Today, after I'd had a very long sleep to oversome any jet-lag, I decided to take a trip out to the Fylde to have a look for some geese. there had been lots of Pink-foot movement and there were several other species in amongst them.
First call was around the Sand Villa area where I noticed a large flock on the inland side of the raod obscured by a hedgerow. I parked up and found a suitable raised vantage point to scan the flock - at least 3,500 pink-footed geese were actively feeding along with an odd white bird that has been reported to be a Ross's x Pink-foot hybrid. 49 Whopper Swans just behind the sea-wall were being repeatedly disturbed by a land-rover but there were no Bewicks with them.
I then paid a visit to Lane-ends - more geese out on the saltmarsh and an adult Peregrine sat on the edge. the tide was well out so there wasn't much else - a Little Egret flew towards Fluke Hall, my next stop. Here there was another large flock of pinkfeet but I couldn't see anything unusual.
After a brief visit to see the Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings at Bradshaw Lane (as well as lots more pink-feet now being moved around by the presence of a hot-air balloon) I headed for Burrow's Marsh where another flock of around 1,500 Pink-feet were feeding in a stubble field. Some Tundra Bean Geese had been reported there the day before and a couple of other birders were scanning the flock but with little success. A lot of the geese were sleeping and a large proportion of the flock was out of view. After an hour or so, the others left and I decided to see if I could see anything more from the sea-wall. A Grey Wagtail and a Stonechat sat on the midden in front of me. I could now see into the back of the flock much better and the first bird I scoped was a Bean Goose - orangy legs, orage spot on the bill, darker back and narrow white tip to the tail - just like the four next to it as it happened! Having not seen Tundra Bean Goose for some time I watched them for a while until they disappeared from view again.
Happy at that, I decided to call in at Conder Green on the way back to the M6 -single Spotted Redshank and Greenshank were a very welcome addition to the day's birds.
First call was around the Sand Villa area where I noticed a large flock on the inland side of the raod obscured by a hedgerow. I parked up and found a suitable raised vantage point to scan the flock - at least 3,500 pink-footed geese were actively feeding along with an odd white bird that has been reported to be a Ross's x Pink-foot hybrid. 49 Whopper Swans just behind the sea-wall were being repeatedly disturbed by a land-rover but there were no Bewicks with them.
I then paid a visit to Lane-ends - more geese out on the saltmarsh and an adult Peregrine sat on the edge. the tide was well out so there wasn't much else - a Little Egret flew towards Fluke Hall, my next stop. Here there was another large flock of pinkfeet but I couldn't see anything unusual.
After a brief visit to see the Yellowhammers and Corn Buntings at Bradshaw Lane (as well as lots more pink-feet now being moved around by the presence of a hot-air balloon) I headed for Burrow's Marsh where another flock of around 1,500 Pink-feet were feeding in a stubble field. Some Tundra Bean Geese had been reported there the day before and a couple of other birders were scanning the flock but with little success. A lot of the geese were sleeping and a large proportion of the flock was out of view. After an hour or so, the others left and I decided to see if I could see anything more from the sea-wall. A Grey Wagtail and a Stonechat sat on the midden in front of me. I could now see into the back of the flock much better and the first bird I scoped was a Bean Goose - orangy legs, orage spot on the bill, darker back and narrow white tip to the tail - just like the four next to it as it happened! Having not seen Tundra Bean Goose for some time I watched them for a while until they disappeared from view again.
Happy at that, I decided to call in at Conder Green on the way back to the M6 -single Spotted Redshank and Greenshank were a very welcome addition to the day's birds.
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