Nature Notes up to Friday March 28th 2014.

Photo: Newbiggin Crags, Farleton  (February)

467 Meadow Pipits North over Heysham (Report from Heysham Observatory - Friday 28th March 2014)

Meadow Pipit - at least 467 north 0800-1000 with at least 10 minutes not covered at all and 30 minutes only 'casually'.

20 Wheatear at Fluke Hall (Report from Lancaster Birdwatching - Friday 28th March 2014))

Fluke Hall count of at least 20 (seem to be about equal between M and F) just over the sea wall from the parking area.

886 Meadow Pipits, 20 Wheatear, a Ring Ouzel and another Osprey at Fleetwood Golf Course (Records given to me today by Seamus Eaves at Fleetwood - Friday 28th March 2014) Osprey seen late morning

Grounded male Ring Ouzel and over 20 Wheatears there this morning.

Short Eared Owls passing through Heysham (Report from Heysham Bird Observatory) - Thurs 27th March 2014)

There were two separate reports of Short Eared Owl passing through the Heysham area yesterday morning.

Another Osprey passing through the area (Report from Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society Thurs 27th March 2014)

It was reported that yet another Osprey passed through our area, flying North over Lancaster City Centre at 1745 today (Thurs 27th March 2014), moving at approximately 30mph directly into a 15mph headwind. 

Sand Martins and the arrival of House Martins (Report from Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society Thurs 27th March 2014))

35-45 Sand Martins feeding over the River Wenning at Wenning Foot around mid-day. They had mostly moved on by 2 p.m. leaving only a couple but were joined by 4/5 House Martins.

Swifts In The Community 

Only six weeks to go before the Swifts are back screaming away down our Main Street.
Peter Moreton (Co-ordinator) from over at Arnside has sent around a letter to all of the "Swifts In The Community" participants.  It is hoped that as many as possible will support the project again this year and try and help the Swifts in a positive way. Peter is holding a meeting at the Leighton Moss Bird Reserve on Monday evening April 14th 2014 starting at 1930hrs.  
If you are interested in helping with this project and think you would love to find out more information, you may wish to email Peter direct at:- PMoreton@dsl.pipex.com

Conversations and Emails (with Len, Seumus, Paul, Pete, Jean et al)

It is said that on clear days the Mipits will arrive into Rossall and then go directly W/NW across the sea of Morecambe Bay towards Walney (Barrow). Some days they have even been known to miss out Rossall and have been seen far out to sea, and would appear that they are coming from Formby or Liverpool directions and possibly North Wales. So when this happens these birds will miss out stations at Heysham or Hutton Roof.  On dismal unclear mornings the Mipits take on a different route from Rossall by going NE hugging the coastline towards Heysham, and continue past Heysham in a NE direction which could possibly mean that some of these birds come through Hutton Roof.  

They are getting Mipits over Fleetwood 
(reported by Seumus Eaves)- 

Well we might not be getting the Mipits at the moment but on Tuesday last March 25th 2014 between 0530hrs and 0830hrs Ian had 1115 of them over Fleetwood.

Additional up to: Thursday 27th March 2013 - None yesterday and only 3 Mipits over one hour today.  Yesterday had 1 Peacock butterfly in Lancelot and still only one Chiffchaff calling in Lancelot with only sluggish part calls at the moment.

Enjoyed a great night last night (Tues the 25th) at Fylde Bird Club, thanks....

After getting about 50 Mipits per hour last week, I have to say that the passage went downhill ever since and can only put this down to the strong winds we've had.  Even yesterday (Tues the 25th) I could count the Mipit passage over an hour on two hands and you would have thought the conditions were just right with little wind and just the slightest of occasional drizzly rain. Yet even so, anything has to be far better than the horrible cold windy weather we had at this time last year. 

Had my first Chiffchaff (Lance from Lancelot Clark Storth) last Saturday the 22nd and also another was present near Cinderbarrow on the following day.

A Redwing was present in Dalton Crags (Mon the 24th) and yesterday there were a party of several Mistle Thrush feeding up. 

Lots of reports of Chiffchaff and Wheatear, and a report of a Osprey passing through.

Also expecting Whoopers coming through (Herd's of Whiteness) any day now, its just about the right time for them.