20 Mute Swans, 70 Lapwings (Mixed flock with Starlings), 8 Wigeon and 2 Grey Herons.
Meadow Lake :3 Snipe, 1 Little Egret, 8 Shovelers and 1 Grey Heron.
In addition 2 Buzzards and 1m Kestrel were seen around the reserve, and a single Nuthatch was noted in Boilton Wood.
John Williams said
Mon Dec 13 7:09 PM, 2021
10.00-13.30 (Highlights)
Riverside walk from the M6 bridge to Redscar Wood : 3F+2m Goldeneyes, 1 Buzzard, 1m Kestrel and 3 Bullfinches.
Meadow Lake : 1 Kingfisher and 6 Grey Herons.
No1 Pit : 2f Goldeneyes, 1m Pochard and a flock of 110 Lapwings.
Ribbleton Pool : 1m Goldeneye and 5 Cormorants.
Feeding Station : 2 Bullfinches and 1m Reed Bunting.
steven burke said
Sun Nov 28 10:51 PM, 2021
Thought I would take a chance with the belted kingfisher today, glad I did, I wasn't in the area of the usual location at first, I spent almost an hour with another group of birders on a nice flat area of the river Bank looking up towards the wier where it was last reported but no joy. After seeing another report of heard only around 12.30pm I eventually gave up there & headed too the redscar wood, eventually there around 1.30pm I headed down the slope, without slipping & found a group of birders, no reports of the bird so i waited, at around 2.45pm a chap, viewable further downstream could be heard shouting the belted kingfisher was heading upstream, on looking through the binoculars there it was heading our way but then decided to go into the banking on our side & out of view, not for too long though as the belted kingfisher flew straight out & flew past, went slightly upstream & landed on top of a hawthorn Bush giving good full views, it then decided to fly back downstream but then landed directly in front of us all on the opposite bank giving even better views, it then decided to head back into the corner again out of view & I never seen it again. The hike back up the slope was a bit harder, I am unfit for my age
Other birds around.... 1-2 kingfishers 2 Green sandpipers 1 Common sandpiper 1 redshank 1-2 little egrets 1 goosander 1 fieldfare Kestrel Buzzard
Back on the first of April 2005, whilst I was at work, news that a Belted Kingfisher had been found in inland Staffordshire near Shugborough. As it was April Fool`s Day a lot of doubt as to why a really rare American bird had been found in that area, was it a genuine sighting? It turned out to be correct, so we went the day after to have a look at it, we were disappointed. But with news that the bird had relocated to Eastrington Ponds N.R. near Goole/Howden in Yorkshire, a dash north reminiscent of a Keystone Cops film followed. Could there be more bad news about the bird? Upon arrival it had gone, so the disappointed invasion force just gave up! But that was not quite the end as the bird had been found on the river at Peterculter, Aberdeenshire a couple of days later. The bird stayed for 4 days but as we arrived promptly disappeared once more, think we were fated not to see this species!
With no more twitchable birds being seen in the country for 16 years, you could say hope of ever seeing one had gone. On Monday the 8th November this year a fisherman/birdwatcher on the River Ribble not far from Brockholes N.R. saw a Belted Kingfisher, whilst he was fishing and funnily enough, so was the bird! He took a few distant pictures of it with his phone, there was a lot of cynicism surrounding this sighting, and someone even said that it was Just a Great Tit, how wrong they were. No further sightings of the bird until Sunday the 14th November when the Belted Kingfisher was seen again in the Tunbrook/Horseshoe bend, Brockholes N.R. area of the River Ribble. It was seen by another reputable birder, but vanished and was not seen again for a few days. We went across to search for it, again without any joy, but a nice walk.
Yesterday the 25th November turned out to be quite a remarkable day, as at 11-50am the Belted Kingfisher was reported on Rare Bird Alert after having been seen at 8-30am till 9-45am. It had been seen just down from Red Scar Wood almost in the same place that it had been located on the two previous occasions, then apart from it going missing for 15 minutes. It was reported as showing well time for a trip I thought, with Bob K & Kevin C being unavailable, I rung Craig B and he said yes lets go By 1-15pm we were heading towards Preston, a message to say the bird was still present helped. We arrived at Longridge/Preston Crematorium by 1-50pm and headed along the footpath and began the decent of the difficult, treacherous, slippy path to the river bed. A useful walking stick/branch was used, but I still managed a couple of mud slides what fun, all to see a bird! Craig beckoned me over as I landed and a look through a telescope soon had me watching a male Belted Kingfisher, 16 years waiting was over, what a bird! We watched this American Beauty for a good 40 minutes as it perched in a few different trees and flew about pursuing fish. The climb up the slope wasnt quite as memorable as the climb down, but a few others really toiled to get up the muddy path. Craig B has been with us on a few trips to see rare birds and has yet not failed to see them, his new name is Mr 100% We reached home before dark.
What of Bob K & Kevin C, well they set off early this morning (26th) and were rewarded with great views of the Belted Kingfisher. This species was Bob`s 500th bird on the BOU list, well done pal. I am really glad that Bob has re-found his mojo for seeing rare birds. Kevin C has also had a quite remarkable year for seeing rare birds. Lots of happy faces were seen leaving the crematorium that in itself was a joy to behold.
Dave O
John Rayner said
Thu Nov 25 11:19 PM, 2021
I, too, was close by when news broke. Parking on the long entrance drive did not seem to cause any issues and it is then a short walk to Redscar Woods and the top on the muddy track down to Tunbrook. The Belted Kingfisher was in view as I arrived, perched and on a couple of occasions sallying across the river then back to its perch. It then flew upstream, calling as it passed close by the small crowd, and landed even closer in hawthorns on the opposite bank. It was still present as I left - so walkaway views.
As Roger says the hike down is steep, muddy and awkward but perfectly doable with care. A hiking pole might help.
I decided on a change of scene this morning and went to Brockholes. I had just about completed a circuit of the reserve and was nearly back at my car when Ians Mega Alert text arrived confirming the Belted Kingfisher had been seen to the north east of the reserve. (Thanks Ian!). I promptly changed direction and headed to the top of Red Scar Woods. I could see no other birders and the way down to the river was not obvious. I just picked a less steep section of the bank in the middle of the bend in the river and headed down the slippery slope. A couple of other birders joined me on the descent and, after a bit of searching the bird was seen perched just upstream of our location. Excellent views of the bird were had, both perched and a during a couple of fishing trips over the river. After about half an hour two more birders came down the slope close to the perched bird and flushed it. It flew off upstream and that was my cue to leave.
