Did we peak too soon?

The Safari hasn't had many opportunities to get out other than an early morning sprint round Patch 1 with Monty.

The Peregrine has been on its usual ledge a couple of times and we see at least one of the local Sparrowhawk family almost daily. Ever hopeful of an exotic migrant we scour the trees and shrubs taking a zigzag route through the park for the best coverage possible for spotting a Redstart or a flycatcher or something even more exciting but so far we've only come across the local Coal tits, Goldcrests, Wrens and Robins. On morning we had a good count of Robins but that might have been down to the improved weather conditions that morning rather than a bit of a fall of migrant Robins. Yesterday we had two early morning Red Admirals both flying strongly south in conditions you wouldn't normally expect to see butterflies on the wing in...cold wet and windy! They were undoubtedly migrants on a mission.

At the end of the week we attended a small conference hosted by JW about eco tourism and the future of the Fylde, very interesting if slightly commandeered by the anti-fracking protesters. To be fair there won't be much tourism of any kind round here if we're turned into a huge gas field. Immediately following that event was another we were invited to. Thhis one was insitgated by our local MP to recognise all those people who have helped keep our town Cleaner and Greener' over tthe year. We were invited on to the judging panel - probably in 'revenge' for asking GM to be a judge in our schools' R-U-a-Sculpture Vulture competitions of several years ago. We were happy to oblige but weren't expecting to be nominated for an award too. Unfortunately we were allowed to vote for ourselves as a judge! Who'd have thunk it!!!Any way we didn't win the award but all nominees wwould have been worthy winners so were given a certificate in recognition of the work they'd done. GM and ES from the Civic Trust said some very nice and humbling words about our 27 years in the job we've just finished.

Yours truly with Gordon Marsden MP - pic stolen from his Facebook page

The following morning the Fylde Future team had organised a marine wildlife event. We'd offered to do bit of rockpooling before the tide came in and the serious seawatching started. It wasn't the best of mornings! There was a strong wind driving in heavy squalls and longer spells of torrential rain which meant we didn't get the number of participants we were hoping for, people opting to stay in bed instead.

There's a bit of rain coming our way

But ever the optimists we set up anyway. On the beach before the others arrived we'd seen about 50 Sandwich Terns, a very flighty bunch. One time after they'd upped and landed back down with them they'd collected a smaller darker bird but were a bit too far out to get any detail on it with the bins - we hadn't brought our scope out by that time, concentrating on getting all the rockpool kit set up.

By the time the others (and the sunshine) turned up it had drifted off away from the terns not to be seen again. From what wee got on it grounded and in flight it can only have been a 1st winter Little Gull (171, P2 #57).

Look at that sunshine - not half an hour after the squall pic

The tide allowed us a good half hour's perusal of the rockpools and a tidy selection of marine life found its way in to our tray.

Juvenile Common Starfish and Beadlet Anemones

Common Prawns, Necklace Shell, juvenile Green Shore Crab and a Blennie

Another slightly larger Blennie

 Yesterday was still windy and squally and with the sustained winds in the right quarter it was time to go to look for  Leach's Petrels. We did about 45 minutes either side of high tide seeing just 3 Arctic Skuas, one Kittiwake and a Gannet before we had to leave. Probably the best bird of the watch was a female Common Scoter that flew past only about 50 yards off the wall - they don't normally get seen anything like this close to the land here. It was challenging watching at times with visibility in the torrential squalls down to only some hundreds of yards.

Juts left of centre at the top of the column you can see a Herring Gull. It sat there almost the whole time we were watching so we tried a few phone-scoped pics - we don't have an adapter so they're a bit dodgy.

You lookin at me?

We left too early it transpired as the first Leach's Petrels started to be reported about half an hour after we'd left...grrrrrrrr

This morning we got news that there were decent numbers passing by but couldn't get out until the tide was well down. We arrived at our watch point meeting JS who'd seen about a dozen already - an hour later and not a single one had passed us and we missed the Fulmar. All we had for our effort was a 1st winter Kittiwake. Very disappointing...we do like the tiny waifs that are Leach's Petrels.

Where to next? We'll try again tomorrow morning but the wind has veered round to the wrong quarter so we might well be out of luck again. We've a rockpooling session in the gloom of late evening - that could be fun!
In the meantime let us know who's passing you by in your outback

The calm after the storm

The Safari hopes everyone is safe and well and not too wet after yesterday bit of a to-do.

It's something out of the ordinary when about an hour and a half before high tide there was the enormous slosh of a wave hitting the office window. The wind was that ferocious that the window frame was buckling about ±5mm either way - scary.

Keeping an eye on the local weather station, this wasn't quite the top 'score' we saw, it was beaten by 71mph twice!

That wind speed was beaten on Tweets we saw by somewhere in Yorkshire at 84mph, 109mph on the Isle of Lewis and doubled by a very scary 146mph admittedly on very high ground in Scotland. To take this pic we had to push the front door at work open with our shoulder and even that was a struggle.

