In The End....Another Barnie.

Hardly riveting on my first days birding in 2016 yesterday, but the visit to Cockersands was rewarded by yet another Barn Owl. Reasonably obvious the same bird as seen 28 December behind Bank Houses horse paddock, which is where this one ended up quartering again today. I had picked the bird up as it flew through the yard at Abbey Farm. It would have been good to have seen it coming out of one of the buildings at the farm as proof that this is where the bird is currently hanging out. I've never seen a Barn Owl at or anywhere near this farm before.

Back to the beginning....At Conder Green, despite a full circuit, the creeks were deserted save a solitary Curlew and two of the 8 Little Grebe seen here today, the other six on the pool. Also on Conder Pool, a single Snipe was on one of the nest boxes which look like they are never going to float off the island as I predicted they may, unless the weather has other ideas. Up to 50 Mallard and Teal, with 15 Wigeon, 5 Tufted Duck, and 2 Shelduck....I've not seen the Spotted Redshank at Conder Green since 7 December, nor the Common Sandpiper since 15 December. 

On the Lune Estuary, a Ruff was with a group separate from a total of c.450 Redshank, also c.2,500 Golden Plover, c.55 Black-tailed Godwit, a few scattered Bar-tailed Godwit, and at least 50 Dunlin. I saw a total of 14 Goldeneye, three on the estuary, and eleven on the canal basin.

A Kestrel was on Moss Lane, and off Crook Farm at Cockersands, c.1,500 Lapwing, 55 Golden Plover and 50 Dunlin. Around the winter cover crop on Slack Lane 2 Greenfinch, and in and around Bank Houses horse paddock, 10 Goldfinch, 7 Blackbird, a Song Thrush, and Mistle Thrush.

Back to the end....Enter the Barn Owl!

Garden Birds. 

Siskin. Noushka Dufort @ 1000-Pattes  

A smart little male Siskin visited our feeders yesterday morning, a scarce bird in our garden, the last one being 27 January 2015, later 2 Greenfinch appeared as another quite scarce garden species for us. 

And finally....

A Siberian Chiffchaff was on the RBA pager yesterday SW of Lancaster at Aldcliffe Marsh. 

Siberian Chiffchaff. Chris Batty.

This Siberian Chiffchaff was photographed in a Knott End garden precisely 3 years ago today on 5 January 2013. There's some interesting reading about the complexities of the Siberian Chiffchaff HERE 

Thanks to Noushka and Chris for the photographs, always appreciated.