Dark Bellied Brent Goose

Over at Knott End and a run down to the Ferry in the hope a few Eider might be about... afraid not!

Dark Bellied Brent Goose

Feeding at the waters edge

Tide is getting closer to high tide

and so off into the sunset

accompanied by a female eider and a male in tow for good measure

Twite

Twite, billiy no mates....

looking east

one of three barn owls looking for an evening meal (as ever in poor light)

I think we will settle for a Dark Bellied Brent Goose, don't you? I am afraid I know nothing about Dark Bellied Brent Geese on the Fylde Coast, but I don't think there are too many around. Comments always welcome.

I undertsand this is a first for the Fylde and may be a little lost as their normal stomping ground is central and western Siberia. (Shows how cold the Fylde has been recently!). I think winter visitors are seen on the south east coast of England (i.e Norfolk/Essex area etc) and most of the Irish coast... which seems odd that more don't crop up hereabouts more often. A bird of coastal waters that seldom leaves tidal estuaries, this was in the right geopgraphical place. Feeds on eel grass, sea weed and sea lettuce... which this one seemed to be doing. I believe they have also taken to feeding short distances inland to feed on agricultural crops... which considering the huge flocks of pink-footed geese we have is perhaps where this one has drifted in from.

I have to confess it was a bit of a shock, having parked the car and walking up to the sea wall to check the status of the tide, there it was right in front of me! It seemed quite happy and hung around for about 20 minutes until the water reached the wall when it headed off into the River Wyre and headed inland, closely followed by a female Eider, who had a male for company, before it was lost to sight. As always I wish the light had been better and I had better camera equipment, while better photos would 'be nice' seeing and watching the bird was reward enough, while these record shots are a bonus.

I strolled down the esplanade in search of the Twite and came briefly upon a flock of 8. I noticed a couple of the Twite were ringed, but no details I'm afraid, and of course they were disturbed by the pram pushers, dog walkers and bird watchers...

On the way home calling in at Bradshaw Lane, three Barn Owls on Pilling Moss area, I managed to get low enough to contrast this post sitting Barn Owl with the background hedge, while two others were busy coursing the fields.  Again no more than a record shot for later reference.