We were walking the dog at Jubilee River when I received a message to say that two Black-tailed Godwits were on the flood at Dorney Common. It was only a short way away, so a quick visit was called for. The finder Colin Barnes was just leaving when I arrived.
 |
| Black-tailed Godwits - Icelandica race |
 |
| Spotted Flycatcher |
It was a big surprise to be told of two Long-eared Owls fledglings. I managed a late evening visit on 9th June and soon heard the "squeaky gate" calls of the young birds. Eventually they were located in some thick scrub. They continued to call for about 30 minutes before flying along a hedgerow that crossed the farmland. I have seen Long-eared Owls on several occasions but this is the first time I have seen birds that have recently left the nest!
 |
| Long-eared Owl - a juvenile appearing from the thick scrub. |
 |
| Eventually the two youngsters got together. |
A walk with the dog mid morning produced a bit of a surprise with a hunting Barn Owl. I soon lost it to view but on returning an hour or so later it was perched on the fence posts shown below. It was not the same individual that I saw a few days before.
This was in an area near Leyland, Lancs where there is extensive open farmland with plenty of rough grassland. Some derelict buildings from WW2 munitions production may well provide breeding sites.
Not too many other birds seen this morning but a pair of Yellowhammers copulating on the path in front of me will surely lead to successful breeding!
 |
| Barn Owl in prime habitat. |
 |
| Barn Owl - perched on the same line of fence posts as the Little Owl on a previous posting. |
 |
| Oystercatcher - This bird is actually sat on the wall of the local prison! They seem to like it more than the prisoners! |
A pleasant mornings birding with my daughter Katherine. Firstly to Hesketh Out Marsh RSPB on the Ribble Estuary in Lancashire. Here we were greeted by quite a few Tree Sparrows but not easy to photograph. From the sea wall we scanned around but rather quiet when compared to the huge numbers of wildfowl in the winter months. A few Avocet, some Shelduck, a Little Egret and an obliging Reed Bunting were soon seen. A pair of Terns on one of the rafts appeared to be Arctic Terns but too distant to photograph. Apparently this species has bred here in recent years.
Our visit was cut short by the large numbers of biting midges which we had not expected!
 |
| Tree Sparrow - The only one close enough to photograph. |
 |
| Reed Bunting - A smart male singing near the viewpoint. |
 |
| Avocet - One of several present. There were several at Marshside also. |
 |
| Black-tailed Godwits - Over 90 were present |
 |
| Shoveler - Seen from the hide. |
 |
| Canada Geese - On the golf course |
 |
| Mute Swan and cygnets |
A series of walks from my daughters house in Leyland towards Bretherton produced a few nice birds.
 |
| Oystercatchers - We were surprised to see these three chicks on the top of a very exposed flat roof. The parents were chasing off Crows and other potential predators. |
 |
| Oystercatcher - with one of the fledglings. |
 |
| Oystercatcher - A couple of days after the photos above and the chicks had left the roof and were hidden in the long grass somewhere. The parents still seeing off any dangers. |
 |
| Lapwing - One feeding close to the track. Presumably breeding in the field somewhere. |
 |
| Yellowhammer - Several were singing along the track. |
 |
| Tawny Owl - One of the two youngsters just before dusk. |
 |
| Barn Owl - One quartering the farmland. Another heard calling. |
 |
| Little Owl - Very distant in an area where I saw one a few days ago. |
