HAWFINCH

Having been to Whitbarrow / Halecat  on at least 7 occasions so far , I was very pleased to connect with 6 Hawfinch on Friday morning , I had 2 very brief and unrewarding views before but this was a real jem with 6 birds seen in the scope and 1 herd calling from another spot.. A fantastic bird rarely seen these days. Another sighting this week was a flock of 78 WHOOPER SWANS ,,,spring is on its way with Rooks rebuilding Rookeries ,my first singing yellowhammer and displaying Marsh Tits.

 

Eiland Gravel Pits

It was a cold and sunny day , 2 Cormorants overhead as I parked up. At least 6 Bullfinch and a Nuthatch around the car park.2 Little Grebes , 4 Goosander ,1  Male Goldeneye  and 7 Teal round the weir and   Green Woodpecker and Kingfisher around the Lagoons .           

Ravenglass

  Ravenglass is very beautiful and very good for wintering birds...Three small estuaries surround the small village and these hold good numbers of wintering birds. At least 40 Red breasted Mergansers were displaying in the large lagoon , along with a v formation of 47 Cormorant overhead.400 widgeon , 100 Teal, 3 Goosander , 4 Greenshank , good numbers of wintering Shelduck  Redshank ,Curlew, lapwing and Oystercatcher. Pink footed and Greylag geese are regular in the surrounding fields and overhead. Buzzard , Merlin , Kestrel ,Sparrowhawk and Peregrine are there for an easy meal. One Peregrine was watched for 4 hours sat in a field after consuming a Lapwing , it was later seen stooping at a large flock of Lapwing and narrowly missing a stray bird...Dunlin , Little Egret ,Skylark and the odd Stonechat as well.......

Back to Reality................

Walked from Fly Flatts to High Brow knoll and back...40 Red Grouse and 1 Kestrel.....

Foulshaw / Duddon Moss

 An excellent week started with 5 Brambling ,1 male Blackcap at Foulshaw Moss and a Barn owl roost here also. At Duddon on Tuesday 1500 Pinkfeet ,1 Juv European White fronted Goose  , 4 Canadas , 11 Barnacle geese, 200 Lapwing ,30 Eider (displaying),100 Shelduck , 4Goldeneye , 200+ Pintail , 1 Red Kite ,1 Green Sandpiper , 3000 Dunlin and a pair of Peregrines displaying over the Dunlins causing chaos..Amazing seeing the Dunlin and Peregrines in combat flight .Rounded of the week at Hale - cat where there were 5 Nuthatch , 3 Marsh Tit ,and the bird of the week a Hawfinch.

Cold

By - eck  it was cold this morning and birds hard to find.8 tree Sparrows and 9 goldfinch were in the back garden , 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren,1 Dunnock , 3 Stock Dove, 2 Collard Dove  and a Grey Wag were in the fields and 9 Herring Gulls were heading west, 1 Goldcrest and 3 Mute Swans still at Shibden. Glad bri got the Tree Sparrows now fingers crossed for a Yellowhammer or Corn bunt in the spring...