For any other birders wanting to see the bird, it is a slightly tricky descent(and ascent) to the river, but not beyond anyone with a modicum of fitness and a degree of caution.
Other birds noted, 2 Green Sandpiper, Common Kingfisher and 3 Goosander.
The Belted Kingfisher showed superbly well to lots of birders today.
Really difficult descent from the footpath to the river bank. Lots of slips, slides and falls including one poor chap who ended up in the river.
Dave Ousey said
Tue Nov 16 9:00 PM, 2021
An interesting trip out, North Wales & Lancashire. 14/11/
Now as all you birders out there know a Belted Kingfisher (from the USA) had been seen along the River Ribble near Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston in Lancashire on the morning of the 8th of November. It had not been seen since despite lots of local birders looking for it. You can imagine the shock that a few of us had at Talacre when news that the Belted Kingfisher had been once more seen in the same place as last Monday! Kevin C`s comment that he will get a Dusky Warbler eventually but a Belted Kingfisher maybe not, so are we going? Off we hurried to the car and onto the 50mph M6 to the news that the Kingfisher had not been seen since, typical. Despite this we got to Brockholes N.R. and thought that the car park seemed pretty busy. We met a few locals who told us that the bird had again disappeared as it did last week, I wonder where it goes was the thing on every ones mind. What followed was a long hike, up a steep bank trying to see any part of the river without actually descending the slippy, dangerous slope (People had fallen and injured themselves) We certainly gave it a go, but the Jackdaw sized Belted Kingfisher can now be put on my 4th county that I have Dipped the bird in Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Aberdeenshire and now Lancashire. We slowly made our way back to the carpark and met two of East Lancashire`s finest birdwatchers, John W and Dave B (freshly recovering from a recent visit to the NHS) who filled us in on this mornings single observer sighting. We departed for home after an interesting day out!
Dave O
Ian McKerchar said
Fri Nov 12 5:21 PM, 2021
Could we start a new thread on the discussion forum on the case of the Belted Kingfisher for any further comments. please, it could run on and on on here but ultimately, (over)analysing poor record images or interrogating social media comments of others doesn’t necessarily help with the provenance of the sighting or get us any closer to closure on it.
Rob Creek said
Fri Nov 12 4:36 PM, 2021
Didnt know what to make of this at all, looked genuine enough with an image that I thought COULD be sufficient but I certainly wasnt 100% sure, then I saw the video of the same bird and I thought - hello - doesnt look that bad and could well be one, its sat on a branch and you can see it moving a little bit.
I was reading the comments on Twitter and some people are saying - what else is this blue? Its got to be genuine, etc etc But I thought to myself how blue is the bird in the image? I snapshotted the image and enlarged it coz something didnt look right, there looked to be straight lines with a blue tinge. The resulting image is below and there are indeed straight lines with a blue hue which could purely be down to iPhone image recording quality. It also looks to have a black cap???
Im still none the wiser really which sounds like Im doubting the finder but I really do hope it was one, and that it gets refound. If anyone gets the chance to see the video on the Preston Bird Sightings Facebook group its worth a look!
The report is definite, there's a blurred-but-adequate photo..
The photo that I have seen on social media is far from adequate, John. Just a tiny blue blob in a tangle of branches where it is very hard to gauge size. It would be very interesting to see the video but it begs the question as to why the video is not all over social media if it is a genuine and reliable sighting. I will keep an open mind for the time being though.
For those who havent seen it here is the Twitter photo in question. A small image I agree but it looks OK to me.
The report is definite, there's a blurred-but-adequate photo..
The photo that I have seen on social media is far from adequate, John. Just a tiny blue blob in a tangle of branches where it is very hard to gauge size. It would be very interesting to see the video but it begs the question as to why the video is not all over social media if it is a genuine and reliable sighting. I will keep an open mind for the time being though.
Lez Fairclough said
Wed Nov 10 12:11 AM, 2021
John Watson wrote:
I spent a few hours there too, on the water's edge, but only birds of note were Kingfisher (m), 2 rather territorial Little Egret, ~50 Fieldfare, Peregrine (briefly)
The report is definite, there's a blurred-but-adequate photo and apparently also a video on a private Facebook page. The fisherman/birder has been in discussions with RBA about the sighting. The Belted Kingfisher was apparently quite noisy
The sighting was made on the least accessible part of the river, on the far side of the loop from Brockholes. The only access through the farmland is strictly to licensed fisher folk. Access might also be possible from the wooded footpaths to the N of the river, but the climb down to the river is very steep and would be seriously risky
The general feeling was that it's moved down or up the river, and could reappear in a few days, but if it's mobile then it'll be "one lucky observer" again
Certainly not worth the risk as I attempted that myself & lost my footing sliding 150 feet on my backside down to the
rivers edge. After about an hours unsuccessful searching I had to clamber all the way back up on all fours - lost a few
pounds in the process but gained nothing for my foolishness!
-- Edited by Lez Fairclough on Wednesday 10th of November 2021 12:12:38 AM
John Watson said
Tue Nov 9 10:01 AM, 2021
I spent a few hours there too, on the water's edge, but only birds of note were Kingfisher (m), 2 rather territorial Little Egret, ~50 Fieldfare, Peregrine (briefly)
The report is definite, there's a blurred-but-adequate photo and apparently also a video on a private Facebook page. The fisherman/birder has been in discussions with RBA about the sighting. The Belted Kingfisher was apparently quite noisy
The sighting was made on the least accessible part of the river, on the far side of the loop from Brockholes. The only access through the farmland is strictly to licensed fisher folk. Access might also be possible from the wooded footpaths to the N of the river, but the climb down to the river is very steep and would be seriously risky
The general feeling was that it's moved down or up the river, and could reappear in a few days, but if it's mobile then it'll be "one lucky observer" again
Lez Fairclough said
Mon Nov 8 10:38 PM, 2021
Spent 3 unsuccessful hours here this afternoon following reports of a Belted Kingfisher on the River Ribble at Brockholes.
Apparently an ex-birder fisherman confirmed seeing it whilst fishing, but despite around 50 other birders staking out along a good stretch of the river it could not be located - with the only bird of note being a Little Egret on the river bank.
Lots of Lapwings around, especially on Meadow Lake, they flushed a few times, noticeably for a Sparrowhawk and an heron, but no sign
of the Osprey. Oddly no sign of any Buzzards either.
