Avocets at Marshside, Lancashire

March 26, 2010:
Now well into March and the Avocets are returning to the north-west. Not so long ago their arrival would have been a sensation, Norfolk being the only place to see them. Now they turn up here and at other Lancashire sites each Spring and attempt to nest, although with only limited success due to predation.



At Marshside today there were at least nine birds which spent most of the time searching for crustaceans in the shallow water.







Sadly, one bird (below) had an injured leg and, although it could fly, it was only able to hop and so spent much of its time asleep. Its future seems rather bleak unless it recovers quickly.