Signs of things to come from Brockholes.

Common Scoter may not be "big news" in Lancashire (thousands winter off the coast near Blackpool), but it's a good record at the Quarry. With the first proper site record (there was an old one from the adjacent River Ribble) only a couple of years ago, there has been a spate of birds, including a flock of 20+ in the summer of 2006. However, it's still a noteworthy bird there so had to take a look at the female on the Main Pool yesterday. While I was standing around chin-wagging with some of the quarry regulars a couple of adult Little Gulls dropped in too. These graceful creatures spent a short time hawking insects in their tern-like behaviour over the Main Pool before departing to No. 1 pit.

Record shots of the scoter and a view to the east from the quarry compound towards Bowland above. Not long now before we'll be watching the gathering of roosting Whimbrel arriving from this direction.