Skein Birding and Beyond.......: Ribble patching

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.

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Ribble patching

I visited the Ribble NNR & RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh on Tuesday evening in beautiful weather. Highlights on the NNR (from the seawall at Old Hollow farm) were; 1 juv Curlew Sand, 1 juv Little Stint (in the heavily poached mud front left), 3 juv Ruff, 3 Avocet, 2 LRP, numerous Dunlin & Ringed Plover, 362 Golden Plover, 760 Teal, 275 Wigeon, 9 Gadwall, 10 Shoveler, 4 Pintail and a juv Merlin. At RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh were; 2 Spotted Redshank (one on Scaup pool briefly then flew towards Banks, the other calling opposite the car park at dusk), 4 Greenshank, 36 Redshank, 8 Curlew, 1 juvenile male Ruff, 12 Golden Plover, 4 Wheatear, juv Marsh Harrier, 3 Kestrel, 1 Buzzard, 2 Little Egret and a Barn Owl hunting around the car park at dusk. A very pleasant couple of hours spent local, patch birding. I recommend it.