Despite appalling conditions 8 members joined in The Winter Bird Race enabling 4 teams of 2 people to compete.
The results were as follows:
BK & IW 48 species.
RI & DN 47 species.
IB & PB 46 species.
KL & RH 45 species.
So all very tight with some teams having some very obvious 'misses' in their totals such as Wren, Dunnock and Song Thrush, however, as a group we saw a very creditable 60 species between us with the highlights as follows:
Goldeneye, female on Jamestones,
Buzzard, 2 seen including a soaring bird over Edenfield,
Peregrine, a bird was seen flying up the valley carrying its breakfast and seen later eating its prey by another team!
Coot, 1 at Cowm,
Lapwing, 34 on fields at Rossendale Schools,
Snipe, 3 on Haslingden Moor,
G.B.B.Gull, 3 at Rossendale Schools & 1 at Ogden,
Stock Dove, 3 feeding with a flock of Wood Pigeon near Ogden,
Kingfisher, high water levels in the rivers pushed birds onto HTL & Kenroy's,
Green Woodpecker, 'yaffling' bird at Cowm,
Stonechat, pair at Clowbridge,
Nuthatch, 1 at Calf Hey,
Treecreeper, 1 at Warth,
Raven, pair over BK's house in Strongstry plus pairs at Ewood Bridge, Edenfield & Clough Bottom,
Greenfinch, flock of c12 in conifer on Goodshaw Lane,
Yes not the best weather for the bird race but very enjoyable and well done to our new members, Ian and Richard for braving the conditions on their first outing, especially Ian for putting up with me for eight hours.
Well done to all and thanks for your company over a well earned pint.
