Lancashire Birding (1 Viewer)

[Neil UK]

Amazing Marsh Harrier pics there mate. Have to get myself back to LM I think.

 

[Neil UK]

Common Tern's on Preston Docks have successfully had 2 chicks. Can only be around 4-5 days old but looking healthy

 

[Tao Wild]

So, back to birds that are in Lancashire.

There was a second summer Med Gull at Skippool tonight. I found a couple of Avocets there earlier in the week as well.

Regards,

Stephen.

Great news on the sighting of Avocets at Skippool.

 

[Neil UK]

Just been told by a friend at work that he saw a Marsh Harrier flying over Kirkham Market Square on Sunday heading towards the fields in Treales and Inskip.

Showed him a pic of one and he was adamant it was a Marsh Harrier. May head down that way on the way home from work to check it out.

 

[The Actor]

magpies

Hi !

I was at Marton Mere yesterday and I saw something that I've never seen before. Not a rare bird but Magpies on the feeders in the feeding station. It's a new one on me so I was wondering if this is a regular thing for Magpies ?

There was also a juvenile GSW amongst the Chaffinch and Tits.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Just been told by a friend at work that he saw a Marsh Harrier flying over Kirkham Market Square on Sunday heading towards the fields in Treales and Inskip.

Showed him a pic of one and he was adamant it was a Marsh Harrier. May head down that way on the way home from work to check it out.

Neil,

Over the next few weeks they should turn up at a large number of Fylde sites. Agricultural areas are a real possibility, but also coastal marshes.

Good luck.

Stephen.

 

[Neil UK]

Neil,

Over the next few weeks they should turn up at a large number of Fylde sites. Agricultural areas are a real possibility, but also coastal marshes.

Good luck.

Stephen.

Guess ill be sticking to the coast. Thanks for the heads up Stephen.

 

[kwyll]

Hesketh out bank! rspb reserve preston lancs

Any one been there?The salt marsh lagoons that they have created are now apparently tidal,amongst others marsh harriers,avocets,little egrets ,corn buntings have been seen there recently.It is a big place 180 hectares.........one of the biggest reclaimed sites in europe apparently!Though whether you can see all the place from the footpaths that border it remains to be seen.Went today...but the footpath i chose ...had an electric fence across it...?????????????So just gave up and went home for a beer.Dib road,off shore road is the best place to get to it apparently,just follow it on foot, until you get to the bank and turn left........!Will be going again asap weather permitting.Most of the info came from the reserve manager who i rang up today after the electric fence debacle....!PS if you check it out on google earth you can see all the work they have done before flooding it..!Peace.!

 

[Neil UK]

Common Tern chicks looking ok, well one is. Other one seems to be having trouble, parents try to feed it but the fish are way to large for it to take down. Going to keep an eye out over the next few days to see how it gets on. Plenty of competition though between the other pair on Morrissons side as they seem to fight each other ALOT. Also got a cool shot of a comorant in mid flight.

 

[gradders52]

How regular are The Hobby sightings there lately?

Was up there a month ago and don`t think they had been reported-seems there`s a lot of sightings of late?

cheers

'scuse the intrusion... dunno if anybody follows Brian Rafferty's blog, but he had some cracking shots of the Hobby at LM 11 July.

http://brianraffertywildlifephotographer.blogspot.com/2009/07/hobby-in-flight_11.html

 

[WyreWader]

Cracking Marsh Harrier photos OnceBittern!

Neil, great job with the Tern photos, have you got yourself a bigger lens?

I stopped off @ Marton Mere for half an hour yesterday & spotted 3 x Great Crested Grebes, 3 x Cormorant, several Pochard & Tufted Ducks, 3 x Gadwall & more Coots than you can poke a stick at. Also, back at home, we had 2 Greenfinch & 6 Goldfinch visiting the garden, along with a tatty looking Coal tit.

Today I had twenty breezy minutes at Fleetwood Marsh Dog Walking Park, where in addition to the labradors & suchlike frolicking in & around the pond, were 4 x Pied Wagtails two of which were juveniles & 1 x Little Grebe. (Also seen was a Black tailed Skimmer & was what likely to be a Ruddy Darter but it cleared off before I could get a photo - & a Six Spot Burnet moth).

Cheers

Cliff Raby

 

[ColonelBlimp]

Got to Leighton Moss today-no sign of the hobby much to my grief!!!! Cost me a fortune to get there as well!!!!!

Cracking marsh harriers though, with four juveniles seen all foillowing the mum. Also-rans were buzzard, peregrine, and a sparrowhawk eating a goldfinch just outside Eric Morecambe hide.

Spotshank and Little Gull around the saltmarsh, stoat, and a lovely dog fox from the train on the way back.

BUT NO HOBBY!!!!!!!

 

[Neil UK]

Neil, great job with the Tern photos, have you got yourself a bigger lens?



Cliff Raby

Cliff would you believe that no I havent hahahaa, cropped plus the Terns get seriously close aswell, right overhead.

 

[ivywall]

Nice images everyone.

Speaking of terns...

There are a lonely pair at Yarrow Valley with 2/3 chicks on a semi protected 'island'. We spent ages watching them - what a hard and ceaslessly eventful life they have protecting those young - It's all fishing, guarding and fighting!

Congratulations on the images, Neil - they're b..dy hard to track. They came so close... but the light wasn't great and neither was I - very much out of practice panning.

I got these two - the second shot shows just how close they get..........

I didn't argue with the woman on the left about her getting in the shot.....

 

[Neil UK]

Nice images everyone.

Speaking of terns...

There are a lonely pair at Yarrow Valley with 2/3 chicks on a semi protected 'island'. We spent ages watching them - what a hard and ceaslessly eventful life they have protecting those young - It's all fishing, guarding and fighting!

Congratulations on the images, Neil - they're b..dy hard to track. They came so close... but the light wasn't great and neither was I - very much out of practice panning.

I got these two - the second shot shows just how close they get..........

I didn't argue with the woman on the left about her getting in the shot.....

Thanks for the comment, they certainly do get close these Terns and your right they are so difficult to catch in flight with all the skitting around they do. Good track on the first one though!!

 

[Jonny721]

Pec Sand

Probable Pectoral Sandpiper at Condor Pools this morning. No further details.

Jonathan Scragg

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Probable Pectoral Sandpiper at Condor Pools this morning. No further details.

Jonathan Scragg

Conder Pool Jonathan, not known for its vultures.

Regards,

Stephen.

 

[Neil UK]

Well decided on a bit of an adventure locally on Sunday, ended up at Pilling, Bradshaw Lane and Beacon Fell and the only thing I can write home about was the face that I saw my first ever Bullfinch, can you believe that!! Also a fly over was either a partridge or corn crake, need to hear the voices before I can clarify exactly what it was.

This leads on to a question, does anyone know a decent area to watch the Hen Harriers at Bowland, I have seen them once and that was by chance and the 2-3 hours I spent up there yesterday didnt see any birds of prey. I cannot find any info on an area to spot them, I know there protected but at least a safe distance to watch them would be nice... anyone?

 

[jeffwode]

hi guys. typically on the only day i went out without my camera, i went to freckleton pool the other day, and on the way back saw a group of swans on the junction with the ribble, amongst them was a jet black swan. not being an expert i had to look it up, its a native of aus, so is obviously an escapee from a collection somewhere, but a wonderful sight to see.

 

[Neil UK]

I see on Fylde Bird Club alot of sightings at Knott End... whereabouts at Knott End?

This on the tiny promenade or somewhere else and at what tide times?