Easter Holidays 2nd - 18th April

I know this post is a bit late but as I didn't post after each trip I took during the Easter holidays I decided to do the whole 2 weeks in one big post, so be warned this is going to be quite a big read.

Friday the 2nd
The only post I have already done about the holiday so won't go into detail. A trip down to Rossal Point produced a summer plumaged Black Throated Diver, 6 Red Throated Divers, 3 Guillemot, 2 Razorbill and 3 Gannets.
2010 Yearlist - 137

Sunday the 4th
My third successive dip of the Great Grey Shrike at Waddington Fell was the main disappointment of the holidays. A flyover Raven was the only bird of note from the site. Then on the way back we stopped off at Brockholes Quarry to check through the hirundines on the river. Over 35 Swallows where feeding over the river and I could pick out at least 4 Sand Martins (year tick) with them.
2010 Yearlist - 138

Tuesday the 6th
A short 10 minute look out of my bedroom window produced by first Fylde Swallow of the year going north. Then it was down to Rossal Point to try and get some more seabirds that I had missed on my last visit. The wind was slightly stronger and the tide a little further out meaning what seabirds there were were distant. A flock of 4 Red Throated Divers flew in from the north before landing on the sea quite close inshore. After about 30 minutes or so I picked up a Kittiwake (year tick) behind an incoming ferry and soon after a flock of 3 Sandwich Terns (year tick) alighted on the beach not far from me giving great views. These were soon joined by 2 more and I waited for them to depart before I took my leave.
2010 Yearlist - 140

Friday the 9th
Since the weather was nice but my parents were at work I decided to try and beat the day record for number of species seen from my house, at the time standing at 34. I passed the 25 species mark with ease but as usual the next 10 were allot more difficult to get. A quartet of Greylag Geese flew south west and the resident Little Egrets continued to show in the dyke's around the fields behind my house. Birds of prey put in appearances with the local female Sparrowhawk and male Kestrel hunting and interest was added with a pair of Buzzards distantly over the River Wyre, a species not seen annually from my house. Only the 3rd garden record of Stock Dove took the list to 33 species, 1 off the record and this was then equalled by a trio of Mistle Thrushes that alighted briefly in the bushes in the field. So with only 30 minutes of light left could I get the another species to beat the record. No is the answer to that, I got 2 more species and both yearticks to boot. A superb male Blackcap (year tick) fed hungrily on the berries from the Hawthorn bushes behind the house and a pair of House Martins (year tick) barrelled overhead. So 36 species an excellent total for the day but I reckon I can still beat it at the height of migration.
2010 Yearlist - 142

Saturday the 10th
A quick pop over Wyre produced little of interest. A Little Ringed Plover (year tick) and a Greenshank were on Conder Pool and a pair of Twite (year tick) were feeding on the beach at Knott End. These were only meer distractions from what was generally a disappointing day.
2010 Yearlist - 144

Sunday the 11th
A day of ups and downs and quite probably my biggest birding upset ever. Leighton Moss was the site for the day with a stop at Woodwell to try and get Hawfinch. However as is usually the case with this most elusive species there was no sign of any but a singing Willow Warbler (year tick) and at least 5 Chiffchaffs provided some distractions. Then it was down to Leighton Moss where the real action was taking place. A stunning male Bullfinch was at the feeding station and was joined by a Nuthtach. Then down to Lilians Hide in the hope of seeing some of the Marsh Harriers (year tick); I didn't have long to wait before they showed up. At least 2 possibly females were hunting over the reeds and a single male was bringing material into 2 nest sights. A single Sedge Warbler (year tick) was singing next to the hide. Then we went to get some lunch and I had a look in the log book, something I regret doing now, a White Tailed Sea Eagle had been seen flying over the reserve while I had been in the hide :(. We headed towards the causeway and soon met up with the people who had seen this magnificent bird. I had following it's movements for the last few days as it had been moving up and down the east coast then headed west. I had hoped that it would turn up in Lancashire but I never would have thought I'd have been so close and still not seen it. The rest of the day passed without incident so we headed home with me feeling totally disappointed.
2010 Yearlist - 147

