Red Necked 'Stonker' - Fairhaven Lake - 17th September 2010

The pictures speak for itself really. A juvenile Grey Phalarope was reported at Fairhaven when I woke up early on, so I thought I would twitch that instead of the Pectoral Sandpiper at Marshside. I needed Grey Phal for the year and also my Fylde list. As I got closer to Fairhaven, another text came through about the location and also that it had been reidentified as a Red Necked Phalarope i.e. a lifer for me! (Foot down me thinks!)

As you can see from the photos from my 'modest' camera, the views were classic juv phalarope showing down to 5ft at times close to the south side of the lake. At times, it was so close to the side that it was lost to view and I didn't realise that it was only a couple of feet to the right of my head!



A superb World Lifer, British Lifer, Lancashire tick, Fylde tick and Year Tick. This goes down as my 4th lifer in the last month (Ring Billed Gull, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker(self found) Leach's Petrel (starr gate 15/9/10) and the Phalarope). Bring on Autumn!