LANCS: Evening on the Ribble.

Short-eared Owl, Crossens Outer Marsh, Ribble Estuary 11 April 2009.

Crossens Outer Marsh looking north across the Ribble towards Warton Bank.

Another pleasant evening on the Ribble. Parking at Marshside I decided to walk north to view Crossens Marsh to see if there were any owls around. Plenty of Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits and Redshanks out on the marsh with smaller numbers of Teal, Wigeon and a few Little Egrets. Wasn't long before I found my first owl of the evening as one then two Short-eared Owls appeared, performing beautifully in the evening sunshine. I watched them for about an hour or so, gracefully quartering the marsh and plunging to pounce on some unsuspecting victim. I finally found one perched distantly and took a few snaps. A Barn Owl appeared just as I found the second Shortie perched and passed oh so close when another, darker Barn Owl suddenly flew across the road. Spectacular stuff indeed.


Loads of Mipits out on the marsh and a few Wheatears on the fence posts. The Pink-feet were a long way out this evening with no birds grazing in range unfortunately.

Walking back to the car the characteristic "cheewit" of a Spotted Redshank disturbed me from my daydream as it sped over the road towards Crossens Outer, pitching down on a pool with some Blackwits (above). The female Ruddy Duck was behind a "Aythya Shield" of Tufties on the Sandplant Lagoon but little else of note there this evening apart from a few passing Swallows.

Crossens Inner Marsh, Marshside RSPB 11 April 2009.

Black-tailed Godwit, Marshside RSPB 11 April 2009.

With the light fading I just about had time for a look on Rimmers Marsh where 380+ Golden Plovers congregated plus a single Dunlin. Several Ruff were out there with the Redshanks.