It was a lovely morning on Billinge Hill, the weather seemed perfect for a fall of spring migrants, except that it is perhaps a week or two too early. However, despite the light south easterly breeze and slightly foggy conditions which hid the coast and the Welsh mountains, the only migrant I could find was a singing Chiffchaff.
About 500 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over, all heading south east, in groups of around 30. It would be tempting to conclude that they were migrants, but since two of the largest LBBG colonies in the UK are at Ward Stone in Bowland, and Walney Island at Barrow, south east would seem an odd direction for them to be heading. Perhaps it was just a local movement from a roost site to a local tip.
Other birds included 15 Tree Sparrows, 10 Yellowhammers, 12 Meadow Pipits and about 10 Skylarks.
Billinge Hill Tree Sparrows on Friday a.m. were an unexpected highlight of a football/birding visit to the NW last week.
ReplyDeleteIf I'd done some research and gone looking for them I'd have got a blank (like Everton on Weds).