Little Stint joins the Curlew Sand's.

Graham Clarkson and I enjoyed another excellent wader gathering at Banks Marsh on the Ribble Estuary today: 700+ Grey Plover, 70 Golden Plover, 1000+ Dunlin, 250+ Ringed Plover,300+ Knot,  4 Sanderling, a Turnstone, a Ruff, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Little Stint and at least 15 Curlew Sandpipers. Wildfowl are starting to be attracted to the splashes too with 80 Wigeon and 20 Teal present today. The seawall, tracks and fences at Old Hollow had at least 7 Yellow Wagtails with 12+ Pieds and a juvenile Whinchat while the willows held 45+ Tree Sparrows. Raptors included Sparrowhawk, Merlin and Peregrine.
A quick dash to the Marshside area produced 6 Little Egrets, 2 Marsh Harriers, 3 Peregrines, 2 Ruff, 15 Golden Plover,2 Gadwall,  3 Wigeon and 30+ Teal on Crossens Outer Marsh. The RSPB reserve was a bit quieter with just 2 Little Egrets, 11 Golden Plover, 180 Redshank, a Snipe, 50+ Black-tailed Godwits and 4 Wheatears. 

More Curlew Sand's!

Another lunchtime big tide today and the Ribble Estuary NNR was certainly packed with waders. The splashes on Banks Marsh were full to the brim with water so most birds were either roosting or feeding distantly in the grass making life difficult as I 'scoped from the seawall. At least 900 Grey Plovers and 300+ Knot produced a grey hue to the floods, broken only by the odd black or rosy belly of the few individuals still in summer plumage.
A cloud of Dunlins was the main attraction here, even if scrutiny was tricky due to the distance from the seawall and the marauding Peregrine spooking the flock quite frequently. At least 5 Curlew Sandpipers were with them, unsurprisingly given the widespread influx the UK is experiencing presently.
Ringed Plover (300+) made up the majority of 'the rest' with single Sanderling and Turnstone looking most out of place on the marsh. Single Green Sandpiper, 56 Golden Plover, a Wheatear and at least 2 Yellow Wags were a tad easier to find nearer the seawall at Old Hollow.
Two more 'Ribble Days' before the Brazil trip, both with decent tides.

Wet 'n windy.

Back on the Ribble patch with Graham Clarkson today in a blustery WNW wind and squally showers at Hesketh Out Marsh. Bit more action with the 9+ metre tide pushing a few waders onto the RSPB reserve, even if they didn't dally to feed. Most were Ringed Plovers, with a few Dunlins and the usual Greenshanks were darting in and out the creeks. Large numbers of Oystercatchers flying up-river ahead of the tide (at least 700) but just 3 Golden Plover over the west end. Passerine interest was limited to just a couple of Wheatears and an increase in Meadow Pipit numbers, with 2 Marsh Harriers being the best of the raptor action.

We paid a quick visit to the pools on the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve after HOM and 'scoping from the seawall at Banks we picked up a couple of Curlew Sandpipers in with 100+ Dunlin and 250+ Ringed Plover. A Peregrine was sat out on the marsh.

Little hope of photography in such windy conditions so a snap of a dozing Solway Curlew Sand' above. Bigger tide tomorrow so let's see what that brings in. 

Solway Curlew Sand's.

Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, Newbie Mains, Dumfries & Galloway 28 August 2011.

Just back from a very pleasant couple of days on the Solway with Angie. It was still a little quiet on the Dumfries & Galloway shore but we did see at least 12 Curlew Sandpipers in the wader roost at Newbie Mains at lunchtime today. All were very smart juveniles with nice crisp white feather edgings to the upperparts and buff tones to the breast sides. They were in with Ringed Plovers rather than the usual Dunlins; in fact we saw very few Dunlins the whole time we were there.

A fraction of the 1400+ Oystercatchers at the Newbie high tide roost today.

Browhouses, Dumfries & Galloway 27 August 2011.
12 Goosander, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 100+ Greylag Goose, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Greenshank, 1 Tree Pipit, 6 Tree Sparrows.


