Lancashire Birding (1 Viewer)

[WyreWader]

I suppose I should contribute to this thread seeing as I live in Lancs! Had my first Fieldfares of the year today, 12 & 30-40 Redwings. I'm in the Leyland/Chorley area.

Hi Johnny - the more the merrier mate :t:

I'm yet to see the return of any Fieldfares or Redwing but am looking forward to doing so, I think they're both cracking looking birds.

I spent my lunchbreak at Marton Mere, Blackpool this afternoon. Not too much of note, 3 Great crested Grebes (2 adult & 1 Juv), lots of Teal, Shoveler, Tufties & lesser No's of Pochard, at least a dozen Cormorant. I've attached a couple of photos.

Regards

Cliff

 

[gareth_blockley]

I'm yet to see the return of any Fieldfares or Redwing but am looking forward to doing so, I think they're both cracking looking birds.

Cliff

I had 3 Redwing in bushes along the Wyre footpath today from the country park so they are back around.



Gareth

 

[gareth_blockley]

Hi folks

After my post last night asking lots of questions i had a good read through the thread which answered everything i needed to know. I will be working in the area around the Wyre this winter everyy so often so i will get some posts in of sightings.

Whilst reading through i came across this:

A leucistic redshank turned up at Sunderland around Christmas last year - I saw it several times until early spring. No sign of it returning so far this year - I'll see if I can dig out a pic.

posted in december 2007, post number 132 (pic attached again)

I am right in thinking this is a Spotted redshank arn't i? If so wouldn't that be a fairly notable winter species for 'up north'? Im not sure what makes it leucistic either?? and the pic is even titled spotshank??


Any how

Good birding

Gareth

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Gareth,

The post also mentions a Spotshank, I don't think there is any suggestion this is the leucistic Redshank.

Regards,

Stephen.

 

[gareth_blockley]

So it does.. I'll get my coat...

Gareth

 

[WyreWader]

Hi folks

After my post last night asking lots of questions i had a good read through the thread which answered everything i needed to know. I will be working in the area around the Wyre this winter everyy so often so i will get some posts in of sightings

Hi Gareth

I stopped by t'other morning & spotted your questions but didn't have time to reply and now they're gone & I can't remember them, so that's me off the hook, phew |:$| .

I'll look forward to reading about your sightings on the Wyre & if there is anything you need help with please ask away.

Recent sightings included half a dozen or so Fieldfare at Marton Mere on Wednesday and again there were 3 GC Grebes on the Mere.

Today I got my 2nd autumn sighting of Whooper Swans, there were approx 13 amongst probably a hundred Mute Swans in a field alongside the canal at Glasson Dock.

I've attached a few photos, sadly the sun was coming from the wrong direction & the Whoopers were a tad too far away.

Regards

Cliff

 

[WyreWader]

From a twenty minute visit to Marton Mere this afternoon there were at least 15 Cormorant, 1 x GC Grebe, lots of Teal, a few Tufties & Pochard; & per a chap who popped into the hide I was in there were two Long eared Owls roosting in the usual spot, but I didn't have time to check it out. Oh, & there were two youths who tried to lock me in the hide, little ***** :C .

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Oh, & there were two youths who tried to lock me in the hide, little *****

I wouldn't have thought a place like Martinmere where you have to pay to get in and presumably be coerced into going by your parents (if you are not a birder) would be a place to find children behaving like that. But you never know!

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Think he was at Marton Mere, not Martin Mere.

S

 

[ColonelBlimp]

I see-thanks for letting me know.

 

[WyreWader]

I wouldn't have thought a place like Martinmere where you have to pay to get in and presumably be coerced into going by your parents (if you are not a birder) would be a place to find children behaving like that. But you never know!

As Sandra mentioned above, it was indeed Marton Mere in Blackpool, one of the hazards of urban birding I suppose - & boys will be boys.

No sightings of interest for me today, although I did snap one of the many goldfinch (a juvenile) we're getting in the garden this year.

 

[WyreWader]

I was working in the Pilling, Nateby & Out Rawcliffe areas today, so whilst driving I kept one eye on the sky.
There were a remarkable number of Kestrels about, I must have easily seen 10+ during the few hours I was in the area. In addition there were 50 plus Whooper Swans in the fields off Island Lane, Nateby where there were also a number of Wigeon, also whilst viewing these there were lots of large skeins of geese overhead. Later at Bradshaw Lane feeding station there were 6 of what I think were Corn Buntings on the overhead cables (see photo of one attached) along with another of the ubiquitous Kestrels. At Fluke Hall Lane there were a further 50+ Whoopers, plenty of Shelduck & Lapwing & hundreds of Pink Footed Geese, also what appeared to be about a dozen Redwing overhead.

