Well i was supposed to be working today but the job got called off for various reasons so i headed South to Lancashire and Aldcliffe Marsh's. There had be a Lesser Yellowlegs present for a couple of weeks. It took a while to find and eventually it showed in front of me on its usual pool just long enough for me to identify it before it flew to another pool. It was much more distant now and views were not good looking into the sun. The pics below i no are awful but i couldn't do anything else...
Lesser Yellowlegs (left)
Lesser Yellowlegs
Whilst watching the lesserlegs, i could hear a Wood Sandpiper which eventually showed a little better than the lesserlegs, also a Green Sandpiper flew over calling, my first of the year finally. A Water Rail was calling from the undergrowth.
Wood Sandpiper
The Lesserlegs wasnt gonna come any closer so i decided to head back home. Still a couple of nice year ticks..
Rach n I had a trip up the Solway, its pouring down so we weren't gonna venture far from the van. We followed the coast and saw 300 Whooper Swans at Blackdyke.
Very little after this until we got to Cardurnock where the American Golden Plover was giving good Scope views.
There were some Barnacle geese In the field behind me so i checked these but no rare Canada's, 2 Leucistic Barnacle geese was it.
Moved onto North Plain and at the gate the Great White Egret was giving distant views.
We followed the coast and then went for Lunch and Dobbies, then returned the same route. Stopping at The monument at Burgh Marsh, another Lucistic Barnacle goose with the many thousands of Barnacles, a Dark Goose was visible but too far to see whether it was a Pinkfoot or a Canada type, the light was just too poor. We Continued on, there were many more Banacle Geese at Cardurnock by now but still no Rare Geese.
We headed home but not before spotting a Little Egret flying out of the river Wampool at Anthorn. Still not a total waste...
Again not done any birding this week as Ive been Working back on the fells, Fencing and Walling, i have seen however a Male Ring Ouzel with hundreds of Redwing and Fieldfare, Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch and a Peregrine.
Nice to be back at work however..
Been Working in Derbyshire all week so no birding, but on my way home today i nipped in for the Pallas's Warbler in Lancashire. Cracking bird and only my second ever.
Ive Been covering Maryport north Promenade daily for a couple of weeks now
looks perfect for a good warbler but nothing as yet.
Today however there had been a fall of Blackcap 7 including 6 Female/juv
and a Male. 4 female type together. Shed load of Blackbirds but fewer
Songthrush, (handful)
3 Great spotted Woodpecker high south. Few Goldcrest, Robin and
Dunnock. Small number of Pink-footed Geese going North.
2 Very close Porpoise on the high tide.
An Adult Med Gull flew over Netherhall School heading for the playing
fields full of BH Gulls.
Started at Maryport along the scrubby area on the Prominade, not a great deal but new in was a Great spotted Woodpecker.
Had a wander around the Abbeytown area. Very little about handfuls of Whooper Swans, 17 with 5 Juvs at Blackdyke. Another 18 with 3 juvs further towards the main road.
7 Pink-footed Geese in the field with the Whoopers at Blackdyke.
From Allonby 3 Black-tailed Godwit with a mass of gulls. Nothing unusual though.
Not quiet sure why the pics turned out so bad today?
Well Ive had to do it, i didn't want to but my options have run out...
Adult Med Gull over Maryport North Promenade this morning. A nice day so the birds were singing and showing much better, nothing out the ordinary however but a few more Goldcrest.
Well having no job means I'm starving and have no petrol in the car so everything I'm doing now has to be very local. I Still just about have the motivation to get up in the morning and walk the dog at least. So Ive been covering what should be a very good scrubby area on the Maryport North Promenade, well it would be good if it was on the east of the UK. The scrub here is very thick which makes finding anything pretty hard but anything calling could be found with some patience. The wind everyday this week hasn't helped things though. Birds i could hear were a mixture of Goldcrest, Robin, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Blackbird, Greenfinch and Goldfinch. At no point were there anything unusual..
Soddy has been quiet with little on Low Meadows and just 22 Tufted ducks, 16 Coot, 1 Grey Wagtail. Usual Geese and Mallards looking in superb plumage now. The Water levels are high but the geese seem to be creating a muddy edge, although its getting too late for waders now..
This morning took a facebook friend visiting from staffordshire to see some Red squirrels, i thought we may struggle in the pouring rain but bingo we had excellent views. Brilliant little creatures and my friends went away very happy.
