Zim Girl's 7th Big Year 2024

[Zim Girl]

We are very fortunate to be in easy reach of good areas for Dippers.  Here is a selection from last weekend.

 

UK 65.  Dipper

 

 

River Brock  -  30/03/24

 

[xelas]

Excellent photos of Dippers!

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @xelas.

[Soukous]

On 3/15/2024 at 2:55 PM, Zim Girl said:

This bird has barely moved from this flooded field in several months.

 

we have a couple of those close to home - they've stayed for well over a month but they seem to have away days when I look for them.

[PeterHG]

Love you Dipper photos!

[Peter Connan]

On 4/11/2024 at 1:37 PM, Soukous said:

 they seem to have away days when I look for them.

 

They attend meetings on those days.

On how to avoid photographers.

Edited April 16 by Peter Connan

[Zim Girl]

13 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Love you Dipper photos!

Thank you, Peter.

[Zim Girl]

Moving on and trying to get out in between all the rain.

 

UK 66.  Western Jackdaw

Wrea Green  -  05/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

One of the birds that we are always trying to find is the Green Woodpecker.  I have only ever got a distant picture of it once for BY and we have only ever heard them in 2 locations in South Cumbria, which we search regularly. 

Well, a pair of them turned up on a field near Leighton Moss the other week.  We went up there as soon as we could and found one digging away in a field on the edge of the reserve.  We were so pleased, this is the closest we have ever been to one!

 

UK 67.  European Green Woodpecker

RSPB Leighton Moss  -  06/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

On a roll of luck, my next bird is a lifer.  There were reports of a male common scoter on the nearby wetlands to us.  Twice we went to find it but both times it was a black speck in the distance. However, a few days later, a female was seen in the local park.  We went the next day and found it sleeping and bobbing around on the water, this time a lot closer.  Adrian took the dog for a walk while I waited for it to stick it's head up.  Eventually it did, which is just as well because it was blowing a gale and freezing cold.  

A heavy crop but better than the male speck I had .

 

UK 68.  Common Scoter

 

Stanley Park  -  14/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

I went back two days later in better weather to see if it was still there, but there was no sign of it.  Instead there were a couple of pairs of Willow Warblers, so not a wasted visit.

 

UK 69.  Willow Warbler

Stanley Park  -  16/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

Later in the day we had a walk along the coast.  We were actually looking for a Ring Ouzel that had been seen, but we couldn't find it.

As we walked back it poured with rain but as a consolation we found a group of Dunlin playing with some Ringed Plovers.

 

UK 70.  Dunlin

This one looked as fed up with the rain as we were.

Lytham St Annes  -  16/04/24

 

[michael-ibk]

Congrats on your Scoter lifer, and very well done with the Green Woodpecker!

[Soukous]

very nice additions @Zim Girlyour persistence is paying off

[TonyQ]

Some great sightings as a reward for your determination 

[BRACQUENE]

Congratulations with the woodpecker shot and the Common Scoter !

[Zim Girl]

@michael-ibk, @Soukous, @TonyQ and @BRACQUENE, thank you all very much.

[Kitsafari]

Loved the dipper shots. 

[Zim Girl]

6 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

Loved the dipper shots. 

Thank you @Kitsafari.

[Zim Girl]

Next batch from the last couple of weeks.

 

We have made several visits this year to the Foulshaw Moss nature reserve in South Cumbria to find Lesser Redpoll.  We didn't get them last year and they had remained elusive this year too.  

While we were waiting we had a surprise visitor pop up. Another bird we had struggled to find this year, so great to see it.

 

UK 71.  Water Rail

 

Foulshaw Moss  -  20/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

The wait continued and just when we were thinking about going, two birds actually turned up.  I think, a male and a female.

 

UK 72.  Lesser Redpoll

 

Foulshaw Moss  -  20/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

After visiting this reserve, we usually climb one of the outlying fells a short distance away.  At this time of year the wheatears should be back and indeed we found one quite easily.

 

UK 73.  Northern Wheatear

Whitbarrow Fell  -  20/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

A visit to a different reserve a few days later produced another four birds.

 

UK 74.  Common Kestrel

Brockholes - 23/04/24

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 75.  Common Blackbird

Brockholes  -  23/04/24

[Zim Girl]

UK 76.  Common Reed Bunting

Brockholes  -  23/04/24