Sizergh Castle NT & Leighton Moss RSPB

Today was Lia’s last full day in the UK so I decided to do some birding in Lancashire on our way back down to Halifax. We left Keswick early morning to arrive at our first destination in good time; the National Trust property of Sizergh Castle, where we hoped to find Hawfinches. I had been here before and had no luck with this species but this time we were early in the morning and recorded three individuals feeding in the tops of the trees, albeit in gloomy conditions.

-Hawfinch

Next, we headed down to Leighton Moss where we hoped to get a few more wetland species. We had nice views of Marsh Tit and Pintail, and we even had a flyby from a Bittern. There were lots of birds around and in the end, we managed a very respectable 60 species.

-Northern Pintail

-Marsh Tit

-Greater Scaup

Species List:

Sizergh Castle NT: Mute Swan, Common Pheasant, Common Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull, Eurasian Jay, Western Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Common Starling, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Grey Wagtail, Common Chaffinch, Hawfinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, Lesser Redpoll,

Leighton Moss RSPB: Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Common Pheasant, Little Grebe, Feral Pigeon, Common Woodpigeon, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Bittern, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Western Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Eurasian Blue Tit, Great Tit, Bearded Tit, Goldcrest, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Eurasian Wren, Common Starling, Redwing, Fieldfare, Common Blackbird, European Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Common Chaffinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin,

Minsmere RSPB

This day will possibly go down as one of the most brutal twitches I have ever done, and I diddnt even do it by public transport...

When news of the Purple Swamphen broke on the Sunday afternoon it became hot topic for discussion; was it wild? A first for Britain? Big questions. In the evening after speaking to a few birders, John Hewitt was contemplating making a move in the morning, as so I arranged to come along and go see this bird. The problem? I am of course still on night shifts...

I arrived back from my night shift at 6.00 in the morning, feeling fairly rough. The bird had been seen so we all piled into Johns car and headed down. During the five hour drive down to Suffolk I managed a few hours broken sleep, which was enough for me to at least act like a normal human being whilst we were there.

Once on site it did not take long for us to reach the pool where the Swamphen had been frequenting, and it did not take long for the bird itself to appear out of the reeds. A great big lumbering thing it was, really quite spectacular. It came well out into the open initially, giving fantastic views and then vanished back into the reeds. This was only for a short while though, as soon you could see it skulking through the reeds at the back. Often it would stop to preen or feed allowing fairly decent views.

-Purple Swamphen

Sadly though my photos were not what I had hoped they would be. Still, they show beyond any doubt what it was, a pretty stunning bird.

So whats its credentials as a first for Britain? All other rejected records have been either hybrids or the wrong (African or Eastern) race. This is the first time a Western race Swamphen has occurred in this country. Also, on the continent at the moment there is large dispersal of this species as a result of a large drought in Southern Europe. The species' range has been slowly moving north through France, and a few weeks ago one was seen in Brittany. So looking at it on face value, it does look good as potentially my first, first for Britain. Here's hoping.

After an hour and a half of watching the Swamphen we decided to move on. Not only had I done a night shift the previous night, but I also had to get back to do one the oncoming night too, so we could not really stay an excessive length of time. There was not much else on the pool, although in a moment of panic I tried to string a young Water Rail as a spotted crake after all I saw was its pale face and striped back. My bad.

We moved on to the North Wall where we hoped we would be able to see some Stone-Curlew. They have been tricky apparently but when we arrived we were immediately treated to fantastic views of them, all be it a little distant and hazy, hence why my photos are a little weak. Its the first time I have seen this species since I lift ticked it about 5 years ago. It was pretty exciting to see them again. There have been up to four on site, but we only saw two of them.

-Stone Curlew

By now it was early afternoon and we had to be thinking about heading home. We had a quick walk down to look over the scrape where I added distant Spotted Redshank to my yearlist. Sadly distant was something of an understatement. Other waders we managed to spot on the scrape included Ruff, Lapwing and Redshank. The Spotted Redshanks were not black beauties, but silver grey juvs. Still cracking to see.

On the way out I also added another species I have not seen for many years to my year-list in the form of Marsh Tit. I tried to grab a photo but it proved somewhat tricky and the bird all too quickly dived for cover before I was able to get a photo. We waiting in the area for a short while in the hope it might re-appear but it did not. However, when we were waiting by the loos there were some feeders and it made a brief appearance on there too, although once again I was a little slow trying to go for the camera.

So three year-ticks today and potential lifer in waiting too. Not a bad day out. Even on the way out we got cracking views of a Grayling butterfly on Budlia of all places. I would have loved to explore the reserve some more, but sadly I would not have made it back for my shift. Fortunately I did make it back, but I was so exhausted I fell asleep at least twice during my night vidule. Still, a cracking day out, and somewhere I definitely intend to go back to.

