Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Birding

A trip to Marshside and Hesketh Out Marsh was the order of the day. On the way via Longton I had heron pheasant and reed bunting. I arrived a little early to be greeted by several hundred pinkfeet geese just 20 metres away. A quick look near sandgrounders hide revealed black-tailed godwit, shoveler, wigeon, common gull, black headed gull, teal and mute swans. Others joined the group and a walk along the road soon had us observing merlin. It became a raptor fest with buzzard, mash harrier, sparrowhawk and kestrel joining in the party. The unmistakeable glimpse of the white of a little egret helped warm our chilling bones.

Hesketh OM seemed the next place to visit. The rain came as we were on the journey to HOM, but thankfully stopped when we arrived. Chaffinch, linnet and brambling gathered in the hawthorn as well as reed bunting and fieldfare. On the fields to the west whooper and bewick swans were feeding and lapwing and redshank moved from pool to pool. It started to get cold so home seemed a good idea. On the way I dropped in at Brockholes but the reported smew proved elusive. Ah well 364 days to find it  

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