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…

This morning visitors reported seeing two Waxwings and 3 redhead Smew flying westwards over the seawall. Other birds included a Lapland Bunting, again, in the weedy field near the car park, 7+ Bramblings, 25+ Chaffinch, 20 Tree Sparrows, 4 Corn Buntings, a Sparrowhawk mobbing a ringtail Hen Harrier, Merlin and 10 Grey Partridge.

‎Early yesterday a watcher counted 5,700 Pink-feet at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh and Hundred…

- and thanks to one of our most prolific recorders. Yesterday, the following was his (almost) verbatim report.

The fields inland from the seawall are worth a look at the moment. At least 7 Bramblings there with Greenfinches and Chaffinches this morning. Also in the same field: Ruff, 15 Dunlin, Grey Plover, 35 Golden Plover, 50 Lapwings, 24 Curlew and 5 Yellowhammers. On the saltmarsh / estuary: 4 Little Egret, 1700…

A report from a hardy watcher yesterday afternoon found a visit well worth while.  He saw a Hen Harrier, 2 juvenile Marsh Harriers, 2 Peregrines, 3 Merlins, 3 Kestrels, a Raven, 4800 Teal, a female scaup (been around a bit), 440 Linnets, about 200 Meadow Pipits, 45 Greenfinches, 30 Pied Wagtails, 5 Grey Partridges, 7 Herons, 5 Little Egrets, 90 Redshank, 1900 Golden Plover & 2100 Pink-footed Geese.

Yesterday, a…

The warden saw a Snow Bunting take off from the new saltmarsh at high tide today and head off high towards Southport.  

Another birder listed 15 -20 Whooper Swans with 6 Mute Swans mingling. 

There were 300+ Pink-footed Geese, 50+ Wigeon, 70+ Mallard, 700+ Teal, 4 Tufted Duck and a Pintail. 6 Little Egret, 2 Grey Heron, 900+ Lapwing, 195 Golden Plover, 12 Grey Plover, 4 Ruff,  a Greenshank, 7 Dunlin, 30+ Snipe (undoubtedly…

Helped along by a blustery northerly 5 Whooper Swans have arrived on the reserve. Also present this morning were 2 Grey Plover,  50 Golden Plover, 600+ Lapwing, 1 Ringed Plover, Greenshank, Peregrine, a Sparrow-hawk, 7 Kestrel, 8 Long-tailed Tits, 6 Reed Buntings and 5 Grey Partridge.

Sorry this report is a little late but perhaps to be extended later.

Early Thursday morning from a border reported 11 Fieldfare, 3 Bramblings, 41 Jackdaws (a flock of 37), 7 Chaffinch, 14 Greenfinch, 4 Siskin, 385 Starlings and a Song Thrush all heading up river. On the reserve - Goldcrest and Brambling in aa  hedge, 2 Corn Buntings, 18 Long-tailed Tits, a Merlin, male Sparrowhawk, 2 Marsh Harriers, a Scaup, 2 Curlew…

Yesterday evening a Great White Egret was spotted 200m west of viewing area, and about 30 Little Egrets heading upriver. Also 2 Marsh Harriers (an adult and a juvenile ), Sparrowhawk, Merlin, Peregrine, Buzzard, 3 Kestrels, Barn Owl, 80 Mallards, 900 Teal, 1300 Lapwings, 4 Ruff, a Kingfisher piping in the ditch near the car park, 18 Tree Sparrows & 850 Starlings. Several Pipistrelles around the farm house on the edge…

An almost verbatim report from one of our watchers -

At 5.05 pm yesterday evening the reserve was bathed in glorious sunshine and some interesting birds were to be seen. 5 Grey Plover, 1 Greenshank and 13 Redshank on the main lagoon plus a tight Teal flock of >150 birds, 3 Little Egrets and 1 GREAT WHITE EGRET flew past towards Banks. There were 2 late Swallows and 2 lost Jays by the car park and a Grey Wagtail coasted…

Balmy weather here and yesterday at least 200 Swallows were over the stubble to the east of the reserve.

Less usual was a Lapland Bunting was on the National Nature Reserve with Skylarks, Starlings and Meadow pipits all put up by an immature Marsh Harrier.

Other highlights included 124 Pink-foot Geese, 7 Curlew Sandpipers, a Barn Owl, a Water Rail, 2 Corn Buntings and 2 Yellow Wagtails.  

There were a good range of…

Yesterday a visit at high tide proved very fruitful for the warden and colleague. There were plenty of waders on the reserve pools before the tide covered them including 12 Avocet, 3 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plover and some nice flocks of Ringed Plover (50) and Dunlin (180) with a few more on the estuary. At least 25 Little Egret were using the reserve and there were more waders on the salt-marsh…

Thanks to the warm,moist weather the whole reserve looks completely amazing, the vegetation has germinated, grown and spread much quicker than any of us could of imagined.

