Black-necked Grebes at last!

Photos:

Black-necked Grebes at Houghton Green Flash
Spotted Redshanks at Conder Creek
Grey Heron at Glasson
New moon over Winwick

24^th March 

An early morning visit to HGF paid dividends when I found a pair of breeding-plumaged Black-necked Grebes on the water. I had thought that we would struggle here for this species with the water levels being so low. I wonder how long they will stay? Also present was a signing Chiffchaff! Pretty much as was with everything else though a slight decline in Wigeon numbers was noted. A quick fly by at the feeding station produced 22 Tree Sparrows and a couple of Yellowhammers – I think the birds are drifting off back to their breeding territories now. I also had a quick nip round Rixton in between various errands. The Green Sandpiper was still on Moat Lane pools and three Chiffchaffs were singing here. The mosses were relatively quiet in terms of birds (a single female Wheatear being the only bird of note) but birders were much more numerous having bumped into Dave Steele, Les Jones, Dave Riley and David Spencer! 

Late afternoon I headed up to the van and took a detour to Glasson and Conder. The heat haze made viewing difficult (it seems there is still plenty of moisture in the atmosphere), however there was a large flock of 550+ godwits at Glasson with the vast majority looking like Blackwits (they were also distant). On Conder Creek were four Spotted Redshanks and four Black-tailed Godwits while a drake Goosander was present on the pool. Later on at the van I noticed a flock of 140+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the fields just north of the holiday park. 

25^th March 

This morning I took Karen for a visit to Leighton Moss. It wasn’t much of a real birding session – more of a country walk round in reality but enjoyable nonetheless. By the way – the sausage and egg barms are a bit good! Three Bullfinches, a Nuthatch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were at the feeding station, two Marsh Harriers (both females) were seen over the reed beds and three Chiffers were heard singing. I also bumped into a couple who thought they were watching a Willow Warbler but when questioned they did not know how to separate this species from Chiffchaff. That said, the bird they were watching did appear more like WW based on jizz – I didn’t get good enough views to clinch it though. 

Early afternoon I took Bill for a walk by Bull Beck. No hoped for Sand Martins and not much else to be honest – I ended up counting Oystercatchers (31) and did eventually find four Black-tailed Godwits in the far fields and a Goosander on the river. I heard two singing Chiffchaffs and another two on the edge of the village driving back. I also nipped over to Melling and confirmed the Whooper Swan herd is still present. 

Late afternoon I took Bill out again – this time walking from Woodies at COL to Forge Bank Weir. Very quiet – another singing Chiffchaff and three Bullfinches were about it. When I got back to the holiday park, I noticed Greenfinches dropping into the roost site again. I had clearly missed some but there were still 30 perched in a tree nr the roost. This evening the Lesser Black-backed Gull flock again passed through the fields north of the van. 

26^th March 

Glorious sunny day – it’s like July at the moment, or July as it used to be before weather patterns went haywire. Anyway I got home from working on the Wirral this evening and popped round Rixton on my way. No Wheatears at all on the mosses – they seem very scarce this spring. On Moat Lane pools were the first skinny dipping kids of the year and consequently no birds! Three singing Chiffchaffs in the lane was about the sum total. 

I then took Bill for a walk to HGF. No sign of the Black-necked Grebes and just 14 Wigeon now left on the pool. No sign either of Sand Martins or Little Ringed Plovers – is this weather holding things up? A second Redshank was present though and hopefully they will breed locally. At the feeding station late on were 65+ Tree Sparrows (they haven’t moved on after all) and 4 Yellowhammers.

27^th March 

Quiet day today – working in Birmingham today (my last visit!) and managed to get home in time for a trip to HGF where the Wigeon flock was down to just four ducks and a Little Ringed Plover patrolled the north bank. At the feeding station, 45+ Tree Sparrows had been joined by 14 Yellowhammers (why the sudden increase again in this species – a second migration movement?) and a couple of pairs of Grey Partridges. The usual male Sparrowhawk again appeared and again perched in hedge while angry chattering emerged from adjacent sections. Again he left with nothing (in my best Ann Robinson impersonation).