Red-throated Diver at Fairhaven Lake

I'm still more or less 'birding from the car' and so today I returned to Fairhaven Lake at Lytham in Lancashire.  You may remember from my previous post about the Great Grey Shrike and Drake Scaup (ha-ha, as if) that I spent quite a lot of time here as a child because my Grandad used to live only half a mile away in the Ansdell area of Lytham.  I occasionally used to stay with him over the summer holidays and he would sometimes take me crown green bowling at the club where he as a member. Anyway, I digress ...

Birdguides and the North West Birding Facebook group were showing that a Red-throated Diver was present on the lake, and as it's such a great place to get good photographs without having to walk more than a few hundred yards from the car, I decided to go for it today.

More of a report will follow later, but for now here are some of the best photographs I took:

Shrikey !!!

The long-staying Great Grey Shrike at Lytham Moss was my target for today as I'd missed it previously on my way back from seeing the Shore Lark at Rossall Point.  I saw the bird as soon as I got to the traffic lights on the main road and so I was fumbling with excitement as I parked up and grabbed my camera. This is one of the first shots I got:

I'm quite pleased with this photo as it's pretty close and shows the eye and beak detail quite well, despite all the flipping branches in the way.  But after about 30 seconds the bird flew off and unfortunately never came close again. Here's the only other I shot that's any good.

Although distant, this one shows the typical habitat it's been frequenting here.  The Great Grey Shrike is actually our smallest bird of prey, although you would hardly think of it as a raptor.  It eats insects and rodents and sometime even small birds such as Wrens.

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!