A Brief Encounter

The forecast for today is it's going to be loverly sunny day, the bad news is it's a Sunday and it's going to be busy.

Todays plan is to head over to West Lancashire to first visit Formby for the Red Squirrels, then Crosby Beach to view the Antony Gromely sculptures and finish off at Lunt Nature Reserve for possible views of Short Eared Owls.

Arriving at Formby reserve as expected its mega busy, to make matters worse the entry process is slow, very slow. Parking up, my wife and I head for Squirrel Wood to view and get some images of the Red Squirrels, there's loads of dogs, loud people, so I grab a couple of shots, enjoy a nice walk and then depart for Crosby.

Crosby Beach is chokca with people, and to make matters even worse there's a sponsored dog walk along the beach, a little different to my last visit when I practically had the beach to my self. Never the less we enjoy a walk up the beach to the community centre taking some images along the way of the many sculptures which are now practically submerged in the almost high tide.

Lunt Nature Reserve being only about five miles from Crosby is always worth a visit especially late afternoon in winter for a possible sighting of Short Eared Owl, so that's where we are heading next. Arriving in the afternoon sunshine there's already a fare few people already present I guess all eager to get a mega shot of the SEO, my wife decides to stay in the car and read so this is likely to be a short ninety minute visit.

It's blue sky's and the sun is dominating the light angle so I head for the Kingfisher screen but the area is flooded and not good for hunting owls so I move a little further up from the pump house positiond on the banking and wait.

All of a sudden a owl appears to my right which I suspect came from over the banking off the fields, it make's a couple passes and I manage to rattle off twenty or so images before disappearing down the reserve only to reappear later on the far side, and that was it.

I guess I was lucky for the brief encounter.

Time to call time and head home.

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A Chuffing Good Day Out

Heysham on the very west side of Lancashire is an area I’m not particularly familiar with, but with a weather forecast of blue sky’s but being a little cold I’m off to try and photograph the long staying Chough near the port. 

Chough is a member of the crow family but like the Magpie doesn’t look like the other big black crows looking a more refined bird. Found in this region only at South Stack in Anglesey and the Isle of Man, this particular bird suspected of having arrived from the Isle of Man which is only some sixty miles over the water west of Heysham which for a bird I suppose is a short flight, or perhaps even on the ferry which connect the island to the mainland.

Arriving at the Half Moon carpark which is directly next to the port, the port being a lot smaller than I was expecting, I’m surprised by the pleasant coastline with grand views of white capped fells of the Lake District. I head to the second open grassed area as I can see a crow sat on a red life belt standing pillar box like on the tow path, it’s not the what I’m looking for it’s a Carrion Crow, then the unmistakable call of a Chough can be heard to my right, the Chough fly's over a wall landing further up the field near the houses with expensive sea views.

The bird is very confiding and approachable down to three metres, I sit down and the bird comes closer so I start using the 100-400 at 100mm getting some ok images, then a dog from a walker startles the bird and it fly’s off. For the next forty-five minuets I wait hoping the bird will return, with no sign of it reappearing I deciding to return to the car and have some lunch and return later.

As I’m walking back to the car a couple are waving, meeting up they tell me the bird has just flown back to where I’d last seen it, busily feeding amongst the grass tufts taking no notice of use with long lens cameras clicking away. I switch to the Big White as it gives a more pleasant bokeh and get some close head shots, occasionally switching to the 100-400 for when I expect the bird to take flight. 

All too soon it’s not 2.0 pm, it's now really warm at around 16 degrees, almost spring like. I’m happy with some good recorded images and call it a day. 

Another chuffing good day out.  

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Third Time Lucky

The internet is awash with images of a Glaucous Gull which had turned up at Hollingworth Lake on the proceeding Thursday. Breeding in Iceland these gulls are seen annually in the UK in small numbers of only up two hundred so still not that common a bird.

It’s Saturday morning and I make the short drive to Hollingworth Lake where the gull has been benefiting from the free food people are throwing to the ducks and geese. Images I've seen are of the gull stood on the slipway amongst the ducks so I’m not expecting to work hard locating the gull.

