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Little Ringed Plover

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COMMON SCOTER IN RIBCHESTER

Common Scoter (female), near Waterside Farm, Ribchester in a golden sunrise.

THE KEY WORD IS ‘IN’… RIBCHESTER! I said ‘Hi’ to Phil on the riverbank this morning. ‘No luck with otters so far’ and then…’BAM!’. ‘Female Common Scoter’ on the river right next to us off the allotments. I hadn’t really expected we could get one actually on the river here as it isn’t that wide but there it was. No nocmig sound record or infrared-night-time-flyover-dot this one! But instead prolonged views of this terrific sea duck, pausing for some reason at the start of its trans-Pennine migration. Recent studies have shown that they migrate almost exclusively at night from the Irish Sea to the east coast and this one did not get very far. I wonder if it could possibly be the Brockholes bird last reported on the River Ribble there on 27 March? It was well-behaved enough to wait for Kris and Rachel to arrive as well.

We don’t get many interesting duck species on the patch in Ribchester so two in one day was exceptional when a drake Red-breasted Merganser appeared on the river below us at Red Bank. It afforded some great views as it slowly swam upstream towards Boat House. I am guessing that, in view of its genuine rarity in the lower valley area, it was the same bird as on 8 April.

Other interesting sightings today included a Little Ringed Plover song-flighting along the riverbank, one Common Redshank over Lower Alston Farm, a flock of around 30 Fieldfares in oaks north of Red Bank (it is getting late for this winter visitor now!), two singing Eurasian Skylarks (one of which was paired up), several Meadow Pipits, at least four singing Willow Warblers on the same circuit as last Sunday and flyover Linnet and redpoll. All on a glorious sunny spring morning that warmed up nicely after the overnight frost.

So April presses ahead as the best month of the year, now on 85 bird species (all time)/78 (2021) and my Ribchester patch list moves up to 117 (all time)/89 (2021). It’s all good fun!

Red-breasted Merganser (drake), Boat House, Ribchester.

Common Scoter complete with Ribchester riverbank evidence!

The regular Tawny Owl had switched perches today!

Eurasian Skylark still clings on in the farmland around Ribchester.

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EASTER MONDAY ARCTIC BLAST

Common Buzzards remain very conspicuous around Ribchester, this one is an adult with a barred breast and broad dark trailing edge to the wing.

THE BIG PUSH OF ARCTIC AIR brought a dusting of snow overnight to Ribchester. I was wondering what it might be good for, it’s an ill wind etc. However, it seems it isn’t good for anything. It was bitingly cold this morning, which must have been a shock to the system for the poor swallows and Sand Martins. I was pleased to see that there were a few still feeding over the river around lunchtime in sheltered spots where there were still insects on the wing. Prior to this nasty weather reversal after such a warm end to March another Willow Warbler had arrived at Red Bank on 4 April, one Redshank is still around as is the pair of Little Ringed Plovers. There are now a few Blackcaps singing despite the extreme cold along with a couple of Chiffchaffs. A pair of otters on 3 April was the first sighting for a few weeks, they come and go and it was nice to see that the usual Tawny and Barn Owls were still around as well. More Osprey near misses continue to frustrate us in Ribchester (Brockholes on 2 April and Calder Foot on 3 April). The vigil continues!

As do Brown Hares! This one almost ran into me today and then stood motionless for a while contemplating its error of judgement.

One of the Little Ringed Plover pair on the riverbank, they would be crazy to nest there with the fluctuating water levels.

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THE WARMEST MARCH DAY IN THE UK SINCE 1968!

Northern Wheatear in H.A.R., the epitome of ‘cracking’! The first one of the year always looks best too.

PHIL ORDERED A WHEATEAR and sure enough one appeared on the wall in front of us in H.A.R. (‘High Altitude’ Ribchester}. A cracking male as well! A Ring Ouzel that flew over calling in the same vicinity was a new 5km patch bird and another Bowland speciality that doesn’t breed in the Ribchester area. Other migrants included swallow (one north over the fell and one along Shorton Lane}, double figures of Sand Martins buzzing along the riverbank and investigating nesting banks downstream from Boat House, a Chiffchaff singing there and at the last knockings, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers that flew in to the riverbank opposite Lower Alston Farm. What a great way to finish a lovely spring day, without a cloud in the sky and apparently the warmest March day in the UK since 1968! Winter migrants were still just about around in the form of five Fieldfares that flew north over the fell calling followed later by a Brambling and four Lesser Redpolls. Six crossbills were also coming and going between the plantations but they could easily be breeding by now.

There were plenty of other highlights (with the exception of narrowly failing to see an osprey, again!) including a pair of Barn Owls, one of which was very confiding and was hunting until well after two hours after the sun rose over the big end of Pendle at 0654. There appears to be three pairs of curlews on the fell and at least three singing Eurasian Skylarks. Only one pair of stonechats was a surprise but there were lots of Meadow Pipits and Red Grouse as usual. A Little Grebe was back on the tiny reservoir together with a Grey Heron and a pair of Canada Geese. On large clumps of gorse on the slope above were a Reed Bunting and a couple of Linnets. I spent a lot of time scanning the skies again today without much success but buzzards were also again easily into double figures with up to nine in the air at once and even four in a kettle over the house! Sparrowhawks and kestrels were also in evidence again. There is not very often a star mammal on the patch but a Noctule Bat hawking high over Red Bank just after midday was nice! There were also plenty of Buff-tailed Bumblebees and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies on the wing around the village today.

This Barn Owl looked like it was making up for lost hunting time at the weekend, dives into wet grass had made a real mess of it.

Dry stone walling Barn Owl

Incoming vole catching machine

Meadow Pipits are very common on the fell again this year. Did you hear that Merlins?

Whereas skylarks are not, we only saw three singing birds today.

Skylark ascending, one of the most beautiful sounds in nature.

LRP in the place to be, my Ribchester patch. Of course fluctuating water levels mean they could never breed here but nice to take an interest!

Dawn in H.A.R.

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