Chilling in N Lancs

Bearded Tits, Leighton Moss

Grey Heron, Halton Mills weir

Goosander, Halton Mills weir

Redshanks, Morecambe

Wigeon and Pintails off Teal Bay groyne, Morecambe

Gulls roosting on the groyne

Mediterranean Gull off Battery groyne, Morecambe

Little Egrets, Teal Bay groyne

Sparrowhawk, Conder Creek

Snipe, Conder Creek

Dunlin, Sunderland Point

Kingfisher, Crook O'Lune

Redshank, Sunderland Point

Gannet, Heysham

Med Gull, Heysham

Buttertubs Pass

Buttertubs - holes in the limestone created by water where farmers used to store butter!

I saw a female Ring Ouzel hopping around on here during our last visit

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21st – 26th September.
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Monday at the van was a nice sunny day. A large migration of Swallows passed over the field behind the van and over the next few days plenty of tits and finches visited the feeders including up to 5 Coal Tits. Also seen were Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker. The local Tawny Owl appeared in the tree next to the van for four consecutive nights and on one night was observed flying around the van thirty minutes before it went dark – maybe is was disturbed?
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On Monday evening I wandered over to some flooded fields on the border between Caton and Claughton – I had noticed a large gull flock there when driving past earlier in the day. Extensive scanning through the gulls failed to produce anything interesting though. Large numbers of Greylag and Canada Geese and Mallards were on or around the water with a few Wigeon plus flocks of Curlew and Lapwing.
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On the Tuesday morning I headed off in the windless sunshine to the north harbour wall at Heysham. Given the sudden abrupt change in wind strength and direction there was fat chance of any petrels seen on the previous day. The best sighting was a 2cy Gannet which came close into the harbour and at one point tried to pinch crabs from a fishing line. It failed and, looking knackered, simply drifted out of the bay. A second 2cy bird also flew across and an exhausted looking Guillemot rested on the water. A few Ediers were out in the bay and plenty of migrating Meadow Pipits were flitting around the mound with a flock of Linnets. Two small skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew over SW. A scan through the flock of 50+ Turnstones on the wooden jetty failed to produce a Purple Sandpiper – the usual Czech-ringed Med Gull was present briefly before heading off to feed behind the ferry.
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Wednesday morning started sunny too. I took Bill for a brief walk by the river at Crook O’Lune. I watched 2 Kingfishers buzzing up and down the river by the lower bridge – a Green Woodpecker was also calling nearby – the first I have picked up here. Late afternoon in pouring rain I got bored and headed over to Conder Green. There was not much on the creek – 18 Snipe being the pick while on the pool were 10 Little Grebes and a Kingfisher. I headed up to Glasson and saw a Spotted Redshank fly off next to a Common Redshank (nice comparison of the white patch on their backs) but the rain got heavier and viewing very difficult. I headed off but a brief pit stop back at Conder Creek produced a very bedraggled male Sparrowhawk perched on a rock in the creek and no Snipe! A pleasant afternoon run out to Buttertubs Pass didn't produce any interesting birds.
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Thursday morning I wandered over to Sunderland Point and just made it off before high tide. I got a text from Jonathan confirming that the bird he had found on Silver Lane pools was indeed a female Blue-winged Teal. A cracking and difficult find and very well deserved.
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I manged to have a mooch around Sunderland Point and get off just before high tide. I resorted to counting Redshanks and Dunlin – no hoped for Little Stints. The highlight was three Curlew Sandpipers which alighted briefly before flying off up the estuary. 10 Bar-tailed Godwits were the best of the rest.
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Thursday early afternoon Karen and I walked along Morecambe front. Although strictly not birding I managed to pick up an adult Med from Battery groyne and 2 Little Egrets on Teal Bay groyne at high tide plus various Eiders etc. We also visited the salt marsh at Bolton-le-Sands on the receding tide - thousands of waders and gulls plus a few Little Egrets were present on the marsh.
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Friday at high tide I went back to Bolton-le-Sands to watched the gulls, waders and almost 1000 Shelducks. Nothing rare here but a very enjoyable spectacle none-the-less. Teal Bay groyne again held a Little Egret while the Eiders were joined by a dozen or so Wigeon and a similar number of Pintails. Saturday I didn’t do any birding.
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On Sunday morning I turned up at Leighton Moss just after dawn. I had missed the Great White Egret and most of the Little Egrets leaving the roost but I still enjoyed the dawn and the roar of rutting Red Deer nearby. A pair of Bearded Tits feeding on the grit trays made the morning. Later a family walk along the Lune at Halton Mills Weir brought entertainment in the form of jumping Sea Trout and a couple of Goosanders fishing. Sunday night we were back home – I called in briefly at Newton Lake on the way. A couple of Pochard were different and the Teal flock was now up to 49.