Rob Creek said
Sat Sep 11 1:39 PM, 2021
No sign of the Osprey then John? Been reported near the River Ribble quite a few times in the last couple of weeks, including today.
John Williams said
Fri Sep 10 6:20 PM, 2021
Afternoon visit
Along the river M6 to Red Scar Wood : 2 Little Egrets, 1 Linnet, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Grey Herons and 1 Sparrowhawk.
Meadow Lake : 200+ Lapwings, 1 Little Egret and 4 Snipe.
No1 Pit : 1 adult + 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebes, 1 Kestrel, 1 Snipe and 13 Lapwings.
Ribbleton Pool : 1 adult + 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebes.
No hirundines seen throughout.
John Williams said
Fri May 14 5:41 PM, 2021
09.30-14.30
Riverside, M6 to Red Scar Wood : 1 Cettis Warbler (Calling by the entrance gate), 3 Common Whitethroats, 1 Common Tern,
3 Grey Herons and 6 Swifts. Also 2 female Mallards each with a brood of just 1 duckling, indicating high predation.
The Sand Martin colony alongside the river appeared lifeless, in previous years in seemed to be thriving.
Apparently herons have been seen catching martins as they visited their nest holes, but perhaps human interference to blame also?.
The artificial Sand Martin banks seemed lifeless too.
Boilton Wood : 1 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch and 1 Kestrel.
Feeding station area : 1 singing Garden Warbler (Occasionally showing on a hawthorn bush), 2 Common Whitethroats and 1 Reed Bunting.
No 1 Pit : 5 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Redshanks and 1 Kestrel.
Ribbleton Pool : 2 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Common Tern.
Ash Dieback appears to be really having an impact here, huge numbers of trees are defoliated across the site.
Sarfraz Hayat said
Sat Nov 21 6:05 PM, 2020
A Bittern flew across Meadow Lake on the 23rd of October - first I have seen here I believe. At least 2 seem to winter here now every year.
Rob Creek said
Fri Sep 11 10:10 PM, 2020
Thursday 10th Sept
Doing the Preston route gave me chance to call in on way back to depot. Mainly Pit 1 (The Lookout) and surrounds.
- no sign of the Bittern for me - the Hobbies were seen earlier in the day - 3 Chiffchaff calling, moving around in the scrub - 2 Blackcap calling, as above - 12 Great Crested Grebe (I was told theres only 14 on the reserve) - 4 Grey Herons - 1 Common Buzzard - 10+ Cormorant
John Williams said
Fri Sep 4 3:38 PM, 2020
10.30-13.30
3 Hobbies over No 1 Pit, occasionlly skimming low across the surface "Swallow style" and also indulging in breathtaking aerial
squabbles together. There were no hirundines around the pool at the time, just the occasional Swallow above the nearby woodland,
but there were lots of Common Darter dragonflies in the area. A single Kestrel hovered above the adjacent meadow.
6 adult Great Crested Grebes were on No1 Pit, with 1 adult and 2 full grown youngsters on the Ribbleton Pool.
120+ Lapwings rested by Meadow Lake, and were on occasions deliberately spooked by an aggressive Grey Heron
seemingly trying to pick out a weakling amongst the flock.
John Williams said
Mon Jul 20 4:15 PM, 2020
10.00-13.30
Visitor centre and cafe still shut but the car park is open again.
Chatted to an angler on the Ribble and he advised me that the Osprey that had been hanging around the site for a while,
was killed when it flew low across the M6 slip road and collided with a lorry.
Apparently the sad drama was captured by the traffic cameras.
River Ribble : 7 Little Egrets and 1 Kingfisher.
Main Reserve : 10 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers, 7 Great Crested Grebes (Including 1 juvenile) and 1 Treecreeper.
No raptors were seen throughout and the only bird still in song was a single Chiffchaff.
Huge numbers of Sand Martins were above Number One Pit.
A family group of each of the following were seen on the reserve : Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Wren.
John Williams said
Tue Jun 23 9:24 PM, 2020
09.00-13.00
The paths are all open but the visitor centre, education hide and car park are still closed.
A dozen Sand Martins were skimming the surface of the river by the M6 roadbridge, more were noted further upstream where there
are 2 small colonies, and a further 20 were above Number One Pit, although none were seen to use the artifical nesting wall.
2 pairs of Common Terns have also settled on Number One Pit, and 6 full grown Black Headed Gull youngsters were there with their
parents too. Also around the pool were 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank (Brooding) and 3 Oystercatchers (1 Brooding).
Another Redshank was by the river, where a pair of Stock Doves drank, and a couple of Grey Herons stalked prey.
A single Little Egret was by Meadow Lake, together with a futher 2 Oystercatchers (1 Brooding) whilst a Garden Warbler was in full song
from the surrounding bushes. Singles of Buzzard and Treecreeper were seen in Red Scar Wood, where a single Chiffchaff was still singing.
Lots of Blackcaps were still in song across the site, 4 Willow Warlbers too, whilst a single highly vocal Sedge Warbler gave display flights
alongside Number One Pit.
John Williams said
Sat Dec 28 5:17 PM, 2019
11.00-15.00
River Ribble (M6 to Red Scar Wood & Weir) :
1 Red Headed Smew quite mobile along this stretch of the river.
Also seen here were 1 Kingfisher, 1m Kestrel, 3 Grey Herons and a flock of 16 Long tailed Tits.
Main Reserve/No 1 Pit :
3m+1f Goldeneyes, 1m Kestrel and 2 Buzzards.
-- Edited by John Williams on Sunday 29th of December 2019 12:47:57 AM
Ribbleton Pool : 2ad+2 full grown juvenile Great Crested Grebes.
Number 1 Pit : 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Ringed Plover and a brooding Great Crested Grebe.
2 Buzzards were over Boilton Wood and a Kestrel hovered near the car park.
5 Common Terns were seen around the reserve.
The adult Sand Martins at the colony by the river flushed en-masse when a low flying helicopter flew over,
but soon settled down again once it had passed.
John Williams said
Sat May 5 5:15 PM, 2018
09.30-14.30
River bank path from the M6 to the small weir : 1 Whimbrel, 2 Oystercatchers, 8 Sand Martins, 3 Grey Herons, 1 Kestrel and 1 Buzzard.
4 Lesser Whitethroats singing from hawthorn thickets along the path.
Ribble Way footpath through the reserve : 2 singing Garden Warblers (1 near the feeding station showing well), 1 Sedge Warbler, 5 Common Whitethroats and 1 Linnet.
