One of the Kingfishers did me the honour of perching right beside the Sandgrounders Hide at Marshside today, despite work going on on the new flaps on the track.
Stonking views of the bird as it fished from the fenceposts to the right.
Kingfishers used to be a red letter day bird at Marshside, but at least one has been fairly regular for the last month or so now, and very welcome they are too.
It was as well the Kingfisher was about, because things were pretty quiet otherwise - about 8 Robins around the sandplant bushes, with a single Goldcrest, a handful of Wrens, Greenfinches, Linnets etc.
Pied Wags, Skylarks and small numbers of Mipits overhead.
Seven Little Egrets on Crossens Outer Marsh, but in the murk over high tide I had an egret in flight about a half a mile off Mount Baker, which looked very large, long trailing legs and a big neck bulge - frustratingly it dropped out of sight on the marsh edge and that was that, but it could have been a Great White...anyone else seen any big egrets the last week or so?
Met Tony Baker overseeing work on the hide but he hadn't seen much - two Hen Harriers have been about apparently, but neither of us got to grips with 'em.
From Nels there were a 150 Black Tailed Godwits, about 30 Snipe in view (God knows how many were in the grass), Lapwing and wildfowl.
Slowly the drake Shovelers, Teal and Pintail are coming back into full plumage, but who can resist the splendour of a nice female Shoveler?
Wigeon, Pintail, Gadwall and Teal on the lagoon, with a few hundred Pink Feet in total scattered about the area.
A Merlin spooked all the Starlings on Marshside Two, where the Glossy Ibis was noodling about on Polly's Pool until it flew out on the outer marsh.
Small gull roost on Polly's, and one at the back of M2.
Three Migrant Hawkers along the bank and a Red Admiral.
Back at Dempsey Towers, birds are coming back to the feeders, but the Great Spotted Woodpecker seems to prefer ripping lumps of bark off our apple tree.
Mrs D is not impressed.
Bloody birds.
Don't know of much else - presumably the possible Gyr reported on Downholland Moss this morning was Derek Williams - Derek are you out there? Any more gen?
Hopefully the Great Grey Shrike will show up at the Mere again for the birdfair tomorrow and Sunday - may see you there (if the Gray Cheeked Thrush on Scilly doesn't tempt me).
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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ron jackson wrote...
I saw the Kingfisher at Sandgrounders this afternoon, clicking of Box Brownies w.h.y. among the "oohs" and "aahs".
Also saw a KingF. at Banks earlier on so at least two on the estuary today. Reports of four (4) Spoonbills together recently at Banks plus Dom Harmer had three Grey Crows there a week or so ago, not realising they are 3/4 star rarities in the area these days. Perhaps these birds were Manx ones.
Three Spot Reds, a Curlew Sand and two Little Stints on the floods among the hordes of Wigeons and Peewits. Had a classic American Goldie there last week, adult summer moulting to winter, perfect until it casually flashed its' underwings which were pale!!!!
Some 'Feet heading into our area this afternoon from the Fylde and a big mob flying out onto the marsh , to roost presumably, coming from a Tarleton direction
Ron
Posted by: ron jackson | October 12, 2007 5:02 PM