Highlights

The two most outstanding birds from the first third of 2004 were, arguably, a long-staying Hooded Crow and the first ever spring record of Long-tailed Skua. The Hooded Crow was found at Green Syke Bridge, between High Bentham and Cross of Greet on 22/4, but was subsequently discovered to have been present for about a month.  It appeared to be holding territory and paired with a female Carrion Crow.  However on 6/5 it suddenly disappeared and, sadly, was rumoured to have been shot. The Long-tailed Skua, an adult that flew between Jenny Brown's Point and Humphrey Head then inland via the Kent Estuary on 9/5, was the highlight of a good skua passage in an otherwise rather poor spring for seabirds.  A minimum of 14 Pomarine Skuas were off Jenny Brown's Point on 6 dates between 4/4 and 5/5, while 15 were off Heysham North Harbour Wall on 4 dates between 22/4 and 7/5.  Following 2 Arctic Skuas off Cockersand Abbey on 3/4, a total of at least 33 were noted off Jenny Brown's Point between 4/4 and 6/5, including 14 on 5/5, while Heysham North Harbour Wall produced a total of 19 between on 4/4 and 16/5.  In addition, 5 Great Skuas were off Jenny Brown's Point between 9/4 and 22/4, with 1 off Heysham North Harbour Wall on 28/4.  Earlier, strong onshore winds on 19/3-21/3 produced an interesting influx of seabirds, including single Red-throated Divers at Pine Lake and the River Lune by the 'Golden Ball' (the latter in full summer plumage) and a Guillemot from Lilian's Hide, Leighton Moss all on 20/3.  The following day an early Arctic Skua was off Jenny Brown's Point and Pine Lake attracted a Sandwich Tern, while 5 male Velvet Scoters were off Jenny Brown's Point on 15/4.

A notable cold weather movement over Ashleys Farm, High Tatham on 28/1 included 7 Waxwings and a male Snow Bunting, while further Snow Buntings comprised 2 at Clougha on 27/1 and a 1^st winter female at Ocean Edge, Heysham on 21/2-22/2.  With long periods of northerly winds blocking the arrival of summer migrants (especially passerines) the few notable spring scarcities were generally somewhat predictable.  These included a 1^st winter Iceland Gull in the vicinity of Lancaster Tip from 30/3 to 8/5 (an exceptional 40 day stay), a Taiga Bean Goose in the Pilling Lane Ends area on 6/4-10/4, a 1^st summer Spoonbill commuting between the Eric Morecambe Pools and Leighton Moss on 25/4-28/4, a male Blue-headed Wagtail near Milnthorpe on 1/5-4/5 and 2 Dotterels in fields beside Abbeystead Lane, near Jubilee Tower on 29/4-30/4.

The spring's first Osprey reached Arkholme on 16/3 (2 days later than last year), with at least 9 further individuals at 7 sites between 26/3 and 11/5.  Other notable raptors included the long-staying Red Kite in the Boarsden / Fober Farm area to at least 22/3, while further Red Kites were seen over Warton Crag on 30/3, Lowgill, Hindburndale on 3/4 and Dunsop Valley on 26/4.  Migrant Marsh Harriers flew west over Aldcliffe Marsh on 9/4 and 'in off' at Jenny Brown's Point on 15/4.

Leighton Moss / Eric Morecambe Pools area

Two Avocets arrived at the Allen Pool on 3/3 (a day later than last year), then steadily increased to reach a peak count of 24 on 22/4.  A total of 9 pairs have attempted to breed, but 4 nests were robbed overnight on 28/4-29/4, with a further 2 nests robbed the following evening.  Two chicks hatched from one of the remaining nests on 13/5, though one chick was probably taken either by a Herring Gull or Great Black-backed Gull on 14/5 and at the time of writing 8 other pairs continue to incubate eggs.  The first returning Marsh Harrier - a female - arrived on 18/3 (the same date as last year) and was subsequently joined by a male from 2/4, a second female from 3/4 and a second male on 11/4-12/4.

The wintering ringtail Hen Harrier continued to roost in the reedbed to 7/4, while the Water Pipit continued to make occasional appearances in front of Lilian's Hide to 27/3, but once again departed before showing much sign of summer plumage.  A pair of Garganey appeared on 4/4, though the only subsequent records concerned single males on 7/4 and 9/5.  Other notable records included a Short-eared Owl at the Eric Morecambe Pools on 6/2, a Scottish ringed Greylag Goose (grey neck collar HCL) amongst the regular flock of Greylag Geese on 28/2, 2 Red-legged Partridge on 17/3 (the first Leighton Moss record), 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls on 27/3-28/3, 41 Whooper Swans flying north on 30/3 and a Black Tern on 15/5.

Morecambe / Heysham area

The four wintering Mediterranean Gulls all departed during late February or March.  The unringed adult was seen irregularly at both Morecambe and Heysham to 29/2, the Belgium ringed 2^nd winter (Green darvic 36W) remained in the Morecambe Town Hall groyne area to 9/3 and the Czech ringed 1^st winter remained at Heysham Harbour to 26/3.  More interestingly the annually returning Polish ringed adult (white darvic 5HR) remained in the vicinity of the Stone Jetty to 9/3 and was joined by another Polish-ringed bird (Red darvic P96) on 8/3-9/3.  Both seemed to have departed only to reappear briefly at the Stone Jetty on 18/3. Other notable records included a female Long-tailed Duck off Teal Bay on 9/2, 21 Little Gulls off Heysham North Harbour Wall on 5/4, followed by an unprecedented spring count of 51 adult Little Gulls heading out of the Bay on 22/4.  These were probably birds that had wintered on Shell Flats (the shallow sandbank off Blackpool with a large wintering population of Common Scoter).

Lune Estuary

The wintering Little Egret remained in the Aldcliffe Marsh - Colloway Marsh area to 6/3, though generally proved somewhat elusive. Other long-staying birds at Aldcliffe Marsh included 3 Bewick's Swan to 14/3 and the group of 9 European White-fronted Geese to 11/3, after which 2 disappeared leaving 7 to 18/3.  The regular wintering Spotted Redshank and Ruff remained at Conder Creek to mid March at least, while an impressive 31+ Rock Pipits were counted between Stodday and Conder Green on 21/2.  An adult Mediterranean Gull regularly visited the River Lune adjacent Lancaster Tip from 10/2 to 2/3, while more transient visitors included a Barnacle Goose north-east over Heaton Marsh on 26/2, Sanderling, Ruff and 7 Turnstone at the northern end of Heaton Marsh on 20/3 and a male Common Scoter on the River Lune by Aldcliffe Marsh on 21/3.

North Fylde

Notable wildfowl counts included 43 Whooper Swans at Pilling Sands on 25/1 and up to 12 Bewick's Swans in fields by Jeremy Lane to 4/3, while the Pink-footed Geese flocks included 2 Greenland White-fronted Geese to 3/5, up to 12 European White-fronted Goose to 10/3 at least, a Pale-bellied Brent Geese on 1/3-3/3 and a Barnacle Goose on 9/3.  A migrant male Yellowhammer was at Cockersand Abbey on 12/4.

Other sites

The group of 7 Whooper Swans present in the Claughton - Hornby area since mid December 2003 remained to 25/3.  Other notable records included 10 Hawfinch in the Lyth Valley on 26/1, with 5 at Sizergh Castle on 7/3, a Barn Owl found dead on the hard shoulder of the M6 near Holme on 28/2, a Water Pipit at Hest Bank on 28/2, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Dunsop Bridge Post Office on 27/3 and a colour-ringed male Ring Ouzel at Langden Valley on 27/3.                                                           

Pete Crooks