Number 1 Pit : 4 Redshanks, 1 Ringed Plover and 4 Great Crested Grebes.
3 Buzzards (including a light phase bird) soared high above Boilton Wood.
Mike Cooper said
Tue Apr 24 11:59 PM, 2018
Tues 24/4/18 10:15-12:30 cloudy with sunny spells rain from 12:20
Missed the singing Savi's by 15 mins
2 Whimbrel over the car park when I arrived
John Williams said
Fri Feb 23 4:39 PM, 2018
09.30-14.00
River Ribble : 8m+6f Goldeneyes plus a further group of 8 males flew over. 1m+1f Goosanders.
Fields on Samlesbury side of the river : 24 Fieldfares, 1Redwing, 7 Oystercatchers, 2 Buzzards, 2 Ravens,1 Jay and 2 Grey Herons.
Also a huge mixed flock of Lapwings, Starlings, Black Headed Gulls, Rooks and Carrion Crows.
No 1 Pit : 1 Peregrine, 1m Kestrel, 3m Pochard, plus 6m+6f Goldeneyes.
Ribbleton Pool : 100 Herring Gulls (Mainly adults, some pair bonding) 21 Gadwall, 3 Wigeon and 2 Grey Herons.
3 Buzzards were displaying over Bolton Wood.
A large gull roost was building up on both Ribbleton Pool and No 1 Pit, mainly Herring and Black Headed, but also a few Lesser Black Backs
and 2 Common Gulls too.
Meadow Lake : 9 Snipe, 6 more Goldeneyes and another 9 Gadwall, plus Teal, Shoveler etc.
Jeff Gorse said
Fri Dec 15 3:34 PM, 2017
Late morning / early afternoon visit in relatively bright conditions. Highlights included :-
Female kestrel over car park. Male sparrowhawk whipped through the feeding station and later seen in Red Scar Woods. Buzzard perched in trees overlooking entrance road.
5 wigeon with the tufted duck, gadwall and mallard on the main water.
4 goosander on the Ribble.
Abundance of bullfinch throughout, also goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch, nuthatch, blue, coal, great and long-tailed tits in Red Scar Woods. Tree sparrow on the feeding station.
Good numbers of redwing moving through Red Scar Woods.
Keith Mills said
Sat Oct 21 1:00 PM, 2017
Worth a mention here I think; on the 18th of October, with the sighting here of a Hawfinch, Bill Aspin has achieved his personal milestone of 200 species on this site. It has taken him 19 years , 81 days; first recording the site as a working quarry, then latterly, as a LWT nature reserve of 250 acres. A brilliant achievement by Bill Aspin, and I hope of interest to those who know him, and aspiring GM Birders, and GM 200 club members.
Jeff Gorse said
Fri Oct 20 4:33 PM, 2017
Gloomy and soggy conditions late morning / early pm today. Highlights :-
2 x goldcrest in the bushes along the Ribble footpath. Flock of approx. 20 linnet flitting between the trees and the thistle patch where the footpath meets the entry road just before the bridge.
Mixture of coot, tufted duck, mallard and mute swan on the main water, also smaller numbers of gadwall and teal on the visitor centre lake. 6 x cormorant on the main water.
Bird feeder had 3 x pheasant, 5 x tree sparrow, 2 x robin, 2 x dunnock and good numbers of great tit, blue tit and chaffinch. Flocks of long-tailed tit present throughout the site.
Approx a dozen redwing in small groups flying over and foraging within the reserve.
Buzzard with an attendant flock of mobbing crows over the entrance road.
In Red Scar Wood enjoyable half hour watching a mixture of 2 x nuthatch, blue tit, coal tit, great tit, chaffinch and robin competing with 3 x bank voles for food amongst a pile of fallen logs next to one of the benches. The robin took a particular dislike to the voles and every time one emerged from out of cover it would dive down and frighten it off.
Ivan Ellison said
Mon Aug 28 5:32 PM, 2017
Juvenile Osprey over river ribble near tickled trout at 1230 today. It hovered looking as though it was about to fish, flew round and hovered again then headed off south.
John Williams said
Sun Aug 27 3:29 PM, 2017
11.00-14.00
No1 Pit : 1 Little Egret and 7 Cormorants. 4 drake Mallards now fully out of eclipse plumage.
Ribbleton pool : 1 pr Great Crested Grebes with 2 full grown youngsters.
Boilton Wood : 2 Nothatches, 2 Goldcrests and soaring above the wood 2 Buzzards.
James Walsh said
Sat Jun 3 3:45 PM, 2017
Friday 2nd June 2017
Singing Grasshopper Warbler Number 1
John Williams said
Sat Jan 21 4:59 PM, 2017
11.00-15.00
R.Ribble and embankment, M6 to small weir
3m+1f Goldeneye, 1 Little Egret, 2 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards, 3 Grey Herons, 3 Mistle Thrushes and 1 Goldcrest.
Brockholes NR
1m+1f Mandarin Ducks, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Snipe, 1f Stonechat, 1m+7f Goldeneye, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Redwing.
Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and Tufted Ducks were on No.1 Pit, with 100+ Lapwings gathered on the island.
Sadly no sign of any Pochard. 1 Bank Vole seen near the steel hide.
steven burke said
Sun Dec 4 6:58 PM, 2016
10.30-4.15pm
Bittern, seen twice in flight on meadow lake. 1 peregrine falcon 2 buzzard 1 kestrel 1 sparrowhawk 1 snipe 2 lapwings 4 grey herons 27 tufted duck 2 pochard 4 goldeneye 38 gadwall 24 wigeon hundreds of teal 2 fieldfare 2 song thrush 1 great spotted woodpecker 8 reed buntings 4 pied wagtails 5 chaffinch plus usuals.
Today on No 1 pit 12+ Whooper Swans some sleeping mid afternoon (maybe just arrived)
Lawrence Hindley said
Sat Jul 23 10:07 AM, 2016
1 grasshopper Warbler reeling at the Boilton Wood edge of the reserve at 1.00pm yesterday
Keith Mills said
Fri Apr 29 9:26 AM, 2016
A coordinated count of Whimbrel at Brockholes and other Lancashire sites, this week (carried out on 27/4) gave a total of 1474 Whimbrel. Info thanks to Bill Aspin
Keith Mills said
Thu Mar 17 8:40 PM, 2016
This afternoon a pleasant walk with the dog, along the banks of the Ribble, from the weir to the reserve entrance.
