Zim Girl's 6th Big Year 2023

[Zim Girl]

UK 30.  Long-tailed Tit

Marton Mere  -  14/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

Nuthatches are easy to find in the local woodland.  There is a certain bush, that if you stand by it for a few minutes they will turn up.  I had three of them around me at one point.

 

UK 31.  Eurasian Nuthatch

 

 

Salisbury Woodland  -  14/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

Last week we went to a nature reserve we hardly ever visit, but recently there have been lots of sightings of a male kestrel that doesn't seem to mind having his picture taken.  We get a lot of kestrels locally and we often see them hovering over our garden and the local fields, but getting a good photo isn't easy.  

The reserve is called Brockholes, and is managed by Lancashire Wildlife Trust.  The site used to be an active quarry supplying the materials needed to build the adjacent M6 motorway.  Work to convert it to a reserve started in 2007 and they have done an amazing job, but if I am honest I just don't like the feel of the place, not least the noise from the motorway.  The problem is, we are just too spoiled with Leighton Moss.  Anyway, we came to find a friendly kestrel.

 

It was one of very few sunny mornings and we found a Dunnock posing nicely in the light.

 

UK 32.  Dunnock

Brockholes  -  23/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

This is a good spot for Reed Buntings and we saw quite a few of them.  I have posted a couple of photos from here and one from an earlier visit to Foulshaw Moss, which is another good place to find them.

 

UK 33.  Common Reed Bunting

 

Brockholes  -  23/02/23

Foulshaw Moss  -  18/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

And yes, we did find the Kestrel.  He was sitting in a tree watching us.  The last picture below was taken using the extended zoom on the camera which usually gives rubbish results but I think this one came out reasonably well.

 

UK 34.  Common Kestrel

 

 

Brockholes  -  23/02/23

 

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, Zim Girl said:

The last picture below was taken using the extended zoom on the camera which usually gives rubbish results but I think this one came out reasonably well.

 

it certainly did

[TonyQ]

I think they came out really well!

Lots of beautiful birds and photos in this batch. You do well in your garden

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @TonyQ and @Soukous.

 

So, the last few to post that I am happy with from February. 

We had another really good Dipper day earlier in the month, two pairs plus several singles.  I got lots of pictures but the light was poor again so holding out for better.  Also seen Water Rail on two occasions but again rubbish light so will try again later.

 

We have a small wetland area just 15 mins down the road that is really good for overwintering ducks, especially Wigeon.  

 

UK 35.  Eurasian Wigeon

Newton Marsh  -  26/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

Then on Monday we had some early sunshine and I drove to the coast to have another go at getting some pictures of Twite.  This location is one of the most reliable places to find these birds in Lancashire/Cumbria, you just have to make sure the tide is out.  I saw a couple immediately but they were very mobile and wouldn't settle, so I went to look for the female Black Redstart that has been here since before Christmas.  I have seen her a couple of times but always too far away for a picture, and because she is hiding out behind an apartment block which is private property, you have to keep walking around to one of two viewpoints either end of the block.  But on my third time round I found her in some bushes just a little bit closer.  This is a new bird for me for BY.

 

UK 36.  Black Redstart

Knott End  -  27/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

Walking back to near the slipway where the Twite feed, I saw three of them on the actual slipway, but a dog walker got there before me and they flew.  Oh well, so I went for a walk along the coast to look for waders, another reason to make sure the tide is out.

I found several Oystercatchers and while taking pictures of them a Curlew walked into shot so I had that as well.

 

UK 37.  Eurasian Oystercatcher

 

 

Knott End  -  27/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 38.  Eurasian Curlew

 

 

Knott End  -  27/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

So after slowly pacing up and down the esplanade for a while, I heard tweeting above me.  I looked up and there was a flock of Twite swirling around.  I was willing them to come down and they actually did, landing below me on the beach to feed.  Finally.  Here are a few pics to celebrate.  You can see how they are quite well camouflaged amongst the detritus.

 

UK 39.  Twite

 

 

 

Knott End  -  27/02/23

 

[Zim Girl]

We often come across Roe deer on our walks but a couple of weeks ago we saw two lovely Fallow deer who stopped to watch us just long enough for me to take a picture of one of them.

 

[PeterHG]

Lovely additions and some very good species! I haven’t seen Twite for many years. Many very good photos as well and I love your Kestrel sequence.

[michael-ibk]

Congrats on the Twite, would be a lifer for me. We get a few every year in Austria in Winter but not in my area. 

[Kitsafari]

what a cute deer that fallow deer is. great catch of the Twites. 

[Zim Girl]

Thankyou @PeterHG, @michael-ibk and @Kitsafari.

 

On 3/4/2023 at 10:32 AM, michael-ibk said:

Congrats on the Twite, would be a lifer for me. We get a few every year in Austria in Winter but not in my area. 

Well you know where to come if you ever fancy getting that lifer!

[Zim Girl]

Onwards with a few more local birds.  

Getting 'that' pigeon out of the way early and trying to find a way to make it look attractive, so went with a close-up.

 

UK 40.  Feral Pigeon

Stanley Park  -  07/03/23

 

[Zim Girl]

Now a much more elegant bird.  They breed at the Park and often raid our pond at home for food.

 

UK 41.  Grey Heron

Stanley Park  -  07/03/23

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 42.  Great Crested Grebe

 

 

Fleetwood Marsh  -  03/03/23

[Zim Girl]

The Blue Tit in the first picture was doing a good impression of a ball!

 

UK 43.  Blue Tit

 

Salisbury Woodland  -  07/03/23

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 44.  Great Tit

 

Salisbury Woodland  -  07/03/23

[Zim Girl]

UK 45.  Coal Tit

Brock Bottom, Forest of Bowland  -  11/03/23

 

[PeterHG]

Excellent photos! I don’t know how common the Coal Tit is for you, but I haven’t seen one in years…

[TonyQ]

Beautiful local birds in this latest batch