Pilling Marsh and Brockholes Quarry 25-04-09

Spent the afternoon at Pilling Marsh with a birding friend again mainly to try and ID the bird from last week (He’d already been back twice to try and see it again). Within 5 minutes of sitting down and scanning the area a couple turned up who I was chatting to last week and had seen the bird in question during the week quite close. A Wheatear they suggested and after looking it up in several at hand books I must agree. Most likely a female and the plumage enhanced by the very bright sunlight last week.
No such luck this week started to rain early after arriving and the sky was very overcast so no such luck for any photography.
Notable sightings across the 4 hours we were there were Redshank 30+, Shellduck 50+, Oyster Catcher 25+, Lapwing 30+, Swallow 10, Cormerant 10, Knot 150+, Pink Footed Geese 150+, Meadow Pipit 3, Wheatear 5.

The pink footed flew in quite late on, having seen 6 at the end of the marsh I thought the large flock we saw last week had headed home. The Knot were a sight to see, the flock flew across the marshland before heading across the top of us over the ponds and into the distance.

In the evening we (my son and I) spent back at Brockholes Quarry.
A good night for us both with 2 lifers – 2 Little Ringed Plover and a male Garganey. Other sightings included 2 Avocet, Lapwing 5, Shoveler, Oystercatcher 6, Whimbrel 143 by the time we left at 9pm, 2 Chiffchaff, House Martin, 5 Goldfinch, Reed Bunting, Curlew 2 and Gadwall 2 (male & female).

3 Swift were seen just before we arrived, the first I know of in the area up to now.

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