Emotions

Juvenile Little Gull, Houghton Green Flash

Juvenile Whiskered Tern, Inner Marsh Farm

The tern, bottom left, sought refuge with a Lapwing flock when a Peregrine appeared

Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope, Fairhaven Lake

Buzzard on its usual fencepost at HGF

Lesser Black-backed Gull, Fairhaven Lake

Juvenile Herring Gull, Fairhaven Lake

Linnets on the wires at HGF

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September 18th – 21st.
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Saturday 18th Sept was a quietish day. I did pop up to Fairhaven Lake to have a look at the Red-necked Phalarope. Cracking little bird - I can’t get my head around how these delicate birds survive at sea. I soon got fed up of the photographers and headed over to Granny’s Bay – the place was dead and nothing stirred.
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At HGF in the afternoon a newly ploughed field had attracted large numbers of gulls. At least 700 Black-headed Gulls, 60+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a single Common Gull were present. I trawled through them thoroughly hoping for a Med but to no avail. A flock of around 110 Linnets were also in the usual field nr Midhops. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was on the feeders in the garden today. The previous day the first Wigeon had returned back for the winter.

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Sunday morning I made a trip to Inner Marsh Farm. A flock of 9 Mistle Thrushes flew over the path and a Buzzard called nearby, otherwise not much about. The juvenile Whiskered Tern was feeding over the back pool. As I watched it the tern clearly became agitated and then shot upwards to join the Lapwing flock which had also spooked and climbed high. The culprit was a probable male Peregrine which made a couple of unsuccessful passes before departing. The tern stayed with the Lapwing flock until everything settled. It was very noticeable how pale this tern looked – far too pale for a Black Tern but not white enough for a comic tern. A couple of Ruffs were also on the pool. An early afternoon visit in the rain to HGF produced 45+ Collared Doves and 70+ Linnets in the south field and a Jay flying over.
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Monday morning and we were due to set off up to the van for a week’s holiday. At 09:40 I arrived at HGF with Bill. I was only supposed to be walking Bill briefly before leaving so I had only my bins with me – out of habit I leave them in the car all the time. Not having a scope or time I didn’t expect to see anything and decided to take a quick walk along the north bank. As soon as I got to the shore and looked out I could see a gull heading towards me – it came within 50 yards or so and veered past before wheeling around a couple of times and then settling on the water. It was a juvenile Sabine’s Gull – f*cking amazing! At this point I got a call from Karen demanding to know what was taking me so long. B*gger. I quickly phoned Ian McKerchar and asked him to put the news out and then phoned Jonathan to tell him before heading off on holiday and hoping someone would get some good snaps of the bird.
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I can’t remember a bird producing so many different emotions.
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Elation at a cracking find on my local patch.
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Frustration when I found it the gull didn’t stay and no one else saw it.
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Anger when I found out that three birders arriving just over an hour later dismissed my sighting without even the courtesy of contacting me to ask what I had seen. They apparently saw a juvenile Kittiwake and decided I had mistaken the ID. It was very much an Alanis Morisette moment as the Kittiwake turned out to be a juvenile Little Gull!
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I don’t give a f*ck attitude followed by as Jonathan said “who cares, it’s just a bird” and then back to feeling happy with the find. I still think it was very rude and ignorant for people who don’t know me to simply dismiss the sighting though and I can’t help finding it amusing that they (all far more experienced birders than me I should add) made a very basic misidentification. I would have had no problems if they had tried to contact me to ask are you sure? They didn’t.
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I subsequently went back the following day to see the Little Gull as this was also a patch tick. This little dark brown gull was walking along the far shoreline and blended in to the mud very well – consequently I suspect it was present at the same time I saw the Sab’s. Very interesting bird in juvenile plumage too.

