SNOWY WEEKEND IN EAST LANCS

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Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Ribchester.

SNOW CAME TO EAST LANCS THIS WEEKEND turning the landscape white and creating some great hiking conditions on Pendle Hill. A couple of ravens and Red Grouse were the only birds of note on the summit there and a walk around the village on Sunday morning was more productive with a Little Egret flying downstream the highlight. A steady stream of lapwings heading west towards the coast totalled 153 and six Common Buzzards was unusual for the time of year. Around 15 tree sparrows were between Parsonage Farm and the churchyard and a Grey Wagtail on the river was my first this year. A second was at Barrow Upper Lodge where the drake Mandarin was waddling around on the ice of the lower lodge. Earlier in the week a Brambling on the feeders at work and a woodcock over the road on the way home were also new for the ELOC year list but I still haven't managed to see as many as the Breaks family did on New Year's Day!

ELOC year list: 80. Brambling 81. Eurasian Woodcock 82. Grey Wagtail 83. Little Egret

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Early morning light on Pendle Hill.

AFTER THE FLOOD

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Ribchester Bridge - the properties in this photo were flooded on Boxing Day and the River Ribble remains high after never ending rain.

THE EAST LANCS COUNTRYSIDE IS COMPLETLY SATURATED and every rain storm raises the level of the rivers. Fortunately the spells of heavy rain this weekend did not stop me from hiking up Pendle Hill twice. Saturday's walk was mostly in thick mist and rain and Sunday's was in deep slush. the overnight snow melting rapidly. A couple of ravens were the only birds of note. I've only added a single bird to my East Lancs yearlist this week too, a redpoll on the feeders at work on Friday. Alston Reservoirs on Saturday afternoon produced 8 Goosanders; 9 Common Goldeneye; 35 Eurasian Wigeon and 46 Common Teal of note. Even the regular Ribchester Grey Wagtails seem to be keeping a low profile but at least the escaped Trumpeter Swan was back on the riverbank this afternoon. Also Common Oystercatcher and kestrel were here too.

ELOC year list: 79. Lesser Redpoll.

ANOTHER RAINY DAY IN EAST LANCS

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Champion Moor - bleak.

ANOTHER GRIM DAY RAINED OFF BY LATE MORNING had started quite well with a Barn Owl over the A59 en route to Bowland, after which I added a few birds I had missed on New Year's Day at Stocks Reservoir, including Northern Pintail and Little Grebe but more notably Common Crossbill (4 over at the new hide) and a female Greater Scaup (another find by the Breaks family, thanks again!), my first in the ELOC recording area. This year has started quite well from that point of view! Two Jack Snipe were still present but unapproachable unfortunately and four Common Reed Buntings in the same area were new for 2016. I had a quick look for the reported Little Egrets on the way home at Skirden Beck without luck in the now pouring rain. A few pickups included Meadow Pipit at Bashall flood pool and both Common Oystercatcher and Tree Sparrow (10) at Parsonage Farm nearer to home. I also managed to see all the birds from yesterday, which had been 'o-o-a' so the year list is now 100% purely within the ELOC boundaries so far but still miles behind the Breaks family's first day total after three days. I'm not really trying yet though.

ELOC year list: 67. Western Barn Owl 68. Northern Pintail 69. Eurasian Jay 70. Common Reed Bunting 71. Eurasian Nuthatch 72. Common Crossbill 73. Greater Scaup 74. Little Grebe 75. Dunnock 76. Meadow Pipit 77. Common Oystercatcher 78. Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

SODDEN GROUSE

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Red Grouse - we're probably not the only ones becoming weary of the endless rain this winter.

A SPIN AROUND BOWLAND IN THE RAIN TODAY with Alexander did not produce much of interest, except for plenty of Red Grouse on the Fells. Looking rather fed up, soggy and bedraggled we managed around 20 in the usual places. A flock of 70 Northern Lapwings on Lord's Close Road was quite high up and I finally managed to find some Fieldfares there too, only four though so way below the numbers we normally see in the fields at this time of year. Otherwise I only saw a handful of new species for the year but I'm still not really trying. There was hardly anyone around today, unsurprising in such filthy weather. There weren't many birds either, most would be keeping their heads down until the rain passed.

ELOC year list: 60. Lesser Black-backed Gull 61. Collared Dove 62. Fieldfare 63. Northern Lapwing 64. Eurasian Bullfinch 65. Common Woodpigeon 66. Mute Swan