About Graham Clarkson

Born & brought up in Marshside, I started birding there in the mid 1970s & made my first birding trip to Martin Mere in 1977. I've lived, worked & birdied in Abu Dhabi, Northern Ireland & Gloucestershire & I've spent time working in Kazakhstan & Madagascar. I enjoy birding my various West Lancashire patches, making frequent birding visits throughout the north-west of England and North Wales. I stray elsewhere in the UK & enjoy birding abroad from time to time. I'm particularly interested in wildfowl (especially pink-footed geese) with an interest in waders & raptors, bird counts & surveys & conservation. I'm trying to get the hang of photography & digiscoping - I'll get there eventually.

My degree from Edge Hill University is in conservation biology. I've guided on numerous birding days out & trips & guided birding holidays to Lesvos, Andalucia, Extremedura, Majorca, Camargue, Hungary, Finland & Florida. I enjoy showing people birds & habitats & helping them learn more about birds & enjoy birding. I'm currently involved with the Birdwatching and Beyond course at Edge Hill and a brand new venture; Skein Birding.

As well as birding I'm interested in captive breeding & reintroduction projects & zoos, how they're managed & how they contribute to conservation. I'm a proud Lancastrian & love the Lancashire countryside & landscapes. I'm an Evertonian & also keep up with what's happening at Southport, PNE & Bristol Rovers. Gardening, dogs (I have a Labrador & a Tibetan Terrier) and keeping chickens (especially Marsh Daisys & Scots Dumpy Bantams). Ruth & I have two marvellous boys who both love nature too. I hope you find the blog and subjects covered interesting; please feel free to leave a comment.

Monday 15 October 2012

Nearly 80,000 Pink-feet in the Red Rose County


The total for yesterday's Lancashire pink-footed goose count was 77683. Totals for each site were; Wyre estuary 7300, Cocker’s Dyke 2650, Pilling 29082, MMWWT 6150, Ribble estuary 8801, Alt estuary/Taylor’s bank 20200, Simonswood 3500. Thanks to volunteer counters; Graham Stirzaker, Stuart Piner, Chris Batty, Nick Godden, Jean Roberts, Warren Braid, Tom Clare, Alan Bedford, Kim Ashton, Sean Ashton and Paul Culley. It'll be interesting to find out how how many were at the numerous Scottish sites and in Norfolk. Carl Mitchell from WWT who I coordinate the Lancashire counts for tells me that in contrast to last season the percentage of young seems to be fairly high at 15-20%. So, hopefully last years decline was just a blip and the Icelandic pink-foot population will stabilise.
Pink-feet amongst seeding Sea Aster on Marshside saltmarsh
Rainbow over Marshside sand works 15/10/12
Storm clouds gathering over Southport pier 15/10/12
 

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