European white-fronted geese, Slimbridge

I had a pitstop at Slimbridge on the Severn today on my way to Somerset and was pleased to see at least 80 European white-fronted geese still on the estuary. Also today at least five common cranes including a pair with a nest containing one egg.

Alpine swift, Elton Reservoir

My first alpine swift in the UK for 40 years at Elton reservoir, Bury today. After going missing for two and a half hours it conveniently decided to reappear just as I arrived and showed amazingly well for an hour at least, though photography was always difficult due to poor light and extreme speeds by this awesome flier.

There's been an influx of alpine swifts over the past couple of weeks, with multiple records from several locations and as many as nine together at one site in Ireland. Prior to todays bird the closest "twitchable" individuals were at Llandudno, but I've been putting off travelling far in the hope that one would come closer.

I parked at my usual spot to the south of the reservoir and started walking, and within five minutes of setting off I spotted the bird flying high over the fields to the south. By the time I reached the bank of the reservoir and joined the other birders there, it had dropped much lower and showed really well. 

I've seen plenty of alpine swift in Europe and as recently as 5 weeks ago found two in India, but my only other UK bird was at Staines reservoir in 1983. This bird brings my North West list to 376 species.

Flash wader fest day 2

Usually I only see curlew flying over Pennington Flash and when they do land it's always on the Spit, so I was delighted to see this bird on the boat club foreshore this morning. Also here, two little ringed plovers and three oystercatchers.

There were around 500 sand martins over the flash but still no swallows or house martins, but new in were two singing willow warblers on the ruck, my first at the flash this year.

A flash wader fest

A wonderfully dismal day today and I set off for the flash full of anticipation, because this type of weather at this time of year can be very productive, and so it proved again. It was pouring down most of the morning but when I arrived at the benches on the south side I scanned the Spit and immediately spotted an avocet. This was a fantastic start, only the second avocet I have ever seen at the flash. I watched it for a bit and had a chat to Bill for a while and then left him and headed for Horrock's hide. 

On arrival at the hide I found the bird a little closer but still quite distant in the murk and rain, too far for decent photographs, and frustratingly it was partially hidden by the tall vegetation on the Spit. This should have been cut weeks ago, but you know how it is, the council make a big deal about calling the flash a nature reserve, thereby ticking a box, and they even have the cheek to call the new café "The Hide", but then allow the real hides to fall into disrepair and remain closed for weeks, and do no maintenance what-so-ever on the nature reserve, they just allow it to get overgrown and degraded whilst at the same time inviting more and more people to visit to put pressure on the wildlife. However.....

I left the hide for a few minutes and set my scope up on the shore of the flash, in Sabine's bay and from here I had a less obstructed view of the Spit. The avocet was now on the move but walking away from me. Suddenly I noticed that there were two other waders behind, a black-tailed godwit and amazingly a ruff! These days ruff is even rarer than avocet in Greater Manchester terms and this was also only my second ever at the flash. For a few minutes I even had them all in the same scope view, along with an oystercatcher and little ringed plover. A real wader fest at the flash!

A flotilla of black-necked grebes, Pennington Flash

A flotilla of black-necked grebes graced the western end of the flash this morning. I saw them first from the boat club but they were a bit distant, so I continued on my walk to Mossley Hall farm where I saw them much closer. Seven is a decent number, I've certainly never seen so many on the flash before.

The flash seems to be a stop off point for black-necked grebe in the spring, before they complete their journey at Woolston eyes at Warrington, which is a major breeding site for them.

Orange underwing, Pennington Flash

For many years I've been keeping my eyes open at the flash for the moth orange underwing. The birch trees on and around the ruck have always seemed the best bet and today I finally saw one. Well three actually flying around the point. They're day flying moths which usually only fly on bright sunny days, so I'm not quite sure why they were about today, but still, I was delighted to see them.

Not from today, I took this photo of orange underwing about 20 years ago.

Also today, male and female common scoter and 14 sand martins.

Common scoter and curlew, Pennington Flash

Five common scoter (4 drakes and a female) were on the flash this morning until at least 10:30am. Also this morning, a curlew flew over the ruck calling and briefly mobbed a sparrowhawk, around 50 sand martins were mainly at the west end and three chiffchaffs were singing, the latter my first of the year at the flash.

Black-tailed godwits, Pennington Flash

This morning a flock of 39 black-tailed godwits flew in over the ruck from the west and then circled over the spit before heading off back west. Pity the water levels are so high at the moment, I think they would have landed otherwise. My previous highest count for the species at the flash was 10. No sign of any hirundines this morning, yesterday there were five sand martins.

More sand martins and a common scoter

Two more sand martins were flying up and down the south side of the flash this morning and a drake common scoter spent most of its time asleep in the middle of the flash.

This afternoon the common scoter was still present, also a shelduck and little egret in Ramsdales but no sign of any sand martins.

The first sand martin

The first sand martin of the year appeared at Pennington Flash this morning but didn't stay long. Other than that a quiet day with the only other birds of note a little egret in East Bay and 36 goldeneye.

The sand martin was my second earliest ever.

First day back

My first day back at Pennington Flash today and it was bloody freezing! I left India with the temperature gauge showing 37'C and arrived back in the UK with it feeling more like 37'F, a real shock to the system.

Anyway the highlight was a flock of 31 whooper swans that flew over the ruck north and then veered north west, presumably towards the Ribble. Earlier a flock of 21 pink-footed geese flew west and a shelduck was at the western end. A single little egret was in Ramsdales, three oystercatchers were on the spit, 14 goosander in Ramsdales and 13 goldeneye scattered all over.