First Frost

Our first local frost of autumn gave a wonderful sunny start to the day. It was a welcome change from the rain and wind of late and I set off for a look around Pilling way. I didn’t get too far because there was plenty of action with lots of birds to see. But it’s a short post only as I had three hours only before baby minding and school collection duties. 

The stubble fields at Fluke Hall Lane are both well rutted and now very flooded, the land a seemingly irresistible location for a good variety of waders, wildfowl, crows and larks. It’s mainly Lapwings, over 340+ this morning and then a mix of c40 Black-tailed Godwits, 65 Redshank, 40+ Dunlin, 35+ Snipe, 18 Golden Plover, 45+ Skylarks and 180+ Jackdaws. The Snipe are impossible to see until something disturbs the Lapwings, the species which starts every panicked eruption of almost everything on the fields. The Snipe join in, circle around and then split off into small groups or singles which fly to the outer marsh or drop into the furrows again with little chance of seeing one on the deck. 

Snipe

 Lapwing

Dunlin

A Peregrine instigated one of the dreads this morning as it flew at a good height parallel to the sea wall heading towards Pilling Water. Other alarms to scatter the birds came simply from people walking along the road but a good 100 yards from where the birds feed in the centre of the stubble. 

There seemed to be Meadow Pipits around this morning, a count of 25 being the highest for weeks, likewise the flock on the marsh of 30+ Linnets and at least 2 Greenfinch. Here come those Whooper Swans again and always good for a photo or two, 32 of them this morning, coming and going between the marsh and the bird magnet buried in the stubble. 

Whooper Swans

Whooper Swan

That’s all for now but don’t forget to look in later, especially on Thursday for a chance to win a signed copy of The Crossley ID Guide: Britain and Ireland.

Linking today with Stewart's World Bird Wednesday .