UKH

Part of a flock of 88 Twite, last Saturday. 

Very good, where did you see these out of interest?

That's 87.

What a load of twite

A place called Banks Marsh, south side of Ribble Estuary. When in Fife in winter, often watch a flock of 130+. Cute birds, some of the males showing a pink/red rump. 

Twite to who?

Might be there on Sunday - so they'll have gone no doubt. I notice that one or a few Goldfinch have snuck in, very cheeky of them

Well spotted.  Both reasonable difficult to id and not too common.

It's actually a "known" location for them, and I think someone puts out appropriate food to "help them through the winter" - all of which means they'll be absent if I go there on Sunday ☹

I believe Fleetwood is another "known" area for Twites.

I’m sure they will be there. And no one feeds them, they forage on the detritus that gets pushed up the salt marsh ditch. 

Interesting on the diet as I thought they were very heavy biased towards seeds, more so than other finches?

Good weekend for me - we had one of local havørn putting in a spectacular display of low hunting around fields and a wood on the road to my house, plenty of big turns at 5,10m altitude , flying right over the car.  Others stopped to watch as well

Sunday we walked into an ice route, and had ptarmigans standing , watching us less than 10m away.

The detritus is mainly types of grass and all the seed that comes with it. The whole area (massive) is covered in grasses, salt marsh, reeds etc and has a massive bird count. Saw a flock of lapwings take up  once and it stretched for about a kilometre. Huge numbers of starlings as well. The mudflats (often too far out to see) and huuuuge numbers of waders. It’s why there are so many raptors. Most of the birding requires a telescope, but can be impressive. 

Thats nice to know.  Last time I saw any was at Barley Cove in West Cork.............

Hmm, well none to begin with but then two Twite turned up (not quite as many as your 88) but they were close enough to get decent views. With a large flock, you're bound to see them and then (hopefully) identify, but just 2 - very easily overlooked especially when they're on the ground on dead grass.

Then followed one of the other birdwatchers there round to the start of Marshside because Water Pipets (new species for me) had been reported there. We (well he because he knew what he was looking for) found two and especially in the sunshine you could see the difference between them and the numerous Meadow Pipets (overall greyish brown rather than olive brown, slightly larger and a white over the eye stripe), but without knowing that something different was around I would have definitely just overlooked them as more Meadow Pipets and even knowing they were there I would probably have missed them.

Nothing else of real note spotted (only other raptor was a soaring Buzzard in the distance) but nice views of 2 Great White Egrets with Little Egret in the same view, loads of Golden Plovers (I did not scan them for an American) and some of the Black-tailed Godwits are showing that lovely rusty red summer plumage colour.

Was nice to bump into you, shame I missed your dog.

Good to see you earlier. Avocets and sky dancing marsh harriers highlight at Martin Mere. Shortly after we left Hesketh Out Marsh, a birder saw ringtail hen harrier, short eared owl and water rail. Will sort photos of spotted redshank, should be some good ones. Nice weather today, here’s hoping for more of the same over the next few weeks.