Today, a good count revealed an adult female & 2 juvenile Marsh Harriers, an adult female & 1 juvenile Merlin, a huge juvenile Peregrine, a Buzzard, 8 Kestrels, 5 Little Egrets, 8 Teal, 13 Avocets, 220 Black-tailed Godwits (over the river), 12 Curlew…

Hesketh is busier than it's neighbouring Marshside at the moment. Yesterday afternoon a female Marsh Harrier was mobbed by a Peregrine, a Sparrowhawk was seen with prey and there was a juvenile Peregrine around as well as a Common Buzzard and several Kestrels. 

Two Greenshank and six Avocets were on the main pool and minimum of 16 Little Egrets on the reserve as a whole.  A Corn Bunting, 2 Grey Partridges and 110…

At high tide this afternoon, an adult male Peregrine was teaching two juveniles how to hunt over the eastern fields, where 65 Stock Doves and 60 Carrion Crows were present. Overlooking the river the following was counted; 210 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 450 Dunlin, 255 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Greenshank, 80 Redshanks, 27 Curlew, 9 Common Terns and 6 female Eiders. A distant female Marsh…

Early this morning there were 2 hunting Barn Owls, a female Marsh Harrier, 12 Avocets, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Common Terns, 12 Stock Doves, 236 Lapwings, 4 Dunlin, 8 Tree Sparrows, 1 Yellowhammer and 4 Corn Buntings to be seen.  

Early this morning there were 17 Avocets, 2 Curlew, a female Marsh Harrier  and a flock of 95 Linnets on the marsh.  Singers included 2 Reed Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler,  2 Whitethroats, 2 Corn Buntings and 2 Reed Buntings. There were plenty of territorial Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Lapwings and especially Skylarks (an awesome sound!) present too and 10 Hares, were hareing around the place. 

Thanks to Tony Baker for giving up a precious Sunday morning to lead a much undersubscribed walk around HOM. It was good to get right out onto the estuary with the benefit of such mind boggling ID skills though Tony was nearly 'foxed' by what turned out to be a white pheasant! Highlights were at least 1000 Knot still hanging out on the mudflats and about 3 Common Terns fishing where the inlet to a breach meets the river…

85 Skylarks, 4 Corn Buntings, 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Yellowhammers, 2 Sedge Warblers and 4 Whitethroats all singing.  The warden must have pretty good hearing to distinguish individual voices in such an orchestra.  Also spotted early this morning were 2 Common Terns, 2 Curlew, 8 Dunlin, 1 Avocet, 5 Wheatears, Barn Owl, and 25 Hares. There were plenty of Lapwings, Redshanks and Oystercatchers on territory too.

Like nearby Marshside, a quiet day. A Corn bunting singing, a Whinchat, 2 Wheatears, a Sedge warbler and Whitethroat  was it apart from 3 Stock Doves, 8 Swifts and a flock of 25 Golden Plover in the fields to the east.

On the Ribble close to the marsh at high tide this afternoon 2 birders saw a Guillemot swimming upriver! - a 1st for our HOM recording area. Also seen were 12 Common Terns milling about on the river and 21 Arctic Terns headed in upriver in a tight & high flock. 9 Eiders (7m, 2f) were loafing about, while 3 Mediterranean Gulls flew over calling. A Turnstone was just over the seawall with c.150 Oystercatchers, 3 Golden…

According to a local watcher who has known the area well for many years, these White Wagtail numbers are very high historically.  Could this new reserve be having an impact already? What will today bring? Is the Crane still around? 

Well, no but the White Wagtail count was 200 with 1 male Yellow wagtail, along with 6 Wheatears. 10 Avocets were seen, 4 on the lagoon in front of the viewing area and 5 male and 4 female…

 First spotted yesterday afternoon, it was present at 8am-ish in the middle of one of the ploughed fields to the East, roughly lining up with the massive grey building on the other side of the Ribble Estuary.

I think this may be a 'first'.

 Throughout the day, Crane watchers also counted an amazing 461 White Wagtails, 133 Meadow Pipits, a White-throat, 3 Willow Warblers, 33 Corn Bunting, 20 Linnets, 17 Wheatears…

If you're not a Whooper Swan, flying into Iceland isn't, perhaps, the best strategy at the moment so maybe some of the  migrants occurring yesterday might think of staying put. The numbers were impressive. 237 White Wagtails, 110 Meadow Pipits and 71 Swallows.  Sand Martins, Wheatears, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff also around. There were Gadwall and Eiders too.

The usual hares were about - 8 in fact. Volunteers…

Its really feeling like spring today with 12 Skylarks, and at least 15 Bumblebees.  A flock of 73 White Wagtails were out on the mudflats in the company of 2 Curlews, 11 Redshanks, at least 36 Shellducks and 6 Oystercatchers. 2 Willow Warblers in the hedgerow and 4 Swallows along the approach road. 

About 6300 Pink-footed Geese were nearby  indicative of the fact that its still early April. 

Early morning watchers were rewarded by four Avocets and three Little Egrets on the lagoon in front of the viewing area, two Grey Partridges in the car park and four Tree Sparrows at Hesketh Lodge on the approach road. Five Hares were on the eastern field - its an excellent place for hares.