LANCS: Marshes to Moorland.

Male Stonechat at Marshaw 29 May 2009.

Spent the morning of 29 May surveying an area of the Ribble Estuary on the south bank. Very nice it was too in the best weather of the year to date. Nothing really special apart from healthy numbers of Lapwings, Redshanks and Skylarks (so good to hear their song). Few Avocets around as usual on here. Amazing how they don't stray across to the Fylde very often.

Lapwing at Marshside 29 May 2009.

Once the survey was finished I couldn't think of a nicer way to spend the rest of the afternoon than popping down to Marshside and check out the hides there. Plenty to see as usual including this Lapwing's strange behaviour! Every now and then he (I presume it's a male by the length of the crest?) would lean forward, hang his wins and stick his rear end in the air, exposing his vent towards the wind! It was suggested that it was a method of cooling his nether regions but I'd guess there's something else to it.

Black-headed Gulls, Marshside 29 May 2009.

A pair of Garganey were on show from Nel's Hide but the female spent most of her time loafing on the islands. Several Dunlin probing around on the mud but no sign of the Curlew Sand'.

Plenty of Avocets on show pleasing the photographers and Reed Warbler singing nearby - slipping into summer for sure. I took a walk up to Polly's Creek seeing a few more Dunlin and some Painted Ladies on the way, retreating to the car for lunch overlooking the patch of brambles where a Woodchat was fund a couple of years ago.
Strange how things happen like that. I was just thinking how I'd like to have seen that Woodchat (I was in Panama so it was tricky) when the message came through of one in Bowland! Off to Bowland then.

I suppose I could have justifiably felt a bit miffed (first day I've not been in Bowland for ages and a Woodchat turns up, blah, blah, blah......), but it wasn't anywhere near my survey squares so well done to Jeff Butcher who found this bird near Tower Lodge. Usual debate about who was responsible for the bird's disappearance later in the afternoon with photographers on site. They may well not have been too close but why do they have to be that few extra metres closer to the bird than the birders? Lots of Painted Ladies flying through (c. 12 per minute) all going in a westerly direction. Nice to hear Redstarts belting out their song too and great views of this stonking male Stonechat while I tried to locate the Woodchat. Quite a lot of activity really with Cuckoo, Snipe, Curlew and Red Grouse creating that evocative upland sound.


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