Moore and Pennington Flash
Andy P and I arrived at Moore at first light yesterday, full of hope for a day of Willow Tits, Woodpeckers, and White-winged Gulls. Four hours later, despite a few GSW, and even with the knowledge that if we could get round to oversee Richmond Bank we’d find a lot of good gulls including Caspian, Glaucous and Yellow-legged awaiting us, we changed tack and headed for Pennington Flash. Willow Tit was rapidly becoming this year’s bogey bird and if there’s one place it’s a cert …
And sure enough the Bunting Hide at Pennington, where the feeding station is almost within touching distance, turned up trumps, with an apparent Willow Tit amongst more than a dozen Bullfinches and a pair of Stock Doves coming to feeders. It was too close to digiscope! I watched it for a long time, though: flighty, but very close to. Andy got some pics (see below) but with the ‘scope set up I just managed to frame the Bullfinches and a Reed Bunting on a table further away.
One of more than a dozen Bullfinches at the Bunting Hide, Pennington Flash, on Saturday
Female Bullfinch at Pennington Flash
It was later as we walked round the rest of the site that doubt about the Willow Tit crept in, as we both heard the clear and seemingly unmistakeable call of a Marsh Tit. We didn’t manage to get sight of the bird, but the call was distinct and prolonged. Had we mis-identified the Willow Tit? Did we mis-hear the Marsh Tit?
Willow Tit at Pennington Flash by Andy Pryce
Willow Tit at Pennington Flash by Andy Pryce
I went back through it in my head for hours afterwards, but I’m sure we didn’t: I’d been paying particular attention to the bib, the matt black crown, and the hue of the light underbelly … And later on, with the benefit of Andy’s photos, there’s no doubt about the Willow Tit.
Stock Dove at Pennington by Andy Pryce
So Willow Tit and a possible Marsh Tit made it a good day, after all. Moore will undoubtedly be a delight on a future visit and those gulls may well have me back very soon, but yesterday it just felt like it wasn’t going to be our day for seeing any of our targets.
Reed Bunting at Pennington Flash
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Welcome …
This blog originally had a grand purpose for birding around Marshside and beyond. The map and info Pages section is still useful for that, but for rolling news of sightings and general discussion that purpose has perhaps been overtaken by the ease of use of other web developments, and I’d particularly recommend taking a look at the Ribble Estuary Nature Facebook Group.
These pages are now a repository for me to share photos and videos of my birding in and around Merseyside and occasionally further afield, and to provide me with an outlet for the occasional rant. You’ll find digiscoped photos and videos with a bit of reportage as the main posts; some useful birding info and resources are in the static Pages section.
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For other, more regular, blogs I recommend that everyone keeps a daily eye on John Dempsey’s Birdblog – probably the best online birding journal in the world (Theakston’s Best please, John …) as well as other local blogs of which there are links below. Of these, Colin Bushell’s Ribble to Amazon is currently the most regularly and enthusiatically updated and carries most useful information.
Comments & Sightings
jstannage on Discussion Frank Whitney on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Moore and Pennington Flas… Roger John LITTLE on Moore and Pennington Flas… phil boardman on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Latest Sightings Simon Glinn on Latest Sightings Frank Whitney on Latest Sightings Frank Whitney on Latest Sightings
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- Moore N.R. Sightings
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Simon , can you tell me how to get to Richmond Bank ?
Hi Roger
It’s at SJ574867. It’s very close to Moore NR, but to get good gull views you need to be on the other side of the river!
http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getamap/frames.htm?mapAction=gaz&gazName=g&gazString=SJ574867
Better still ~
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?ar=n&x=357400&y=386700&z=4
On that link, note the position of Fiddler’s Ferry and especially the PH (the Ferry Inn pub) as that’s a good way to get to good viewing points. Then click the + sign to enlarge the map once more, and you’ll see Richmond Bank named.