SODDING NORTHERLIES!

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Minimalist Goosanders on the Ribble from Ribchester Bridge.

A COMBINATION OF NORTHERLY WINDS AND BAD LUCK combined to scupper most of my birding efforts over the last few days. I spent hours on Pendle trying to track down the dotterels from Thursday and Friday and learned today that Thursday's trip was flushed by an inconsiderate dog walker who let his mutt off its lead and it promptly flushed the dotties and they left the hill. The lack of respect shown by the majority of dog walkers on Pendle is shocking. Most (not just a few) dogs are off the lead when there are signs all over the place to keep them on the lead and the number of dog shit bags that are slung all along the path is a disgrace. I'd love to know who these people are. There were still six Ring Ouzels present on the landslide slope on Thursday as well as a few wheatears but nothing else of note.

I even managed to screw up a distant Green Sandpiper at Alston Wetland today dismissing it as a Common Sandpiper (my scope is still in Portugal being fixed). Ah well. There was a handful of acceptable additions to the little year list. A House Martin flew over the house on 22 April. Sitting in the garden instead of a three hour hike on Pendle in a freezing northerly wind would probably have been more productive! A cuckoo was singing from Bottom's Beck at Stocks today (thanks Margaret!) and a Merlin was in residence at one of their usual sites on the Fells (thanks Richard!). I didn't fancy looking at a Black Redstart through an elderly lady's kitchen window and I also failed to find a Common Whitethroat (a couple of which have been reported in East Lancs today). Thank goodness for a spectacular day trip to the Natural History Museum in London yesterday with the little one and his grandparents. Now that was really something!

ELOC year list: 116. House Martin 117. Common Cuckoo 118. Merlin

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The new Stegosaurus skeleton at the NHM, the majority of which is real rather than a reproduction - spectacular!

EAST LANCS DAY OUT

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Eurasian Whimbrel, Alston Wetland.

A FLOCK OF 36 EURASIAN WHIMBREL AT ALSTON WETLAND was the highlight of a gorgeous sunny spring day in East Lancs. Pendle was glorious but no dotties… yet. At least six Ring Ouzels were on the slopes around the landslide but there was not sign of yesterday's Black Redstart - they do not usually stay for more than one day in spring. Four wheatears were also here and a raven was patrolling the hillside. Stocks was similarly quiet with only a couple of Common Sandpipers and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers of note (and no sound or sight of Margaret's cuckoo, it is still a little early for them here). A pair of Red-legged Partridges that ran across the road between Whitewell and Cow Ark was the only new species for the little year on a day when I expected a few more, there a still loads of easy gaps to fill, although some birds seem to be harder to come by this year, like kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Grey Partridge etc.

ELOC year list: 115. Red-legged Partridge

PENDLE HILL BLACK RED

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Black Redstart, Pendle Hill.

A BLACK REDSTART ON PENDLE HILL this evening was my first there for years and a great find by Mark Breaks and Gareth Morgan. I was lucky to see it before it disappeared just before dusk, presumably roosting somewhere in the rocks of the landslide area. At least seven Ring Ouzels were feeding on the same slope along with a couple of Northern Wheatears. A very nice collection of spring migrants! The day had started with a walk along the river where seven Goosanders were notable but not much else. Several Common Chiffchaffs were singing and around 70 Sand Martins were along the riverbanks prospecting nesting sites. A lovely male Common Ringed Plover at Alston Wetland at lunchtime was a welcome addition to the ELOC little year although there will be plenty more of them in the next few weeks. With light southeasterlies and high pressure the dotties must be due on Pendle any day now! Maybe tomorrow? Let's hope so!

ELOC year list: 113. Common Ringed Plover 114. Black Redstart

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Ring Ouzel (male), Pendle Hill.

WHITE WAG AT ALSTON

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White Wagtail, Alston Wetland.

WHITE WAGTAIL REALLY OUGHT TO BE WORTH AN EXTRA POINT in the ELOC little year. A nice clear-cut one was at Alston Wetland early this morning along with (presumably) last night's Dunlin, which was also gone by lunchtime. Birds turn over so quickly here during the spring you have to be on-the-spot or very quick to catch up with many of them. With the present water levels at Alston it ought to compete very well with Stocks for shorebirds this spring. We will see…  The three Gadwalls were also present and three Common Goldeneyes linger on. This evening there was not much left in a cold northwest wind although a flock of 25 starlings bathing together here was unusual, presumably migrants as the local breeders are already holding territories in the surrounding villages? No additions to the ELOC year list today, although I see that had I bothered to look at the river at Rib I would probably have seen a House Martin. Plenty of time for that one!