22/4/18 06:00-07:40am
1 Tree Pipit over.
1 Red Throated Diver.
2 Eider
1 Wheatear.
1 Whitethroat.
1 Chiffchaff.
36 Linnets
55 Ringed Plover.
19 Turnstone.
Lots off Skylarks and Meadow pipits.

Cheers Steven

One lone Purple Sandpiper showing well (see photo) in Turnstone roost on Fleetwood Marine lake just down from Rossall Point

High Tide from Yesterday, 8th November.

Common Scoter 10+
Eider 2m.
Lapwing 1
Sanderling 50+
Ringed Plover 20+
Oystercatchers
Stonechat 1m 1f.
Meadow Pipit 2
Skylark 5 on golf course.
Pied Wagtail 6+
Linnet 10+
Great Black-backed Gull 1
Kestrel 1m.
Cormorants

On nearby model boat lake:

Goldeneye 2f.
Redshanks
Turnstones

A Peregrine and Sparrowhawk seen at the Airport, whilst having a comfort stop at Morrisons.

etc.

09.00-13.00

Arrived 1hr after high tide.

Offshore

7 Eiders, 2 Sandwich Terns and 1 Grey Seal.

Shoreline/Beach

12 Sanderlings, 2 Oystercatchers, plus Ringed Plover and Dunlin.

The edge of the Golf Course

4 Linnets, 1 Kestrel and a couple of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies.

Plenty of Herring, Lesser Black Back and Great Black Backed Gulls along the shore.

Yesterday - Wed
Arrived around 1pm, never seen so many dog walkers, there was even a van whose business was dog walking!

Needless to say I dipped on the Shore Lark, even though I spent 2.5 hours looking for it and the tide was in.

Birds seen

Stonechat - in car park

Turnstone

Common Redshank

Sanderling

Great Black-Backed Gull

Wren

Common Gull

Black-Headed Gull

Oystercatcher

Curlew - flew off-shore as the tide receded.


On the marina lake

Red-Breasted Merganser (M) flew in off the sea

Tufted duck

Mute Swan

-- Edited by Keith Williams on Thursday 22nd of January 2015 10:24:31 AM

shore lark still showing well this afternoon at close range just left of the observation tower.
other birds around...
redshank
ringed plover
oystercatcher
turnstone
sanderling
curlew
tufted duck on basin next to marine lake.
all the usual gulls around
5 skylark

Hi Paul

It was me! It's always nice to meet a fellow forum member.

I spent an hour trying to find the Shore Lark from about 1130, I was the only birder on the beach, eventually picked it up feeding amongst about 20 Turnstones. What a great bird, it was a lifer for me, had to laugh when it flew up to the picnic tables and put on a show for everyone, I'd been cursing it earlier...continued to show beautifully for everyone through the afternoon.

Before the high tide I saw a couple of Red-breasted Merganser drop on to the sea briefly when the tide was coming in, also 1 flying north while we looked for the Snow Bunting. There was a small flock of Redshank on the Marine Lake mud too, seen as I headed back.

08:00-10:45 am
Shorelark moving between field and beach
Snow Bunting taking seed left on groyne where path meets promenade from car park
Purple Sandpiper on beach with ringed Plover
1 Goldeneye on boating lake.
8 Pink-footed Geese flew over first light (100+ in field near GalaGran caravan site)
2 Eider on river at Fleetwood Marsh country park.

Cheers Steven have a great Christmas everyone.


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 24th of December 2014 08:24:34 PM

I had to check I had the right post I was in and not in other wildlife section, as turtle? Anyway, I found the shore lark, came within 30ft. Fantastic! I stayed in one spot between the golf course and the car park and allowed it to come to me rather then risk frighten it and it worked. Other birds found was loads of sanderlings, common ringed plovers and dunlins along the coast and if you head further up the road heading east, there is a lake with red breasted mergansers close (1 female and 2 male) and a little further an area drained with loads of common redshanks, turnstones and 4 purple sandpiper all sheltering from the wind.