Just down from the weir a party of Canada Geese were preening on rocks. Further on, a Lesser Black-backed Gull stood on a large stone in the river. Next along the river was a group of Gadwall followed by two female Goosander. A Grey Heron stood about in the shallows. Then up the river came a pair of Goosander, while a Kingfisher crossed banks near the church. Near the bridges two drake Goldeneye were splashing in the water for sometime. Seven Curlews flew overhead calling and heading east. A lone Oystercatcher did likewise. The Sand Martin's banks have been badly eroded by the recent flood but no doubt they will rebuild.
steven burke said
Sun Feb 7 8:02 PM, 2016
both bitterns on show this afternoon on meadow lake, soon after I arrived one was straight out in front of me below the hide on the opposite side from the road, it was watched for a couple of minutes before just vanishing. the second bittern was further along the reeds towards the south east corner & basically just sat preening, it eventually vanished also, but later when I came back it was actually sat half way up the reeds either on the reeds or a post or something & again just preening. picked up the first bittern again which had moved slightly but only just visible through the scope & also preening. great to see the 2 & still there when I left about 5ish. other birds around...
One of the Barn Owls put up a great show viewed from the car park . Hunting and perching within 35 yards of our vehicle. The Black Swan cruised up and down Meadow Lake. Also on this lake were a pair of Goosander. Estimates only of the other ducks: Gadwall.....55 Wigeon....40 Teal....35 Tufted Duck...20 Goldeneye ....12 Shoveler....10 Lapwing...60 Mute Swan...20+ Cormorant...12+ Grey Heron...6+ Singing Song Thrush....2 one giving good views. Greylag Geese...2 Common Snipe....1 6 Meadow Pipit and 4 Reed Bunting were ground feeding just the other side of the full length glass windows of the Lookout. .....The Bittern seen twice today ( but not by me) was in the SW corner of Meadow Lake
-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 5th of February 2016 10:48:14 AM
John Watson said
Mon Jan 25 7:01 PM, 2016
Bittern 12:15 to 12:50 at least, very distant, preening in the reeds at SE corner of Meadow Lake, often obscured. Viewed from hill just beyond entrance to visitor centre. Turned up just after another birder had left the car park
Along the River Ribble M6 to Red Scar Wood/Former Weir
1 Little Egret, 2 Common Terns and numerous Sand Martins.
A few Sand Martins still using riverside nest holes, they also appear to favour the area around the motorway bridges,
presumably to catch flies.
No 1 Pit
4 Common Terns (Probably includes the 2 seen along the river) plus 1 almost fledged youngster still on a nesting raft.
As along the Ribble plenty of Sand Martins, and they can be seen frequently using the artificial nesting bank.
At least 1, probably 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls amongst the gull roost.
The only waders I could find were a pair of Oystercatchers and a small group of Lapwings.
White winged tern showed very well today,osprey briefly too.
River Ribble - M6 to Red Scar Wood: 1 Whooper Swan, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Grey Wagtails and 1 Grey Heron.
A skein of 67 Pink-footed Geese heading NW, and flying amongst them was a single racing pigeon.
Area around feeding station :1 Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrushes and a small flock of Redwings.
Number One Pit : 5 Snipe, 1 Kestrel, 160 Lapwings, 1m Stonechat, 20 Wigeon, 4 Shovelers,
2m Pochard, 6 Cormorants and 3 Grey Herons. A Green Sandpiper had been reported before I arrived.
Boilton Wood: 2 Woodcocks flushed from beside the path, and 1 Kestrel.
Meadow Lake: At least 50 Teal.
River Ribble - M6 to Red Scar Wood : 2 Little Egrets.
No1 Pit : 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Little Grebe, 3 Snipe, 15 Cormorants, 16 Shovelers, 73 Tufted Ducks, 23 Gadwall,
20 Mute Swans, 70 Lapwings (Mixed flock with Starlings), 8 Wigeon and 2 Grey Herons.
Meadow Lake :3 Snipe, 1 Little Egret, 8 Shovelers and 1 Grey Heron.
In addition 2 Buzzards and 1m Kestrel were seen around the reserve, and a single Nuthatch was noted in Boilton Wood.
Riverside walk from the M6 bridge to Redscar Wood : 3F+2m Goldeneyes, 1 Buzzard, 1m Kestrel and 3 Bullfinches.
Meadow Lake : 1 Kingfisher and 6 Grey Herons.
No1 Pit : 2f Goldeneyes, 1m Pochard and a flock of 110 Lapwings.
Ribbleton Pool : 1m Goldeneye and 5 Cormorants.
Feeding Station : 2 Bullfinches and 1m Reed Bunting.
Other birds around....
1-2 kingfishers
2 Green sandpipers
1 Common sandpiper
1 redshank
1-2 little egrets
1 goosander
1 fieldfare
Kestrel
Buzzard
The Belted Kingfisher in Lancashire. 25/11/2021
Back on the first of April 2005, whilst I was at work, news that a Belted Kingfisher had been found in inland Staffordshire near Shugborough. As it was April Fool`s Day a lot of doubt as to why a really rare American bird had been found in that area, was it a genuine sighting? It turned out to be correct, so we went the day after to have a look at it, we were disappointed. But with news that the bird had relocated to Eastrington Ponds N.R. near Goole/Howden in Yorkshire, a dash north reminiscent of a Keystone Cops film followed. Could there be more bad news about the bird? Upon arrival it had gone, so the disappointed invasion force just gave up! But that was not quite the end as the bird had been found on the river at Peterculter, Aberdeenshire a couple of days later. The bird stayed for 4 days but as we arrived promptly disappeared once more, think we were fated not to see this species!
With no more twitchable birds being seen in the country for 16 years, you could say hope of ever seeing one had gone. On Monday the 8th November this year a fisherman/birdwatcher on the River Ribble not far from Brockholes N.R. saw a Belted Kingfisher, whilst he was fishing and funnily enough, so was the bird! He took a few distant pictures of it with his phone, there was a lot of cynicism surrounding this sighting, and someone even said that it was Just a Great Tit, how wrong they were. No further sightings of the bird until Sunday the 14th November when the Belted Kingfisher was seen again in the Tunbrook/Horseshoe bend, Brockholes N.R. area of the River Ribble. It was seen by another reputable birder, but vanished and was not seen again for a few days. We went across to search for it, again without any joy, but a nice walk.
