Photos:
Various butterflies in the garden (the Buddleia having an effect) with Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Comma and Peacock
Mediterranean Gull, Morecambe
Greenshank and Spotted Redshank, Leighton Moss
Tern chick on Moat Lane pools
July 20th
Coal Tit in the garden today. Later on I noticed an accumulation of Maggies in the large Ash tree – when I went out into the garden to see what they were doing, a Sparrowhawk flew out of the tree. Interestingly the garden was full of birds at that time and nothing else appeared to have seen the hawk or reacted to the Maggies cracking up.
After work I went to Moat Lane. A Buzzard flew over pool 1 and was hounded by one the adult terns. I then wandered over to pool 3 which I have never visited before. I had thought this one was impossible to access but not so. When I arrived there a Green Sandpiper flew off – I suspect this is where the little blighters skulk when the other pools are disturbed. Not much else about here – a Jay and a warbler which flitted briefly into sight and reminded me of Cetti’s Warbler. Completely wrong habitat though and probably a young bird of some variety.
I then went to look at the pool on Colliers landfill site. Two more sleeping Green Sandpipers on here plus the Mute Swan family and the world’s supply of Coots. A Sparrowhawk flew around the tip on Moat Lane. On the way up Hollybush Lane I noticed a pair of Grey Partridges with a single small youngster. A Brown Hare suddenly appeared, spooked when it saw me and ran straight at the partridges, scattering them. I also found another pair with five youngsters further up and a single bird popping into the wheat field just where I spotted the covey of 9 yesterday.
Late evening I walked Bill down Barrow Lane. He still falls over every so often and the look on his face is a picture – he clearly has no idea how this is happening. Fortunately he landed in patches of wheat which cushion his fall. The Quail was singing in the middle of the oat field, three Corn Buntings were singing and at least 14 Yellow Wagtails were flitting around the potato patch. Good views from the top of the mound – you can see a long way from here.
21st July
No birding today.
22nd July.
The long-sitting pair of Great Crested Grebes has abandoned their nest at HGF. The nest was flattened today and no sign of any young. I now suspect the flattening of nests is down to Coots resting on it when the grebes leave. A couple of Pochards were present plus 2 Kestrels hovering together over the east side – probably a juvenile copying its parent.
23rd July
HGF early morning produced 2 Common Sandpipers. Three Kestrels were present – two perched on wires near the kennels and a juvenile on the barn roof. Around 35 Swifts were feeding over the pool and the highest count of Great Crested Grebes with 27 birds present. It is very noticeable that these grebes like this shallow water – they had much lower numbers when the pool was a lot deeper. Conversely the Little and Black-necked Grebes don’t seem to like this place when it is shallow water or maybe the disturbance is driving them off or both?
Late afternoon, having headed north for the weekend, I wandered over to the Morecambe groynes just after high tide. The highlight was an adult Med Gull on the beach nr Broadway. A Whimbrel was present on the groyne here. At Teal Bay a flock of 35+ Eiders was swimming away (mostly sub-adults) and there was a sprinkling of Knot (some in breeding plumage) and Bar-tailed Godwits.
A Nuthatch was hanging around the van today.
24th July
Set off for Bull Beck this morning. The pebble bank in the middle of the river was covered in geese – 276 Greylags plus some Canadas and some Heinz 57’s. Five Common Sandpipers were also present, 5 Coal Tits and a Treecreeper were in the nearby trees. Only around 10 Sand Martins were left at the colony.
I then headed off to Barbondale, arriving late morning to find the placed rammed on a sunny Sunday. Consequently most of the birds kept high up on the hillside, out of the way. The first good bird was a Spotted Flycatcher which was feeding from a tree near the first gate. Other birds seen included;
2 Buzzards (one landed on the hillside and suffered repeated swooping by a Kestrel)
2 Kestrels
2 Ravens
1 Whinchat (male)
10 Wheatears
2 Redstarts (juveniles)
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Dipper
1 Garden Warbler
1 Blackcap
9 Willow Warblers
It was an enjoyable couple of hours just ambling around in the sun and watching the scenery and the birds. On the way home a Lancaster bomber flew overhead near Hornby.
Late afternoon I headed to Leighton Moss. The sun didn’t help at Morecambe pool but there were plenty of waders present. A Peregrine doing a high-speed dash through spooked everything at one point. Highlights here were 2 Spotted Redshanks, 10 Greenshanks, 278 Redshanks (bored again) plus 3 Little Egrets and 91 Dunlin.
