[John Webb]

in reply to: Pinkfoot geese #7902

Also skein over Kent estuary from Silverdale late morning.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Aldcliffe Marsh #7352

Arnside and District Natural History Society field trip 8.15 – 12.45.
57 species including wigeon, 2 little ringed plover on Flood, 4 common sandpipers on river bank, 3 species of hirundine and 7 of warbler (grasshopper, sedge, willow, chiffchaff, blackcap, common and lesser whitethroat), but not a raptor all morning.

[John Webb]

in reply to: 2 med gulls #7220

A good reccie thanks. If we get as much with the Arnside and District Nats on 25th April we’ll be very happy.
Star bird probably the osprey flying North from Marsh Point at 12.25.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Leighton Moss #7100

Water pipit at Tim Jackson 2.00 – 2.30

[John Webb]

in reply to: Leighton Moss and Fell End #6496

Egret roost count from Causeway Hide. 28 little egrets and 2 great whites left in a melee at 7.26. Must have been some form of disturbance though source not discernible (25 minutes before sunrise). Long-tailed duck visible in front of Lower Hide. 2 otters through in front of Causeway Hide, one of which briefly pulled out on the horizontal wooden perch in front of the hide.
Later visit to Allen Hide included kingfisher, 6 dunlin, 1 spotted redshank, 7 greenshank, 5 goosander, 3 snipe, marsh harrier and merlin.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Evening of14th Leighton Moss #6198

Counts are still being forwarded to Dave Shackleton, who is continuing his interest after his article in July BB. He may be able to provide info from known sites around Morecambe Bay.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Eric Morecambe Leighton Moss and Fell End #6179

Our morning visit to EM started with cettis showing in car park, and barn owl in tree beside path.
2 ruff were moving between Allen Pool and pools on salt marsh, where a kingfisher was using fence posts as perches to fish from.
Also 2 dunlin on Allen.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Carnforth slag tips. July 23 2022 #5874

The Jack Scout rock pipits were seen taking food into a gap in the rocks during May. On 28th May an adult was feeding a young bird in the same location. Entered on Breeding Atlas spreadsheet.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Crane at Tower Farm Fields #5254

West of railway SD465771, flew off over Arnside Knott. Forgot to note time, but would have been between 13.30 and 14.30.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Around the AONB / Leighton Moss #4800

And, Silverdale Shore in hour before 11.30 high tide, a guillemot on the sand. Defended itself from attentions of 3 carrion crows before being lifted off by tide and drifting round towards Silverdale Cove.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Stock Doves #4675

My thought too John. Very vocal around Leighton Moss garden recently, at JBP when doing the count last Friday, then on Tuesday we did a Cringlebarrow/Deepdale Wood walk, and heard them calling at Yealand Storrs, and Yealand Manor before seeing one just below Leighton Hall. Also seen at Coldwell Meadows and Dollywood Lane in last 2 weeks.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Leighton Moss #4620

Egret roost count this morning. 3 great whites out 7.38, and 12 little egrets at 7.42 when marsh harrier disturbed roost. 4 otters opposite Causeway Hide around 8.30.
Later in morning stonechat on edge of reeds opposite Causeway Hide, and 3 redpoll in trees just South of where the boardwalk joins the causeway. 6 regular species of dabbling duck on mere plus tufted ducks and 1 female goldeneye.
Mute swan blue ring 4CBS on bridge over main ditch.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Leighton Moss Egret Roost #4405

Avian flu could be a factor, though I’ve not heard of any egret corpses being found locally.
Numbers can fluctuate day to day, and there would appear to be some mobility between the roosts in the area. Peak roost counts have been down and, whilst sample dates may not record true peaks, the counts at Leighton Moss in the 3 peak months of August – October were all down on 2020. December counts at Leighton were 28 in 2019, 51 in 2020, then the 0 and 10 this week.
It would be interesting to know whether numbers have decreased in the other roosts around the Bay.
A local factor at Leighton could be increased disturbance from the presence of marsh harriers throughout Autumn and Winter. Without disturbance the roost normally empties a few birds at a time with many sitting out on higher branches before departing. If a harrier flies over the roost all remaining birds will erupt, and depart en masse. 3rd November was a prime example; no stirrings in the roost, then suddenly 38 birds in the air and flying straight out when a harrier went over.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Eric Morecambe & Leighton on 14th #4142

Afternoon of 14th at Eric Morecambe
A few pinkfeet and 1 barnacle goose visible amongst the greylags on the outer marsh, spoonbill splitting its time between Morecambe and Allen Pools

[John Webb]

in reply to: Pink-footed Geese #4053

Hi Alan. There could have been some overlap, but we’d only reached 305 by 14.07, with the last skein at 14.50. Some were inland of Lindeth Rd / JB Lane, others over the estuary. You must have got a number that we didn’t.
John

[John Webb]

in reply to: Pink-footed Geese #4045

Between 13.45 and 15.15 we walked from Shore Road, Silverdale to JBP and back. Counting the various skeins flying over reached a total of c 650.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Geese #4041

150 over Silverdale mid afternoon

[John Webb]

in reply to: Eric Morecambe Complex & Fell End on 25th #3903

In EM Hide 8.30 to 9.15, probably noticed rings about 9.00. Noted 18 avocets in total.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Eric Morecambe Complex & Fell End on 25th #3894

26th: 18 avocets including one with yellow rings on both legs. Left leg flag “6V”

[John Webb]

in reply to: Various sites #3474

Hi Nick.
I also noticed the gap in the annual report, at least as applied to the Silverdale area, and decided to record every contact for the first 6 months of the year. Have 40+ records since 1/1/21. All from Arnside/Silverdale AONB. Will send these direct to Recorder after 30th June, along with 20+ stock dove records, which also seemed to be under-represented for the same area.
John

[John Webb]

in reply to: Woodcock Field Trip 30/57 #3436

Received an update today on the deer deaths. A post mortem indicates one of them was not caused by dog attack.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Leighton Moss #2936

Causeway screen 5.20 – 6.45.
5 little and 2 great white egrets out of roost at 6.05, 1 further great white at 6.30.
(13/4/19 there was 1 great white at 6.04, and 18 little egrets between 6.13 and 6.25.)

[John Webb]

in reply to: JBP #2926

And walking past mid-tide 24 hours later: 2 avocets, 2 grey plover, and 2 bar-tailed godwits.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Eric Morecambe from Viewpoint, Holmere & Hare Tarn #2672

21st march, 340 pinkfeet visible from embankment between Heald Brow and RSPB car park. 4 avocets and pair of pintail on Allen Pool. Chiffchaffs singing slope of Heald Brow and Jack Scout. 3 rbm low tide at JBP.
Recent weeks parts of Silverdale skjaer have started to re-emerge from the sand while parts of the outer end of JBP breakwater have disappeared. A significant channel has developed close inshore so that incoming tide hits shore part of breakwater first. February it was shore end of main section of breakwater, less than 12 months ago it was furthest rocks of breakwater.

[John Webb]

in reply to: Brimstone #2605

Afternoon visit. Coltsfoot in car park, brimstone in Storrs Lane, frog chorus on the causeway. Bitterns and cetti’s calling, harriers sparring.
From screen beside hide: 2 otters, 55 tufted duck, 27 goldeneye, 6 pochard. A further 18 tufted duck and 2 goldeneye visible on Lilians Pool from Storrs Lane.

[Author]

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