Spring in Lancs!!! - 9th March 2008

I was invited to Brockholes Quarry for a meeting regarding the Future of Brockholes Quarry, which involved all the regulars. The Meeting was at 13.30 and the Warton High Tide was 12.20 so I hurriedly made a trip to Warton to try and catch the rising tide.
Water Pipit

Water Pipit

2ndw Glossy Ibis

2nd Winter Glossy Ibis

3 of 21 Little Egrets

I managed to see some decent birds in amongst the commoner stuff:

2nd winter Glossy Ibis, 3 Water Pipit, Short Eared Owl, Rock Pipit 2 Snipe, 58 Whooper Swan, 21 Little Egret, Spotted Redshank.

Sand Martin!

After I had got back to Brockholes and the meeting had finished, we were all rather excited about the future plans and were discussing on the 'compound' car park, with Me and Bill Aspin doing a regular raptor scan when Bill suddenly went silent and announced, 'I've got 2 Sand Martin!' I quickly got onto them, when all of the sudden Tony Disley had 3. The appeared to fly over to No1 pit but were lost to view from the car park, so all bar Myself, Bill and Robin Shenton were left. On No1 we were scanning the edge for Rock pipit when Bill said, 'Sand Martins - in the near corner' I again was on them instantly and we counted 5 birds in total.

An Excellent date anf the earliest for the site (previous earliest record was 11th march 2001) and as far as we are aware, the first of the year for Lancashire.

Bill and I decided to head for Withnell tip near Blackburn where he has seen many Nordic Jackdaw, Glaucous Gulls, and a fab Adult Caspian Gull this winter. He noticed a Barn owl appearing recently so we went to see that, and as soon as we got out the car, we suddenly caught a glimpse of the bird being mobbed by rooks and Carrion Crow. the Bird dissapeared behind trees so we went to another site near Belmont

Common Buzzard

It took time when we were there, but eventually I spotted a Barn Owl on a fence post at a decentish distance. I managed a poor record shot at distance, but it was an excellent end to a truly fantastic days birding!