Iceland Gull at Preston Docks

November 20, 2010:
This juvenile Iceland Gull today spent much of its time perched on the pontoons. Occasionally it would take to the air and once was seen to briefly alight on the quayside to pick up a passerby's discarded snack. Its feathers were delicately marked in buff with the primaries almost completely white.

Grey Phalarope at Lytham Moss, Lancashire

November 16, 2010:
This storm-driven Grey Phalarope appeared quite settled in an isolated flooded field on the moss. It was feeding in typical phalarope fashion, spinning clockwise in shallow water in order to bring insects and other food to the surface. Occasionally it was harassed by a Black-headed Gull and once even by a Pied Wagtail. It was difficult to appreciate why this should be as it was obviously not in competition with either bird for food. Perhaps it was just a spiteful reaction to an intruder? In the rare intervals between long bouts of spinning, it would preen and even fly a short distance. It was very confiding and appeared quite unconcerned by human presence nearby.







[The flooded field habitat on Lytham Moss]

In summer plumage the Grey (Red) Phalarope is a striking bird. In its arctic nesting grounds the parental roles are reversed with the rather more showy bird being the female which leaves the rearing of the young to the male. Most Grey Phalaropes winter off the coast of South America and south and western Africa.

Below are photographs which I took in July 2008 of a male bird and the small chick it was caring for in an isolated fjord in Spitsbergen. Summer plumage birds are rarely seen other than in their arctic nesting area.

Great Northern Diver, Fleetwood, Lancashire

November 9, 2010:
Rough weather and very strong winds had persuaded this juvenile bird to seek refuge on the marine lake at Fleetwood. Even there conditions weren't good with large waves even on this small lake. None of it seemed to concern the bird which was happily diving and catching small fish. It was occasionally harassed by three Mergansers and a Black-headed Gull which presumably didn't approve of this invasion of their territory. When attacked or during the strongest gusts of wind it would adopt a low profile flattening itself almost to water level. Its orange-red eye can be seen in the above photograph.








[Flattened profile adopted when harassed or in strongest winds]






[A successful dive]

Pied-billed Grebe at Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough

November 10, 2010:
A bird first noticed here on the lake last week has now been identified as a Pied-billed Grebe which is normally found on the American continent. This is the first British record since 2002 and has created tremendous interest with hundreds of bird-watchers coming to see it today and with its presence commented on in the press and on television.



Slightly larger than the common Little Grebe its most obvious difference lies in its much thicker, heavier bill and prominent white eye ring. In summer the white bill has a black vertical band, hence its common name, but in winter the band is much less prominent and the bill can become slightly more yellowish. Its chin, although black in summmer, becomes white in winter.





The very strong sunlight and background reflections on the calmer water made photography difficult when carried out in certain directions





The bird occupied a small sheltered lagoon at the southern edge of the lake and seemed quite happy there diving for fish. On one occasion when the crowd of watchers became especially large, it took refuge amongst the overhanging branches on the opposite side of the lagoon but soon decided all was safe and came out and carried on diving as normal.


[Hiding from view]


[Habitat, an off-shoot of the main lake]


[Very small part of the large crowd]


(Media van]


[Just one more photo]

Great White Egret at Mitton, Lancashire

November 5, 2010:
Yet another scarce and interesting bird has turned up locally. This is the Great White Egret which was feeding on the banks of the River Ribble above Mitton Bridge this afternoon. So we've now had a Great Grey Shrike (still present today) and a Black Redstart (both on nearby Waddington Fell) and a large flock of Waxwings (at Barrow), all of these being within a radius of just a few miles. The Egret was first reported on the river about four miles upstream near West Bradford on Wednesday (the 3rd) and now appears to be gradually moving down river.






Being a large white bird it is very conspicuous even when at long range. It is almost certainly the same bird as was seen on Monday from the Oxenhope Moor (Bradford) Trektellen migration watch-point when flying in the direction of Skipton. The sighting is discussed at
http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=196&site=0&land=5&taal=2&datum=20101101
(Also thanks Bill).


[Foreshortened view (bird centre) as seen from Mitton road Bridge]

Waxwings at Barrow, Lancashire

October 30, 2010:
There has been a large influx of continental Waxwings into the country during the past week and by yesterday this flock in the village of Barrow near Clitheroe had rapidly built up to about 80 birds with more joining today. They appear to be early this autumn because when last here in 2008 they didn't arrive until mid-November. As was the case then, the great attraction is the line of heavily fruiting rowan trees running along one side of the village street.




The flock tended to split and re-form frequently with birds settling to feed greedily in the rowans for only a minute or two before wheeling away to perch for a while in taller trees elsewhere. Then they would be back again circling the area with a rather fluttering, distinctive flight whilst deciding in which rowan to feed. However, although most trees had abundant berries only a few were selected, presumably the birds knowing which were at the correct stage of ripeness. Occasionally they appeared to take flies whilst in the air. Today there were masses of fruits but one hundred-plus Waxwings will soon alter this and then move on elsewhere.







In the bright sunshine this morning the Waxwings were watched by a small group of people and even a local House Sparrow seemed to be impressed.

Reinforcements for the Bramblings, Bowland, Lancashire

October 27, 2010:
Last week's Brambling flock has increased several-fold and there must be up to a hundred birds there now with a few Chaffinches mixed in. Feeding hungrily on the ground on the fallen beech mast they are difficult to see amongst the golden brown leaves already starting to drop, the birds' plumage providing excellent camouflage. They seem to have learnt traffic sense since last week as the majority fed away from the road on the grass verge although the few that still risked it left it late when escaping oncoming vehicles.





The dim light under the trees and their rapid movement when feeding made them difficult to photograph satisfactorily and it was especially difficult to get them into sharp focus. When disturbed by noisy traffic the entire flock, Chaffinches included, would fly off in a tight group and take refuge in one of the nearby trees. However within less than a minute the first brave individual would be down again feeding and almost immediately the whole flock would come tumbling after it.




A nearby ditch came into use as a bathing pool with up to thirty birds in the icy water at one time, all happily splashing and preening.