Went to Martin Mere again today (25th July, 2008) with my wife... I wanted to show her the Avocet that are there... there were four of them... sadly, no photo as it was too far away to get and I was without tripod... we saw some birds at the feeding station too including a Great Spotted Woodpecker, some Chaffinch and Greenfinch (this was more a 'day out' you see, so not long spent in the hides... not something she's really into lol).


:)

N.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 10:58, 2008-07-26

Spoonbill at Martin Mere this afternoon

Went to Martin Mere this morning with my Brother-In-Law,his wife and daughter... me and him went mooching to the hides, whilst they went off looking at duckies etc. Anyhow - thought it was an absolutely corking morning... saw the following breeds by looking though various hides... Black-tailed Godwit Oystercatcher Lapwing Shelduck Little Grebe Little Egret Green Sandpiper Grey Heron Avocet Buzzard Kestrel Sparrowhawk Blue Tit Great Tit Greenfinch Goldfinch Tree Sparrow Pheasant The second biggest highlight for me being the Avocet... there were five altogether, and seeing them sifting through the shallow water with their weird-looking upturned beaks was great - I'm really glad I brought the 'scope with me too - seeing all these birds in close-up is better than ANY documentary! Anyhow - bit of info. re: the Avocet I though I'd share: "A distinctively-patterned black and white wader with a long up-curved beak. It is the emblem of the RSPB and symbolises the bird protection movement in the UK more than any other species. Its return in the 1940s and subsequent increase in numbers represents one of the most successful conservation and protection projects." The highlight? On the way back from the hides... a Blackbird quite happily snoozing in the sun, looking totally relaxed - that raised a smile... what I'm really glad about is the fact that seeing this 'common' bird is my favourite part of the day... you can see them practically anywhere, and they're far from 'rare' - but that certainly does not make them any less special. So although I'm more than happy to add to my 'bird list' any new birds I've seen - I'm not just 'collecting' them - I'm chuffed to keep seeing the old favourites - and that to me is what makes this such a great hobby! Anyhow... not content with going to Martin Mere in the morning, I decided to take a trip with the dogs to the beach at Southport... and took the binoculars 'just in case' - glad I did because I saw the following: Lesser Black-backed Gull Black-headed Gull Oystercatcher Goldfinch Meadow Pipit Not a bad day all round really! :) N.