BirdTrack tells me that I saw 44 species on my West Lancs Wanderings this morning in just over 3 hours. Not bad considering I restricted myself to the Ribble marshes and farm tracks with just a scan or two over distant salt marsh and not a mud flat or copse in sight. Of the 44 the Merlin pictured above is notable as the first of the autumn for me on the estuary. Had me going for a minute when I picked it up darting across the marshes -unusually warm-buff on the lower underparts had me hoping for Hobby until its characteristic flight gave the game away. Other raptors included the Marsh Harrier, a juvenile Peregrine that sent 142 Teal scattering (bit of an influx over the last week or so I think), Sparrowhawk and at least 3 Kestrels. I'm pretty sure now that if I want to see Yellow Wagtail it's best to go south of the Ribble. Not that it's guaranteed, mind you. Why they don't like it on the other side baffles me, but this morning's bird (there was at least one around) is the fourth individual I've seen "down south" this summer.
Poor for waders though with just 23 Dunlin, 10 Ringed Plovers, 2 Greenshank, 2 Snipe and 6 Curlew on the flooded areas. Lapwing numbers are on the up though with 448 but unfortunately only fly-by Golden Plover (43) this morning and Little Egrets (none with rings) just about as obvious as an Eduardo dive with 7 prancing about on the mud.
Birding is made easier for me as time goes by. A message on my phone lets me know if there's anything interesting within 20 miles of my house (yep, us high-flying twitchers know no boundaries!) and BirdTrack tells me how many birds I've seen. As I look across the Ribble floodplain to the moors of Bowland (above), it has no need to tell me what a fantastic place Lancs is to get out birding though.
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