Species List:

Minsmere RSPB: Mute Swan, Mallard, Kestrel, Grey Heron, Common Buzzard, Reed Warbler, Sand Martin, Little Egret, Purple Swamphen, Swift, Swallow, Common Redshank, Water Rail, Magpie, Stone Curlew, Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Barnacle Goose, Pied Wagtail, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Tit, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit,

Grange-Over Sands holiday Day 3

After almost three weeks, it decided to rain. It was a pity it had to be today, when we were on holiday and not when I was tuck at home revising. However, because of the rain my family decided that they would go to a naval museaum in Barrow, but said I could get the train to leighton moss if I wanted, because there is a train station close to the reserve.
I Arrived at Silverdale station and checked a map to see which direction would lead me to the reserve. I luckily chose the right way, as i dont remeber a golf course or a train line anywhere near the reserve from last time. Right away upon entering the car park, often filled with phesants, but none this time. There was however a Willow tit on one of the peanut feeders, which was a great start.

-Willow Tit
I got into the reserve and went staright to the big first hide, Lilian's, mainly because it has heating. I got in and began to take record shots of all the birds there, before having a scan across the reedbeds, that diddnt produce much else.

-Common Teal

-Dabchick/Little Grebe

-Tufted Duck
There was also an assortment of black-headed gulls and mallards. I stuck around for a while to see what would show up, and I was not dissapointed. I was watching the reedbeds when I overheard somebody mention snow goose, and at the same time a white bird emerged from the reedbed and began to fly above it, but some way off. I couldn't beleive it. I managed a few shots as it flew over towards the other hides, public and lower, before dipping below the reeds.

-Snow Goose
Excited I headed off towards that section of the reserve to see if I could catch up with it. On the way there i had a look at the feeders and was rewarded with views of a bullfinch pair

-Bullfinches
Heading down the causeway I was hearing wierd noises from the reedbed, but could only find coots and graylag geese, which were quite abundant. I also managed to find my first swallow of the year!

-Swallow
On my way down the causeway i spotted the snow goose flying away, back to where it came. Gutted I enetred public hide to see what was going on in there. I found some other wildfowl, including my first pochard of the year and a goldeneye pair fishing at the back of the lake.

-Pochard
I also spotted my first marsh harrier of the day in that hide, but it diddnt stick around for a photo. So I left Public hide to see what was at lower hide. To this day, lower hide has been the poorest hide on the reserve, however that diddnt mean that it wasnt worth a look. Just past public hide there was a as small river, where there was a heron fishing.

-Grey Heron
There were other birds as I made my way down the causeway, like lapwings, but I still could'nt find any trace of the snow goose, so i reckoned that it must be in one of the lakes that wasnt visable from the hides. I had it confirmed in public hide that it was a snow goose from my photo by some other birder. The conversation was prompted by somebody asking what the large white bird that he had seen flying round that area earlier could have been, a snow goose apparently!

-Lapwing
Off the footpath and walking down through the woods to lower hide produced a chiffchaff singing and a blackcap also singing

-Chiffchaff
Lower hide wasn't great, but did have some nice things, such as a wren singing outside. It also had a pair of grebes doing a courtship dance in the background, and lots of teals in the foreground. There was also a marsh harrier seemingly hunting some greylag geese, which, if it was, failed to catch any.

On my way back I called in at public hide again to see if there was anything going on. I noticed that one of the grebes I had seen dancing at lower hide had come to rest on one of the islands quite close to the public hide, so i could get a record shot for the day.

-Great crested grebes
Back on the causeway and once more there were plenty of marsh harriers to keep me interested, but the photos of marsh harriers from the day will come up later. It was however another raptor that caught my attention, in a buzzard that was flying high above.

-Buzzard
At the top of the causeway A deer ran out infront of me, but I wasnt quick enough with my camera to get a photo of the deer, instead I had to make do with a photo of its leg, not included for obviouse reasons.

Back at Lilians hide I sat down to have my lunch, and see if the snow goose would make a re-appearance. I was enetrtained, in the days only breif sunshine window, by a heron hunting in front of the hide. It then took off and flew right in front of us, offering me a great chance to get some photos.

-Grey Heron
Most of lunch was spent watching marsh harriers in the distance, while otherbirders argued wether or not they were male, female or buzzards. In the meantime I spotted another species of wildfowl drop in the shape of a gadwall pair

-Gadwall
i was just wrapping up with my lunch when the goose re-appeared and once more went over towards public hide. So once more I followed suit. I noted that it had gone down to the small narrow waterway that i had spotted a grey heron in earlier. I also noted the prescence of a dark cloud mass coming in, and assessed that during the walk it was very likely I would get heavily rained on. It was a risk worth taking.

And as i walked down the causeway I spotted a marsh harrier that was actually worth attempting to a take a photo off. It was a good thing I did, because they came out well. Possibly my new favoiurite marsh harrier photos

-Marsh Harrier
I reached the area where I reckoned the goose was, and was dissapointed to notfind it there. I took a photo of the waterway though, and it just goes to show how dark it was under the cloud.

