hi

We have been to see the LE. owls today we saw 3.
and got some photos.
also saw the R.N Grebe at fairhaven on the way home.

THANKS
STEVE

Joe Wynn wrote:

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Hi, I was just wondering could anyone tell me the best way to get onto the reserve. I'm not in a car, but am getting the train to blackpool, and was wondering where would be the best entrance to the reserve.
Cheers,
Joe

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Another option is to get a bus from Blackpool to Staining and get off near The Plough pub and access the reserve from Staining Nook.

Hi, I was just wondering could anyone tell me the best way to get onto the reserve. I'm not in a car, but am getting the train to blackpool, and was wondering where would be the best entrance to the reserve.
Cheers,
Joe

After a visit to Fairhaven for the R N Grebe we stopped at Marton Mere. It was still very dull and damp and only managed to get to see 2 Long Eared Owls but we had decent views of them. We did not go over to the Caravan Park side, instead turned right and followed the path back towards the information hut. At the second hide on the left we heard a Cetti's Warbler calling, this pleased my pal as he counts birds he hears, I only count birds I see! We looked around for Bittern but had no luck , all in all a good days birding despite the poor weather.

Cheers

Alan

Could be, Rob. Three turned up once near Daisy Nook and were roosting right out in the open, but with the canal between them and the towpath. I was worried about stopping to look but they seemed not to be bothered. Maybe some sort of barrier at a certain distance will give them a sense of security. I seem to remember that they were there for a while, though never returned.

Hi Rob. I think the roost pre-dates the path by a good few years. When I first visited, in the late 80's or early '90's (that's 1980's/90's Messers Rigby & Potter!) the birds were pointed out from the path around the mere, and were much harder to see. I don't remember that path being there then. I think it came with the other developments north of the mere, but I could be wrong

As part of our Fylde/Wyre twitch day, we called in to see the Long Eared Owls. We definitely saw 6 birds, the Ranger could see 7. Two showing very well (for Long Eared Owls anyway), apparently there have been 9 there.

Hi Steve, they should be around until at least March. However,around this time is probably the best time to spot them, due to trees being bare. The birds can be quite difficult to locate without help,just ask an of the locals/dog walkers they all seem to know the exact location of the owls.
Cheers Chris

Excellent few hours spent here yesterday ( 02/01/11... 11:00 till 14:00 )
Feeding station hide :
blue ,great and long tailed tits.
dunnocks,house sparrows and several tree sparrows ,
chaffinch , reed buntings , robins , wood pigeons,
female pheasant ,G.S. woodpecker , moorhens ,blackbirds.
On the mere itself :
bh ,common ,lbb and gbb gulls,
several hundred teal,widgeon , pochard , tufties , mallard and a single gadwall. ( ring necked duck not seen today .)
single whooper swan ,
water rail near outlet ,
bittern flew past twice ( from reedbed near hide , to reedbed near outlet .
cettis warbler heard but not seen.
Rest of reserve and surrounding fields :
several hundred fieldfare , dozens of redwings , mistle thrush , large flocks of green and goldfinch.
single woodcock ( flushed by loose dog !! ) , lapwings , canada geese , several small skeins of pinkfoots , pied wagtail,
kestrel ,buzzard and 6 long-eared owls in usual place !!

Then on to North Pier , to catch the starlings coming to roost , I never fail to be amazed by this spectacle !!! .... There must be several tens of thousands birds here, however yesterday , many thousands of birds , formed a near - perfect circle on the beach , near the pier , before eventually leaving the circle in waves , to go to roost on the pier itself !!! Could anyone please tell me the reason for this behaviour ? Many thanks in advance .....
Cheers Chris.

10.00 - 11.00

I managed to squeeze a productive hour in before attending to family duties.

5 Whoopers
3 Mute Swans
1 Pinkfoot
100s assorted duck (mainly Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler plus Pochard, Tufted Duck and Mallard)
1 drake Ring-necked Duck

All the above crammed into the very small circle of open water that remains.

c400 Pinkfeet over
Cetti's Warbler calling
3 Water Rails at the outflow (another 3 showing very well from container hide)
100s Fieldfare
4 Long-eared Owls
1 Buzzard
1 Woodcock

Cheers, John

visit to marton mere today,4 long-eared owls showing well once you,ve found them.
6 whooper swans flew over,kestrel,sparrowhawk,fieldfare,song thrush,blackbirds,robins,tree sparrows,chaffinch,dunnock,coal,great,blue tits,reed bunting,gsw,plus usual ducks and gulls.

