This is a verbatim report from our ex.warden on how he spends his lunch hour.
"Hightlights; female Hen Harrier, juvenile Marsh Harrier, 3 Buzzards, Sparrow-hawk, Peregrine, 2 Merlins, 4 Kestrels (the magnificent seven!), 8000 Pink -footed Geese on the adjacent NNR with 2500 on the eastern stubble field, 1600 Skylarks, 400 Linnets on the salt marsh with 150 around the car park ponds, c.20 Tree Sparrows, c.40 Reed Buntings, 3 Corn Buntings, 13 Brambling, 5 Chaffinch, 5 drake Pochard in the river channel. Well worth a visit if you ask me!"
The following is copied from Ribble Estuary Facebook site and was compiled by one of our most enthusiastic birders.
"Just a few notes about birding at Hesketh Out Marsh at the moment. For map see http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=330737625441#!/photo.php?fbid=103515129677225&set=o.330737625441 For what it's worth my route at HOM is normally (numbers correspond to sectors on map): Dib Road between Hesketh Lodge farm and car park for Tree Sparrows. Car park (16) - weedy field between car park and seawall good for finches at the moment; hedge for Bramblings, Corn Buntings and Tree Sparrows. Barn Owl often here early morning. Walk east past pond towards raised seawall. Scanning from here along the east bank of the RSPB reserve often produces Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier and Merlin. Lapland Buntings currently in the fields to the east (8 - still RSPB reserve) but difficult unless flushed by a raptor. Can be with Corn Bunts or Skylarks. Scan fields to east out towards Douglas for harriers, buzzards, Golden Plovers or wild swans. Walk back through car park to viewpoint and scan saltmarsh (6 & 7). Often a Peregrine on dead trees. Walk west towards Hundred End along seawall. 'Inland fields' for Tree Sparrows, Bramblings and sometimes Golden Plovers. Merlin often perched on birches in hedges. Western saltmarsh has lagoon (can't see this from viewpoint) but frozen at the moment. Scaup was here recently. Walk as far as Hundred End to scan NNR (2) for geese. Geese can be out of view but this is best chance of seeing them feeding at HOM. This is my favourite area - good for Hen Harrier, Barn Owl, Merlin and Lapland Bunt at the moment with big Skylark flocks. Walk back along public footpath (between fields 11/12) unless there are wild swans here (not at moment). The fields near the model aircraft club were wet in the autumn and good for waders (Curlew Sands, Little Stint). Any of these hedges can have Brambling and Tree Sparrow at the moment. Hope that helps. I'll post more if I think of it."