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Hornsea Mere & Spurn area. Friday 24th May 2019
(Preview)
After missing the male Baikal Teal near Eldernell, Cambridgeshire about 2 weeks ago and with its subsequent re-appearance last week, thoughts of another trip to see it were mooted. Thursday`s news that the presumed same bird had been seen at Kilnsea Wetlands near Spurn was very welcome. Friday...
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David Ousey
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148
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One Saturday in Lancashire. 18th May 2019
(Preview)
News of an adult Stilt Sandpiper near Maghull, Lancashire on Friday afternoon had a few looking up when the last one had been recorded, it was in 1967, so it would surely attract a lot of attention. The sharp ones amongst you might think that the location might be in the dreamed up county of Merseysid...
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David Ousey
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122
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Strid Woods, Bolton Abbey & Wintersett Res area. 14/5/2019
(Preview)
In much better conditions than last weeks monsoon, myself, Bob K & Kevin C had a mid-week trip out. We left a sunny Whitworth at 6-30am and arrived at Strid Woods by 7-30am. As we started to tune our ears into the various calls & songs that we normally hear, one noticeable song was missing, a R...
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David Ousey
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137
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Albert Edward Dock (Preston) 11-5-2019
(Preview)
Had a look at the Tern colony at Preston Docks where artificial nest sites have been set out on pontoons in the Albert Edward Basin Around 40+ Terns where around mostly Common Tern with possibly 8 Arctic Tern two or three nest boxes have been occupied as yet and one with a pair of coots This is a must re...
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craggy
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140
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A Wet Days Wanderings. 8th May 2019
(Preview)
One of our number has yet to see a Baikal Teal or a Savi`s Warbler so, when they both became available a trip was planned. I had just returned from a two week trip to Lesvos for the eastern Mediterranean migration and was accustomed to sunshine and cloudless skies. This trip made me feel at home, back...
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David Ousey
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135
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Dotterel Pendle Hill 29-4-2019
(Preview)
With reports of Dotterel on the summit of Pendle Hill yesterday and after two failed attempts of seeing this bird in the same number of years thought I would give it another go today and was not disappointed as one Dotterel was still present and being very showy well worth the slog up Cheers Craggy ...
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134
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River & Swallow Ramblings. 14/4/2019
(Preview)
It was a bright, bitterly cold morning as we met in Shaw and headed easterly along the M62. Our plan was to visit the area around the Rivers Trent, Ouse and Humber and see what migrants had arrived etc. At Faxfleet we managed to watch a few Marsh Harriers whilst Cettiss Warblers seemed to be everywhe...
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David Ousey
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125
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Leighton Moss 10-4-2019
(Preview)
Thought I would try my luck again for a Hawfinch at Sizergh it wasnt too be, but with a reported Green-winged Teal the night before at Leighton Moss at the Allan hide Morecambe Bay would be the next stop. Only three people where in the hide watching the bird feeding along the back of the pool a nice lifer...
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144
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East to West Yorkshire. Sunday 7th April 2019
(Preview)
A full team got into Steve B`s car on a dull Sunday morning and headed east, even after being told that West was best for the weather today. We pressed on through a very misty Yorkshire eventually arriving at Wykeham raptor viewpoint, which was shrouded in mist. Well we were all told not to bother. A...
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David Ousey
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142
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Lancashire & Greater Manchester Birding. 31/3/2019
(Preview)
Just myself and Bob K having a little tour around seeing what we could find at this, generally, exciting time of the year. We started at Sizergh Castle looking for the Hawfinch without any joy (the sharp ones amongst you will say its in Cumbria) We called in at Pine Lake and had great views of the fir...
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David Ousey
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145
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Snakes & Ladders. Sunday 24th March 2019
(Preview)
With a full team aboard we headed up the A19 to visit a nice little village church that`s graveyard is full of wild Daffodils at this part of spring, very nice! A male Sparrowhawk showed really nicely whilst sat on top of a hedge, so along with Buzzards and Kestrels it made it a nice place to stop at. Its...
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David Ousey
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119
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Cheshire, Wirral & Southport. 10/3/2019
(Preview)
On a day when the weather was supposed to be much worse than it turned out to be, four of us headed out for a days birding and were not disappointed. First stop was the now mandatory one at Moore N.R. near Warrington for the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. As this was our third visit this year a certain optim...
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David Ousey
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130
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Elton-Withins and Lowercroft Upper Reservoirs 26-2-2019
(Preview)
Elton Pochard 1m Scaup 7 Goldeneye 2 Tufted Duck 25+ Mallard Teal 6 Goosandere 2 Cormorant G C Grebe 8 with some displaying Little Grebe 1 Oystercatchers 2 Coot Moorhen Lapwing 24 Grey Heron 2 Buzzard 2 Kestrel 1 Withins Gadwall 5 Teal 2 Pink-footed 2 Goose in with Canada Geese Lowercroft Upper Res...
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140
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North East Birding. 17th February 2019
(Preview)
A Pallas`s Warbler and a Firecrest had been seen fairly regularly at a sewage works in Fishburn, County Durham and had been present for around 2 weeks. With Kevin C freshly returned from the colonies, Steve B, we planned a trip to try to locate the birds. A decent drive up the A1 managing to see a Red...
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David Ousey
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127
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Lune Estuary ( Tidal Causeway from Overton ) 2-2-2019
(Preview)
Birds seen Pink-footed Geese Large skein going over Teal Oystercatcher Lapwing Dunlin Black-tailed Godwit Curlew Redshank Cormorant Knot Wigeon Kingfisher Buzzard Grey Heron Little Egret 1 Great White Egret Cheers Craggy
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131
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“North Yorkshire” Birding. Sunday 20th January 2019
(Preview)
Some days you make plans and they go wrong and other days they go to plan, this was one of those good days. Almost everything we planned to go to see was seen, apart from White Fronted Geese near Scaling Dam etc, so a good day was had by myself, Steve B and Chris B who drove. An early start around 6-30am ha...