Autumn winds

Juvenile Whinchat, Rixton Moss

A couple of the Wheatears on Rixton Moss this evening

Ropey shots of a juvenile Black Tern on Houghton Green Flash - I don't care; it was a patch first for me!

Distant views of Leach's Petrels battling out of the Mersey at New Brighton

Pale morph Arctic Skua, New Brighton

Juvenile Curlew Sandpipers, Marshside

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Marshside

Pink-footed Geese, Marshside. Autumn is definitely here!

Odd looking Red-crested Pochard - is it me or does it have a bill like an Albatross?

Female Peregrine, Marshside

Wigeon, Marshside

Teal, Marshside

Sanderlings, Frodsham Marsh

Woodpigeon that was rescued from a field in Waterworks Lane

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Some good birding in the last week with the highlights definitely being my first Black Tern at Houghton Green Flash and the plethora of Leach’s Petrels in the Mersey.
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The Black Tern was present when I rolled up early on Thursday morning – a juvenile. I watched it for a while and eventually sussed it was doing a figure of eight circuit around the pool – this allowed me to identify its closest approach to the bank and at least be able to get some record shots. Superb bird – so much better when it’s on your local patch.
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The same day 2 Ringed Plovers were also present on the pool; however due to the undergrowth on the banks now there is no feeding area for waders and they are very difficult to spot when present. A couple of interesting Kestrel sightings have also livened up the place. On Weds at dusk I watched a Kestrel fly at something in the trees by Myddleton Hall while calling agitatedly. It then circled above the tree before flying away – at the same time a Tawny Owl began calling from this tree! This morning a raptor bombed down the south hedge looking to snatch an unwary bird – I initially thought Sparrowhawk and then realised it was a female Kestrel. Given the Hobby-like behaviour witnesses a few weeks ago it looks like the Kestrel’s diet is focussing on small birds. I wonder if this is due to lack of rodents or a learned hunting ability?
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Aside from the above sightings, flocks of Collared Doves (30-40), House Sparrow (60-70) and Linnet (70+) have been made regularly plus a small flock of 10 Skylarks in the south field. Only around a dozen Tufted Ducks and a single Pochard remained this morning.
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Last Saturday afternoon I drifted over to Frodsham with Billy to have another look at the Red-backed Shrike. When I arrived it was pouring down and I had to wait for a while before I could start birding. The rest of the afternoon was spent dodging showers. The juvenile RBS was still present though distant – it eventually did one over the other side of the quarry and didn’t return while I was there. The waits were punctuated by raptor activity with the highlight being 2 Hobbies hunting over the field beside the farm. Two Buzzards, 2 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk were also seen.
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Later on I decamped to No. 6 tank to look for waders. It’s never a good idea in the afternoon as the sun is directly in your eyes and the glare off the wet mud was very strong. I did however manage to see 6 Curlew Sandpipers on the far side with 2 Grey Plovers, a Ruff and a Ringed Plover also present. Suddenly three small waders dropped in – juvenile Sanderlings. A Chiffchaff was singing nearby and a flock of around 240 Goldfinches flitted over the thistles – always good for these little beauties is Frodsham.
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Sunday afternoon after various jobs at home I wandered late on with Bill to Burton Marsh. Again I had the sun in the eyes and glare problem and had to work at getting an angle to view the various flashes. The first bird of interest was a juvenile Marsh Harrier – way off towards the firing range. On the flash opposite Denhall Lane was the largest flock of Canada Geese I have ever seen – around 2200 birds. They were later flushed by six blokes with guns and dogs who were no doubt trying to make their acquaintance – the birds made a spectacular sight no matter their origins.
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I walked up to the Decca pools – a handful of Dunlins and Knots were present on the pool plus a range of ducks – mostly Teal. Along the way I had spotted four Ravens at various points around the marsh. Suddenly a female Marsh Harrier seemed to appear from nowhere and showed very well hunting around the Decca pools. Further out from here a Peregrine was perched on a distant post – around 20 or so Little Egrets were flitting around.
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I walked back down to the lane and a juvenile Marsh Harrier flew very close past heading in the same direction as the female – towards Parkgate. As I stood and watched it a Green Sandpiper began calling from the small flash in front of me. A second bird began calling – still couldn’t see them when I heard a Greenshank – this one I saw drop in and just as quickly disappear. I eventually saw the Green Sandpipers when they flew off. I carried on walking and a third Marsh Harrier (second juvenile) flew past. I can only assume one of these two juveniles was also the same bird I saw near the firing range earlier. The last bird of note was a Ruff on the main flash. All in all a very pleasant Sunday afternoon mooch.
