Local birding, Blackburn area: Both races of White-front & Egyptian Goose - 2nd Jan 2012.

Above: European White-fronted Geese. Below: Greenland White-front. A family party of six (2ad, 4 1stw) European White-fronts have recently joined the Canada Goose flock at Rishton Reservoir, which already holds 2ad Greenland White-fronts for the past few weeks. A unique record for the area to have both races together at one site. Exquisite birds! - The Goose flock isn't always present and it is so far not known where they go when not at Rishton Res.

Below: Egyptian Goose, Corporation Park Lake, Blackburn - 2nd Jan 2012. This bird first appeared locally at Brockholes NR LWT in Oct 2011, then at Fishmoor Res on 12th Nov, then Corporation Park Lake between Christmas & New Year where it may have been residing for some time? - Only the second I've ever seen in East Lancs.

Iceland Gull: Fishmoor Res, Lancs - 1st Jan 2012.

This Iceland Gull dropped straight onto the roosting roof at 15:40, then gave head & shoulders views for ten minutes before walking out of view completely. Aged as a pale juv, pending further views if I can find it tomorrow. Image is a high camcorder mag videograb in fading light, hence even poorer quality than normal!

'Nordic' Jackdaw: River Wyre, Lancs - 24th Dec 2011.

Several Jackdaw in a flock of c40 showed Nordic characteristics in fields south of Shard Bridge, east of A588 opposite Shard Bridge Farm.

Peregrine

Local birding: Greenland White-fronted Geese - Rishton Reservoir, Lancs - 1st Dec 2011.

These two adult Greenland White-fronts found by Steve Grimshaw are only the third confirmed record of this subspecies for the East Lancashire Ornithologists' Club (ELOC) recording area, the previous two records both coming from Stocks Reservoir: 1 on 4th-22nd Jan 1983 and 1 on 15th Feb and again on 31st March 1996. Outside the ELOC recording area, but still in east Lancs, one was at Belmont Res 16th-19th April 1998. Thanks to Tony Cooper for researching past records. Superb birds and a great site tick for my old patch.

What is assumed to be the same Red-breasted Merganser as that present from 13th-20th November, and presumed long gone, dropped in from height at 12:30, so it is clearly feeding elsewhere! A 1stw drake Shoveler also present.

Recently, I have been suffering from my worst bout of blogging lethargy since I started a birding blog back in May 2005. I have a few posts to catch up on which I will try and do if I can summon up the will to do so!

Pomerine Skua - 20th Oct 2011.

Local birding, Lancs: Red-throated Diver, Belmont Reservoir - 8th Oct 2011.

Nipped up to see this moulting adult Red-throated Diver found by Belmont local patcher Steve Martin this morning.

Solitary Sandpiper: Nateby, Lancs - 2nd Oct 2011.

All credit to Stuart Piner for finding Lancashire's first Solitary Sandpiper this morning. My visit coincided with the onset of heavy rain, but despite the weather and distant viewing, an educational and distinctive bird I thought.