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David Ousey
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131
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Marshside 17-1-2019
(Preview)
Marshside Birds seen Wigeon Large flocks of 80+ Teal flocks of 30+ Pintail lots of males some female Shelduck dotted around Shoveler 9 5m 4f Pochard 2m Tufted Duck flocks of 40+ Mallard Pink-footed Goose everywhere you looked thousands Black-tailed Godwit Curlew Redshank 12 Snip Ruff 1 Gold...
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136
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Elton and Withins Reservoir 15-1-2019
(Preview)
Elton 1 Gadwall 4 Scaup 15 Tuffed Duck 2 Goosander 4 Great Crested Grebe 10 Coot Mallard 250+ Black-headed Gull Common Gull Great Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Herring Gull 4 cormorant 1 Kestrel 2 Jay 1 Little Egret in stream blow reservoir Withins Reservoir 2 Pink-footed Goose in wi...
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145
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Windy Wirral. Sunday 12th January 2019
(Preview)
Okay it was supposed to be very windy on the Wirral as me and Steve B set off but, it felt like gale force at times! A leisurely start of 9am had us heading towards our various destinations reaching a little stop at Moore N.R. It soon became apparent that even inland the wind would be keeping the birds d...
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David Ousey
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125
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A Day Out in the Midlands. 6/1/2019
(Preview)
A Dusky Warbler has been present at Kingsbury Water Meadows in Warwickshire since mid-December 2018 and along with a few other nice birds in the Midlands a trip was partially organised. Myself driving, along with Steve B & Bob K left a dark and gloomy Rochdale at 6am (good to be back in the old ro...
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David Ousey
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Lancashire Day Out. 2/1/2019
(Preview)
We always have a trip out early in the New Year and with the shorter hours of daylight usually choose to stay fairly local. With Bob K at the wheel, myself, Steve & Chris B we left a cold Rochdale at 8am. Some Waxwings in Chorley was to be our first stop, unfortunately, after a bit of searching they...
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David Ousey
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131
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Leighton Moss and Sizergh Castle 8-1-2019
(Preview)
Calling at Sizergh Castle hoping for a Hawfinch but for me and two other birders nothing was Spotted,so off to Leighton Moss First bird of the day right in front of the hide was a cracking View of a Jack Snipe with 3 Common Snipe,it was constantly bobbing up and down while feeding with the other 3 Snipe g...
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144
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A Royal Occasion on Anglesey. 11/12/2018
(Preview)
The sighting of a possible Sandwich Tern on Anglesey this weekend must have started a few alarm bells ringing, due to the lateness of this species being present. Roll forward until Monday early afternoon when the bird information services said Royal Tern on Anglesey Now this species, for me, ha...
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David Ousey
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156
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Wirral Winter Wonderland. 9th December 2018
(Preview)
A long staying Great Northern Diver on the Marine Lake at West Kirby on the Wirral managed to lure me and Bob K into the great outdoors. With an 8-30am start and fair, breezy weather promised, what could go wrong? On the way to the Marine Lake news that the diver was still present reached us, upon arri...
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David Ousey
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123
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Lancashire Birding Day Out. Sunday 25th November 2018
(Preview)
A Velvet Scoter at High Rid Reservoir near Horwich had been found by Bolton`s finest Phil Rhodes on Saturday. Being a sea duck and being so far inland meant we had to go and see it. Myself, Steve & Chris Brown left a chilly Rochdale at 7am and headed for the reservoir that is just below Winter Hill. It w...
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David Ousey
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119
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Dusky Warbler at Ainsdale NNR, Southport, Lancashire. Sunday 18th November 2018
(Preview)
Dusky Warbler at Ainsdale NNR, Southport, Lancashire. Sunday 18th November 2018 News of a Dusky Warbler in the sand dunes at Ainsdale, Lancashire reached me whilst I was at the Shrewsbury v Rochdale football match on Saturday evening. After the result, there may be a way of rescuing the weekend t...
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David Ousey
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141
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Hartlepool Headland and Swillington Ings. Monday 12th November 2018
(Preview)
Hartlepool Headland and Swillington Ings. Monday 12th November 2018 What are the chances of a Pallid and Little Swift turning up together at the same spot in England? Give up, well they appeared together on Hartlepool Headland, County Durham on Sunday afternoon. Plans to witness this spectacl...
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David Ousey
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139
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Meols and Burton Point, Cheshire. Friday 9th November 2018
(Preview)
Meols and Burton Point, Cheshire. Friday 9th November 2018 A Pied Wheatear had been identified on Tuesday evening and has been entertaining all comers on the promenade at Meols, Wirral, Cheshire ever since. Steve B, Kevin C and myself headed towards The Wirral early on Friday morning. Going unde...
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David Ousey
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329
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Northumberland 24th October and Spurn 30th October & 4th November 2018
(Preview)
Northumberland 24th October and Spurn 30th October & 4th November 2018 The appearance of two first winter Gull Billed Terns in Northumberland was a bit of a shock to say the least, with Kevin C needing to see that species a trip was planned. The birds frequented Haughton Strother gravel pits wh...
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David Ousey
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125
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Swift Departure. 15/10/2018
(Preview)
News of a Swift with a white rump at Hornsea Mere, Yorkshire around 4-25pm on Sunday afternoon had a few phones ringing. What followed, with regards to the birds true identification was pure comedy. This is no reflection on the finders or the other observers on site watching the bird. It went, Po...
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