Dornoch, Dumfries & Galloway 27 August 2011.
200+ Teal, 1 Sparrowhawk, 10 Turnstone, 5 Golden Plover, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin.


Southerness Point, Dumfries & Galloway 28 August 2011.
50 Ringed Plover, 5 Grey Plover, 6 Dunlin, 148 Sandwich Terns.


Newbie Mains, Dumfries & Galloway 28 August 2011.
15 Teal, 16 Shoveler, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1400+ Oystercatcher, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Whimbrel, 25 Turnstone, 2 Sanderling, 2 Knot, 120 Ringed Plover, 5 Dunlin, 12 Curlew Sandpiper, 5 Black-tailed Godwit.

Slim pickings locally.

Tufted Ducks, Hesketh Out Marsh 25 August 2011.

 Still pretty quiet on patch at the moment. The small tides aren't helping much but a quick look down on the river this afternoon showed that there's precious little down there to be pushed onto the marshes anyway. Hopefully this will all change with the big tides this weekend.

Black-tailed Godwits and Lapwings on the Ribble Estuary, 25 August 2011.

 "Highlights" (if you could call them that) would be what looked like a family party of Tufted Ducks on Hesketh Out Marsh East this afternoon (only my fourth record for this stretch of the Ribble), a flyover Greenfinch this afternoon a Rook flying south yesterday morning (first HOM records this year I think) and still up to 6 Yellow Wagtails on the RSPB reserve at HOM.

Barn Owl has been showing well in walking distance of the house on Longton Marsh with Little Owl vocal at dusk there too. A nice "owl trio" was completed one evening when we arrived back hone just in time for the local Tawny Owls to start calling.


Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 21 August 2011.
370 Canada Geese, 2 Greylag Geese, 50 Teal, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Buzzard, 1 Merlin, 1 Peregrine, 3 Little Egret, 8 Greenshank, 1 Snipe, 1 Dunlin, 3 Yellow Wagtails.


Longton Marsh, 21 August 2011 (dusk visit).
14 Greylag Geese, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Little Owl, 5 Yellow Wagtails.


Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 22 August 2011.
4 Little Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 2 Greenshank, 4 Yellow Wagtail.


Longton Marsh, 22 August 2011 (dusk visit).
45 Lapwing, 2 Green Sandpiper, 35+ Curlew, 1 Barn Owl, 1 Little Owl.


Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 24 August 2011.
37 Teal, 200 Mallard, 12 Wigeon, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Peregrine, 1 Merlin, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, 6 Greenshank, 1 Collared Dove, 1 Rook, 1 Wheatear, 1 Willow Warbler, 6 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Tree Sparrow.


Ribble Estuary and Hesketh Out Marsh, 25 August 2011.
3 Little Grebe, 5 Tufted Duck, 11 Coot, 6 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Peregrine, 600+ Lapwing, 770 Black-tailed Godwit, 110 Golden Plover, 10 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 4 Common Tern, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Greenfinch.

Ornitholidays at the Birdfair

Not something I usually stick on the blog but Ornitholidays is a company that has supported REGUA for some years now. 


Ornitholidays from Digital Spring on Vimeo.

Yellow-eared Woodpecker (a Brazilian endemic) at Carmo - one of our excursions from REGUA.

Ornitholidays has teamed up with the staff at REGUA in Brazil to plant a tree for everyone who travels with them each year. We'll be visiting the Ornitholidays plantation next month during the tours to REGUA when we stay at the Guapi Assu Bird Lodge there.

Spotshank but little else.

Our 13 week old chocolate lab' Millie at Hesketh Out Marsh today.

Today's Spotted Redshank was the highlight of this weeks visits to the South Ribble Marshes with a small arrival of wildfowl including a couple of Pintail and over a hundred Teal present at Hesketh Out Marsh now. Still very few waders around "my patch" on the inner estuary, but it appears there's plenty from Crossens Outer Marsh with over 4000+ Ringed Plovers logged there on the last WeBS.


Banks Marsh, Ribble Estuary NNR 15 August 2011.
400+ Ringed Plover, 50+ Dunlin, 300 Lapwing.


