This morning, I spent time in the ploughed fields beside the Mersey River in Oglet, Lancashire, where a Shorelark had been spotted for the past few weeks alongside a group of Skylark.
Birders on the scene assured me that the Shorelark had been spotted a few times prior to my arrival, despite the fact that the birds were extremely flighty when I arrived. It wasn't long before the birds settled again in the field, and the Shorelark was seen moving between ridges.
After good views of the Shorelark, I started to make my way back to the car when two short-eared owls flew in and started to hunt over the marsh on the incoming tide, always great to see; sadly, no photographs had I left my camera in the car.
I stopped off on the way back home to pick Jenna up at the WSR Recycling plant near Widnes, where I saw my good friend Rob, who had a 1st winter Caspian gull sitting on the roof of the recycling plant—perfect timing.
Having picked Jenna up in the car, we then headed to Sandbach Flashes, where we connected with the green-winged teal that had been present since before Christmas.
Also present on Rosemary's flood was a green sandpiper. Leaving here, we then headed to Parkgate on the Wirral to try and see some raptors before dusk.
On arrival, it didn't take long before we saw a Merlin fly past us, and a male Peregrine was sitting out on a post on the marsh. As the sun was setting, a male Hen harrier put in a fine display. What a bird!
