Rixton comes up trumps

Photos:

Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper at Houghton Green Flash
Grey Partridge, Yellow Wagtail and Wheatear at Rixton

13^th April 

After work today I nipped round to the feeding station and watched the hedge for a while. There was nothing present initially and then a few birds appeared from further down and slowly worked their way up, to be joined by others when it was clear the area was safe. Typical behaviour; that said only 11 Tree Sparrows were present though 10 Yellowhammers did eventually appear. I have also discovered they are currently flying into the depths of the rape field for cover when they feel threatened e.g. when dog walkers go past. David Bowman went past and said hello. 

I then popped round to HGF and bumped into Chris so we walked down to the pool. A pair of Jays were messing around in the south hedge – first I have seen for a while and a few Mistle Thrushes were feeding on the lawn. It was pleasing to see loads of hirundines over the water, buzzing back and forth with most being Swallows and Sand Martins. Yesterdays five Canada Geese turned up while we were there and at least 15 Great Crested Grebes were on the pool. At one point a pair of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls popped in for a quick bath before leaving – the third successive night they have done this. 3 pairs of Little Ringed Plovers patrolling the muddy fringe capped off the evening nicely. 

Pete Hilton texted me about 2 cranes today at Risley Moss – I assumed they were flyover birds and didn’t question this – just congratulated Pete. 

14^th April 

A Common Sandpiper was present at HGF this morning and a drake Pochard was a welcome visitor – infrequent at this time of year. Two pairs of Oystercatchers were present but no fisticuffs – I guess the resident pair and the pair from just to the south. At the feeding station were 24 Tree Sparrows and 8 Yellowhammers. Four Wheatears were present on Rixton Moss. 

Late afternoon I took Bill for a walk down Barrow Lane. Not much around – this is the list of birds seen while I was there: 

Buzzard                       5

Grey Partridge             2
Lapwing                      12
Mallard                        3
Meadow Pipit              2
Oystercatcher              2
Skylark                        8
Stock Dove                 2 

I was driving away from Barrow lane and back towards Winwick when Jonathan rang. He was at Leighton Moss and a friend of his had just phoned him about 2 cranes which had just flown from Risley Moss heading towards Rixton. I immediately took off over to Rixton to see if they had put down there. Going down Holly Bush Lane, as soon as I cleared the first farm where the Vista opens up I could see the cranes even without bins, walking around in a field around 100m west of the junction with Woodend Lane. Unfortunately two people with a dog were heading in that general direction and within seconds of spotting them, the cranes spooked and flew back into Risley Moss. 

I then piled back into the car and did a good Sweeney impression heading round to Risley Moss – I arrived at 6pm just as the Ranger was closing the gates. Fortunately he was helpful and understanding and allowed me a quick 20 minute spell at the viewing point. Nothing doing though the Ranger told me that the cranes had spent their time today in an area of restored mossland at the back of the reserve and which is completely surrounded by trees. I thanked him for the info and went home. 

15^th April 

Up early this sunny Sunday morning and gambolled that the cranes might have left Risley Moss and be feeding around Rixton Moss if it was quiet. I found them at 06:55 in the same place I saw them yesterday – they were slowly wandering up and down a line towards the ploughed patch which borders the railway line separating Risley and Rixton Mosses. Put the word out and expected someone to come for a look – no one did. I watched these superb birds for nearly two hours (during which time a female Sparrowhawk flew over them) before they suddenly took off and flew back into Risley Moss. 

As luck would have it, Brian Burnett and his wife Helen arrived. We stood chatting for a while when suddenly the out-of-sight cranes started calling before lifting out of Risley Moss and they began spiralling up on some thermals with a couple of hundred large gulls. Eventually they headed off high to the SE. 

After the cranes had gone I wandered over to the ploughed field previously mentioned and found a couple of Wheatears, two White Wagtails and a superb male Yellow Wagtail. This area, as on previous visits, is alive with Skylarks too. Six Corn Buntings were seen around Prospect and Holly Bush Lanes. 

Back home at the feeding station were 34 Tree Sparrows and 4 Yellowhammers. While I was busy watching the cranes, Karen was watching a Grey Heron which had flown into the garden and had perched on top of the Magpies nest in the smaller Ash tree, much to the anger of the occupants! 

Late morning I walked round HGF. A female Sparrowhawk (my second today) came barrelling over the south field and headed into the trees around the kennels before emerging with nothing to show for her efforts. The drake Pochard was still around and the wader line up included a Common Sandpiper, 4 Little Ringed Plovers, 2 Redshanks and an Oystercatcher. Willow Warbler and Blackcap were both singing away.