Banks Marsh, Ribble Estuary NNR 17 August 2011.
180 Lapwing, 2 Golden Plover, 65 Ringed Plover, 20 Dunlin, 1 Yellow Wagtail.


Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 17 August 2011.
7 Little Egret, 4 Mute Swan, 2 Peregrine Falcon, 8 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 7 Grey Partridge, 1 Wheatear, 6 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Willow Warbler.


Southport Beach 18 August 2011.
2 Little Egret, 200+ Oystercatcher, 75 Ringed Plover, 30+ Black-tailed Godwits, 110 Dunlin.


Hesketh Out Marsh and Hesketh Sands (Ribble Estuary), 19 August 2011.
2 Mute Swan, 7 Gadwall, 1 Wigeon, 2 Pintail, 120 Teal, 1 Little Grebe, 5 Little Egret, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Buzzard, 2 Oystercatcher, 550 Lapwing, 4 Ruff, 1 Snipe, 1 Whimbrel, 30 Curlew, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Green Sandpiper, 12 Greenshank, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Whitethroat.


Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB (seawall only), 20 August 2011.
4 Little Egret, 1 Marsh Harrier, 1 Spotted Redshank, 4 Greenshank, 1 Ruff, 2 Ringed Plover, 3000+ Starling.

Ribble Estuary WeBS

Today's Ribble WeBS sector from HOM east round to the Douglas.

Out counting on the inner estuary this morning between Hesketh Out Marsh and the River Douglas. I also managed to count the feeding and roosting birds on the north shore at Warton Marsh and across the Douglas on Longton Marsh. 


Lots of birds as expected, but very few Redshank and most disappointingly hardly any Dunlin. I managed to find a few other bits and pieces apart from the wildfowl, waders, terns and gulls including 9 Yellow Wagtails, a Swift, 3 Corn Buntings and 10+ Tree Sparrows. I called in at the RSPB reserve at HOM to pick the car up but it was quiet apart from 2 Wheatears, Greenshank, 10 Little Egrets and a Marsh Harrier.


Estuary totals: 1 Little Grebe, 15 Cormorant, 10 Coot, 1 Moorhen, 5 Little Egrets, 49 Mute Swans, 1 Black Swan, 57 Greylag Geese, 911 Canada Geese (most on Longton Marsh), 61 Teal, 1 Shoveler, 6 Gadwall, 1 Eider, 43 Mallard, 8 Shelduck, 823 Lapwing, 110 Golden Plover, 6 Ringed Plover, 26 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Sanderling, 5 Dunlin, 61 Oystercatcher, 1 Whimbrel, 62 Curlew, 4 Greenshank, 6 Redshank, 23 Great Black-backed Gull, 3 Herring Gull, 28 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 197 Black-headed Gull, 4 (2 juvs) Arctic Terns, 3 Common Tern.

Magnificent Merlin

Merlin (note metal ring on left leg) with prey at Hesketh Out Marsh, 13 August 2011.

I joined Graham Clarkson, Dr Alan Bedford and the Edge Hill University Birdwatching & Beyond group at Hesketh Out Marsh this morning where we were rewarded with superb views of this Merlin. We watched it for some time from the seawall as it sat on this stump plucking and tearing at its prey.

Corn Bunting at HOM today. Strong buff tones and fresh plumage indicate juvenile plumage.

Juvenile and adult Corn Buntings, Hesketh Out Marsh 13 August 2011.

Plenty of birds on HOM today including 2 Marsh Harriers, 12+ Greenshanks, 3-4 Ruff, Snipe, 6 Black-tailed Godwits and 12+ Little Egrets with yellow Wagtail over the car park as we paused for a brew. About a dozen Golden Plovers with 300+ Lapwings in the fields and the NNR was littered in birds including 400+ Black-tailed Godwits, 12 Little Egrets and 800+ Canada Geese. A tight flock of 4 Ringed Plovers and 3 Dunlin flew across the RSPB reserve with a Little Stint lagging behind. Two Red-legged Partridges in the fields near the viewpoint is a decent record here (greys more common at HOM).
A walk to the River Douglas produced some good birds too, mainly on Longton / Hutton Marshes and the fields of Hesketh Out Marsh East:


3 Peregrines (2 adults and a juv' together on Hutton Marsh, 1096 Canada Geese, 102 Greylag Geese, 22 Mute Swans, 1 Black Swan, 11 Yellow Wagtails (the best flock we've had for some while here), 5 Corn Buntings, 27 Tree Sparrows and 5+ House Sparrows.