It doesn’t get light until around 8.0 am so I can have a bit of lie-in and still arrive just after 8.30 am. The light is poor, it’s grey and cold but at least I can sit in the car and still easily pick up the second large gull of the region amongst the smaller Black Headed Gulls. Now 11.0 am the gull hasn’t appeared so with other activities on the agenda for today I call time.

Later that evening I read a report that the Glaucous Gull had put in an appearance at around 11.30 am, sometime it works like that so I intend trying again tomorrow morning. The next day as I drive into the carpark I can see the gull sat on the pontoon next to the slipway, a little too far away for an decent image in any case there’s a rope is obscuring the bird and it’s also sat next to a plastic pole mount. After some minuets the bird takes to the air flying off in the direction of the Wine Press Pub not to return for the remainder of my visit.

Third time luck ?…well not quite. Monday morning and another visit, it’s quiet a little different to yesterday with the hoards of people and the reorganised Santa Fun Run. Rain, sleet, grey is the order of the day and refrain putting money in the parking machine as I’m not expecting to stay very long, with no sign of the gull I decide to call time to return home and finish working down the list of DIY jobs my wife has very kindly compiled.

Around 11.30 am I read a post on the internet…”THE GULL IS ON THE SLIP…NOW ! “ it take’s me fifteen minuets and I’m back, the gull is sat on the slip….Third time lucky !

After an initial frantic five minuets thinking the gull’s going to depart...it doesn’t, content just to sit and wait for the next easy meal its been enjoying over the last couple of days. I take my time and over the next two hours getting some unusually close images, no need for the Big White on this occasion using the 100-400 for the entire session. 

Job done.

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Greater Manchester Scaup

Elton Reservoir being slap bang in the middle of Bury is not the most pictures of places and as you would expect gets more than its fair share of dog walkers and occasional vandalism, nevertheless and surprisingly it continues to turn up some unusual interesting sightings none more so than the still present Mealy Redpoll.

Over the last couple of weeks the rain has been relentless but with a forecast of some better light I thought I’d try for some images of the Greater Scaup which had turned up a couple of days earlier. Trundling down the pot holed track to the carpark it’s still cloudy but at least it’s not raining, to make matters worse I’ve gone and left my bins back at the house..hey ho !

I pick up the Scaup at the entrance at what’s referred locally as the “creek” with the long lens, it see’s me and moves out into more open water not nearly close enough for an image so planned ‘B’ sit down under a bank and wait to see if the duck moves back into the creek. Slowly the Scaup moves a little closer and for a brief couple of minuets to sun shows itself, I grab what I think is an acceptable image but soon the light has gone and I call it a day.

It’s now the following day and I’m finishing off a couple DIY jobs around the house, looking out the window and it’s turning into a sunny day, tools down and I’m soon off to Elton to try for better images of the Scaup. Bins in hand this time I pick up the duck now with some Tufted Duck, so I positioned myself at the same location at entrance to the creek decked in camo / scrim and wait. 

It's a waiting game as dog walkers cause the ducks to move from the creek to open water and when it’s safe move back to the creek. Over the next ninety minuets I get some decent images of both the Scaup and Tufted Ducks in some decent light, well worth the return visit. 

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Scaup - taken on the first day

These scaup images were taken on the second day

Twite in the Sunshine

Twite a Linnet like bird normally during the breeding season are found on upper Lancashire moors but in winter can offend be found over wintering on the coast. 

Located at Knott End on the File Coast I’ve noted over the last couple of weeks a group of long staying Twite of about forty five birds visiting the high tide line of a small bay feeding on the seed. So checking yesterdays birding reports confirming the birds were still present, I packed the gear for a photo session on another fantastic sunny day.

Knott End on Sea with views across the Morecambe Bay of the snow capped peaks of the Lake District is located across the River Wyre directly opposite Fleetwood better known in former times as a main fishing port. Arriving at 9.30 am it's deathly quite apart from the odd early morning walker, having never having been to this part of the Fylde Coast before I decide to have a walk, the quite has a calming effect and totally different to a Friday during a week of my former stressful working life. 

