Photos:
Awful record shot of the Fleetwood Marsh Short-toed Lark
Turnstones at Heysham
Marsh Tit and Lesser Whitethroat at Leighton Moss
Lapwings, Curlew, Red-legged Partridge and Redstart at Abbeystead
Sunday 24th April
This morning, when I could be bothered to get out of bed, I went for a wander over to Abbeystead. There were a few Red Grouse knocking around nr Jubilee Tower and a raven flew over Abbeystead Lane. Two Red-legged Partridges were also here and I rescued a Lapwing chick which had decided to play chicken in the road. At the car park there was no sign of the usual Pied Flycatchers though I did find a male singing elsewhere. A Garden Warbler gave some really good views out in the open though I never heard it sing. I walked along to the place I found Redstarts last year and found three males singing there, two were seen well. Plenty of the usual woodland species with Coal Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers all seen. Another pair of Red-legged Partridges were near the car park when I got back there.
Late afternoon I wandered over to Leighton Moss. I started at the Morecambe complex. Three Lesser Whitethroats were found on the way up the path, one singing nr the car park with one showing well nr the hides when another bird appeared and a Lesser Whitethroat scrap broke out. The pools held 12 Avocets and around 330 Blackwits – a pair of Pintail were also there along with a couple of Wigeon. On the way home I stopped at the view point above the reserve – while scanning a high flying raptor (Buzzard) I spotted around a dozen Swifts. These were my first of the year – they were constantly feeding above the reserve but always at height. Four Marsh Harriers (2 males, 2 females) were also seen.
At the van today I saw 5 Buzzards, a Blackcap singing near the van and 94 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the field behind.
Monday 25th April
I eventually woke up today and thought about the Short-toed Lark at Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park. I eventually gave in and headed off down to see it. The bird was skulky and the light was harsh making viewing difficult, however good views were eventually had. I then drove back home and went back to sleep! Later in the evening I walked Bill by the river at Halton. 2 Common Sandpipers and 3 Dippers (including a pair mating) were the birding highlights.
Tuesday 26th April
This morning I decided to do a bit of seawatching at Heysham over the ebbing tide. Most birders I know seem to prefer a rising tide for sea watching – I always think there is a lot of activity which often goes un-noticed from around an hour after high tide. This morning I saw nothing for the first hour and was rapidly getting bored when a couple of Sandwich Terns flew past. After that it picked up a bit with the following observed:
Kittiwake 2
Arctic Tern 1
Sandwich Tern 16
Red-throated Diver 1
Eider 4
Swallow 6
I also saw an unidentified and distant Skua (prob Arctic but hard to be sure) and a Grey Seal hanging around near the wooden jetty. Next I drove up to Teal Bay where 5 Red-breasted Mergansers were fishing in the channel and 25+ Ringed Plovers were on the beach.
In the evening I did my usual walk at Halton. There were around 85 Sand Martins feeding around the fishermen’s hut and I stood and watched as they swirled back and forth in a little cloud. Must be an insect hatch or something. I saw a large flock of Goosanders fly past up river and found them later preening and generally loitering around the weir pool. There were 32 in this group, seven of which were drakes in adult plumage. I found two more further back too. A Garden Warbler was found singing plus 2 Dippers and 2 Common Sandpipers (these were observed mating).
This morning, when I could be bothered to get out of bed, I went for a wander over to Abbeystead. There were a few Red Grouse knocking around nr Jubilee Tower and a raven flew over Abbeystead Lane. Two Red-legged Partridges were also here and I rescued a Lapwing chick which had decided to play chicken in the road. At the car park there was no sign of the usual Pied Flycatchers though I did find a male singing elsewhere. A Garden Warbler gave some really good views out in the open though I never heard it sing. I walked along to the place I found Redstarts last year and found three males singing there, two were seen well. Plenty of the usual woodland species with Coal Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers all seen. Another pair of Red-legged Partridges were near the car park when I got back there.
Late afternoon I wandered over to Leighton Moss. I started at the Morecambe complex. Three Lesser Whitethroats were found on the way up the path, one singing nr the car park with one showing well nr the hides when another bird appeared and a Lesser Whitethroat scrap broke out. The pools held 12 Avocets and around 330 Blackwits – a pair of Pintail were also there along with a couple of Wigeon. On the way home I stopped at the view point above the reserve – while scanning a high flying raptor (Buzzard) I spotted around a dozen Swifts. These were my first of the year – they were constantly feeding above the reserve but always at height. Four Marsh Harriers (2 males, 2 females) were also seen.
At the van today I saw 5 Buzzards, a Blackcap singing near the van and 94 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the field behind.
Monday 25th April
I eventually woke up today and thought about the Short-toed Lark at Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park. I eventually gave in and headed off down to see it. The bird was skulky and the light was harsh making viewing difficult, however good views were eventually had. I then drove back home and went back to sleep! Later in the evening I walked Bill by the river at Halton. 2 Common Sandpipers and 3 Dippers (including a pair mating) were the birding highlights.
Tuesday 26th April
This morning I decided to do a bit of seawatching at Heysham over the ebbing tide. Most birders I know seem to prefer a rising tide for sea watching – I always think there is a lot of activity which often goes un-noticed from around an hour after high tide. This morning I saw nothing for the first hour and was rapidly getting bored when a couple of Sandwich Terns flew past. After that it picked up a bit with the following observed:
Kittiwake 2
Arctic Tern 1
Sandwich Tern 16
Red-throated Diver 1
Eider 4
Swallow 6
I also saw an unidentified and distant Skua (prob Arctic but hard to be sure) and a Grey Seal hanging around near the wooden jetty. Next I drove up to Teal Bay where 5 Red-breasted Mergansers were fishing in the channel and 25+ Ringed Plovers were on the beach.
In the evening I did my usual walk at Halton. There were around 85 Sand Martins feeding around the fishermen’s hut and I stood and watched as they swirled back and forth in a little cloud. Must be an insect hatch or something. I saw a large flock of Goosanders fly past up river and found them later preening and generally loitering around the weir pool. There were 32 in this group, seven of which were drakes in adult plumage. I found two more further back too. A Garden Warbler was found singing plus 2 Dippers and 2 Common Sandpipers (these were observed mating).
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