Barrow Lodge, Clitheroe - 24th December 2099

After an email from Mike on Tuesday about the Velevet Scoter we finaly headed down to Barrow Lodge hoping it was still around. After parking in the snow at the bottom of the lodge I stepped out and found it pretty much straight away on the small unfrozen section of the lodge. There's a path running up at the back of the lodge so we headed up standing next to the bin and geting superb views of what looks to be a female. I pulled the Pentax out and readied it for what should have been some great shots but alas the battery needed charging and it would not come to life!! Luckily Reece had the Lumix and took all the photo's on the blog for this visit. If it stays around for a few more days I might head over again with a fully charged Pentax and get some more photo's as to see a Velvet Scoter at such close range and inland is a rarity indeed.

ABOVE VELVET SCOTER TAKEN BY REECE WITH THE LUMIX BELOW COURTESY OF MIKE FOLEY

Other sightings from the lodge included Heron, Mallard, Black Headed Gull, Grey and Pied Wagtail, Reed Bunting, Wren, Robin, Blue and Great Tit.

ABOVE GREY HERON BELOW GREY WAGTAIL AND MALLARD

ABOVE GREY WAGTAIL BELOW ROBIN

Back Yard Birding - 21st December 2009

We only topped up and increased the amount of feeders we have in our back yard two weeks ago but we've had numerous visitors especialy since the recent cold snap. Blue and Great Tit are regular visitors as well as a large flock of Goldfinch on Sunday. Reece spotted a Robin this morning and we also have Blackbird, Magpie and Collard Dove. A recent visitor has been the Blackbird (photographed below), it's not the first Blackbird with white markings we've had in the area as we had one last year but with white chest markings. We wondering if anyone has had any Blackbird sightings with similar markings as this is the only area we have seen them.

Martin Mere in the snow - 20th December 2009

We spent a couple of hours back up at Martin Mere paying a brief visit to most of the hides. We started as usual at the Ron Barker hide and worked our way back paying our usual visit to the cafe for a coffee and a bacon and sausage sandwich to help take the chill off, well it would be rude not to!
Sightings on the walk down included Dunnock, Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird, Tree Sparrow, Pheasant and Wood Pigeon, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

ABOVE MALE PHEASANT BELOW MALE CHAFFINCH

The hides were quiet with the weather being so bad but there were plenty of Pinkfooted and Whooper Swan on show as well as Wigeon, Greylag, Shellduck, Teal, Pochard, Coot, Moorhen, Pintail, Shoveller and a single Ruddy Duck.

RUDDY DUCK AMONGST PINTAIL, SHELLDUCK AND BLACK HEADED GULL

The surprise was the mostly white, and what we think is a Ruff amongst other Ruff feeding in front of the Raines Hide.

ABOVE FEMAIL RUFF BELOW WHITE PLUMAGED RUFF

ABOVE AND BELOW MALE RUFF

Other sightings included Reed Bunting, Greenfinch, Siskin, Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, Pied Wagtail and Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

Cottam Brickworks, Preston - 12th December 2009

With some better directions (thanks Mike) to the feeder at Cottam Brickworks we decided to head out and see if we could catch up with the Willow Tit. First stop was to get some wellies for Reece after getting wet feet wandering around last week.

After arriving I followed the directions as I thought them but again ended up in the wrong area so after retracing our steps we soon found the feeder and set up camp waiting for the Willow Tit to make an appearance. Frequent visitors to the feeders while we waited were Great and Blue Tit as well as Chaffinch and a couple of Blackbirds feeding on the ground. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker turned up behind us but didn’t venture onto the feeder. After around half an hours wait it made a very brief appearance and Reece missed it but he wasn’t disappointed for long as it made two again brief returns the longest behind the feeder making photo opportunities non existent.

WILLOW TIT COURTESY OF MIKE FOLEY

Having seen what we came for we decided to put the wellingtons to good use and trudge around the area as we did last week. Other sightings included more Magpies than we could count, Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, a flock of 40 Long Tailed Tit, Dunnock, Wren and Robin.

LONG TAILED TIT