Yesterday the 25th November turned out to be quite a remarkable day, as at 11-50am the Belted Kingfisher was reported on Rare Bird Alert after having been seen at 8-30am till 9-45am. It had been seen just down from Red Scar Wood almost in the same place that it had been located on the two previous occasions, then apart from it going missing for 15 minutes. It was reported as showing well time for a trip I thought, with Bob K & Kevin C being unavailable, I rung Craig B and he said yes lets go By 1-15pm we were heading towards Preston, a message to say the bird was still present helped. We arrived at Longridge/Preston Crematorium by 1-50pm and headed along the footpath and began the decent of the difficult, treacherous, slippy path to the river bed. A useful walking stick/branch was used, but I still managed a couple of mud slides what fun, all to see a bird! Craig beckoned me over as I landed and a look through a telescope soon had me watching a male Belted Kingfisher, 16 years waiting was over, what a bird! We watched this American Beauty for a good 40 minutes as it perched in a few different trees and flew about pursuing fish. The climb up the slope wasnt quite as memorable as the climb down, but a few others really toiled to get up the muddy path. Craig B has been with us on a few trips to see rare birds and has yet not failed to see them, his new name is Mr 100% We reached home before dark.
What of Bob K & Kevin C, well they set off early this morning (26th) and were rewarded with great views of the Belted Kingfisher. This species was Bob`s 500th bird on the BOU list, well done pal. I am really glad that Bob has re-found his mojo for seeing rare birds. Kevin C has also had a quite remarkable year for seeing rare birds. Lots of happy faces were seen leaving the crematorium that in itself was a joy to behold.
Dave O
As Roger says the hike down is steep, muddy and awkward but perfectly doable with care. A hiking pole might help.
Cheers, John
I decided on a change of scene this morning and went to Brockholes. I had just about completed a circuit of the reserve and was nearly back at my car when Ians Mega Alert text arrived confirming the Belted Kingfisher had been seen to the north east of the reserve. (Thanks Ian!). I promptly changed direction and headed to the top of Red Scar Woods. I could see no other birders and the way down to the river was not obvious. I just picked a less steep section of the bank in the middle of the bend in the river and headed down the slippery slope. A couple of other birders joined me on the descent and, after a bit of searching the bird was seen perched just upstream of our location. Excellent views of the bird were had, both perched and a during a couple of fishing trips over the river. After about half an hour two more birders came down the slope close to the perched bird and flushed it. It flew off upstream and that was my cue to leave.
For any other birders wanting to see the bird, it is a slightly tricky descent(and ascent) to the river, but not beyond anyone with a modicum of fitness and a degree of caution.
Other birds noted, 2 Green Sandpiper, Common Kingfisher and 3 Goosander.
Really difficult descent from the footpath to the river bank. Lots of slips, slides and falls including one poor chap who ended up in the river.
An interesting trip out, North Wales & Lancashire. 14/11/
Now as all you birders out there know a Belted Kingfisher (from the USA) had been seen along the River Ribble near Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston in Lancashire on the morning of the 8th of November. It had not been seen since despite lots of local birders looking for it. You can imagine the shock that a few of us had at Talacre when news that the Belted Kingfisher had been once more seen in the same place as last Monday! Kevin C`s comment that he will get a Dusky Warbler eventually but a Belted Kingfisher maybe not, so are we going? Off we hurried to the car and onto the 50mph M6 to the news that the Kingfisher had not been seen since, typical. Despite this we got to Brockholes N.R. and thought that the car park seemed pretty busy. We met a few locals who told us that the bird had again disappeared as it did last week, I wonder where it goes was the thing on every ones mind. What followed was a long hike, up a steep bank trying to see any part of the river without actually descending the slippy, dangerous slope (People had fallen and injured themselves) We certainly gave it a go, but the Jackdaw sized Belted Kingfisher can now be put on my 4th county that I have Dipped the bird in Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Aberdeenshire and now Lancashire. We slowly made our way back to the carpark and met two of East Lancashire`s finest birdwatchers, John W and Dave B (freshly recovering from a recent visit to the NHS) who filled us in on this mornings single observer sighting. We departed for home after an interesting day out!
Dave O
Could we start a new thread on the discussion forum on the case of the Belted Kingfisher for any further comments. please, it could run on and on on here but ultimately, (over)analysing poor record images or interrogating social media comments of others doesn’t necessarily help with the provenance of the sighting or get us any closer to closure on it.
I was reading the comments on Twitter and some people are saying - what else is this blue? Its got to be genuine, etc etc But I thought to myself how blue is the bird in the image?
I snapshotted the image and enlarged it coz something didnt look right, there looked to be straight lines with a blue tinge. The resulting image is below and there are indeed straight lines with a blue hue which could purely be down to iPhone image recording quality. It also looks to have a black cap???
Im still none the wiser really which sounds like Im doubting the finder but I really do hope it was one, and that it gets refound. If anyone gets the chance to see the video on the Preston Bird Sightings Facebook group its worth a look!
It might seem a daft question, but is anybody missing one?
https://twitter.com/RareBirdAlertUK/status/1457709834598600710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1457709834598600710%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.birdforum.net%2Fthreads%2Fbelted-kingfisher-in-lancs-breaking-news-from-rba-11-51am-8-nov.416190%2F
For those who havent seen it here is the Twitter photo in question. A small image I agree but it looks OK to me.
Cheers, John
The photo that I have seen on social media is far from adequate, John. Just a tiny blue blob in a tangle of branches where it is very hard to gauge size. It would be very interesting to see the video but it begs the question as to why the video is not all over social media if it is a genuine and reliable sighting. I will keep an open mind for the time being though.
Certainly not worth the risk as I attempted that myself & lost my footing sliding 150 feet on my backside down to the
rivers edge. After about an hours unsuccessful searching I had to clamber all the way back up on all fours - lost a few
pounds in the process but gained nothing for my foolishness!
-- Edited by Lez Fairclough on Wednesday 10th of November 2021 12:12:38 AM
The report is definite, there's a blurred-but-adequate photo and apparently also a video on a private Facebook page. The fisherman/birder has been in discussions with RBA about the sighting. The Belted Kingfisher was apparently quite noisy
The sighting was made on the least accessible part of the river, on the far side of the loop from Brockholes. The only access through the farmland is strictly to licensed fisher folk. Access might also be possible from the wooded footpaths to the N of the river, but the climb down to the river is very steep and would be seriously risky
The general feeling was that it's moved down or up the river, and could reappear in a few days, but if it's mobile then it'll be "one lucky observer" again
Spent 3 unsuccessful hours here this afternoon following reports of a Belted Kingfisher on the River Ribble at Brockholes.
