Quality Geese And Grebe's.

Red-breasted Goose/White-fronted Geese. 27 January. Pete Woodruff.

Yesterday I decided to shoot off down the A588 again and into Fylde territory. A good idea, as the roaming Red-breasted Goose was soon found in a field off Backsands Lane with 10 Russian White-fronted Geese and c.150 Pink-footed Geese.

Black Redstart. Knott End 28 December. Richard O'meara.

Turning off Fluke Hall Lane and into Wheel Lane, I spotted a Fox running through the field to cross the lane and enter the field opposite, it appeared to have a small prey item between it's teeth. I was on my way to Knott End for my share of the Black Redstart which gave excellent views below the Waterfront Apartments where it has spent the most of it's time since it was first found here by Richard O'meara a month ago on 28 December 2016. A short walk along the length of the esplanade was rewarded with up to 200 Sanderling and uncounted Ringed Plover, Knot, Redshank, and Dunlin. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, I noted 18 Goldeneye, 25 Black-tailed Godwit, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit, and a drake Red-breasted Merganser. At Conder Green, the Spotted Redshank was in the creeks, and I watched 7 Snipe drop on to the terrace at the back of Conder Pool.

The Conder Little Grebe.   

I counted 14 Little Grebe at Conder Green yesterday, this is the first double figure here since I saw eleven two months ago on 28 November 2016.

My day had started with quality geese, and ended with quality grebe's.

Many thanks to Gary for the Blackcap header image, and to Richard for the Black Redstart....Both rated excellent in my book, and much appreciated.

Time For A Rant.

Spare a minute to take a look at the video and reach your own conclusions about the sickening attitude the countryside Rambo's from the dark ages with guns have on the surplus Pheasants from a shoot, then ask yourself questions like....is this why Natural England - Unnatural England actually - decided to hand out licenses to shoot Buzzard's to protect another bird species so that it can be shot then dumped in a stink pit to rot.

I can assure you there's nothing new here, I've found similar dumps in Bowland over the years, where I go as many times as anyone else does, and more times than most. On one occasion, as if to add to the sickness, the birds had been torched, which is what these same people will be doing to the moors shortly, all in the name of keeping an industry which kills for fun, thriving.

All this is the side salad of a multi-million pound industry, an industry involved in setting traps to kill anything which gets in the way of the success of it, the Fox, Stoat, and Weasel, are but a few examples, along with thousands of Mountain Hare slaughtered in Scotland annually.    

Another bit of depression....

....but don't fret there are some brilliant pics too, in any case I'm going to keep 'the depression' brief and void of too much waffle.

I'm determined to have the benefit of a blog to pump out the news now and again about the kind of problems our wildlife look set to endure for evermore....perhaps you'd like to take a look at THIS 

If you visit the vast upland areas of Bowland as I often do you can't fail to come across traps, cages, and people with guns to 'control' just about anything that can possibly be labelled a 'pest', not least of all if its a raptor or a corvid, but also if its a Fox, Stoat, Weasel and more, I even came across a trap recently which I discovered was to catch a Grey Squirrel. OK....so what's the problem with a Grey Squirrel in Bowland, it's as if you name it and its a problem and a pest if it comes into contact with the Red Grouse and the Pheasant the 'Darling birds of Bowland', and certainly is if it's 'suspected' of having them on the menu....but a Grey Squirrel!

Well I said I'd keep it brief and you will have noted the joke about this 'person' in Scotland who was fined £450 for being responsible for the unnecessary death of the Buzzard which was his intention in the first place....wasn't it, well he did'nt release the bird - a protected wild creature - from a cage, in any case his employer will probably earn that much by the day - and more - and he'll pay the fine anyway....this is called justice, in this case for the Buzzard.

On a lighter note, and to celebrate the Spain 4 Italy 0 Euro 2012 result, heres another 3 from Spain to make it 7-0 which is what the score would have been had either of these teams played England.

Great-spotted Cuckoo Ana Minguez

If you're living in the UK like me you'll need to be lucky to get this one in your book of ticks. The Great-spotted Cuckoo, this one is a juvenile. The first record of GSC in Britain was in 1870 in Northhumberland, though one was found in Ireland 28 years earlier in 1842 at  Omey Island, Galway. 

Penduline Tit Isidro Ortiz

And another the Penduline Tit, you'll need some luck to see one of these in the UK though certainly possible as an accidental here, the first record of which was only claimed  46 years ago in 1966 at Spurn, East Yorkshire. 

Crested Tit Antonio Puigg

The Crested Tit, is largely confined to the ancient Caledonian Pine Forests and Scots Pine Plantations. Thanks to AM/IO/AP for these excellent images.

Sneaking off again!

Another sneak to 'the office' again this evening - I think the family visits may be coming to an end today - and hopefully another sneak off to get some birding in tomorrow though no bets or guarantees on that one I'm afraid. 

Fox. Brian Rafferty

So another opportunity to post a couple - three actually - more excellent photographs, this time from BR who has recently had a close encounter and excellent views of this stunning Fox which gave him the chance to achieve some equally stunning and excellent pictures of the creature.

Fox. Credit as above.

Wildlife is out there for us all to find and see, all we have to do is get out there and search and if results like these don't inspire us to do so probably nothing will. Many thanks for allowing me to share these photographs on Birds2blog, much appreciated Brian.

OK its supposed to be a birding blog so....

Marsh Tit. Gary Jones

   

Sorry to keep on being so repetitive but, another excellent photograph, this of the Marsh Tit which appears to have bitten off more than it can chew but I'm sure it dealt with the problem eventually. And here's another repeat....please take a look at BR and GJ's website as there are always some good pictures and reading to be had on both I can assure you.

Like I said at the top of the page, hopefully in with a chance of some birding tomorrow in which case the blog will resemble more of a birding blog that it has done of late....I'll probably regret all I just said.