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 Catonxxxx
I’m a bit behind with my inane ramblings again. Here’s a summary of the last week or so.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
Xxxxx
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.
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