Apparently an ex-birder fisherman confirmed seeing it whilst fishing, but despite around 50 other birders staking out along a good stretch of the river it could not be located - with the only bird of note being a Little Egret on the river bank.
Lots of Lapwings around, especially on Meadow Lake, they flushed a few times, noticeably for a Sparrowhawk and an heron, but no sign
of the Osprey. Oddly no sign of any Buzzards either.
Along the river M6 to Red Scar Wood : 2 Little Egrets, 1 Linnet, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Grey Herons and 1 Sparrowhawk.
Meadow Lake : 200+ Lapwings, 1 Little Egret and 4 Snipe.
No1 Pit : 1 adult + 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebes, 1 Kestrel, 1 Snipe and 13 Lapwings.
Ribbleton Pool : 1 adult + 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebes.
No hirundines seen throughout.
Riverside, M6 to Red Scar Wood : 1 Cettis Warbler (Calling by the entrance gate), 3 Common Whitethroats, 1 Common Tern,
3 Grey Herons and 6 Swifts. Also 2 female Mallards each with a brood of just 1 duckling, indicating high predation.
The Sand Martin colony alongside the river appeared lifeless, in previous years in seemed to be thriving.
Apparently herons have been seen catching martins as they visited their nest holes, but perhaps human interference to blame also?.
The artificial Sand Martin banks seemed lifeless too.
Boilton Wood : 1 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch and 1 Kestrel.
Feeding station area : 1 singing Garden Warbler (Occasionally showing on a hawthorn bush), 2 Common Whitethroats and 1 Reed Bunting.
No 1 Pit : 5 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Redshanks and 1 Kestrel.
Ribbleton Pool : 2 Great Crested Grebes and 1 Common Tern.
Ash Dieback appears to be really having an impact here, huge numbers of trees are defoliated across the site.
A Bittern flew across Meadow Lake on the 23rd of October - first I have seen here I believe. At least 2 seem to winter here now every year.
Doing the Preston route gave me chance to call in on way back to depot.
Mainly Pit 1 (The Lookout) and surrounds.
- no sign of the Bittern for me
- the Hobbies were seen earlier in the day
- 3 Chiffchaff calling, moving around in the scrub
- 2 Blackcap calling, as above
- 12 Great Crested Grebe
(I was told theres only 14 on the reserve)
- 4 Grey Herons
- 1 Common Buzzard
- 10+ Cormorant
3 Hobbies over No 1 Pit, occasionlly skimming low across the surface "Swallow style" and also indulging in breathtaking aerial
squabbles together. There were no hirundines around the pool at the time, just the occasional Swallow above the nearby woodland,
but there were lots of Common Darter dragonflies in the area. A single Kestrel hovered above the adjacent meadow.
6 adult Great Crested Grebes were on No1 Pit, with 1 adult and 2 full grown youngsters on the Ribbleton Pool.
120+ Lapwings rested by Meadow Lake, and were on occasions deliberately spooked by an aggressive Grey Heron
seemingly trying to pick out a weakling amongst the flock.
Visitor centre and cafe still shut but the car park is open again.
Chatted to an angler on the Ribble and he advised me that the Osprey that had been hanging around the site for a while,
was killed when it flew low across the M6 slip road and collided with a lorry.
Apparently the sad drama was captured by the traffic cameras.
River Ribble : 7 Little Egrets and 1 Kingfisher.
Main Reserve : 10 Common Terns, 2 Oystercatchers, 7 Great Crested Grebes (Including 1 juvenile) and 1 Treecreeper.
No raptors were seen throughout and the only bird still in song was a single Chiffchaff.
Huge numbers of Sand Martins were above Number One Pit.
A family group of each of the following were seen on the reserve : Common Whitethroat, Blackcap and Wren.
The paths are all open but the visitor centre, education hide and car park are still closed.
A dozen Sand Martins were skimming the surface of the river by the M6 roadbridge, more were noted further upstream where there
are 2 small colonies, and a further 20 were above Number One Pit, although none were seen to use the artifical nesting wall.
2 pairs of Common Terns have also settled on Number One Pit, and 6 full grown Black Headed Gull youngsters were there with their
parents too. Also around the pool were 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Redshank (Brooding) and 3 Oystercatchers (1 Brooding).
Another Redshank was by the river, where a pair of Stock Doves drank, and a couple of Grey Herons stalked prey.
A single Little Egret was by Meadow Lake, together with a futher 2 Oystercatchers (1 Brooding) whilst a Garden Warbler was in full song
from the surrounding bushes. Singles of Buzzard and Treecreeper were seen in Red Scar Wood, where a single Chiffchaff was still singing.
Lots of Blackcaps were still in song across the site, 4 Willow Warlbers too, whilst a single highly vocal Sedge Warbler gave display flights
alongside Number One Pit.
River Ribble (M6 to Red Scar Wood & Weir) :
1 Red Headed Smew quite mobile along this stretch of the river.
Also seen here were 1 Kingfisher, 1m Kestrel, 3 Grey Herons and a flock of 16 Long tailed Tits.
Main Reserve/No 1 Pit :
3m+1f Goldeneyes, 1m Kestrel and 2 Buzzards.
-- Edited by John Williams on Sunday 29th of December 2019 12:47:57 AM
Ribbleton Pool : 2ad+2 full grown juvenile Great Crested Grebes.
Number 1 Pit : 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Ringed Plover and a brooding Great Crested Grebe.
2 Buzzards were over Boilton Wood and a Kestrel hovered near the car park.
5 Common Terns were seen around the reserve.
The adult Sand Martins at the colony by the river flushed en-masse when a low flying helicopter flew over,
but soon settled down again once it had passed.
River bank path from the M6 to the small weir : 1 Whimbrel, 2 Oystercatchers, 8 Sand Martins, 3 Grey Herons, 1 Kestrel and 1 Buzzard.
4 Lesser Whitethroats singing from hawthorn thickets along the path.
Ribble Way footpath through the reserve : 2 singing Garden Warblers (1 near the feeding station showing well), 1 Sedge Warbler, 5 Common Whitethroats and 1 Linnet.
Number 1 Pit : 4 Redshanks, 1 Ringed Plover and 4 Great Crested Grebes.