An errand to the Post Office at lunchtime gave us the opportunity to drive down the Prom to see how the new multi-million pound sea defences were holding up. We got so far then a Police car stopped us and told us to turn round - the Post Office was in the opposite direction so we were going to do a 'U-ey' anyway although water like that is no obstacle to the Land Rover - we've been through far far deeper, usually successfully! Most of that is spray off the waves not the sea actually coming over the wall.

Back at the office the massive amount of salt spray covering the ground had brought loads of worms to the surface and their osmotic death. There's 11 in this pic but they littered path for yards and were lying on the lawns too.

Some of the pics we've seen from the East coast are seriously scary and we feel for all those who's homes have been washed away...although we have to say that the residents have been badly let down by a planning system that allowed development so close to a known rapidly eroding coastline; the inevitable was bound to happen sometime sooner or later.

The destruction to many of the more than excellent nature reserves is hard to bear, especially the one we cut our birding teeth on whilst at Uni, Cley - how long will it take for that to get back to 'normal'? Utter devastation there.

We were at school teaching today and after we'd got out of class we were able to have an hour in the sunshine at the nature reserve to make up for a very late finish at work last night...getting in after 9.30 at night after an 07.45 start probably isn't allowed under EU employment law - well if it isn't it flippin well ought to be!

At Uni we studied a crackin little bird which according to the New Atlas is found throughout the country apart from the highest mountain areas, the Moorhen. 

There are plenty at the nature reserve

Adult

1st winter

Around the corner the Barn Owl was in the doorway of his little house, but he wouldn't come out to stand in front of the door. You can just about make him out.

Coming back for a look at the the reedbed from the west end we spotted some gulls paddling away vigorously on the grass. There was one Black Headed Gull

a shy Common Gull that flew off and two Herring Gulls.

They paddle to bring worms to the surface and it works very well!

We saw the gulls lift off the mere in a bit of a panic a couple of times and scanned the reed tops for a flying Bittern but it wasn't one of those but two of these causing the consternation.

The other gulls really don't like them cruising over their heads.

A flock of Long Tailed Tits landed close to us and we hoped they'd give us better opportunities than the London one's last weekend - actually they gave us great views but we were gabbing to a couple of older regular birders to the site, which gave TP the chance to get much better pics than we did. We got in advance of the flock and waited where we anticipated they flit too, and waited and waited but they didn't show; they'd gone off in to the reedbed instead of following the bankside bushes. A Robin nearly made up for them.

The bird of the short session had to be the species we've never seen before, the two-headed Medusa Swan.

The two headed swan was knocked into a pair of cocked hats by a count of 222 Coots with more 'round the corner' in the south- east  bay that we couldn't see. Where's KB when you need him? On national TV next Monday and Tuesday teatime apparently.

Where to next? We had hoped to go on a dodgy (or not so dodgy after-all) Anatidae mission to the South-side tomorrow but it's not going to happen now :-(

In the meantime let us know who's floating around where they're not supposed to be in your outback.

Just how chilly can it get?

The Safari went to work in weird conditions today - snow was falling from a clear blue sky, not a cloud in sight!

We went out onto Patch 2 and instantly felt the wind chill, the breeze carving its way mercilessly through our fleeces and jackets.

The sea was well chopped up making counting the Common Scoters tricky - we guesstimated about a thousand but there were probably more further out.

No sign of the Surf Scoter or any Velvet Scoters but a pair of Red Breasted Mergansers (121, 46) were a bit of a Patch 2 sigh of relief.

The cold and fierce wind put paid to anything else at lunchtime, we scan for ten minutes before we couldn't see through our watering eyes.

Mid afternoon we were asked to nip out and take some publicity photos...don't be fooled by that blue sky!

Where to next?  A warmer and less breezy Patch 2 we hope.

In the meantime let us know how low the chill factor got in your outback

Ffarwted by ffery ffick ffog

The Safari barely saw a thing today, not for want of trying, we simply couldn't see more than a few feet.

Two Redshanks at 50 feet (17m)

Mirror Ball at 200 yards

News came in this arvo that two photographers had been rummaging around in the scrub trying to find the Long Eared Owls and flushed them - marvelous - NOT!!! If you are thinking of visiting and aren't sure where to look please ask or join one of the Ranger's Sunday morning guided walks. Photo opportunities aren't always guaranteed as with all wildlife photography! In the meantime please STAY ON THE PATHS or they'll disappear for the rest of the winter which is no use to anyone!

The Peregrine was on the tower while we were out with Frank yesterday tea-time, might have been there again today but there was no way we were going to be able to see it.

Where to next? No more fog on Patch 2 or elsewhere please. We have some stuff to deliver which might give us the chance to have a shuffy for the Iceland Gull on the way back as it seems to be  hanging around a certain road junction that has a raft of fast food joints.

In the meantime let us know if there was any visibility in your outback.

Solid wall of grey

The Safari heard two Song Thrushes on Patch 1 this morning along with a Blackbird which was more tuning up than singing properly. 39 Magpies were all that could be seem in the awful light although we had caused a little disturbance as we walked passed beneath them so there could have easily been a few more. No sign of the Peregrines today – round the back?

