briefly and 6 Common Terns dropped in to feed – three juveniles and three adults. It was a very pleasant evening.
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Thursday evening I briefly passed through Rixton on the way home. Nothing much to report other than a flock of 40 odd Linnets at the bottom of Holly Bush Lane and a pair of Grey Partridges with 8 juveniles in tow wandering down the path – the first I have seen this year. HGF was also quiet though a single Sand Martin was a welcome visitor on its way south. It is very noticeable that the skies are now empty of Swifts! Autumn is clearly just around the corner and the wind at HGF this evening was very reminiscent of an autumn gale!!! A male Sparrowhawk was in the garden this evening and a pile of Collared Dove feathers on the lawn suggests the female has visited recently too.

Wood Sandpiper at Pennington

A very showy Wood Sandpiper at Pennington Flash

A spot of gull watching

3cy Yellow-legged Gull, Seaforth. For some reason the camera has made this bird look a lot darker than normal - as it also has for the Lesser Black-backed Gull and Herring Gull in these shots!

Kittiwake, Seaforth

Juvenile Mediterranean Gull 1

Juvenile Med Gull 2

Adult Med Gull 1

Adult Med Gull 2

Peacock, HGF

Gatekeeper, HGF

Comma, HGF

Wren, HGF

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The sightings from the last week or so.
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Last Wednesday (4th) I visited HGF in the evening. Making a mockery of my predictions about Black-necked Grebes – two (adult plus juvenile) were present. A juvenile Kestrel was perched on the roof of Midhops barn again. The next day they had gone.
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Thursday I managed a quick visit to Seaforth. There was a large flock of gulls and terns on the long bank so I concentrated on viewing from the hide there. I picked out four Meds – two adults and two juvewniles. An adult Kittiwake and a Sandwich Tern were also present. I also spotted a 3cy Yellow-legged Gull which I digiscoped. The photos of this bird looked odd when I viewed them at home and I began to doubt the ID. Fortunately I could rely on sensible analysis by Mr McKerchar.
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Friday evening an adult Black-necked Grebe was present on HGF ( I make this between 9 and 13 birds that have passed through so far) and a large group of Swifts were passing through – there is clearly a lot of migration of this species going on at the moment. I am also seeing large groups of Woodpigeons on the move. After work I had paid a visit to Rixton. Four juvenile Little Ringed Plovers were present on Moat Lane pool 1 along with a Grey Wagtail. Around the mosses were good numbers of Linnets and House Martins but not much else to report.
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Later I took Bill for a walk to Newton Lake. The three Green Sandpipers were still present – also there I saw the escaped female Harris’ Hawk fly across the back of the pool carrying prey and dangling jesses. I haven’t seen this bird since late Feb – I later talked to a local who has seen the bird a few weeks before and had also spoken to other people who have seen the bird from time to time. A male Bullfinch was in the garden today and a Corn Bunting in Waterworks Lane.
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Saturday morning I had a long, leisurely walk around HGF. It was a nice sunny morning and it felt really peaceful. Around the back of the west hedge the thistle beds were full of butterflies and I spent a while watching a couple of Wrens feeding young and a Jay flitting around. A juvenile Whitethroat and at least 30 Goldfinches were in the south hedge and at least 200 Swifts, 35 Swallows and 25 House Martins were feeding over the field opposite the kennels. A Buzzard and a Kestrel were also seen. Usual suspects on the water sans Black-necked Grebes.
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At one point I noticed a Great Black-backed Gull come down and then flit back over the M6 to the east. I wandered round the path until I could scan the fields on the other side of the motorway. In addition to the GBBG were large numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls, a single Common Gull and a 4cy Yellow-legged Gull. Cracking bird for the area – this one was technically in Croft. Male Bullfinch in the garden again and two Green Sandpipers and a Kingfisher at Newton Lake.