A mooch around the Fylde

First winter Iceland Gull, Preston docks

First winter Red-necked Grebe, Fairhaven Lake

Black-headed Gulls, Newton Lake

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Last Sunday I had a wander out to Starr Gate, Blackpool. I arrived around an hour after high tide to find a very calm and flat sea and also a distinct lack of a car park due to the construction of the new tram terminal!

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The sea watching was good with numerous Common Scoters (870+) around - many of them close in. Also out there were 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and 19 Eiders. No Velvet's though. I also wandered over to Fairhaven Lake to have a look at the Red-necked Grebe and then to Preston where the Iceland Gull was showing nicely.

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Later that afternoon I managed to get a pass out and wandered over to Risley Moss where Ian Woosey, Jonathan and Ste were already in residence. Four Woodcocks were the highlight at dusk with plenty of Redwings and Blackbirds flying into roost and a couple of Goldcrests calling nearby. I went back to RM on Tuesday evening and met Pete Welch there. It was one of those really clear evenings with plenty of birds around. A small flock of nine Lesser Redpolls flew around the mosses in an apparent circuit for three or four laps before dropping into roost - a couple of Yellowhammers joined them. Interesting that the redpolls went to roost very early - at least 25 minutes before the first Redwing appeared. The latter species appeared in numbers with 134 birds and 44 Blackbirds flying into roost. The Woodcocks were even better with at least 16 birds being seen. We discounted 2 or 3 as repeats and we there is the possibility there was some we missed. A great evening with several of the Woodcocks flying past just feet away in the semi-darkness.

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I hadn't been near the feeding station (except to put food down at night) until late yesterday morning. I briefly called in on my way past - around 40+ Tree Sparrows were present at the time. After a few minutes a single Jackdaw dropped in and I immediately realised this seemed to be one of the Nordic race birds with a partial collar which was thin around the back of the neck and more flared and much brighter above the shoulder. There were no other Jackdaws or any Rooks around. The bird was eventually flushed by some Crows. With the bird being on its own I wonder if it is in the process of migrating back north?

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Today at the feeding station around 80 Tree Sparrows were present in the rain. A single male Yellowhammer was there with 9 Grey Partridges and the usual Buzzard in the field opposite. The Tree Sparrows seemed to relocate en mass into my garden mid afternoon. Also in the garden were 30 Collared Doves - the highest count this winter but a long way off the 80+ birds I had several years ago. Yesterday a flock of 120+ Starlings briefly descended into the garden - 18 Fieldfares were with them.

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HGF remains quiet with 40+ Wigeon and a similar number of aythya ducks. Some decent gull numbers though with 375+ BHG's and several larger gulls last weekend. The Green Sandpiper was present at Moat Lane pools Rixton this afternoon. 6 Cormorants and 29 Tufties were also present - good to see the water levels rising again though this will eventually push off the waders. 14 Lapwings were on the mosses (birds returning to territory?) while a pair of Grey Partridges in Holcroft Lane may be a sign the coveys are starting to break up? Earlier this week I saw my first Corn Buntings of the year - two birds in Culcheth on the wires opposite Hanging Birch farm.