The Safari set off for the North Blackpool Pond Trail on our fortnightly BTO Winter Thrushes Survey, our first visit of the year, for any purpose!
We had a couple of target species to get for the year list challenge as well as as many thrushes as we could find. It was fairly quiet along the trail and thrushes were hard to come by compared tto recent visits. At the cemetery a Great Spotted Woodpecker (83) flew towards us calling and we could hear a Mistle Thrush (84) which we saw flying away. A Song Thrush was singing from the furthest corner of the grave yard but otherwise it was dead quiet.
The industrial area didn't give us any thrushes on the previously busy Cotoneaster berries but there were two Grey Wagtails on the roof of one of the factory units.
At the back of the houses a dog walker did us a bit of a favour by flushing a few Blackbirds we wouldn't have otherwise seen.
The usual House Sparrow flock here was very vocal, about 25 of them, but where were the Starlings today.
Finishing the survey area we walked the return path back to Base Camp passing through the Community orchard where there were a shed-load of Blackbirds! Another Mistle Thrush was in the horse field with the first Dunnock of the day and a Reed Bunting at the small reed bed. By the time we got to the gate we had 30 species on our NBPT list, or 1/3 of the target JS suggested as 90 is what he got last year.
After a quick snack we headed to the coast with Wifey and Frank for a bit of a constitutional. We took the scope to grill the waders roosting on the old boating pool wall. As last week they were at the far side away from their more usual place where they are much easier to get pics of.
We counted 197 Redshanks one of which was sporting a BTO type ring, exactly 60 Turnstones none of which had SE's flags as far as we could see.
Only one of the recent two Purple Sandpipers (85) was found amongst the flock.
Further along the cliffs we came across another year bird but one we doubt we were ever going to struggle for, a couple of Meadow Pipits (86). Missed a couple of Harbour Porpoises out to sea - grrrr - but to be honest we didn't have a lot of time to be able to watch the sea for long.
That was it for birding for the rest of the day - heavy duty chores were necessary for the whole of the afternoon.
Where to next? Back to the nature reserve in the morning for the Sunday morning Long Eared Owl walk. We hope CR's Pintails are still on site, not the easiest of ducks to find there and there was a Waxwing a couple of days ago, has that stuck around? Whatever we see it's always good to be out communing with nature on a crisp and frosty morning - if that's what we get!
In the meantime let us know what's flipping the leaf litter in your outback.
Sorry no pics today - not able to carry the camera and the clipboard. When it gets lighter we'll take you on an after work tour round the whole of the NBPT
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