It had been six months since I had a full day out birding away from Rossendale.  The choices werent fantastic.  St Aidans near Leeds would need longer than 7 hours and I wasnt keen on any traffic jams on the high points in the cold weather.  Leighton Moss seemed dire even though when the water bodies freeze the Bitterns are forced to come out.  The Great Northern Diver nearby at Pine Lake would be a nice bird to see.  I opted for Martin Mere.  At least if there werent going to be any rarities the waterfowl would be close to the hides.  It had been a good year at Martin Mere with 2 Bittern nests fledging 7 young.  A male had paired with 2 females and this was the first breeding record for the reserve and maybe for West Lancashire as a whole.   

I had a brief in Parbold where there were some nice winter views and I saw a pair of Jackdaw huddled together at the church.  On arrival at Martin Mere a Song Thrush was in the car park clearly hungry and looking for bits of food near the visitor centre.  It gave really good views.

I headed off to the Discovery Centre where in front of the hide were Whooper Swans, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, Shelduck, Pintail, Mallard, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall in much smaller numbers, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Black headed Gulls, Great Black Backed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Cormorant and a Grey Heron or two.  On the shoreline of the Mere were Black Tailed Godwits, Ruff including a white satellite male type, Lapwing, Stock Dove and Feral Pigeons.  A single Mute Swan was on the Mere.  I am not sure why this isnt a more common species here.  Maybe they receive grief from the Whooper Swans? 

I moved onto the viewing screens and in the trees and bushes saw a Pheasant, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpies, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Goldcrests, Wrens, Treecreeper, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Redwing, more Song Thrush, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Reed Buntings at various points throughout the day.  Also flying over were Pink Footed Geese which were in the distant fields at the reserve, Herring Gulls, Ravens, Pied Wagtails, Meadow Pipits and Starlings. 

I stopped at one of the viewing screens and saw 8 Snipe hidden on the shoreline and along the rocks.  In the distance we saw our first raptor of the day a Marsh Harrier which then became 4.  We were told about a male Hen Harrier spotted at the Ron Barker Hide and then a juvenile Red Kite!  I have actually seen Hen Harriers including adult males here in the past but never a Red Kite at Martin Mere.  I was joined by a local and we scanned the raptors and located another new bird for the day, a Buzzard.  I noticed dark wing tips contrasting with a lighter inner wing and saw that it was the male Hen Harrier.  I managed to point it out to the regular who I had met before and then we picked up a male Marsh Harrier.  The regular said it would show better from the Ron Barker Hide and we trotted off in a hurry. 

On arrival we were treated to a very rare sighting.  One of the regular had sighted the bird and watched it land on the frozen lake before flying off again.  He was alone in the bottom hide so had no one to share this encounter with.  After 20 minutes I caught sight of the male Hen Harrier again and pointed it out to the others.  It circled in the distance and then came closer until it hunted in the fields next to the hide.  It interacted with a male Marsh Harrier and a Buzzard.  At one point there were 2 Buzzards and the 2 male Harriers in the air together.  3 medium sized species of raptor together!  The male Hen Harrier broke away and circled over the frozen pool and descended.  We waited in anticipation and in disbelief we saw it land and sit there for a minute. A surprised murmur and then clicks of cameras.  I raced upstairs hoping to get a better view and there was a man already there who had seen it land twice.   He was very surprised.  Just as I was going to take a photo it flew off and circled another field.  It wasnt long before six Cattle Egrets flew in and joined the Longhorn Cattle, a Great Egret flew across, a Kestrel sat on a post and then a Barn Owl started quartering the field by the hide.  A Mistle Thrush squabbled with a Fieldfare as it looked for food in some grass but left the Redwing all alone.  Although not seen but heard Water Rail and Cettis Warbler called.  Cettis Warbler and Cattle Egrets wintering in the same space as Whooper Swans?

I made my way to the other side of the reserve known as the Harrier Hide which overlooks the reedbed and from here, I managed to add Goldeneye, Common Gull and Little Grebe to the day list.  There were 2 Mute Swans here and 2 more Great Egrets in flight.  No sign of any Bitterns sadly.     Then off to the sewage works on the reserve boundary where Chiffchaff were hunting insects with Goldcrest.  Some said there may have been Siberian Chiffchaffs present but nothing conclusive I'm afraid.  In Lancashire and 2 species of Warbler wintering? It would have been unthinkable a few decades ago!  Sadly, the Snow Goose was not on the reserve although it is keeping bad company by associating with Greylag Geese and it is unlikely to be seen as a genuine vagrant.           

-- Edited by sarfraz on Sunday 12th of January 2025 10:36:41 PM