On the way back from the walk I note a birder scanning the small bay, it’s the group of Twite and quickly return to the car for the gear. The birds are feeding on the high tide mark, unfortunately they are so small they are lost amongst the weed and debris, my best opportunity is a shot of a bird perching on a stone or maybe the mud.

The birds are easily spooked by walkers peering over the slip wondering what this chap is doing with a long lens and fly off but soon return after about fifteen minuets, that's the routine for the rest of the morning.

All to soon I have recorded about a thousand images on the digital card, it’s been a great day and hopeful I've recorded some usable images

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Twite

Mealy Redpoll - Elton Bury

Towards the end of the 2016 year there have been a number of Lesser Redpolls visiting the seed feeders adjacent to the carpark at Elton Reservoir in Bury. Just before Christmas there was a report of a very "pale" Redpoll in the group of visiting Redpolls with the characteristics possibly of a Common or by its other name Mealy Redpoll.

This is not intended to be a technical paper but more a pictorial record with comment only for interest.

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This image above shows a male Lesser Redpoll. The birds mantle shows is significantly amount of brown together with a buff wing bar.

This is the best image showing a possible male Common or by it's other name a Mealy Redpoll. Significantly paler than the first image of a male Lesser Redpolls with a more white wing bar, the mantle still shows an amount of brown.

The size difference between the Lesser Redpoll and the Mealy Redpoll can clearly be seen in this image with the Mealy being a "fatter" bird

Image shows the Mealy Redpoll sat in a tree, usually the bird lands directly onto the feeders

Another image of the Mealy Redpoll this time showing more brown on the mantle than the previous image, maybe as a result of the light angle

The image shows the same male Mealy Redpoll on the left of the feeder and a female Lesser Redpoll on the right. Again the amount of brown is a concern for Mealy Redpoll identification

Last Day Before a Return to the Snow

A visit north today to the Santa Agueda Platforms, a prime location to view Spotted Eagle and other birds of prey over wintering at El Hondo. The platforms essentially are two wooden towers that over look the La Raja lagoon and reed beds on the South West of side of the El Hondo Reserve....today is a BOP day.

Arriving early it's again a brilliantly sunny day a bit nippy in the shade of the covered tower but in the sun it's around 16 degrees which can't be bad for a winter's morning. Marsh Harriers are quartering the reed bed, probably 6 to 8 birds, a Kestrel makes an appearance hovering in typical fashion looking for a meal, then a fellow photo tog points out 2 pale phase Booted Eagles that frequent the lower areas of El Hondo during the winter drifting slowly low over the reserve.

It's now late morning and still waiting for a first sighting of a Spotted Eagle, there were some great views from this location the previous week so we remain optimistic of an encounter. In front of the tower two Marsh Harries are mobbing a bird sat on a mud bank, a closer inspection through the reed's you can just make out a large dark bird, it's only when it flies to a near by tree that it's identified as a Spotted Eagle.

Whilst ranking up the Marsh Harrier sightings and also keeping a keen eye on the tree in which the eagle is perched a van appears along the track to the lagoon, it's a fisherman who promptly puts up the eagle, flies and lands on top a bush some hundred meters further way eventually heading off into the reserve.

After a quiet period I’m heading to the public hides overlooking Llevant Lagoon on the Vistabella Road, the sat nav takes me through a farming area near Monje and in a ploughed field sat at the top of a tree near the road I spot a Southern Grey Shrike, not one but two! stopping the car I grab the camera and fire off maybe fifty shots before the birds decide thats enough of that…was that lucky, you bet.

Vistabella Road hides are quite, apart from a couple of Booted Eagles, the ubiquitous Marsh Harriers theres little else of interest not like summer which is just a mega place of bird activity. Time to head back

It's late afternoon and my wife and I are heading back to the residence after a coffee down at the marina, heading through the orange groves I always have a look for Stone Curlew which can be found between the rows of trees, slowly I count 8, the next row 6 and so on, you get the drift they are every where, I get out of the car to get closer to the fence as you need to shoot through the fence, bad move, they all fly to the far side, plan B stay in the car. I manage some shot in the now low light, maybe next time.

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Stone Curlew

Pale Phase Booted Eagle

Southern Grey Shrike