-Waterway under a dark cloud
On the way back up the causeway I spotted a marsh tit in the flooded woody bit at the top, and it allowed me to get my best ever marsh tit photos.

-Marsh Tit
I made my way all the way to Griesdale hide at the other end of the reserve for a look at what was there. I just made it in time before the heavens finally opened. The poor birds all looked pretty miserable in the rain!

I had a look around and spotted another couple of wildfowl species for the day in wigeon and shoveler, a well as teal. The wigeon were well at the back under a tree, but the shoveler were quite bold and tame and were swimming around in front of the hide readily.

-Wigeon

-Shoveler
I was just about to leave to make sure i got my train back, when a guy next to me with a big camera suddenly spotted a bittern right out in the open on the reedbed on the far side. It was the best view of a bittern I have ever had, but at the point of maximum viewing, as it were, I opted to watch it instead of photograph it. I did, however, give me agreat view of a bittern

-Bittern
I called in at the main hide as I had a bit of time, and was rewarded by some birders noting that some small dots in the distance were sandmartins, and that one brighter white blob was an early house martin, which was very nice. I recorded all my first hirundines of the year in the same day.

I stopped off at the birdfeeding station on my way to the station just for a quick look. I was rewarded with great views of a male bullfinch, plus a baby rabbit and a couple of female phesants. Which was a nice ending to the day.

-Bullfinch

So ends the day for then, and i made it to my train, in the rain, and made it to grnage and got a lift back from a succesful day.

N.B There was always a nagging doubt about said snow goose. It just seemed too good to be true, and lo and behold, on birdguides it is regarded as an escape, so it is not my new tick for the holiday. Pity really, as it was quite nice to see.

Grange-over sands holiday day 2

Day 2. It was a lot more overcast than yesterday, and also a lot colder. We decided to go on a steam train journey to Windermere lakeside, and then catch the boat up to Bowness. It sounded like a plan.
The train journey was pretty uninteresting, with a coal tit and a chaffinch at the station. So we arrived at the boat landing spot at lakeside. In terms of birdlife there were quite a few swans, as well as mallards, and black-headed gulls. While I waited for the boat I decided to take some photos of black-headed gulls in flight. My results were not brilliant, but it killed time, whilst birding at the same time.

-Black-Headed Gulls
The boat journey had very little in the way of birdlife. We were shadowed by a lesser black backed gull for about a minuet, which was probably the highlight until we got to Bowness. Here there were more birds, including mute swans, Canada geese, mallards and more unusual species too, such as pair of goosander sleeping on a small rock, as well a cormorant on a buoy.

-Goosander Pair
Bowness was quite pretty, and had some nice features. However, in terms of birdlife, it had nothing. We had lunch at the boatside where we were shadowed by jackaws and black-headed gulls, which readily finished up after we had left for the ferry.

The ferry journey back went along the less inhabited side of the lake, and so had more to offer in the way of birdlife. However, they were not the only things in the sky, as RAF pilots started to fly their planes down the valley, as they do.

-Plane
Back to the birds and it was proving the case that there were more interesting birds on this side, including a pair of distant goldeneye, a couple of oystercatchers on the rocks and a pair of red-breasted mergansers, which were the only ones close enough to the boat to bother with a photo.

-Red Breasted Mergansers
So that ends our boat journey. I forgot to mention how cold it was on the boat, so I'll mention it now-It was really cold. Maybe that's why there were not many birds, they were trying to stay warm!

Back at the campsite, I sat down to get some stupid past papers homework done and out of the way. However, these are not relevant past papers, these are critical thinking past papers, I mean, what even is critical thinking. Luckily, I had a seat that overlooked our birdfeeder, and so i could watch proceedings there. We were having quite a good turn-up, with great tits, blue tits, great tits, chaffinches and woodpigeons.

More unusual species included nuthatches of which we had two. It was unusual that they didn't try to chase each other away. But, about time too, we had a marsh tit visit. in fact we had two, which was great because they were here last time we were here, and are possibly the most unusual bird in these parts. However, there was a snag in trying to get a photo, In that it involved opening the window. I took a photo through the plastic and then opened the window...

-Marsh Tit
...And failed! The other birds appreciated my stealth in opening possibly the most creaky windows over, by sheltering. But the marsh tits bolted, and sadly didn't return. So far then, the most anticipated bird of the holiday has shown its face, and my only photo is that of a blurred bird through a plastic window. Not great! So I'll leave you with a photo of a coal tit, Because they are a nice bird and it will make up for the lack of marsh tit photo.

-Coal Tit

*N.B: for anyone wondering why the window wasn't open in the first place, the answer would be that it was cold outside, and the heating was on inside.