Late Geese...19th April

It was back to Rossall Point this morning and it will be for the next few mornings as I am off work this coming week. This morning vis was very similar to yesterday except numbers weren't as high. The main difference this morning were the small number of geese moving. First up were 3 Barnacle Geese that headed northeast across Morecambe Bay. I followed them until they were out of sight and well on their way to reaching the Furness peninsula. Were they wild or escapes; who knows with Barnacles. The other geese I had on the move this morning were 50 Pink-footed Geese that I picked up a long way out to see and were heading NNE. Perhaps they had left southwest Lancs earlier and were crossing Liverpool and Morecambe Bays in one hop.

Vis was steady this morning and I had the following totals; 11 Lesser Redpolls, 62 Meadow Pipits, 37 Swallows, 3 Goldfinch, 41 Linnets, 11 Alba Wagtails, 4 Tree Pipits, 2 Siskins, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail (getting late) and Sand Martin.

The number of waders had decreased from yesterday with only 46 Sanderlings, 18 Knot, 20 Dunlin and a Whimbrel. On the sea things were quieter as well with only 4 Arctic Terns, 5 Red-throated Divers, single dark morph Arctic Skua and Manx Shearwater. Five Teal on the sea were unusual but also typical for this time of year.

I have no relevant pictures to illustrate this mornings birding so I thought I would show you a couple of shots of osprey chicks in the nest In Canada sent to me by my good mate Nigel.