Visited Marton Mere this morning for the very first time with a view to photographing a LEO.

Decided to chance my arm and try and park up in the caravan park. The security guard said there was no problem so the walk was cut down a little which was no bad thing with the biting wind. Anyway, made my way to the north eastern corner as I had been previously told where most of the LEO's usually roost and on the way I stopped to chat to a local birder who told me there were 4 present today in the 'usual spot'.

Made my way up to the spot that had been pointed out to me but despite walking up and down I just couldn't see one. Eventually a very kind dog walker came by and actually found two roosting birds for me - well done that man!! Couldn't believe how I'd missed them before. Anyway, managed to get some fairly decent shots without too many obstructions being in the way and one of the owls decided to look right at the camera - which was nice!!

Got to say though, its a cracking site with lots to offer. Other birds seen: -

10 Fieldfare - eating apples
2 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
1 Heron
Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird, etc.

Martin Mere is on the east side of the A587 just before the De Vere Hotel and the zoo as you drive from the A583 and the M55. Park in Lawson Road just before the mere or in the De Vere car park. All the local dog walkers will tell you where the owls roost.

-- Edited by Anne Wilkinson on Sunday 28th of November 2010 08:27:45 PM

After seeing a couple of Long Eared Owls for the year list only a fortnight or so ago there, a quick visit was made later this morning after seeing the Iceland Gull and Firecrest.

This time I was suprised to find that there are now actually 8 roosting birds present including one individual showing really well in the usual spot.

A great end to a great morning!!!

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 28th of November 2010 05:13:52 PM

Dennis atherton wrote:

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six long eareds today in usual spot and also an amazing starling roost coming into the reeds, im not even going to try to guestimate, a sky full of starlings, superb

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i thowt ya told me there was 50,123

Thursday 18 Nov 2010 at 12.00

Long-eared Owls - two present in regular place alongside bridlepath.

100+ Teal on water.

A quick walk round on sunday,

Nothin too exciting, spoke to the wardens and recent sightings they have had of otters and also scaup and bittern, we found none of the above did did find one they missed, well done Ian, lurking with all the Black headed gulls was a nice winter plumage adult med gull, also a few tufteds, pochard and goldeneye, snipe

18th July 15.15 - 18.30

Female Sparrowhawk
2 Oystercatcher
2 Kestrel
2 Great Crested Grebe + 1 Juvenile
2 Greylag Geese
1 Teal
2 male Ruddy Ducks
4 Pochard
1 Juvenile Black-necked Grebe

sid ashton wrote:

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Nik

Is this the Marton Mere in Blackpool?

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Yes, futher details on the site can be found here.

12th July Marton Mere 12.30pm - 6.30pm

Whitethroat 5
Reed Bunting 5
Reed Warbler 3
Sedge Warbler singing
Long Tailed Tit 1
Oystercatcher 2
Common Sandpiper 1
Lapwing 27
Grey Heron 2
Pochard 4
Teal 3
Tufted Duck 13
Ruddy Duck (male) 1
Great Crested Grebe 2 Juvenile 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Kestrel 5
Great Black Backed Gull 1

It's reappeared a few miles south in a ploughed field just off Motorway if anyone needs it.

In the field to east of B5410.


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 27th of December 2011 06:20:11 PM

I think you'll be lucky if the Ross's re-appears, though I hope it does.

For LEO the Pennington bird would be nearer.

2 rather showy Barn Owls this evening, but it appearsthat the L-e's may have now gone although one seen yesterday.

Oh, and an adult Ross's Gull coming to bread....

Went this afternoon. Didn't find any Owls, sadly
Spoke to some other birders who said they'd been disturbed this morning and no one had seen them since. Other than that a great days birding.

Robin
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Blue tit
Ls Bl bk Gull
Dunnock
Greenfinch
Cormorant
Wood Pigeon
Bl Hd Gull
Herring Gull
Magpie
Heron...eating a frog
Stonechat
Great tit
Reed Bunting
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Kestrel
Long Tailed Tit
Jay
Carrion Crow
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Shoveller
Pochard
Teal
Tufted Duck
Gt Bl bk Gull
Goldeneye
Gadwall
Mute Swan
Great Crested Grebe
Wigeon
Wren

The Teal and Wigeon in fantastic plumage and displaying.