Excellent Day At The Office!

I was quite surprised to find in my records, it is over 7 months since I last visited Harrisend on 27 June last year when I found 5 Stonechat, and that it was over 3 months since I checked out Hawthornthwaite, and found 3 possibly 4 Stonechat there on 24 October.

1st Winter Male Stonechat. Steve Gantlett. Clik the pik

Having missed out Thursday on a good calm and sunny day for some winter Stonechat'ing in Bowland, I was determined to get out on Friday on another good day, and succeeded in finding 4 Stonechat on Harrisend, they were seen as a pair, an adult male, and a 1st winter male. Also noted, 4 Meadow Pipit, a Wren, and a Red Grouse.

On Hawthornthwaite I found a pair of Stonechat, with a possible third bird briefly in flight but not relocated, also 10 Red Grouse, and a Grey Heron seen in flight skirting the lower slope of the fell.

Of interest, I have noted January records of 18 Stonechat wintering on the Fylde, including 8 seen at one sighting as an excellent record at Lytham Moss on 18 January. Also the report of a Stonechat at Roeburndale 4 January, and a pair reported at Kent Estuary 12 January. 

And finally, AC was in touch to say he'd seen the Cockersand male Stonechat yesterday. Iv'e not seen this bird since 21 January, despite two visits here.  

I was in touch with Steve Gantlett, and was grateful for the use of his Stonechat at Cley in Norfolk, and for his Caspian Gull at Sheringham in Norfolk. I'm not known as a gull birder, but thought I'd break the mould with this one as the new header. Steve currently has some brilliant images of a species many a birder would give his right arm to see....The stunning Goshawk Here