MARKS REALITY
DIARY
MARCH
Friday 3rd March and still chasing Geese, with no luck, so in
the evening I drove over the Harris End and Hawthornthwaite fell roads, with Ring tail
Hen Harrier and Stonechat seen; bonus points for the Chat!
The following day, I visited the fields
at Cockerham and finally saw the Greenland White-fronted Goose and the "Lesser Canada Goose"
hybrid. In the evening, I visited Bullpot Farm above Casterton Fell, with
some friends and we had the Short fared
Owl fly below us.
I went to Polynesia this time last year,
but this time had to settle for Linn of Dee in Scotland, but did see
Gyr Falcon. This was my first trip out
of the area this year.
Saturday 11th March, saw Sand Martin,
my first spring migrant, but no sign of the Iceland Gull seen the day before, which I still need for the
area. Wheatear on the Slag Tips, but not much else on the 18th, then
Garganey on the following day from Griesdale
Hide.
The first female Marsh Harrier arrived
on Wednesday 22nd, with the male arriving a week later.
Friday to Sunday the same week was spent
at Leighton Moss, looking for Common Cranes. Did not see any, only my first
Peacock and Brimstone of the year. Little Ringed Plover at Hare Tarn and White
Wagtail at Milnthorpe sewage works brought my year list up to 138. Could I possibly
pass 140 by the end of the month? No chance! Blackcap on the
31st was the final bird of the month.
APRIL
After spending a weekend in March looking
for Common Crane at Leighton Moss, I was April fooled by one turning up at Sand Villa near Pilling.
It stayed for over a week, so I hope you all managed to see it as 1 did. I also saw Common Cranes "at
Leighton Moss" at the end of the month with two at Jenny Brown's Point.
First Swallow on the 5th, then Willow Warbler
on the 8th (very late). Spring is here!
A displaying pair of Slavonian Grebes, found by Pete Marsh from the Stone
Jetty on the 14'" were tracked along the Kent Channel on the incoming
tide and I picked them up at Jenny Brown's Point, giving me my second "Leighton Moss"
life tick of the year.
Greenshank and Common Sandpiper were seen
on the 16" around the Eric Morecambe Pools, with Black-Necked Grebes at
Leighton Moss on the 21st and Yellow Wagtail and Blue Headed Wagtail seen at
Milnthorpe Sewage Works the same day. These
were followed by Sedge Warbler and Swift at Leighton and Lesser Whitethroat at Jenny Brown's.
New birds were being recorded almost daily.
A trip up Dunsop Valley produced House
Martin, Ring Ouzel, and the hoped for Goshawk. But later that evening I dipped Osprey at Leighton, literally
by about one second (vouched for Ed.). This was despite receiving a phone call from Graham even
before the pager message.
Whimbrel from Jenny brown's Point provided
my 120th year tick for Leighton. Then a trip to Heysham for a staked out Sandwich Tern was not really
necessary, as a few days later I would be seeing 34 off JBP. along with the
two Common Cranes. Thanks to Steve Dodgson, my third and fourth Leighton life
ticks along with Arctic Tern for the year.
Garden Warbler and Reed Warbler at Leighton
on the 29" and I was at JBP in the evening when lowland Dotterel came of the pager......but they
were just outside the area. But what the heck! (see elsewhere in the Newsletter about these; Mark did not
get lost trying to find them)
On the last day of the month ,I picked
up seven species: Spoonbill and Whitethroat at the E.M. Pools, then Whinchat,
Redstart, Tree Pipit, Wood Warbler and Cuckoo at Barbondale, finishing the month
on 166 species, only three down on my total for the end of May last year.
MAY
Natland, never heard of the place! but on the
6th/7th May .Wryneck was reported singing in gardens. So most of the Reality Leaguers
started hanging around street corners, listening for it. I have seen
plenty of Wrynecks, but this is the first I have heard singing. I
also ticked Black Tem at Leighton on the same day.
American Wigeon seen at Leighton on the 8th, was also only the fourth
record for the reserve.
Spring was disappointing for waders on the Eric Morecambe Pools, with Wood Sandpiper
on Sunday 14th being the only decent one.
An hours sea watching off the North Harbour Wall at Heysham on the morning of
the 18th produced nine Gannets, two Fulmars, and a dark Skua sp.
On only my second trip out of the area on Saturday 20" May, I ended
up at Hengistbury Head in Dorset, along with two other Reality Leaguers. They
returned home that day but I stayed on and went into Cornwall for
a singing Iberian Chiffchaff.
Sunday the 28m produced the last new birds of the month, with both Spotted and
Pied Flycatchers at Barbon Beck Fell.
I will be away from the local area 1st to 27th June as I will be in Alaska.
Mark Prestwood
NB. The Natland Wryneck 'twitch' went very well with no complaints about invasion of privacy, quite the opposite. One person asked if it was all right for him to mow his lawn! Overall, it was a good public relations exercise. Incidentally, not the first time Natland has been 'staked out' - there were some 'only ones in the area' Waxwings a few years ago. Ed.