Tuesday, October 19, 2021
It was the local Pilling patch again this morning, hoping for migrants ideally, although I’m more than happy to see and watch all species and see what they are up to at this time of year.
You could say the morning started on a high with a Barn Owl sat on a roadside post along Fluke Hall Lane, the only problem being that the approach of a car caused the owl to fly off quickly towards a nearby farm building, and I didn’t see it again.
A walk at Ridge Farm found 8 Lapwing, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Reed Bunting, 5 Linnet, 4 Skylark, 2 Little Egret and 1 Pied Wagtail, with just a couple of small groups of overflying Meadow Pipits heading east along the sea wall, less than 20 birds in all. Later on at Lane Ends I noted a single overhead Meadow Pipit and despite the rather murky, grey morning I didn’t see any grounded pipits in a three hour walk, so I expect that any heading north found their way inland via the sea wall or managed to cross Morecambe Bay at some point.
Lane Ends to Pilling Water and then back involved approximately 2 hours of leisurely birding: 3 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Grey Heron, 4 Little Egret, 2 European White-fronted Goose, 30 Pink-footed Goose, 5 Teal, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Greenfinch, 45 Lapwing, 24 Curlew, 25 Oystercatcher, 30 Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 1 Green Sandpiper.
Many species were noted either singing or in display mode, including Skylark, Lapwing, Redshank, Mistle Thrush, Little Grebe, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Robin, Dunnock and Chaffinch. So although spring is in the air, without a spot of sunshine or a rush of March migration this morning’s birding had a winter sensation to it still.
Follower 300 arrived, hello Tomás. Nice pictures of Stone Curlew.