2 ticks and updates - 16th December 2011

With 2 birds showing well in North Lancashire that I needed for my life list I spent the first day of a long weekend off work in search of them. The first stop was Leighton Moss RSPB and it didn’t take long to find the Glossy Ibis feeding at the edge of a flooded field near to the car park entrance of the Allens Hide. Scope views were good but only record shots were obtainable as the autofocus kept picking up the branches when I tried photographing it through a nearby hedge.

 ABOVE & BELOW GLOSSY IBIS

Next stop was Heysham Docks were a small number of Twite were feeding in the usual place. As I pulled up on the north side of the harbour. A quick scan along the edge as I walked up the entrance of the harbour brought 2 juvenile Shag and a Turnstone on the walk back. I found the Glaucous Gull at one of the outlets on the south side so views through the scope were good but no chance of any photographs. These views were disrupted as a dredger began work and I was unable to locate the bird for the remainder of my visit. 3 Little Gulls were a nice addition as well as c30 Kittewake.

 JUVENILLE SHAG

 ABOVE & BELOW KITTEWAKE - NOT SURE OF AGES

Even though the blogs been quite I have managed to get out on a few occasions mainly to Crossens-out Marsh with the hope of getting some photos of the Short-eared Owls but though I saw them the weather conditions made photography difficult. A tick with 4 European White-fronted Geese made the trips worthwhile.

Local patch additions included Fieldfare, Redwing and on the 17^th December a flock of c20 Siskin which was a nice addition. Buzzard have been showing well recently with 2 giving good views again on the morning of the 17^th. The disappointment has been the lack of the local Tawny Owl, it had been calling regularly up to a few weeks ago and I had seen it several times at dusk and dawn but things have been quite of late.