Tuesday the 13th
With the Langed Valley having an impressive recent run of Mealy Redpoll, Hen Harrier and Ring Ouzel I tried to persuade my dad to take me there and as it involved some walking he agreed. We found the parking area with little difficulty and I immediately located a small flock of Lesser Redpolls in the trees around the path. Unfortunately they were quite high up which meant looking through them was a challenge for the eyes and my neck. I had a possible female briefly but the flock flew off and I lost it. 4 Siskins, at least 4 Chiffchaffs and a single Willow Warbler were also flitting around the trees. We then headed up into te valley itself to look for the my other day target species. Scanning along the top of a ridge with my binoculars I picked up a large bird of prey gliding into the valley. As it got closer I could see the unmistakable grey colouring of a male Hen Harrier (year tick). It came into the valley then turned round and headed along a ridge before disappearing from view. Up on the hillside above us a pair of Sheppard's were herding some of their sheep with quad bikes and dogs. 1 of the dogs charged into an area of heather and flushed a medium sized, chestnut coloured bird, Red Grouse (year tick)! Although a fairly common bird on the Lancashire moors and around the trough of Bowland it had up until this point been my biggest bogey bird for Lancashire so I was very pleased to get these, albeit brief views. We had just reached the end of the track when a call rang out from a patch of trees next to the path, seconds later a small black bird flew out from these trees calling as it did, a female Ring Ouzel (year tick). With this target bird seen we headed back to the car and to try and pin down a Mealy Redpoll. I noticed that most of the little birds were drinking from a pool by the edge of the river, so I set myself up near it to see what came down; I didn't have to wait long to be rewarded as a stunning male Mealy Redpoll (lifer 242)flew in and started drinking. These views were enough to round off a good day so we headed home.
2010 Yearlist - 151

Wednesday the 14th
Just a very quick evening visit to Marton Mere produced the hoped for singing Reed Warbler (year tick). I was more focusing on photographing to birds in the light from the setting sun and will upload some pictures alter.
2010 Yearlist - 152

Thursday the 15th
My first visit of the year to Heysham to try and get the returning Black Guillemot that had eluded me in 2009. Unfortunately I couldn't pin the bird down even though it had been seen in the morning and was seen by Zac later on in the evening! I managed to pick out the Purple Sandpiper (year tick) on the wooden jetty with over 50 Turnstone. The sea was very quiet but my first Arctic Terns (year tick) of the year flew north, a sure sign that spring has arrived, as was the steady stream of Swallows passing through the harbour. With little else about I headed off not knowing I'd be back allot sooner than I expected.
2010 Yearlist - 154

Sunday the 18th
The last day of the holidays and my dad had said that he definitely wouldn't take me as he had allot of work to do, how wrong he was. At 09:34 I was looking on Birdguides when I report of a Hoopoe from Heysham set my heart racing. Now my Dad usually wouldn't take me twitching because he doesn't see the point of going to see a rare but sometimes very boring bird e.g. the Pallid Swift from Crosby the previous year. However even he couldn't resist the charm of a Hoopoe so an hour later we were arriving on the North Harbour wall at Heysham. A small crowd of birders were already present at the entrance to the sandworks and as we walked over a guy let us look through his scope to get out first views of this stunning Hoopoe (lifer 243). I quickly set my scope up and got onto the bird which was feeding along the top of a sand bank along with 2 Wheatears (year tick). It continued showing for the next 20 minutes when it was lost from view so I decided to go and have look at the sea from the end of the wall. A few birders were already here and 1 pointed out the Purple Sandpiper which was still present on the wooden jetty. Flocks of Curlew were flying south over the harbour as the tide went out and in amongst these I managed to pick out a pair of Wimbrels (year tick). Since the Hoopoe hadn't been seen again we headed up to the Nature Reserve to try and see any of the 3 male Redstarts that had been reported during the morning. Upon arriving in the car park a couple of birders were looking through the scopes into an area of bushes, where I presumed the Redstarts must be, so imagine my surprise when I went across and they exclaimed that the Hoopoe was sitting on the fence not 40 feet away. It showed even better than it had down in the harbour and as more birders arrived it flew down onto the floor and started feeding. Around 20 birders had arrived by now and the bird was showing exceptionally for all of us as it flew up onto a fence and extended it's crest out into it's full glory. It stayed like this for about 10 minutes before flying of and onto the nearby golf course. At this point someone pointed out a male Redstart (year tick) sitting near to where the Hoopoe had been. This was a first for Lancashire for me and with this I decided to head home after a very good day.
2010 Yearlist - 158

So overall the holidays produced 2 lifers, 4 county ticks and 25 yearticks. I will upload some pictures from the 2 weeks in a few days after people have had time to read this.