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GULLS!

Little Gull, adult hawking for insects over Alston No.#1 reservoir CLICK IMAGES FOR LIGHTBOX

GULLS WERE THE MAIN FEATURE OF A BRIGHT AND SUNNY SPRING DAY and I saw seven species within 5km of Ribchester! The highlights being the lovely adult Little Gull at Alston, found by Gavin Thomas and a second calendar year Iceland Gull that flew east at Red Bank at 1046 (a new patch bird for me, identified later from photos with help from Pete Morris, Gavin Thomas and Bill Aspin). There were at least three adult Mediterranean Gulls in the Red Bank area today, no doubt attracted by a combination of slurry spreading and a huge insect emergence on the river. A Peregrine was in the Ribchester area this morning. Unfortunately it was a bit of a mess and showed some ‘non-physiological’ feather damage, which is being scrutinised. A Reed Bunting flew north during a small movement of Meadow Pipits at Red Bank - the first on the Ribchester patch this year.

It was great to see around 60 Sand Martins too, excavating nest burrows and getting back to normal after the Arctic weather last week. There was only a handful of swallows today though. Buzzards were again well into double figures and included one kettle of 8 birds mixed with gulls at Red Bank, an awesome sight!

At Alston there were also two Black-tailed Godwits, two Redshank, three Little Ringed Plovers and a drake Gadwall of note on a splendid day on the local patch that resulted in 63 species. Other stats are now Ribchester 2021 (88) and all time (116), Ribchester April 2021 (74) & Ribchester April all time (82), making April the most productive month of the year.

Iceland Gull (second calendar year) heading east at Red Bank, Ribchester

Iceland Gull, note the light bill

Mediterranean Gull, breeding plumage adult at Red Bank, Ribchester

Little Gull, Alston

Little Gull and Black-headed Gull, Alston

Little and Black-headed Gulls, look at that size difference!

Peregrine (second calendar year), maybe the bird which has been in the area on and off all winter?

Peregrine, showing worrying feather damage, watch this space for an analysis soon.

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RIBCHESTER OSPREY!

Osprey over Ribchester (collage, photos by Phil Larkin)

AT LAST! After so many hours spent sky gazing this spring an Osprey finally flew over Ribchester riverside. We had done the short version of our usual walk along Shorton Lane without much to show for our efforts in the gusty westerly wind. A couple of swallows were battling into it, their numbers way down and I suspect some will have perished in the frosts and windchill of the last couple of days, and we were well pleased to see a drake Red-breasted Merganser fly downstream past Churchgates! This is a rare bird this far down in the valley even though it breeds in several places not far away in Bowland. Phil suggested we try watching from the benches for a while before we packed in, ‘hoping for a double ?’ I joked. I rang Bill Aspin to order some merganser factoids and just as I was moaning that Stocks was getting yet more osprey action (and we still hadn’t managed to see one this spring)...’OSPREY!’ I yelled into the mobile as one swung into view right in front of us only just above rooftop level. It crossed the river and headed north over the allotments (and therefore Phil’s house). Wow! That was exciting! Another ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a _____’ moment. A couple of other Rib lane-walking regulars managed to see it before it flew north out of sight. Looking at Phil’s photos it looks like an adult with a dark tail band and solid black greater coverts. Phil had one do almost exactly the same thing on 6 April last year and it is ironic that the factoid request revealed that Red-breasted Merganser is actually a much rarer bird on the lower Ribble than Osprey! There have only been four records at Brockholes! Oh and sorry to deafen you Bill.

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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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WELCOME BACK WILLOW WARBLER!

Willow Warbler singing at Red Bank, Ribchester on 2 April, back from Africa a couple of days earlier than usual.

THE LOVELY DESCENDING NOTES OF WILLOW WARBLER’S SONG greeted me at Red Bank today as more summer migrants return to the village, despite a drop in temperatures over the last couple of days. Red Bank is a regular site for Willow Warbler, which still breeds in a few spots around Ribchester. Swallows are more in evidence around the village now and there are also plenty of Sand Martins excavating their nesting burrows along the riverbank, albeit not in their traditional spots opposite the vicarage/school. A Blackcap was also singing at Red Bank today and a female was close in attendance.

We are lucky to have 5 or 6 pairs of Barn Owls within 5km of the village and they are very conspicuous hunting until well after dawn at the moment. Maybe they have hungry mouths to feed now? Sunny spring days usually also mean soaring birds of prey. Buzzards, kestrels and sparrowhawks have all been up high in the sky this week, a couple of the buzzards showing unseasonal wing damage, ‘Maltese Moult’ as it is known. I am still waiting for an osprey! March finished on 70 for 2021 and 80 species all time, making it the best month for numbers by far now but it also has the most checklists! The Rib yearlist moved on to 84 today as the commoner summer visitors appeared. April started with a pair of Mediterranean Gulls in breeding plumage that flew east along the river yesterday and a late Little Grebe was still at Red Bank today of note. At higher altitude another 12 Common Crossbills flew over in the early morning cold wind.

Barn Owls continue to delight. Everyone loves owls!

The Dell at Red Bank, Rib birding hotspot!

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