Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Curlews And Wheatears Return

In the absence of any substantial news there's just a quick post for Another Bird Blog today. 

The same thing happens every year at the end of June and early July, a noticeable influx of upland Curlews coming back down to the coast and the appearance of juvenile Wheatears. At Pilling I had a count of 195 Curlews plus a sighting of a young Wheatear, the chat probably from the Bowland Hills not far away. I had meal worms ready but the Wheatear did a bunk along the sea wall towards Fluke Hall and Knott End and I didn't see it later. 

Curlew

Wheatear

Otherwise there's not too much to report except for 5 Corn Buntings along the sea wall, the 2 singing males indicating breeding in the silage fields. The Corn Buntings seem to have partly filled a niche previously occupied by Meadow Pipits, a species which no longer breeds here. 

Two Grey Herons and a single Little Egret again with left overs from Sunday and Monday's strong winds represented by singles of Sandwich Tern and Common Tern. 

Sandwich Tern

Other waders, wildfowl and miscellaneous today - 40 Lapwing, 30 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 45 Shelduck, 2 Cormorant, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Linnet 8 Swift, 15 Swallows. 

Hopefully there's a fuller post tomorrow for blog followers. Meanwhile take a look at Stewart's Gallery for lots of links to other birdy blogs.