Good day up north

The safari decided to have another trip for the Smew as it had ben reported during the week after last weeks dip.
About 500 Pink Footed Geese were flighty over the marsh area - are these the last left in Lancashire - we didn't see any anywhere else today.

Down the track Hawthorn was coming in to leaf.

On the pols we had a nice selection of birds starting with a Little Egret, amazing how blasé we have become about thse recent invaders.

Shreddies were sniffed out by Frank - what a bizarre find out in the wilds.


Do you know the rhyme?
Shreddies keep you healthy
Shreddies keep you fit
Wake up in the morning to a steaming bowl of Sh....

A Little Ringed Plover (127) on the shingle island hit the notebook along with a dozen Shelducks. A Sand Martin (128) flew over. One male Wigeon and two male Shovelers were also on the pool. A pair of Goldeneyes, a male Pochard and some Tufted Ducks gave diving duck interest. but no sign of the Smew - again! - it was there on Thursday. In the trees next to where we stood a Chiffchaff chirped away briefly.
Out on the river this jetskier flushed a female Goosander (129).

Seven Meadow Pipits and a single Pied Wagtail went over, again the wind was wrong for passerine migration.

A second trip around the curcuit gave us a Green Sandpiper (130) and a Small Tortoiseshell - the safari's first butterfly of the year.

A flock of ten Goldfinches picked for seeds amongst the flotsam and jetsam (= plastic bottles) along the edge of the marsh.

Moving a little south along the estuary we found this Greenshank. Didn't notice it had pulled a worm out until we downloaded the middle picture. "I can see you..."

"Out you come..."

"Yuk...sticky - sandy...need to rinse my beak now... "Plenty of the usual estuarine fare here, Redshanks and Black Tailed Godwits in good numbers and excellent close views of Curlews.

A stop at the freshwater pool gave us two Spotted Redshanks (131)...great stuff.

Heading off home we called in at the farmland feeding station and hit the favourites, Yellowhammer

and Corn Bunting.

Our Extreme Photographer takes much better quality pictures. Perfect portrait of a Collared Dove.

Lovely goose-stepping Stock Dove here.

Where to next? Back to the Patches with some wintery weather on the cards.

In the meantime let us know what quality pictures someone else has taken for you in your outback.