Glossy Ibis, Leighton Moss
ATTILA SIMAY JOINED ME FOR A DAY’S BIRDING IN THE LANCASTER DISTRICT. Unfortunately we were subjected to yet more miserable wet weather and it was a real struggle to stay motivated when wet through to the skin and shivering in the cold. With some help from Pete Morris and Gareth Morgan we eventually made the best of a dreadfully bad job with a lifer for Atka in the form of a drake Green-winged Teal at Leighton and a second only with the long-staying (now second year) Glaucous Gull on the wooden jetty at Heysham. Sadly the both the teal and gull sat for almost all the time facing away into the wind. There were some other interesting birds today including: Gadwall (five, Leighton); Northern Pintail (pair, Leighton); Northern Shoveler (seven, Leighton); European Shag (at least 10 storm-blown birds at Heysham harbour); Glossy Ibis (another long-stayer was in its usual field at Crag Foot, Leighton); Marsh Harrier (two were hunting starlings at Leighton in the evening); Eurasian Sparrowhawk (one also at the starling roost at Leighton); Water Rail (at least three heard at Leighton); Northern Lapwing (a large flock of around 1500 at Leighton); Red Knot (around 2000 at Red Nab, the rocks turned pale grey by their massed ranks); Purple Sandpiper (two on the wooden jetty at Heysham); Ruddy Turnstone and Dunlin; a nine gull day at Heysham included Common Black-headed; Common; Mediterranean (two); Little (two first years on the nuclear power station outfalls); Greater and Lesser Black-backed (two); European Herring and Kittiwake (an amazing 40 or so around the harbour and outfalls – 30 in a single sweep of the ‘waterfall’ area, many of which appeared exhausted) in addition to the Glauc. Three Common Guillemots were in the harbour at Heysham and at least two Marsh Tits were around the feeders at Leighton. We ended the day there with a great aerial pre-roost display by thousands of starlings over Leighton, just as we were starting to dry out - fantastic!
From top: Glossy Ibis; European Shag; Kittiwake; Mediterranean Gull; Green-winged Teal (middle back) and Attila Simay at Heysham - another of Lancashire's beauty spots!
A DRIVE AROUND THE PATCH (BOWLAND AONB) with Mark Varley on 7 January, in sometimes awful weather (again) resulted in very little of interest. Notable sightings included: Red Grouse (four at Cross of Greet but none elsewhere on the Bowland Knotts loop); Common Raven (one mobbed by Carrion Crows in the rain at Keasden); Green Woodpecker (one across the road at Rough Syke just east of Dunsop Bridge); White-throated Dipper (one whizzed past calling at Burholme Farm heading towards the Hodder); Common Crossbill (one around the car park at Stocks); Eurasian Bullfinch (one at Kenibus and another near the chapel at Stocks). With the Riverbank closed for redecoration we tried the café at Dunsop Bridge – nice atmosphere and their bacon & egg baps were great. How we wish the rain would stop and give us half a chance…
Mistle Thrush, some nice views of several in fields near Whitewell, associating with Fieldfares (thanks a lot to Mark for positioning the van)
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