Chats & Swans.

The Chats.

Stonechat Half Moon Bay 10 December. Pete Woodruff.

As it turned out yesterday, it was a smart idea that I decided to take a look over Heysham Head, to then find 2 Stonechat down on the shore at Half Moon Bay. Also noted here, 5 Greenfinch, 2 Robin, 2 Pied Wagtail, and a Meadow Pipit. 

An hours birding on a Sunday afternoon doesn't come much better than this for me, and the fact I failed to find the long staying Chough anywhere, turned into an irrelevance after seeing two Stonechat instead. 

The Swans.

Whooper Swan Brian Rafferty  

I found two more marked Whooper Swan at Cockersand 17 November, both are Martin Mere birds.

YCC ringed as an adult female in February 2013.

YCB ringed as an adult male in February 2015.

Though the history of all three Whooper Swans I've seen so far this winter aren't particularly exciting in that none of the three has been reported outside Lancashire and certainly not in Iceland, with the exception of YCC which ventured north to Ankerville Corner, Easter Ross, Scotland and was seen there in November 2015, having been previously reported at Woodmoss Lane, Scarisbrick, West Lancashire in December 2014, and again in January 2016, all other sightings of both these swans were made at Martin Mere WWT. 

The bird marked YYG which was the first Whooper Swan I found at Cockersand on 8 November was seen five days later on 13 November back at Martin Mere.

I'm again grateful to Kane Brides at WWT for dealing with my submission and forwarding me the history....always worth waiting for. Thanks also to Brian Rafferty for the 'pik with a difference' of the bathing Whooper Swan.