Stop Larking About!

This little Shorelark has become a real celebrity over the last few weeks and it looks as if it's here to stay for a long time yet.  Today was my second visit to Rossall Point near Fleetwood on the Fylde Peninsula because the weather hadn't been great last time I went.

Rossall Point, Fleetwood

This was only the second time I'd been to Rossall Point near Fleetwood and I seem to remember that I had great difficulty in actually finding the 'Point' on my previous visit.  This is probably because there isn't any actual piece of land that juts out into the see I as had expected, well not that I could find anyway, and also there was no obvious signage at the time.

Anyway, today I approached from a different direction and quickly saw a new tower on the promenade which has been mentioned in other people's birding reports - I'm sure that wasn't here last time I came. Better still there is a largish free car park giving easy access to the promenade and beach - just what I like!

I was here mainly for the Shorelark which is a surprise visitor on the west coast of the UK and it's generally only found on the east coast.  It had been reported here for a week or so and so I thought I had a decent chance of seeing it myself.

There were also Ringed Plovers on the beach:

And a lovely male Stonechat on the car park as I was leaving:

Note To Self

Phew! I've done quite a lot of birding this last week or so. This is just a quick post to remind me where I've been and what I've seen recently so that I don't forget.

16th January 2012

• Warton Bank, Lancashire- Great White Egret, Little Egret, Whooper Swans, Curlew, Peregrine, Greylag Geese, Starling, Grey Heron over

• Lytham, Lancashire - Jackdaw, Redshank, Sanderling (Dunlin), Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Black-headed Gulls

• Fleetwood and Rossall Point, Lancashire - Eider Duck, Turnstone, Sanderling (Dunlin)

15th January 2012

• Dovestone Reservoir and Binn Green - Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Dipper, Mistle Thrush, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Raven over

14th January 2012

• Three Sisters Country Park, Ashton, Wigan - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jays, Reed Bunting, Willow Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Sparrowhawk

13th January 2012

• Parkgate, Wirrall - Great White Egret, Little Egret, Hen Harrier

• Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB, Wirral - Common Snipe, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Redshank, Shelduck, Canada Geese, Curlew, Mallard

11th January 2012

• Rindle Road, Astley Moss - Tree Sparrows, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Willow Tit, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, Woodpigeon

I may write some of these up in more detail later - or maybe not!