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I had a few away day visit during the week. While working down in Somerset I managed a quick hour at Bridgwater Bay. This is an interesting place – resembles Heswall and Birkdale a bit to me and was very grey and windy when I arrived. It was low tide and the sea was well out so I had a quick scan to the right (towards Steart) and then set off west towards Wall Common with Hinckley Point power station beyond. A very tatty looking Peregrine was perched on the edge of the beach – it was interesting to see several Little Egrets walk right past it. There were around 15 of these herons dotted around the beach.
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Along the shingle bank I picked up 4 or 5 Wheatears – unknown to me a Lapland Bunting had been present an hour earlier though I didn’t see it. I eventually found a mixed wader flock which constituted 240+ Black-tailed Godwits, 60+ Dunlins and my target bird – 2 Little Stints. A sprinkling of Grey Plovers were also on the beach – many still striking in their breeding plumage. It was just getting greyer, windier and threatening rain so I headed off home then.
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Later in the week a chance to watch the Mersey from underneath Fort Perch Rock was grabbed. Interestingly there were no birders present – some did turn up afterwards but none stayed for very long. I again had to dodge heavy showers and I had to keep edging around the fort as the wind shifted. Overall at least 94 Leach’s Petrels were observed coming out of the river – I didn’t see any turning back into the river. This was a conservative count – I kept wandering off or gull watching or something else so the probable numbers were far higher. This is an amazing spectacle and well worth braving the weather.
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Also seen were 2 Fulmars, at least 8 Kittiwakes, 2 Guillemots, a Manx Shearwater, a Black Tern and a few Arctic and Common Terns. A pale morph Arctic Skua bombed out of the river pretty close. Eventually the wind dropped and the petrels began to thin out – time to go home.
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I also managed a brief trip to Marshside while in the area. I walked into Nells to see the marsh in front bathed in sunshine and for once not in my direct line of sight. The juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper and its new friends – 2 juvenile Curlew Sandpipers. The three were feeding together on a grassy island in front of the hide – superb views. I watched them for around 20 minutes or so then while watching through the scope the Pec started looking up at the sky (I knew what was coming next). The Curlew Sandpipers followed suit – then all three scattered and a split second later a female Peregrine flew through the airspace they had just vacated! The Peregrine circled and then flew through a second time before moving off. I eventually found the Pec Sand and one of the Curlew Sandpipers over on the far side of the flood, peeping from behind a mound of mud. And there they stayed. Also present were three Spotted Redshanks, a weird looking Red-crested Pochard and various Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Gadwall and a single Pintail. Around 100 or so Pink-footed Geese flew over – my first of the autumn.
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Winwick and the garden have been relatively quiet. Last Saturday while watching a covey of 7 Grey Partridges in a field at the far end of Waterworks Lane I also spotted a Woodpigeon that couldn’t fly. I couldn’t figure out why it couldn’t fly so I took it home and put it in one of the old ferret runs for a while. It gobbled up the world’s supply of peanuts and seemed to gradually recover – it was successfully released later in the evening. The only other sightings of note were a flock of 48 Greenfinches in the trees by Highfield Farm and 2 Buzzards in the field behind our house – one of which had something tasty and was surrounded by a ring of Magpies!

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After work this evening I made my usual trek around Rixton on the way home. On Moat Lane pool 1 were a couple of Green Sandpipers plus a Teal, a Jay and a Grey Wagtail. On pool 2 was another Grey Wagtail and nothing else. The Mute Swan JP4 was on the tip pool - around 120 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were loafing around on the tip and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was hanging around Propect Lane. When I got to the bottom of Holly Bush Lane I found this years rape field was now ploughed and I could see a few pale blobs out in the middle. I knew they would probably be Wheatears and I decided to scan them just on the off chance there was something interesting. It proved to be a good decision when I found a juvenile Whinchat with them.

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Newton Lake this evening at dusk - no Green Sandpipers but 10 Tufted Ducks, 2 Pochards, 28 Teal, 2 Little Grebes, 2 Mute Swans and 2 Canada Geese!