WeBS tomorrow - should be good ......

Could be better ......

Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 9 August 2011
Quiet .......
2 Little Egret, 10 Teal, 2 Greenshank, Ruff, Dunlin, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Yellow Wagtail.


Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 11 August 2011
Still quiet ......
1 Marsh Harrier, 3 Little Egret, 2 Teal, 3 Green Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 20 Redshank, 18 Curlew, 2 (adult + juvenile) Yellow Wagtail.


The reserve much wetter after the recent heavy rain with a few damp areas in the inland fields. Hopefully these will produce a few waders like last autumn if we get some more downpours.


Some bigger tides at the weekend so hopefully some better birds. What I'd give for one of these ..........

American Golden Plover, Pantanal (Brazil).

Some more photos from the Pantanal .........

American Wood Storks and Roseate Spoonbill.

Little Blue Heron.

Bare-faced Ibis.

But the Pantanal is perhaps best known for the world's largest parrot .......

Hyacinth Macaw.

Greater Rhea ......... in the garden!

And in the grasslands ........

Red-legged Seriema.

And if you get really lucky ........

Jaguar, Pantanal September 2008.

A few more shots from past Brazil trips ........

Bare-throated Bellbird (Atlantic Forest endemic), Intervales State Park, November 2008.

Black-and-Gold Cotinga (Brazilian endemic), Itatiaia NP, November 2008.

Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Intervales State Park November 2008,

Atlantic Rainforest, Intervales State Park November 2008.

Male Frilled Coquette (Brazilian endemic) at the Hotel do Ype feeders in Itatiaia NP, November 2008.

Black Jacobin (Atlantic Forest endemic), Itatiaia November 2008.

Brazilian Ruby (Brazilian endemic), Itatiaia NP November 2008.

Saw-billed Hermit (Brazilian endemic and classified as "Near  Threatened" by BirdLife International), Ubatuba November 2008.

Surucua Trogon (Atlantic Forest endemic), Itatiaia NP November 2008.

Green-headed Tanager (Atlantic Forest endemic), Itatiaia NP November 2008.

Saffron Toucanet (Atlantic Forest endemic), Itatiaia NP November 2008.

Olive-green Tanager (Brazilian endemic), Itatiaia NP November 2008.

Rufous-bellied Thrush (common), Intervales State Park, November 2008.

Plush-crested Jays just over the border at Iguacu (Argentina) where Atlantic Forest still exists.

All quiet on the estuary.

Masked Ducks (drake above, ducks below), REGUA September 2010.

Once again the photos have nothing whatsoever to do with today's birding exploits but birds were few and far between this evening. A leisurely amble along the seawall with Graham and Jonty at HOM improved after a slow start, the reduced numbers of birds undoubtedly being a consequence of the smaller high tides at the moment.


Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 6 August 2011.
5 Little Egrets, 51 Teal, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Marsh Harrier, 5 Greenshank, Ruff, 30 Golden Plover, 1 Snipe, 1 Wheatear, 5 Yellow Wagtails.

REGUA

Back to tour leading duty next month with two tours to REGUA in Brazil. Take a look at their website and read all about the good work done here conserving and creating Atlantic Rainforests (one of the world's most threatened ecosystems). Better still, stay there, enjoy the birds and contribute to the cause at the same time!

In the forest: Crescent-chested Puffbird (Brazilian endemic).

Clearings: Tropical Screech-Owl.

Wetlands: White-faced Whistling-Ducks.

Wetlands: Masked Ducks.

Wetlands: Brazilian Teal.

Off site excursions (dry forest): Three-toed Jacamar (Brazilian endemic).

Highlands: White-throated Hummingbird (Atlantic Forest endemic).

