LANCS: Ribble Estuary.

Warton Marsh, Lancs 15 December 2008.

Fieldfares at Warton Bank.

Mixed flock of Redwings and Fieldfares today.

Fieldfares.

Redwing.

Spent high tide on the Ribble Estuary at Warton Bank this morning in perfect winter conditions. Undoubted highlight for me was a superb male Hen Harrier (at last!) over the marsh at Warton. He looked superb in the cold frosty sunlit conditions as he quartered the salt marsh gracefully. A close runner up was the adult Glossy Ibis followed by a male Twite in the company of a Reed Bunting and male Chaffinch. Twite are not common here, or at least not easy to see on the north shore. I did see a small flock a few years ago (15 or so, I'd have to check my notes) at Lytham and another small group of 3 or 4 at Warton the same winter. Otherwise I rarely see them on the North Ribble Marshes.

Still plenty of winter thrushes around with 300 Fieldfares and 50 Redwings at Warton Bank but pretty quiet on the passerine front this morning. Pink-footed Geese were in evidence flying north across the Ribble (350+) and there appears to be a bit of a northbound movement across Morcambe Bay today but the Ribble birds could just be commuting to the north Fylde I suspect. At least 35 Whooper Swans visible from Warton Bank and 5 Little Egrets with a Peregrine perched on a stump and female Sparrowhawk putting up all the thrushes.

I called in at Freckleton / Warton Marsh on the way home but it was fairly quiet apart from 4 more Little Egrets and a Grey Plover. Passing Newton Marsh I noticed at least 100 Black-tailed Godwits from the car.