Coal Tit in the garden today. Later on I noticed an accumulation of Maggies in the large Ash tree – when I went out into the garden to see what they were doing, a Sparrowhawk flew out of the tree. Interestingly the garden was full of birds at that time and nothing else appeared to have seen the hawk or reacted to the Maggies cracking up.
After work I went to Moat Lane. A Buzzard flew over pool 1 and was hounded by one the adult terns. I then wandered over to pool 3 which I have never visited before. I had thought this one was impossible to access but not so. When I arrived there a Green Sandpiper flew off – I suspect this is where the little blighters skulk when the other pools are disturbed. Not much else about here – a Jay and a warbler which flitted briefly into sight and reminded me of Cetti’s Warbler. Completely wrong habitat though and probably a young bird of some variety.
I then went to look at the pool on Colliers landfill site. Two more sleeping Green Sandpipers on here plus the Mute Swan family and the world’s supply of Coots. A Sparrowhawk flew around the tip on Moat Lane. On the way up Hollybush Lane I noticed a pair of Grey Partridges with a single small youngster. A Brown Hare suddenly appeared, spooked when it saw me and ran straight at the partridges, scattering them. I also found another pair with five youngsters further up and a single bird popping into the wheat field just where I spotted the covey of 9 yesterday.
Late evening I walked Bill down Barrow Lane. He still falls over every so often and the look on his face is a picture – he clearly has no idea how this is happening. Fortunately he landed in patches of wheat which cushion his fall. The Quail was singing in the middle of the oat field, three Corn Buntings were singing and at least 14 Yellow Wagtails were flitting around the potato patch. Good views from the top of the mound – you can see a long way from here.
21st July
No birding today.
22nd July.
The long-sitting pair of Great Crested Grebes has abandoned their nest at HGF. The nest was flattened today and no sign of any young. I now suspect the flattening of nests is down to Coots resting on it when the grebes leave. A couple of Pochards were present plus 2 Kestrels hovering together over the east side – probably a juvenile copying its parent.
23rd July
HGF early morning produced 2 Common Sandpipers. Three Kestrels were present – two perched on wires near the kennels and a juvenile on the barn roof. Around 35 Swifts were feeding over the pool and the highest count of Great Crested Grebes with 27 birds present. It is very noticeable that these grebes like this shallow water – they had much lower numbers when the pool was a lot deeper. Conversely the Little and Black-necked Grebes don’t seem to like this place when it is shallow water or maybe the disturbance is driving them off or both?
Late afternoon, having headed north for the weekend, I wandered over to the Morecambe groynes just after high tide. The highlight was an adult Med Gull on the beach nr Broadway. A Whimbrel was present on the groyne here. At Teal Bay a flock of 35+ Eiders was swimming away (mostly sub-adults) and there was a sprinkling of Knot (some in breeding plumage) and Bar-tailed Godwits.
A Nuthatch was hanging around the van today.
24th July
Set off for Bull Beck this morning. The pebble bank in the middle of the river was covered in geese – 276 Greylags plus some Canadas and some Heinz 57’s. Five Common Sandpipers were also present, 5 Coal Tits and a Treecreeper were in the nearby trees. Only around 10 Sand Martins were left at the colony.
I then headed off to Barbondale, arriving late morning to find the placed rammed on a sunny Sunday. Consequently most of the birds kept high up on the hillside, out of the way. The first good bird was a Spotted Flycatcher which was feeding from a tree near the first gate. Other birds seen included;
2 Buzzards (one landed on the hillside and suffered repeated swooping by a Kestrel)
2 Kestrels
2 Ravens
1 Whinchat (male)
10 Wheatears
2 Redstarts (juveniles)
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Dipper
1 Garden Warbler
1 Blackcap
9 Willow Warblers
It was an enjoyable couple of hours just ambling around in the sun and watching the scenery and the birds. On the way home a Lancaster bomber flew overhead near Hornby.
Late afternoon I headed to Leighton Moss. The sun didn’t help at Morecambe pool but there were plenty of waders present. A Peregrine doing a high-speed dash through spooked everything at one point. Highlights here were 2 Spotted Redshanks, 10 Greenshanks, 278 Redshanks (bored again) plus 3 Little Egrets and 91 Dunlin.
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