 

[Floyd Barnes]

Good afternoon at Martin Mere today. Marsh & Hen Harriers on view quite often. Couple of Kestrels, Buzzard & Sparrowhawk too. A Merlin flew by very close in hot pursuit of a small wader & was out of sight under the hide in a flash. All the usual wildfowl expected at this time of year, with hundreds (more?) of Lapwing. Also c. 30 Ruff. Barn Owl at dusk, but the highlight was the astonishing sight & sound of thousands of Pink-footed Geese as far as the eye could see, streaming in to roost.

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Roughly what time do the main flocks of geese come in to roost Floyd? Much before dusk? I have a weeks holiday so could go to Martin Mere later in the day for a change - usually we go first thing.

Sandra

 

[Floyd Barnes]

I went mid afternoon Sandra. A large number of geese came in about 3 ish. But the vast majority came in after 4.30. Awesome.

 

[Floyd Barnes]

Warton Bank

Male and ringtail Hen Harrier today.

 

[derekg]

Sorry not posted anything for a while, I have been out and about but haven’t seen anything of any great interest apart from last Saturday when I saw at least 25 Red Kites in the High Wycombe area of the M40 whilst I was on my way down to London.
I also managed to see a pair of paraquites, not the first time I have seen them whist in London.

Yesterday I managed a trip up to Martin Mere with my son and as well the many whooper swans that where arriving in droves we saw a female reed bunting, a goldcrest and a hen harrier (sorry couldn’t tell if it was male or female as I forgot my binoculars!)

The best sighting of the day (and probably so far) was of a Peregrine that my son spotted, suddenly dropping out of the sky in the attempt to take a Teal. This time it wasn’t successful which was a shame for my son and I but maybe not the Teal. :t:

Derek

 

[Neil UK]

Well spent 3 hours today flitting from Marton Mere, through Woodland Gardens to Stanley Park in Blackpool. And quite a few interesting spots.

Marton Mere: 2 Stonechats, 5 Reed Buntings, 50,000+ Starlings (at roost), Great Crested Grebe, Buzzard, Kestrel, Goldfinches, Pochard, Gadwall, very tame long tailed Tits (literally a metre from mt face).

Woodland Gardens: Great Spotted Woodpecker

Stanley Park: Great Spotted Woodpecker, TreeCreeper, Nuthatch, Long Tailed Tits, Shovelers, Tufted Duck, Cormorants.

Stanley Park seems to be coming a nice area, especially the wooded area at the far end of the lake.

 

[Jaff]

Roughly what time do the main flocks of geese come in to roost Floyd? Much before dusk? I have a weeks holiday so could go to Martin Mere later in the day for a change - usually we go first thing.

Sandra

They're feeding the birds at 3:00pm so if you arrive for then you can watch everything tear chunks out of each other and then wait around for the geese to arrive. You can sometimes stay quite late because even if the centre's closed you can still get out.

Yesterday I managed a trip up to Martin Mere with my son and as well the many whooper swans that where arriving in droves we saw a female reed bunting, a goldcrest and a hen harrier (sorry couldn’t tell if it was male or female as I forgot my binoculars!)

The best sighting of the day (and probably so far) was of a Peregrine that my son spotted, suddenly dropping out of the sky in the attempt to take a Teal. This time it wasn’t successful which was a shame for my son and I but maybe not the Teal. :t:

Derek

If you were there Sunday then it seems you missed the Ross's goose. According to the website it was seen yday too so I've missed it an' all!

In my defence though I only popped down for the feeding so stayed in Swan Link.

Cheers all. B

 

[derekg]

They're feeding the birds at 3:00pm so if you arrive for then you can watch everything tear chunks out of each other and then wait around for the geese to arrive. You can sometimes stay quite late because even if the centre's closed you can still get out.



If you were there Sunday then it seems you missed the Ross's goose. According to the website it was seen yday too so I've missed it an' all!

In my defence though I only popped down for the feeding so stayed in Swan Link.

Cheers all. B

We did see the Ross's goose spotted it just before lunch from the ron barker hide just forgot to post the fact we'd seen it.

Saw another Peregrine at a quarry in Scotland while I was working on Wednesday.