Today's Wildlife Encounter

[vics]

This afternoon, in the very welcome sunshine, I saw three swallows swooping over the canal near Lancaster

[that_fjell_guy]

Jusy back from a short walk. saw a very large flock of Pied Wagtails 50+. It seems to occur occasionally on site for some reason. Plus a Hedgehog mooching about under the rookery. just hope the Rooks dont pounce!

[that_fjell_guy]

Seen my first Swallow now!! Also went to Saltholme Marsh and had a nice morning 'spotting'!! Bit disorganised as usual so forgot bird book and scope! Luckily had bino's though! Saw, amongst other stuff, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Black Tailed Godwit, a lovely looking Gadwall, Common Tern, Sand Martin, Reed Bunting and Spotted Redshank!! There was a pair of Blacknecked Grebe apparently but we missed them. Oh! and a pair of Little Grebe. :thumbup:

[The Navigator]

My first Ring Ouzels of the year on the Coniston Fells last night - one on Prison Band and two at the bottom of the quarries track on The Old Man. And a fox by the A6 on the way home.

[dantodman]

Saw the 2 younger deer again in the park this morning but didn't have my camera. :thunbdown:
Looks like mum has left them to themselves as she was nowhere in sight and they seemed to hang around a little longer before running away.

On our pack run the other night I saw a couple of the Noonstone killers, aka The Pennine Finch/ Twite. Lots of other birds around but I don't know any of them, got a bird book the other day so will start to take photos and cross reference.

Dan

[Latege]

Oyster catchers and sanderlings on Sunderland beach this afternoon, but what was the third? Not too different from the sanderlings but bigger. Best I can guess from the book is grey phalarope (still in winter plummage) but the book also says they normally stay well out to sea.

[The Navigator]

Oyster catchers and sanderlings on Sunderland beach this afternoon, but what was the third? Not too different from the sanderlings but bigger. Best I can guess from the book is grey phalarope (still in winter plummage) but the book also says they normally stay well out to sea.

Knott or Dunlin most likely. Grey Plover?

[Derby Tup]

My first Ring Ouzels of the year on the Coniston Fells last night - one on Prison Band and two at the bottom of the quarries track on The Old Man. And a fox by the A6 on the way home.

Coniston fells are good for ring ouzel. We had one singing under Dow Crag this week and another in the hanging valley up and above Seathwaite tarn

[Latege]

Knott or Dunlin most likely. Grey Plover?

Too big for a Dunlin I think, but possible a Knott. Thanks.

[molehill]

On a walk yesterday, the first pied flycatcher and I may have heard a cuckoo. Only one "cuckoo" and a car was going past at the time, so not sure and didn't hear it repeated.