Bewick's Swans.

Bewick's and Whooper Swans at Hesketh Out Marsh, 6 January 2012.

 The first decent birding weather of 2012 encouraged Andy Bate and me onto the Ribble Estuary this morning. The "bright morning" didn't last too long but long enough to give the much neglected Hesketh Out Marsh a decent look where we found 3 adult Bewick's Swans in with 78 Whoopers.

The third Bewick's (with a dirty face) and a Whooper at HOM this morning.

We heard a Lapland Bunting three times at the western end of the reserve but failed to see it (it was with Skylarks) and Pink-footed Geese were overhead throughout our time at HOM, with several hundred flying to the Fylde.

Single female Merlin, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Marsh Harrier, 3 Gadwall and 9 Grey Partridges were the other birds of note at HOM. Oh, we could see the Great White Egret way out on Banks / Crossens too.

We made our way to Weld Road after a bite to eat but the Glaucous Gull wasn't around. Undoubtedly the juvenile I had fly past Marshside just before Christmas, I had a quick look at this injured bird a couple of days ago from the car in a gale. It's still about but had headed south along the coast towards Ainsdale before we arrived.

Last stop Marshside RSPB where 19 European White-fronted Geese could be seen with 14 less convincing Barnacle Geese near Sandgrounder's Hide. A Water Rail flew right past us and landed under the bank and there's no guessing just how many Black-tailed Godwits are on Marshside at present (although if I had to I'd go with more than five thousand!). A few Golden Plovers (maybe 25) with several hundred Lapwings, thousands of Teal, Wigeon, fewer Pintail and Shoveler and many Pink-footed Geese seemingly prefering the saltmarsh than the inner marsh at the moment.

A good day.