Some showers, some birds

I've not done a great deal of birding in the last week - well it feels like I haven't but in fact... Sunday afternoon and evening was spent on the Lune ringing Sand Martins (just short of 400 birds caught) as part of my training. This was my fourth session in the last three weeks and yet again I got wet feet! Siskins on the feeders on Saturday were completely unexpected.

Then there were a couple of really good birds reported late on Sunday in the north west. So Monday after work was earmarked for a potential twitch. In fact, both were present on Monday so I decided to go for the Western Bonelli's Warbler (as I've never seen one in the UK) knowing that twitching waders on the Fylde has not been a successful pastime for me! I knew the traffic would be bad so I didn't get to Arnfield Reservoir (just over the Greater Manchester border into Derbyshire) until around 7. Once parked up I found the area straight away as I caught a brief snatch of song - and then again - and though it took another hour until we got a view, it was a pretty good one. What the heck it was doing there at this time of year - must have been somewhere further north for the summer as there were quite a few warblers around - a flock of over 20 Phylloscs along with Blackcaps. Siskins and Redpolls called overhead.

So Tuesday could have been the day for an American Golden Plover but there had been no sign so a very nice meal out with Bernie more than made up for that. A flock of 113 Rooks on Wilpshire Road above Parsonage Reservoir was a good count for the area.

Wednesday morning brought Little Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper to Rishton Reservoir and this-morning there was a wader fest by Rishton standards. With lots of heavy showers passing over, some birds had been grounded - 2 adult Dunlins, a juvenile and adult Ringed Plover, and adult Little Ringed Plover and a Redshank. A Great Crested Grebe is sitting again on a new nest now that the reservoir level has dropped and the Coots have managed to raise at least one young bird. Several Sand Martins were flying low over the water but nowhere near the large numbers of a couple of weeks ago.

I've stocked up on seed today, so the local passerine population will be pleased!

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