Green Sandpiper, River Ribble, Ribchester
A GREEN SANDPIPER LIT UP A WALK ALONG THE RIVERBANK. It is the first one I have seen since I moved here and made the effort today worthwhile. However, Bill Aspin tells me that up to four have been seen downstream at Brockholes this winter so I should not get too excited. It was also lovely to see Northern Lapwings displaying over the fields down by the river and also to hear them! Five curlews were new this morning, one of them calling in the usual fields where they try to breed. It is interesting to hear that this seems to have sparked the local starlings to start imitating them again. I am so lucky to be able to hear them flying over where we live at the moment. The walk produced an average 37 species and included Common Goldeneye (three), Goosander (five) and at least five tree sparrows of note. I have been trying to photograph the cormorants on the river and the two I got a good look at today were both predictably of the 'continental' ssp sinensis. The full species list from today can be seen here on Ebird.
'Continental' Great Cormorant, Ribchester
River Ribble at Ribchester