Patch 2 was a dingy grey wash out with the last remnant of beach being covered as we got to the wall flushing numerous mixed gulls, 52 Oystercatchers and a Knot. Visibility out to sea was reduced by the thick low cloud to about 500 yards. Consequently only a few Common Scoters were seen and those only in silhouetted shapes against the gentle swell – what might have been out there had we been able to see it???

By the time lunch came round and we were able to get out again conditions were worse – the drizzle was heavier but still not quite rain.

Now even the scoters had abandoned us, in our extremely restricted viewing area there was absolutely nothing to be seen

We consoled our woe at not finding any wildlife to look at by taking some arty shots of the conditions and the Mirror Ball...why?...Because it’s there! Blackpool’s answer to the Statue of Liberty as SP put it recently.

Where to next? Better weather but a still calm sea please...even calmer would do nicely if we could just have a bit of visibility as well...no chance of seeing the Northern Lights tonight :-(

In the meantime let us know if your outback’s local landmark has got lost in the mist

Oh no not more wind AGAIN

The Safari endured a dire day...
Kittiwake (65)
Redshank (66)

Wall to wall howling gale and lashing rain...

Best three sightings were a) a 1st winter Kittiwake on the beach - unusual but there were a lot of other gulls working the tideline and shellfish wreck lines. If the wind keeps up like this all winter there wont be any shells left in the sea!!!

b) a Sanderling trying to have a scratch and being blown off its feet and then bowled ar*e over breakfast a few times before righting itself and looking around sheepishly to see if any of its mates had noticed.

c) Everybody's seen gulls on inland grass doing the 'Paddling Pete' thing with their feet to get worms to the surface but we've never seen/noticed it done on the beach before, two Herring Gulls were successfully catching what looked like Ragworms using the technique down on the tide line.

Where to next? If we don't get a Little Gull tomorrow we'll wonder what it is we're doing wrong. Some just up the coast this morning.
In the meantime let us know if the wind let up for at least a minute in your outback.
Sorry only mirror ball pics again...but you'll get the flavour of the day...

Oh no not more wind

The Safari was up and at em for very windy and shortened Patch 1 predawn walk this morning. The only things to show for our efforts were single Blackbird and Robin seen – not a sound was heard everything was very sensibly hunkered down.

Our hopes for a few year birds at Patch 2 were dashed cos when we got to the wall, some three hours after a low high tide, the water was still lapping at the base due to the very strong wind. All we could see out in the raging tempest were a few Common Scoters (62). Away to the south hundreds of gulls faced the wind on the bit of exposed beach there along with a handful of Oystercatchers. Those five minutes were enough watching – time for a warming cup of tea, with the expectation that low tide at lunchtime would be more interesting.

A quick nip to the shops for some hardware supplies for Base Camp had us whizzing up the road a couple of miles further to check out the five Tundra Bean Geese (63) again. There they were sat in the field at some not inconsiderable distance. Their friend the Pink Footed Goose was still with them and in the next field was a monster of a Peregrine sitting on a tussock looking around no doubt wondering who was going to be lunch. With little time to spare and not having the scope with us sadly all we could do was ‘tick n run’. The Bean Geese look settled in for the duration so hopefully we’ll be able to come back and have a proper leisurely gawp at them at a later date.

By lunchtime although it was low tide the storm surge meant that almost all the beach was still covered in water. The sea was heaped up like the Himalayas with spray breaking of the top of the breakers all over the shop and big dollops of foam coming across the beach and over the wall. All in all unpleasant!

We struggled to keep the scope still on our new, but seriously off-gassing plastic-chip beanbag; you could get high in the Land Rover after leaving it in there overnight!!! Just 47 Oystercatchers and three Sanderlings (64) were counted.

The usual gulls were all present with the strange exception of any Black Headed Gulls, won’t struggle for them later in the week though.

By the time the light faded and dusk fell Patch 2 had opened its account with a remarkably unimpressive massive score of nine species.

Nine species of birds in a day (nearer ten minutes more like, with a extra few peeks out of the windows at the birdless back garden) might not be too good but during the festive break our marine biologist friend found what we think is a new species of shell for the beach here, the Banded Venus Clausinella fasciata...one we’ll have to keep an eye out for when we are next able to get down on to the beach....it’s not all birds you know!

Back in the office we listened to the storm driven hail trying to break through the windows and longed to be still on holiday and sat back at home cozy warm close to Little Bertha or in a freezing cold draughty bird hide somewhere.

Where to next? More of the same gale force winds in the morning and with several Little Gulls being seen this afternoon from Chat Alley perhaps we should be a little braver and stick out the adverse conditions a little longer tomorrow.

In the meantime let us know where, given the choice, you would be sitting in your outback.

Below is a map of our recording area for the nature reserve, which actually only covers the area within the dashed line, although much of the rest is designated as a County Biological Heritage Site or is under review by the BEAT Naturewatch group as a candidate CBHS. To the east is the farmland known somewhat inspired name 'the East Fields'.

Mid afternoon the sun tried to come out between humongous hail showers so we went all arty-farty for five minutes with the mirror ball, while the kettle boiled, without daring to venture outside.

If we were any good at Photoshop or hat least had the patience we could probably get rid of the overhead cables and improve the pics a bit.