30/06/2014 Burnley, Lancs

Rose Colored Starling: After finishing work early I shot up to Burnley to see my first rosy starling.

And just in case I was unable to find a pink bird among a flock of black birds my guide for the evening was Alan McBride.

Alan came in handy as he had cased the joint the evening before and was able to take us closer to the bird, which when I arrived was miles away across a playing field.

The bird was happily loafing around with some locals beside Woodbine Gardens and appeared to be feeding in a private garden while periodically perching upon a dead tree within the same garden.





We got some funny looks from the residents and a few people stopping us and asking 'what are you looking for?' Obviously we where happy to stop and tell them that we twitchers descend when a special bird turns up.

29/06/2014 Carr Lane Pools, Hale

Wood Sandpiper: My first visit to Carr Lane Pools after a couple of hours working at Wigg Island.

After parking up I started my search from the gap in the hedgerow near the speed bump and give way for about half an hour.



It was from here I could see a large flock of Black Tailed Godwit a couple of ringed plover and several smart looking Snipe.

I then moved on up the road to the next viewing point where I eventually pinned down the wood sand feeding in one of the pools just past the fence.

A cracking bird to pick up after a Sunday spent at work.

21/06/2014 Crosby Marina Lake

Common Swift: After Pete Kinsella's excellent work finding a 1st summer Caspian Gull at Crosby, Dawn and I decided to spend a sunny Saturday down by the marina lake.

When we arrived we were surrounded by huge numbers of passerines and was astonished how low and fast Swift would actually come.

Dawn and I scanned over the small flocks of gulls loafing around on the border pool next to the larger Marina Lake for the caspo. However I was getting very distracted photographing these awesome Swift zooming past our heads.

Herring Gull: After a long search and some time scratching our heads we came across this bird. Distinctively different from the resident juv Herring Gulls but yet not quite what I was hoping for.







We monitored the bird until it came closer and until it took to the sky and still I wasn't convinced.  I have recently showed it to Pete who assures me it is a Herring Gull.

As I suspected a Herring Gull! Or is it a  worn 2CY Lesser Black-backed?? Bloody gulls

27/06/2014 Milnthorpe, Cumbria

Glossy Ibis: It looks like these cracking birds are extending their range and we might be having a lot more sightings in the future.

This would be my fourth including the Horwich and Hindley birds and the most showiest bird of the lot.

When I first arrived it was a black lump sleeping on the far side of the River Bela but after a short wait the bird got spooked by some neighbouring Swans and flew down river.

I caught up with the bird feeding a few hundred yards down river and watched it for a good 20 minutes before I had to get off.  This was a lovely little river bank, fast flowing and green and buzzing with birds the highlights being two Kingfisher and a couple of Little Egret.