Estuary birding.

REGUA's wetland in Brazil. I'll be there in a month.

Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 5 August 2011.
3 Little Egret, 5 Teal, 2 Marsh Harrier, 1 Sparrowhawk, 7 Greenshank, 2 Ruff, ad' + juv' Avocet, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Corn Bunting.

A walk out to the River Douglas produced very little apart from 3 Yellow Wagtails but at least 25 Little Egrets were flushed by aircraft off the Ribble opposite Freckleton Naze Point. Presumably the late summer egret roost is starting to build.

Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 6 August 2011.

4 Wigeon, 57 Teal, female Merlin, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Avocet, Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Whitethroats, Sedge Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Corn Buntings.

Walked across the HOM saltmarsh to view the Ribble Estuary where most birds were on the Warton side on the Fylde ..........

5 Little Egret, 6 Oystercatcher, 1 Golden Plover, 410 Lapwing, 325 Dunlin, 255 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Curlew, 75 Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 1 Turnstone.

Wood Sandpiper

4 August 2011.

It appeared pretty quiet at Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB until a soft "chiff" call was heard and a Wood Sandpiper flew in and landed on the pool next to me near the seawall. Photo opportunities remain tricky and the above image was the best I could get given the distance and heat haze.

Still 11 Greenshanks in the high tide roost despite the lower tides, roosting with 6 Dunlin and 50 Lapwings on the reserve pools. At least one Avocet remains on site and Sparrowhawk and 2 Yellow Wagtail near Karen's Viewpoint being the other birds of note.

A quick visit to Banks Marsh near Old Hollow Farm yielded 25 Grey Plover, 10 Ringed Ploverand 225 Dunlin roosting on the pools with a Green Sandpiper calling out on the NNR somewhere. A Wheatear perched on Ron Jackson's hide as we scanned the pools.

3 August 2011.

Two Sandwich Terns flying up-river off Hesketh Out Marsh on 3 August were presumably the same seen at high tide the previous day. Single Ruff, Marsh Harrier and Common Swift were noted and a Weasel crossed the road as I drove up to the car park. Two Yellow Wagtails, 2 Golden Plovers and 20+ Tree Sparrows were noted at Banks Marsh.

Crossbill and Sandwich Terns.

2 August 2011.

Another visit to Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB at high tide produced some interesting birds today. A Crossbill heading SE and calling as it went, was I believe a new bird for HOM. The big tide pushed a lot of waders (mainly Redshanks and Dunlins) onto the reserve near one of the breaches, making a spectacular sight until they were displaced by the rising water levels there too. Two Sandwich Terns heading up-river as I was counting the wader roost were new HOM birds for me.

Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 2 August 2011.

2 Little Egret, 21 Mute Swans, 88 Canada Geese, 19 Greylag Geese, 69 Teal, 2 Marsh Harriers, 2 Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk, 12 Kestrels (10 on posts on the NNR), 135 Oystercatcher, 225 Dunlin, 45 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel, 75 Curlew, 22 Greenshank (record count?), 175 Redshank, 7 Common Terns, 6 Arctic Terns, 1 Barn Owl, 2 Sand Martins, 3 House Martins, 2 Ravens, 3 Yellow Wagtails, 1 Corn Bunting.

The 'usual' butterflies were seen today, but a Brown Hawker dragonfly was my first here this year.

Pectoral Sandpiper and first Merlin of the autumn.

1 August 2011.

Called in at Martin Mere WWT for a look at the Pectoral Sandpiper that's been around for a week. Plenty of Lapwings and a few Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits on the reserve as well.

High tide (9.5m) at Hesketh Out Marsh proved interesting as the RSPB reserve was inundated, pushing many birds out of the creek. However the first Merlin (a female) was perhaps 'bird of the day', indeed Marshside RSPB and Martin Mere WWT recorded their first autumn birds today too.

Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB, 1 August 2011.

12 Little Egret, 15 Greylag Geese, 8 Teal, Marsh Harrier, Merlin, 5 Kestrels, 10 Greenshank, 10+ Avocets, 49 Golden Plover, 1 Grey Plover, 7 Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Willow Warbler.