At The End Of The Day

I had three birds to kill with one stone this morning, a swim followed by a sauna session with the other Saga louts – a chance to put the world to rights, the Post Office for some cash, and then finish off with an overdue haircut. But I forgot Roger’s closed on a Wednesday, so the long hair poking out from the bulging baseball cap will have to wait for another day. It’s an ill wind etc., so the time I saved allowed a spot of leisurely birding down Pilling way.

There’s not much of a report from Lane Ends, on the marsh 28 swans in the distant channel seemed to be all Whoopers, an equally far away Dark-bellied Brent Goose, 2500 Pink-footed Geese and 2 Little Egret. A Raven seen off by the other corvids enlivened things somewhat, as did a Peregrine taking to the air down towards Cockerham with yet more corvid attention. Once again the pools held 4 Goldeneye, 2 males and 2 females, a pair on each pool. Wednesday is Hi-fly shoot so I didn’t venture to the boundary of their shoot at Pilling Water, but I could hear the shots going off, and the associated noise and human activity was the reason for the long-range geese, wildfowl and waders.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose – courtesy USFWS

I motored to Conder and then Glasson Dock. The pool at Conder was totally deserted save for 18 distant Wigeon, outnumbering even the 6 Mallards. The creek itself was also quiet with single Redshank and Curlew but 30 or so Teal.

It was a nice afternoon, sunny, almost spring like, so I decided to mooch around sleepy Glasson Dock and maybe get a picture or two. I walked the dock, the basin and the canal and on the water came up with 8 Goldeneye, 28 Tufted Duck, 1 Cormorant, 48 Coot and 4 Mute Swan. The canal side proved a little more varietal but not numerous as the hawthorns and scattered trees of the church grounds yielded 1 Pied Wagtail, 18 Goldfinch, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Redwing, 3 Tree Sparrow and 3 Fieldfare.

Glasson Dock
Goldeneye
Tufted Duck

It had been a quiet, uneventful couple of hours with just a few photographs of disinterested Tufted Ducks and slumbering Goldeneyes, and as I motored back towards Pilling I was ready to call it a day. Until that is a winter afternoon Barn Owl appeared near Crimbles, floating over the road and off into the fields to save the day in the last half an hour of daylight.

Barn Owl

Weekend Wildfowl

I didn’t get out this morning but I am posting some wildfowl pictures from Sunday afternoon when I grabbed a few hours birding after the morning mist and murk lifted, but I didn’t see a lot apart from lots of Lapwing, Curlew and Redshank along Fluke Hall way. The highlight was a single Ruff in a muddy puddle with Lapwing, perhaps one of the two I found last week, then later a fast flying Barn Owl on Pilling Moss being harried by a Carrion Crow. Best shot I could get I’m afraid. The technical term for this is "record shot". But at least I know where to park my car next time after I weighed up its hunting circuit.

Barn Owl

Being Over Wyre in mid-winter there were plenty of wildfowl around at the weekend, and also lots of birders looking for and at them. Paul sent me some pictures that he took of a Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Copthorne that was hanging around with feral Greylag Geese; plus Bewick’s Swans at Thurnham, and Whooper Swans also at Thurnham.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose & Greylag Goose

Bewick’s Swan

Whooper Swan

I did grab these next few pictures,Eiders at Knott End and more Whooper Swans, these at Fluke Hall Lane, part of the huge flock of 250+ seen recently.

Eider

Eider

Whooper Swan