Steady New Year Start.

Female Hen Harrier, Bowland (Lancs) June 2009.

Bit of an inauspicious start to 2012 with some dreary mid-winter weather and few new arrivals of late. A dull, drizzly morning did little to inspire me out on the marshes on this New Year's morning and a lunchtime excursion to Marshside was the best I could muster. The "regular" Euro White-fronted Geese were on show there, 22 of them albeit more distant than of late and 13 Barnacle Geese with a few Pink-feet. On Crossens Outer Marsh there were 3 more Barnacle Geese with the Pinks, a Whooper Swan, a Peregrine, hundreds of Golden Plover, a couple of Ruff and an Andy Bate who stopped to wish me a Happy New Year!
I had a quick look for the Glaucous Gull on Southport beach but no joy; just a Stonechat. Mind you, not many of those on the Ribble nowadays. At least 28 Little Egrets in the marine lake roost at dusk but I couldn't see the Great White.


I haven't seen a Hen Harrier on the estuary this winter and with just four breeding pairs in England last year it's a worrying situation.