Popped down to the Ribble today (only 6 miles from the office) for a spot of birding at Newton Marsh. Nice selection of species around starting with a Little Egret flying over the entrance pool as I arrived.
Wildfowl numbers still seem a little low with only 50 Wigeon and 100 Teal on the pool. Shoveler (not normally numerous here) were up to at least 20 birds however. Seven Black-tailed Godwits were feeding on the fields and at least a dozen Snipe were feeding in the muddy margins of the pool. Three Little Grebes were doing their best to stay out of their way near the reeds.The rough grasslands near the water treatment works had the usual Stonechats - 3 today, and 36 Corn Buntings and a couple of Tree Sparrows were perched on overhead wires. A quick scan of the bushes produced a Buzzard and a few Fieldfare and 80 Pink-footed Geese headed south rounding off a nice session.
