Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB - 5th December 2010

Both Reece and I headed out to Hesketh Out Marsh today to have a further look around after fridays visit and an email from Colin Bushell giving me a little more information on the area. Well the temperature wasn't as cold as Friday and we got a few more sightings but no sign of the Barn Owl though it was afternoon. First stop was a scan across the field to the east of he car park with a large flock of Linnet mixed with Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow and Brambling.

LINNET, TREE SPARROW AND BRAMBLING IN THE FIELD NEXT TO THE CAR PARK

 A scan from the platform gave distant views of Pink-footed Geese, a few Redshank, Kestrel, Curlew, Shellduck and Mallard. From the platform we headed west and added 4 Dunlin which dropped in with a couple of Redshank. More Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Blue Tit were in the hedges as well as more views odf the Merlin and a Buzzard and Little Egret over. A large number of Teal could be seen in one of the distches as well as a second Kestrel and we flushed 2 Woodcock in seperate locations, one as we were leaving the car park. A Sparrowhawk made an appearance on the way back to the car and we were told of a Female Hen Harrier having been seen from the platform wilst we were wandering around!

                                                    ABOVE 1500+ PINK FOOTED GEESE BY THE RIBBLE

ABOVE SPARROWHAWK (TAKEN BY REECE) BELOW TREE SPAROW

Out & About in Lancashire - 27th October 2010

To start lets put the previous posts identification to rest - they are Linnet!

Well its been a while, weekends being busy with Reeces rugby but I took the day off work and decided to visit a few places across Lancashire to see what we could find. We started up at Heysham north harbour with the hope of seeing some Twite but it took a second visit later in the day to find them. Nothing unusual found with Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew, Turnstone, various Gulls though we couldn't pick out the Med Gull that is hanging around up there, Pied Wagtail and Goldfinch rounded the visit off.

ABOVE BLACK HEADED GULL

ABOVE A GULL DROPPING A MUSCLE ON THE ROCKS BELOW

ABOVE 1ST WINTER HERRING GULL 

ABOVE PIED WAGTAIL & BELOW ONE OF A LARGE FLOCK OF GOLDFINCH

Next stop was the Eric Morcambe and Allen hides at Leighton Moss with 100+ Redshank, 8+ Little Egret, 2 Greenshank, Goosander and Wigeon the only birds of interest. 

ABOVE & BELOW LITTLE EGRET 

 

ABOVE WIGEON BELOW REDSHANK 

BELOW ROOK TAKEN BY REECE 

From there we headed back to Heysham where we picked up the Twite before passing through the Trough of Bowland in hope of catching site of the Great Grey Shrike that has taken up residence just north of the Moorcroft pub at Waddington. As is usual we missed out on the Shrike but we didn't have that much time to stay to se if it would make an appearance but we did manage a flock of Brambling along with some Chaffinch and a 100+ Fieldfare on route.

ABOVE TWITE WITH A SINGLE GOLDFINCH 

ABOVE BRAMBLING AND CHAFFINCH BELOW FIELDFARE