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Recent sightings

• 11 February 2013

  Great views and good excuses to buy new binoculars

  There were great views of the great white egret in front of the visitor centre (Sandgrounders hide) over the weekend.

  Today the lapwings, golden plover and black-tailed godwits were showing well in good numbers instead.

  Don't forget if you need to update your binoculors or just want to try out the latest RSPB stock, head to the visitor centre (sandgrounders hide) tomorrow where Julie from the Ribble Discovery Centre will be on hand to help you find the right optics for you.

  We also have a few spaces left on the big tide walk tomorrow if you need an excuse to try out your new optics purchase. Todays walk at Hesketh out marsh proved worth the cold and windy walk with awsome views of barn owl, buzzard, kestrel, merlin, and hundreds of oystercatcher, lapwings and golden plover.

  Posted by Alex

• 5 October 2012

  Knots fear not

  The big ‘spring’ tides of the autumn blow in again soon (seasons can get confusing can't they!) and the birds are even more mobile than usual.

  On the September spring tides our Marshside guided walk participants enjoyed some great close-up views of knots and dunlins out on the estuary.  I wonder if the bird in the photo was just too tired to fly away after its incredible journey from perhaps as far away as Greenland?  Or is it because these birds don’t see humans as a threat - perhaps they have never seen one before?  Either way it makes for great views and a photographer’s dream!

  Our Hesketh Out Marsh guided-walkers were lucky to see a young spoonbill circling them for some time.  The young marsh harriers have also been popping up everywhere but especially at Hesketh where there have been 3 together recently.  There are at least 40 little egrets about and they have been joined by a great white egret recently.
   
  The bright sunny spells are still tempting migrant hawker dragonflies and small tortoiseshells and red admirals to fly too.  Perhaps it is still not too late for an ‘Indian summer’?

  Why not join one of our big tide walks coming up on the 16th and 17th October?

  Posted by Tony Baker

• 24 September 2012

  Superb sparrowhawk

  Here are a few photos taken yesterday of this very obliging juvenile sparrowhawk. The photos were taken from the Visitor Centre (Sandgrounders hide) where it spent most of the morning, either feeding on a previous kill or resting to let it's food go down with a good preen as well.

  

   

   

   

   

  Posted by Alex

• 16 September 2012

  Blue winged teal photos as promised

  As promised here are a couple of photos taken by local birder Neill Hunt who spotted the bird first. Thanks Neill.

  

  

  Posted by Alex

• 16 September 2012

  Marshside first?

  It was certainly a first for me! Blue winged teal at Junction pool screen today at midday doing exactly what it says in the book; associating with shovelers. Consensus from the birding crowd was that it was an adult female. According to BTO the last record of these American birds turning up in the area was in 1992. Photo hopefully to follow shortly. 

  Mainly large numbers of Black-tailed godwits on Suttons marsh with a few wigeon, teal, lapwing and pink-footed geese showing on today's WeBS count (wetland bird survey). A nice merlin added to the views by putting all the godwits up. Apparently it was raining snipe over on Rimmers marsh with 200 plus counted.

  Posted by Alex

• 14 September 2012

  Everyday changes

  I just paused on the coast road to look across the vastness of the estuary in the hope of either the short-eared owl seen last week or one of the marsh harriers (a male is around as well as a few juveniles).  Quite sensibly, raptors were not bothering to fly in what was turning into quite a gale.  What I did see was quite as marvellous – a flock of 110 swallows tightly bunched and swooping low over the sea aster.  They seemed to be feeding but passed onwards out towards the sand dunes looking more and more like a shoal of fish as they went, with the gusting wind as their water.
  Yesterday I surveyed the Marshside ditches and felt guilty as I flushed the 1600 pink-footed geese that were feeding by the housing estate.  I feel even worse today as they have not returned! The numbers have built-up quickly this week from just 50 or so last week and I am sure that they will be back.  Some of the godwits and snipe seem to have moved on though.  There were over 2000 godwits and many 100’s, (perhaps as many as 1000), snipe on the reserve at the start of the month but snipe are back to more normal levels now.  Where are they all now?
  A couple of spoonbills at Banks Marsh have not visited Marshside but one of them was here a couple of weeks ago so I think I can post the photo by volunteer Alan Farrell here.  Other sightings this week: an osprey on the 11th (John Dempsey), water rail and kingfisher at Marshside, greenshanks and spotted redshank at Hesketh Out Marsh, brown hawker, common darter and migrant hawker dragonflies, red admiral, speckled wood and small tortoiseshells (heading for sheds now I think!).
  The constant soaking has made it a wonderful year for brackish water crowfoot, one of Marshside’s special plants (you can also see spiked water milfoil in the picture).

  Posted by Tony Baker

• 27 February 2012

  Avocets are back!

  Two Avocets arrived back at the reserve today. They were first seen in front of Sandgrounders hide on Suttons Marsh this morning but have since moved over to Rimmers Marsh and can be seen from Nels hide or the half way screen.

  Posted by Alex

• 4 December 2011

  Wet and Windy but still great for wildlife

  Today was very wet and windy on the reserve with the odd hail shower added for good measure, but the wildlife (birds especially) definitely made up for it.

  Views from Sandgrounder's out  across the marsh were difficult first thing but eight European white fronted geese were spotted in amongst the pink feet.

  The usual Water rail made fleeting dashes out in the open seemingly undeterred by the Sparrow hawk sat right above its head.

  Kestrel and Peregrine added to the raptors for the day and a Short eared owl created a spectacle as it flew right over the hide followed by a Magpie in hot pursuit.

  Throughout the day there were great views of Hares, some quite close to the hide.

  At the end of the day 16 Little egrets passed in front of the hide on their way to roost on Marine Lake with one Great white egret bringing up the rear.

  Posted by Alex

• 24 September 2011

  Last minute decision paid off

  As I was about to leave Marshside today I thought I'll just check the saltmarsh from the end of the sand works. I'm glad i did!

  First was a Peregrine perched up, then a buzzard also perched up, then a Marsh Harrier flying/hunting over the marsh and then a Kestrel also hunting. But the best was when the Buzzard decided to leave its perch only to be mobbed by the first Harrier joined by a second. The Buzzard dropped down and perched again on a fence post but both Harriers kept flying. Meanwhile I think the Peregrine thought there was far too much action out on the marsh and had left its perch unnoticed.

  What a great sight before heading home!! 

  Posted by Alex