27/11/2021 WWT Martin Mere

Brambling: Having had to drop some wedding albums off in for a client not too far from Ormskirk I decided to spend the morning at Martin Mere, too cold to trapes around the whole reserve I spent much of my time sheltering at the Janet Kear hide were a couple of brambling had taken up residence. 

Originating from Scandinavia and across to Siberia, they only spend  the winter months here in the UK, though a tiny number sometimes stay through the summer period and have even been known to breed, but this is pretty rare. 

Brambling are famous woodland birds that search for food in mixed flocks with chaffinches so a place like martin Mere is ideal with a regularly topped up feeding station along a small woodland edge. 

In the winter the male bird has a streaked head, orange breast plumage and a white rump, in the spring the males head becomes much darker in colour with a rich orangey red colour on his wings and breast. The females are not so bright and cheerful in colour, though have similar patterns in their plumage to the male.

Here is the male, a stunning little bird with mottled upperparts with brown edges and grey tips on the feathers. The scapulars have broad pale orange tips and the median and greater coverts are orange tipped with white.

There was one male and up to four females feeding on the split seeds around the feeders and perching up in the bushes around the hide. 

Definitely a highlight of a very enjoyable (if a little cold) morning. 
 

25/11/2021 River Ribble, nr Brockholes

Belted Kingfisher: From Florida to Preston this extremely rare belted kingfisher has been on the river near Redscar Woods off on the Turnbrook mouth since the 8th of November. 

Since then the bird had only been seen by a handful of fishermen and no birders, some folk, perhaps even myself were thinking it didn't exist or was long gone. 

I've been three times over the past few weeks, searching for the banks and listening out for what has become a mythical bird,  I even spent a few hours waiting in one area with a panoramic view of the river hoping it would fly up and down, hoping for just a glimpse.

Well today I got better than a glympse, after a report from around 12am I left work and headed straight from Bolton and was there within half an hour or so.

When I arrived the bird was in full view on a overhanging branch before taking cover a little further down stream. It made several passes and alighted upon a hawthorn on the opposite side showing really well.

I was absolutely delighted. A real local MEGA!