1/2/16 - 8/2/16

25/1/16 - 1/2/16

 

 18/1/16 - 24/1/16

14/1/16 Marton Mere, Blackpool

 

 

  

11/1/16 at work. Dick Leigh Chainsaws, Barrow, Clitheroe
Nipped out at lunchtime to see if the Tawny owl was still roosting in the Leylandii. It was, but before I got to it, there was lots of mobbing calls from a nearby hedgerow. A bit of stealth birding revealed 56. Sparrowhawk

It was on a starling kill. After having checked the Tawny Owl was present, I heard, then spotted 57.Great Spotted Woodpecker

7/1/16 Brockholes quarry

I stopped in at Brockholes on the way home as I saw (via the birdguides app) that a Bittern had been reported.

A brief visited didn't yield Bittern but I did see 50.Mute swan, a single black swan, 51.Grey Heron, 52.Gadwall, 53.Pochard, 54.Goldeye & 55.Kestrel (at last!)

7/1/16
The only bird added to my yearlist before today was 43.House Sparrow. No idea how it evaded me for 4 days.

My delivery run in the van on Thursday took me to Preston via the M65 where I found 44.Pheasant before I stopped at St Walburgs church for my favorite Preston residents 45.Peregrine falcon

I stopped for lunch on the way to Warton at a good birding spot known as the Entrance Pool. I added 46.Wigeon  47.Shoveller  & 48.Teal before I spotted 2 buzzards battling with an adult and juv GBB gull over a dead teal. A peregrine joined the melee which made for spectacular viewing. One of the buzzards still had it's prize by the time I left.
These photos are taken at extreme long range with my new Canon Powershot sx60. The bird was barely visible to the naked eye.
The buzzard defending it's teal meal deal from a swooping peregrine.

49. Common Buzzard

2/1/16
Having read Mike Watsons Blog I thought I'd stop by Barrow Lodge on the way to the supermarket. I added 30.Mallard  31.Goosander 32. then his reported spectacular Mandarin Drake.

Coot, Moorhen and Rook took me to 35 species.

Rishton reservoir yielded 36.Great crested grebe 37.Tufted duck (2 drakes) 38.Canada Goose 39.Common Gull 40.GBB gull 41.Herring gull and 42.Lapwing

New years day.
I really look forward to starting a new year list. It starts the moment I open the curtains on Jan 1st.
It's usually a robin but this year it was a female chaffinch. All the usual garden birds at the feeder before I venture out. 5th bird listed this year was a collared dove and it was nest building!
As soon as I reached the garage, heading towards the back fields I heard an awful row that could only mean there was a predator was about.

On reaching the gate I could see several blackbirds mobbing around a single leylandii tree. The tree is only about 12 feet tall but it is the only tree providing cover in winter apart from some nearby ivy.

The tawny owl hiding in this sparse cover was being mobbed by no less than -

7 Blackbirds
3 Song thrushes
1 Mistle thrush
1 Redwing
1 male Bullfinch
1 male Greenfinch
1 Magpie
2 female Chaffinches

Nice way to boost my yearlist!

After adding a nice pair of singing treecreepers. I finished the day with 29 species on my list.