I'd Sooner Be Birding....

....but since last Thursday my prospects have not been good.

Wheatear. Simon Hawtin.

So I'm taking a look at some migrants I might find in the next four weeks before March is out, not least of which will no doubt be the Wheatear and in my case will probably be at Cockersands. The all time earliest Wheatear in Lancashire was a male at Pilling Lane Ends on the Fylde coast as early as 26 February 2003.

Sand Martin. Simon Hawtin.

Other earliest ever February arrivals in Lancashire have been Sand Martin which was seen on 24 February 1990, and a Garganey found by quite a coincidence on the same date of 24 February five years later in 1995. 

Another 'early bird' in the month of March could be the Little Ringed Plover and I'm hoping they turn up and stay to breed on Conder Pool this summer. Lancashire's earliest LRP was found on 8 March 2010.

Other earliest Lancashire arrivals in March....

Osprey. Seen 4 March 2005 at Arkholme. 

Swallow. Seen 10 March 1997.

Ring Ouzel. Seen 11 March 1999.

Sandwich Tern. Seen on 13 March 1990.

Spotted Flycatcher. Pete Woodruff.

A summer visitor I'm looking forward to seeing again this year is the Spotted Flycatcher. Though the species is a Red Listed and declining breeder, it has appeared in Bowland in the Marshaw/Tower Lodge/Trough Bridge area in decent number these past few years. On 9 August 2011 I found an excellent ten Spotted Flycatcher in the Tower Lodge and surrounding area, with five birds seen in May 2012. I found the same number of five in 2013 and were seen as two pair and a lone bird, and saw another five on 13 June 2014 with two young out of the nest and being fed.

The earliest Lancashire record of Spotted Flycatcher was on 20 April 1985.

The Garden Bird.

Greenfinch. Ana Minguez.

I was made up this morning when a pair of Greenfinch turned up, a MEGA bird for our garden.

Thanks to Simon Hawtin for the excellent Wheatear and Sand Martin images, and to Ana Minguez at Naturanafotos for the brilliant Greenfinch.