3 Buzzards (including a light phase bird) soared high above Boilton Wood.
Missed the singing Savi's by 15 mins
2 Whimbrel over the car park when I arrived
River Ribble : 8m+6f Goldeneyes plus a further group of 8 males flew over. 1m+1f Goosanders.
Fields on Samlesbury side of the river : 24 Fieldfares, 1Redwing, 7 Oystercatchers, 2 Buzzards, 2 Ravens,1 Jay and 2 Grey Herons.
Also a huge mixed flock of Lapwings, Starlings, Black Headed Gulls, Rooks and Carrion Crows.
No 1 Pit : 1 Peregrine, 1m Kestrel, 3m Pochard, plus 6m+6f Goldeneyes.
Ribbleton Pool : 100 Herring Gulls (Mainly adults, some pair bonding) 21 Gadwall, 3 Wigeon and 2 Grey Herons.
3 Buzzards were displaying over Bolton Wood.
A large gull roost was building up on both Ribbleton Pool and No 1 Pit, mainly Herring and Black Headed, but also a few Lesser Black Backs
and 2 Common Gulls too.
Meadow Lake : 9 Snipe, 6 more Goldeneyes and another 9 Gadwall, plus Teal, Shoveler etc.
Late morning / early afternoon visit in relatively bright conditions. Highlights included :-
Female kestrel over car park. Male sparrowhawk whipped through the feeding station and later seen in Red Scar Woods. Buzzard perched in trees overlooking entrance road.
5 wigeon with the tufted duck, gadwall and mallard on the main water.
4 goosander on the Ribble.
Abundance of bullfinch throughout, also goldfinch, greenfinch, chaffinch, nuthatch, blue, coal, great and long-tailed tits in Red Scar Woods. Tree sparrow on the feeding station.
Good numbers of redwing moving through Red Scar Woods.
It has taken him 19 years , 81 days; first recording the site as a working quarry, then latterly, as a LWT nature reserve of 250 acres.
A brilliant achievement by Bill Aspin, and I hope of interest to those who know him, and aspiring GM Birders, and GM 200 club members.
Gloomy and soggy conditions late morning / early pm today. Highlights :-
2 x goldcrest in the bushes along the Ribble footpath. Flock of approx. 20 linnet flitting between the trees and the thistle patch where the footpath meets the entry road just before the bridge.
Mixture of coot, tufted duck, mallard and mute swan on the main water, also smaller numbers of gadwall and teal on the visitor centre lake. 6 x cormorant on the main water.
Bird feeder had 3 x pheasant, 5 x tree sparrow, 2 x robin, 2 x dunnock and good numbers of great tit, blue tit and chaffinch. Flocks of long-tailed tit present throughout the site.
Approx a dozen redwing in small groups flying over and foraging within the reserve.
Buzzard with an attendant flock of mobbing crows over the entrance road.
In Red Scar Wood enjoyable half hour watching a mixture of 2 x nuthatch, blue tit, coal tit, great tit, chaffinch and robin competing with 3 x bank voles for food amongst a pile of fallen logs next to one of the benches. The robin took a particular dislike to the voles and every time one emerged from out of cover it would dive down and frighten it off.
No1 Pit : 1 Little Egret and 7 Cormorants. 4 drake Mallards now fully out of eclipse plumage.
Ribbleton pool : 1 pr Great Crested Grebes with 2 full grown youngsters.
Boilton Wood : 2 Nothatches, 2 Goldcrests and soaring above the wood 2 Buzzards.
Friday 2nd June 2017
Singing Grasshopper Warbler Number 1
R.Ribble and embankment, M6 to small weir
3m+1f Goldeneye, 1 Little Egret, 2 Kestrels, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzards, 3 Grey Herons, 3 Mistle Thrushes and 1 Goldcrest.
Brockholes NR
1m+1f Mandarin Ducks, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Snipe, 1f Stonechat, 1m+7f Goldeneye, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Redwing.
Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall and Tufted Ducks were on No.1 Pit, with 100+ Lapwings gathered on the island.
Sadly no sign of any Pochard. 1 Bank Vole seen near the steel hide.
Bittern, seen twice in flight on meadow lake.
1 peregrine falcon
2 buzzard
1 kestrel
1 sparrowhawk
1 snipe
2 lapwings
4 grey herons
27 tufted duck
2 pochard
4 goldeneye
38 gadwall
24 wigeon
hundreds of teal
2 fieldfare
2 song thrush
1 great spotted woodpecker
8 reed buntings
4 pied wagtails
5 chaffinch
plus usuals.
4 Buzzards, 3 Kestrels, 3f Goldeneyes,1 Pochard, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Treecreeper, 1 Nuthatch and 7 Grey Herons.
61 Lapwings flew in from the North.
Today on No 1 pit 12+ Whooper Swans some sleeping mid afternoon (maybe just arrived)
Info thanks to Bill Aspin
Just down from the weir a party of Canada Geese were preening on rocks. Further on, a Lesser Black-backed Gull stood on
a large stone in the river. Next along the river was a group of Gadwall followed by two female Goosander.
A Grey Heron stood about in the shallows. Then up the river came a pair of Goosander, while a Kingfisher
crossed banks near the church. Near the bridges two drake Goldeneye were splashing in the water for sometime.
Seven Curlews flew overhead calling and heading east. A lone Oystercatcher did likewise.
The Sand Martin's banks have been badly eroded by the recent flood but no doubt they will rebuild.
goldeneye
tufted duck
pochard
gadwall
shoveler
wigeon
teal
mallard
mute swan
Canada goose
cormorant
grey heron
2 curlew over
7 siskin.
One of the Barn Owls put up a great show viewed from the car park . Hunting and perching within 35 yards of our vehicle.
The Black Swan cruised up and down Meadow Lake. Also on this lake were a pair of Goosander.
Estimates only of the other ducks:
Gadwall.....55
Wigeon....40
Teal....35
Tufted Duck...20
Goldeneye ....12
Shoveler....10
Lapwing...60
Mute Swan...20+
Cormorant...12+
Grey Heron...6+
Singing Song Thrush....2 one giving good views.
Greylag Geese...2
Common Snipe....1
6 Meadow Pipit and 4 Reed Bunting were ground feeding just the other side of the full length glass windows of the Lookout.
.....The Bittern seen twice today ( but not by me) was in the SW corner of Meadow Lake
-- Edited by keith mills on Friday 5th of February 2016 10:48:14 AM