There’s been a lot to do Rawcliffe way so it has been weeks since I went in the direction of Pilling, especially since the road was closed and the sea wall out of bounds from Boxing Day until the end of the shooting season. This morning was too breezy for ringing so with a couple of hours to spare I turned left at the main road, Pilling bound.
The berry-laden bush at the Fordstone Road junction has lain untouched by birds most of the winter. The hawthorn is smack bang on the corner of the busy junction, where pedestrians and/or cars are virtually non-stop, enough to scare off the local Blackbirds, and now into March the berries have nearly all dropped to the ground with any that remain turned now to a dark red colour. There must be some goodness left in the berries because there were two Waxwings there this morning, even as the local kids trooped noisily past on their way to school; the children could almost have reached out and touched the birds had they noticed them. I grabbed a couple of shots of the Waxwings as they moved around the other side of the hawthorn, intent on staying near their breakfast.
Bohemian Waxwing
Bohemian Waxwing
Lambs Lane had 2 Kestrels, so more pictures to add to my recent run of Kestrel shots. The local population of Kestrels seems very high this winter and things are looking good for the breeding season.
Kestrel
From Backsands Lane I walked up to the sea wall, just to check it was still there after my enforced absence. Out of sheer habit I peered down at the Wheatear rocks where in two or three weeks the Wheatears will be; none today and no passerines either but there was a Greenshank, a Redshank and an Oystercatcher on the wildfowlers pool. There was a Greenshank in December, and I’m guessing it’s the same one wintering here.
Greenshank
The flood at Backsands held a good number of geese and waders: 900 Golden Plover, 350 + Lapwing, 40 Curlew, 45 Dunlin, 14 Redshank, 5 Teal, 1500+ Pink-footed Goose and 10 Greylag. Overflying or in the United Utilities compound I noted 4 Goldfinch, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Mistle Thrush and 2 Pied Wagtail.
Pink-footed Goose
Synchronised Landing - Pink-footed Goose
Greylag Goose
Not a bad result for a couple of hours work. Log in soon to Another Bird Blog for more news and views of birds and birding.
Today the blog is linking to Stewart's Photo Gallery .
Today the blog is linking to Stewart's Photo Gallery .
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