It is at Maryport John... Believe they are being kept away from any disturbance whilst recovering... as is the Formby turtle at RSPCA Stapeley, Nantwich..
If anyone does find one Contact numbers are.. Rob Penrose... 01239 683033
RSPCA 0300 1234999..
Hope that's ok posting Ian, just thought it relevant at the moment..
Thanks..
Rob

If anybody is out and about Birding on the Lancashire Coastline over the Holidays keep an eye out on the Beaches and tideline for stranded Turtles... There has been an unprecedented influx of Kemp's Ridley Turtles " cold stunned" into the Irish Sea... I was amazed to find one on Saturday off Formby Beach and another has been recovered off Walney Island, Cumbria.... Another in Holland has since died..They have all been Juveniles affected by the unseasonably cold sea's off the East Coast of USA..Both " The Irish Sea Two" as they have been nicknamed, are slowly recovering and should one day hopefully be flown back to where they should be....

Thanks John for the info

Same re no grey phalarope, but shore lark (is it one word or two, books and internet seem to disagree on this one?) showed until around 2pm. A birder I met said it was flushed by a dog walker and had disappeared.

Snow bunting showed well down to a few feet.
Other waders as described in previous posts.

Chuffed to get some birding done after about 3 months away from the hobby, with pretty much the only wildlife seen in that 3 months dead rats and pigeons, and some common waterfowl.

cracking views of both despite the wind 1pm

1 male Eider flying low over the water not far off shore

The Grey Phalarope has been there for quite a few days close in on the tideline.The Shorelark tends to be near the car park or out from the tower on the shore as is the snow bunting.

Ian McKerchar wrote:

---

Karl Bishop wrote:

---

Shore Lark , Snow Bunting and Phalarope present till 1pm
Cheers
Karl

---

Presumably you mean Grey Phalarope Karl?

---

Yes wasn't sure on exact species but been confirmed since ...
Thanks
Karl

Shore Lark , Snow Bunting and Phalarope present till 1pm
Cheers
Karl

Tanmay Dixit wrote:

---

Any news on whether the shorelark is still present? Not seen/heard any reports since Tues.

---

Seems it was seen since on Wednesday 17th Tanmay, but nothing on the Fylde birding site after that.

Both Shorelark and Snow Bunting still present at 11:30 today, not far from the tower.

Info thanks to Brian Fogg

As per Steven, minus the Purple Sandpiper,
.but also a Snow Bunting was seen drinking from the puddles on the path and then feeding west (?) of the watchtower beside the groynes about 11am.

Very wet!
Cheers
Nev

Shore Lark showing very well down to less than 10 meters at 1.15 just to West of watchtower.
Also Purple Sandpiper 2 groynes to East with many Turnstone, Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher.

Nice to meet you too Rob, yeah this little bird's well worth the trip up the M55, the first Shore Lark I've ever seen on the West coast.I bet that woman with the two Staffys,
ear's are burning tonight
After we parted company we went Bunting hunting ( the Snow variety, at Starr Hills ) and dipped. Then on a Shrike hike at Lytham Moss , and dipped again.
C'est la vie Cheers Chris.

1/2/2012 10:15-11:00

In the area for work, quick 45 mins sea watch

I think I was slightly south of Rossall Point, near a field next to Rossall School

5 male 1 female Common Eider
2 Pairs of Red-breasted Merganser
3 Sandwich Tern
2 Gannet
c20 Common/Arctic Tern at distance
1 Skua pale phase Arctic type
2 Cormorant
2 Oystercatcher
1 Ringed Plover
6 Turnstone
1 Wheatear on the beach

and a Seal, probably Grey, only seen once.

A New Building is being planned at Rossall Point which will include a Bird Watching Observatory. It's part of Wyre Borough Council Seachange Project and a company called BCA has been selected. The project is planned for this year.