Leighton Moss RSPB 30th Dec' 2011

An awful day weather-wise, was brightened with Glossy Ibis, Bittern, Marsh Harrier
and star of the show for me, my first sighting of Otter on the reserve.
A Greenshank and Spotted Redshank were on the Eric Morecambe Pools.

Glossy Ibis with Moorhen

Bittern, one of two from the Public hide today

Otter at last!

Spotted Redshank Allen Pool

Glaucous Gull, Heysham, 27th Dec' 2011

Present for over a week now, i decided to pay a visit. The bird was mostly
roosting on the wooden jetty but did fly briefly, allowing better views.
A single 1st winter Little Gull was over the outfalls as were several Kittiwakes
and a single Med' Gull. Three Shags showed very well inside the Harbour.

juvenile Glaucous Gull

Guillemot

Kittiwake

Shag

Little Gull

Northumberland 26th-27th Nov' 2011

A weekend in Northumberland with Sean J birding the areas around Holy Island
wa very productive. Highlights were: Pomarine Skua, White-fronted Goose,
Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Great-northern Diver, Long-tailed Duck
and top of the list, the Greater Yellowlegs at Hauxley.

Oystercatchers with Lindisfarne in the distance

around 30 Purple Sandpipers were at Stag Rocks

Bamburgh Castle

Brent Geese

Curlew

Common Seal

Greater Yellowlegs

Eider, Upper Foulridge 12th Nov' 2011

After missing double-figure counts of Little Gull, 6 Red-breasted Merganser
Grey Plover and best of all, an immature Eider on the Foulridge Res's while
at work on the 11th. I visited the following day hoping at least one Little Gull
would still be present. As expected all the birds had moved on.

After an hour on the Lower res' i popped up on to the Upper res and there it was!
A stunning male Eider. Initially, i thought it was an adult bird but after a little fact-finding
the bird is not a fully mature male, owing to it's dark, not pure white tertial feathers.

My first in East Lancs, and my second Foulridge tick within a week, following the
Bewick's Swans earlier.
It spent most of the time sleeping but was much more active the next day.
Two Eiders at Foulridge in as many days, thery're like buses........

'hooked' Great-crested Grebe

sunset at Lower Foulridge 12th Nov 2011



Bewick's Swans

9th Nov' 2011 and for fifteen, short minutes today, Lower Foulridge was graced
with two adult Bewick's Swans, a first for me at Foulridge, lovely.

Reed Buntings

6th Nov 2011 On the grass moorland above Clowbridge reservoir i came across a
group of around, forty Reed Bunting. After a little gentle 'pishing' msot came out of
the thicket and showed quite well. Unfortunately, there was nothing unusual within
the flock.

Leucistic Twite

30th October 2011 this leucistic Twite was reported earlier in the month
from the feeding station at Cant Clough Reservoir. Today, it was feeding with
a group of around twelve others. Though mobile, they did show well enough
for some images to be taken.

Grey Herons, Muncaster Castle, 16th October 2011

Not much birding this weekend, a walk along the cliff-top path at St Bees Head
in Cumbria with Wheatear, Raven and Peregrine being the highlights. On the way
home we called at Muncaster Castle for the afternoon. Unknown to me was
the feeding of Grey Herons every afternoon, fed on the dead chicks left over from
feeding the various Owls at the aviary there.

Around 25 were present, giving close views as the dead chicks were put out onto
the ground.