Bit of time to spare this afternoon so I popped down to the Ribble hoping for a raptor or owl over the marshes. The Newton and Clifton areas offeered nothing new, just the usual hordes of Wigeon and Teal plus a few Shoveler and single male Stonechat. Plenty of Pink-feet about at the moment with a hundred or so heading south over the water treatment works and about the same number heading north as I turned off down Bank Lane in Warton. Ten Little Egrets were on view immediately as I pulled up to overlook the marsh at Warton Bank. The "resident" Glossy Ibis was out there too with 48 Whoopers and a perched Peregrine but no sign of any harriers or shorties. I could only count 15 Little Egrets at one time but I'm pretty sure there were at least 20 around in the ditches. Not much else to report apart from a passing Sparrowhawk and Little Owl calling at dusk.
Monday, 28 January 2008
LANCS: Winter afternoon on the Ribble Estuary.
Bit of time to spare this afternoon so I popped down to the Ribble hoping for a raptor or owl over the marshes. The Newton and Clifton areas offeered nothing new, just the usual hordes of Wigeon and Teal plus a few Shoveler and single male Stonechat. Plenty of Pink-feet about at the moment with a hundred or so heading south over the water treatment works and about the same number heading north as I turned off down Bank Lane in Warton. Ten Little Egrets were on view immediately as I pulled up to overlook the marsh at Warton Bank. The "resident" Glossy Ibis was out there too with 48 Whoopers and a perched Peregrine but no sign of any harriers or shorties. I could only count 15 Little Egrets at one time but I'm pretty sure there were at least 20 around in the ditches. Not much else to report apart from a passing Sparrowhawk and Little Owl calling at dusk.
