Waddington Fell and Heysham Harbour, Lancs - 26th Novemeber 2007

Waddington Fell

Waddington Fell.

Upon arrival they was little doing with only a couple of singing Male Red Grouse in the Heather. After about 45 minutes we drove up towards Newton and before long I spotted the 1st Winter Great Grey Shrike on the Wires. It moved all the way back up to my original position and at 11.20 it flew across to the Waddington Fell Quarry. A fantastic individual that was a British Lifer.

Heysham









Heysham Harbour.

Finally! I have seen Mediterannean Gulls at Heysham! No Matter how many times I go to Heysham Harbour I just cannot see Med Gulls! A 2nd Winter and an Adult changed all this. Also a Purple Sandpiper was feeding along the North Harbour Wall whilst the Meds were Patrolling, which is a great Bird for the County, and it's certainly exiting that there are two here and at least 1 further up the coast at Morcambe. 4 Red Breasted Merganser were feeding on the Millpond like sea and the Group of c1200 Knot above put on quite a display.

A Thoroughly Enjoyable day, even though I have just found out that of I had gone to my original location - Scarborough, I may have seen a Desert Wheatear but I dont Care...Meds Rule all!

Marton Mere, Fylde - Starling Roost and Bittern - 11th November 2007

Marton Mere - Blackpool
Starlings
Starlings
Starlings
Goldeneye

A Trip Marton Mere was planned for Dusk, to coincide with the activity of the Wintering Bitterns. My Mum and Myself joined locals, Pauline and Mike McGough, and Maurice Jones in the Fylde Bird Club Hide. We started off counting the Starlings that were roosting. When the last Birds were coming in, we estimated 80,000 Birds in total. At this Point Mike noticed movement in the reeds, but it quickly stopped. after about 5 minutes, I saw the movement, and noticed the characteristic face of the Bittern! A Year Tick and a Fylde Tick.
On the walk back to the car, i managed a second year tick - 2 Woodcock flying seperatly from each other.

Seaham, Seal Sands, Langdon Beck - 10th November 2007

Little Auks - taken by Bill Aspin, at South Gare 9/11/07
Me and My Dad at Seaham Front Kittiwake - Whitburn Harbour
Grey and Common Seals - Seal Sands, Middlesbrough

Bar Tailed Godwit - Seal Sands


Black Grouse - Langdon Beck

By Tagging along with My Parents to a 'do' in Newcastle on Friday 9th, I was able to get some birding done on the journey back. First Stop was Whitburn Harbour where 4 Kittiwake were showing quite well in the Harbour.

Next, we travelled south to Seaham and I spent c2 hours Sea Watching.

30 Little Auk >N (largest flocks 7 and 4, as rest were singles and doubles)

2 Velvet Scoter >N

1 Red Throated Diver >N

1 fem Scaup (on Sea)

1 male Red Brested Merganser >N

5 Teal (on Sea)

1 Grey Heron >S

2 Gullimot >N

1 auk sp >S

5 Kittiwake

A journey south to Teeside saw us at Seal Sands, which is an area of Mud Flats in the middle of Chemical Plants where Seals Bask, which is most unusual! Here the main species were Grey with about 15 individuals, but there were 2 Common in amongst them. Also a single adult Bar Tailed Godwit

Finally a Trip back on the way across 'the top' saw us at Langdon Beck, where we were observing 19 male Black Grouse. A Lifer and a real group of beauties!

A fabulous day, and one I will remember for a long time as It was possibly the best and most enjoyable Sea Watching Session I have ever had, as 22 of the Little Auks were at about 40 meter range with a single on the sea briefly allowing fabulous views. I was happy however to get to see the Flock of 7 and a single though further out, as this was a more likely view to get when sea watching, so to see the distant single next to a Guillimot, It was a really educational experience

Brockholes Quarry - 4th November 2007

Above and Below - Incredibly poor pics of Jack Snipe

Fieldfare
Robin

A Morning Visit produced several Migrating Birds including c50 Fieldfare, 12 Song Thrush

18 Siskin, 30 Skylark >W, 5 Bullfinch

Also I flushed 2 Jack Snipe on the short Grass near Boilton Wood, whihc was a site tick.