Picked up by Jellyhead, who'd also "birdnapped" Tropical and Bazzo this a.m to whizz up to Brockholes Quarry by the Tickled Trout east of Preston to look at this White Pelican today in heavy rain.
When we got there, the pelican had just flown off the Ribble and luckily we bumped into it at the quarry a short time later.
An escape? Well quite probably - although there are them that think it is the bird that has been tracked through Germany and Holland, and was seen coming off the North Sea in Norfolk earlier this week.
So going to see it is what people call "insurance" - a euphemism for don't wanna go and see the escape, but don't dare not go if my mates have all seen it and it gets accepted.
I bet if I had a bucket of sprats the pelican (crazy bill and crazy feet) would have been across the water in a jiffy....
Okay so the pix ain't great - but it was pouring down and the bird was on the other side of the water, a good 400m away.
It was bedraggled, although fully winged.
It seems a fitting moment to recap my theory of bird movement via motorways - this individual clearly knows how to use autobahns as well as the M62 and M6 (Brockholes is right under the motorway).
Meanwhile back in the real world, we called in at Marshside on the way home, where the Sandplant pools had 6 young Ruddy Ducks, Greenshank to the north of the hide, a flyby Little Egret and a juv Marsh Harrier on the outer marsh.
Golden Plovers were in with the Lapwings and a Willow Warbler was around the Sandplant.
Loadsa Greylags right in front of the hide.....wild as a pelican.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies.....
Oh yeah, my Daily Post column tomorrow is about Harlequin Ladybirds - they're so hungry they'll have the fingers off you!
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Oh dear, pelican now begging for fish from anglers - like I said "An escape? Well quite probably."
Couldn't be bothered going to see the pelican, just went to the marsh late pm today. Much as per what you saw yesterday evening - notably a pair of Marsh Harriers (and certainly one adult female) on the outer marsh, plus peregrine and little egret there. A merlin on the posts far opposite Sandgrounders, half a dozen juvenile shelduck, a ruff, loads of curlew (both on Polly's Pool and down by the high tide mark) ... no sign of greenshank though. Grey, golden and ringed plover with knot at high tide mark (vast throngs of 'em.) Hundreds of hirundines everywhere. A couple of whitethroat, loads of greylag. Little grebe and the six ruddy duck. Great views of the fem marsh harrier trying to take a pipit 30 yards away.
Following on the Marsh Harrier theme, on Saturday (19th Aug) I picked up a female quartering the ditches down Segar's Lane, c 1 mile east of Ainsdale, at c6.30pm.
Great to see these birds so widespread in SW Lancs these days.
Barrie
My wife bought me an RSPB membership package for xmas and I have not had much chance to use it. I have spent many an early morning at Mere Sands and managed to see a kingfisher for the first time, magnificient. Apart from traipsing down to the shore at Crosby and New Brighton/Harrison Drive i have not visited that many sites. The "marsh" that is mentioned quite a bit on this site seems a good place to visit and I was wondering if it is easily accessable. I found this site by accident and wish I'd found it earlier. Any tips or pointers to a good days birdwatching would be appreciated as, work permitting, I am determined to get out more.
Yup Kevin, the marsh is REALLY accessible - it's the RSPB reserve at Marshside.
Just drive out of Southport north towards Preston along the Coast Road and park up at the Sandwinning Plant car park just past the junction of Marine Drive and Marshside Road (you can't miss it!)
If you haven't got a car, the green alternative is a bus from Southport train station to Crossens, getting off at the Elswick Road junction, with Marshside Road, then just walk to the coast along Marshside Road.
There's two hides (Sandgrounders and Nel's) which are well signposted, and gazillions of acres of mud and saltmarsh to go mad watching.
As it's my local patch ( I am now a 30 year veteran) I'm biased, but while Marshside does have a LOT of quiet days, I don't know of that many other UK mainland sites that can boast Great Grey Shrike, Red Necked Phalarope, probable Pallid Harrier, Red Kite, Pectoral Sandpiper, Green WIinged Teal and Black Stork all in the last 12 months (plus breeding Avocets and shedloads of passage waders, raptors, wildfowl etc).
Welcome aboard Kevin, hope you enjoy the 'blog - any more queries just drop us a comment online.
And remember, eyes to the skies....