Websites to keep you up to date
Steve Halliwell - Secretary of the Preston Bird Watching & Natural History Society.
See below for details of the Society.
Contact him at prestonbirder@aol.com
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The websites below are updated on a regular basis, and should be a good guide as to what's about in the bird world:
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Brockholes Quarry, Preston: www.brockholeswetland.org.uk/forum
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Leighton Moss R.S.P.B.: www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/1/leightonmoss/sightings.asp
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Martin Mere WWT: www.org.uk/news/192/sightings.html
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Fylde Bird Club: www.fyldebirdclub.org/sightings.htm
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Chorley Naturalists: www.forum.chorleynats.org.uk
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Lancaster & District
Bird Watching Society: www.lancasterbirdwatchingt.org.uk/forum/list.php?1
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Raptor Politics: http://raptorpolitics.org.uk
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Preston Bird Watching & Natural History Society:
www.prestonsociety.co.uk
For all the current information about illustrated talks presented by the Society each Monday from the end of September through to Easter the following year. The current Winter Season is the 117th CONSECUTIVE such season, and is attracting huge audiences to St. Mary's Church Hall on Cop Lane in Penwortham, Preston PR1 0SR.
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NON-MEMBERS ARE MOST WELCOME, £2 PAY-ON-THE-DOOR.
Published Date:
07/10/2009
Modified Date:
11/10/2009
"GREENLAND - Its People and its Natural History"
At 7.30pm on Monday 25th January the Preston Bird-watching and Natural History Society will present an illustrated talk by Cliff Jones entitled "Greenland - Its People and Its Natural History." The talk is at St.Mary's Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham, where there is free parking either at the hall or at the school opposite.
Non-members are welcome to attend, £2 pay on the door.
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Further details on our website www.prestonsociety.co.uk
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Posted by Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
20/01/2010
Modified Date:
20/01/2010
Redwings and Fieldfares
If there are berries to be eaten in cold weather like we're experiencing at the moment, they will soon be seized upon by those Scandinavian winter visitors, the Redwings and Fieldfares.
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The ones pictured below were photographed by Steve Halliwell close to the L.E.P. Offices outsidfe the Sherwood Public-house, where 12 months ago there were about 100 Waxwings, themselves visitors from Scandinavia. 
Both the Redwing (above) and the Fieldfare (below)
are members of the Thrush family.
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Both photgraphs were taken on Wednesday 6th January. 
Posted by : Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
06/01/2010
Modified Date:
06/01/2010
IN AID OF BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL
Dr. Tom Lawson of York receives a cheque for £90 in aid of Birdlife International after his talk to the Preston Bird Watching & Natural History Society.*
The latest talk of the Preston Bird Watching & Natural History Society's Winter Season attracted another 100-plus audience to see Dr Tom Lawson of York's Pacific Ocean Oddysey, a.k.a. "THE ULTIMATE PELAGIC".
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The journey began in Auckland, New Zealand, with many seabird shots in Hauraki Bay, but it wasn't long before the five week journey began, taking in Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, parts of Papua New Guinea, some islands of Melanesia and Micronesia, Guam, close to the Mariana Trench, and finally Japan.
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The talk was packed with superb photographs of all manner of Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters, Terns and other seabirds, but also included many of the endemic species of the islands at which he called.
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The talks brings to a close the first half of a very successful season, with the next talk on Monday 4th January, 2010, with Mike McKavett of Southport who is to talk about "SAMBURU - GATEWAY TO THE NORTHERN DISTRICTS". Mike is somewhat of an Africa specialist, and his photography is without doubt of camera club quality. Another enjoyable evening to look forward to.
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Posted by: Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
08/12/2009
Modified Date:
08/12/2009
Redevelopment of Cottam Hall Brickworks
Preston birders will be interested (negatively & positively?) in the proposed redevelopment of "ground that has lain derelict since 1960".
The land referred to is at the end of Cottam Avenue and behind the Lady Elsie Finney Nursing Home, in Ingol, Preston.
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All sightings from this site would be welcomed either via the Forum on the Society website, http://www.prestonsociety.co.uk or direct to me:
Stephen.Halliwell@prestonsociety.co.uk or
prestonbirder@aol.co.uk
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The following is a link to a website that outlines the plans in a rather broad way.
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http://www.tescocottam.co.uk/
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POSTED BY: Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
07/12/2009
Modified Date:
07/12/2009
Next illustrated talk, "THE ULTIMATE PELAGIC"
Just a part of the huge audience, a record 123 folk who attended Gordon Yates' presentation, "SNOWY OWL - King of the Arctic" on Monday 30th November.
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The next event presented by the Preston Bird Watching & Natural History Society will be at 7.30pm on Monday 7th December, when Dr. Tom Lawson of York will be coming to talk about "THE ULTIMATE PELAGIC - From Auckland to Tokyo."
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In this sense, a 'pelagic' is bird watching at sea (usually a rough one) from a boat (very often a small one).
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Dr Lawson's adventures in the Pacific Ocean are likely to shed some light on the lives of many species of birds of which we are less familiar.
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Non-members are welcome, £2 pay-on-the-door.
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Posted by: Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
01/12/2009
Modified Date:
01/12/2009
"SNOWY OWL - King of the Arctic"
Gordon Yates returns on an annual basis, almost like an outrider for Santa Claus !
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This year he is bringing a real goody with him in the shape of a Super-8 Cine Film taken in the Arctic regions around Svalbard, Spitzbergen.
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Gordon is particularly thrilled with this production - his 38th film in 38 years.
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I have probably said elsewhere that in my opinion, attending a Gordon Yates' talk is something everybody should do at least once in their life, so here's your chance to do so. Some will be attending for the 38th time!
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The talk is at 7.30pm on Monday 30th November at St. Mary's Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham, PR1 0SR.
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We are expecting an audience of well over 100, so please be early to secure a good seat.
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Non-members are welcome, £2 pay-on-the-door.
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POSTED BY: Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
24/11/2009
Modified Date:
24/11/2009
Male Black Redstart in Longridge
A male Black Redstart has been seen on both Thursday 12th and Friday 13th November in the gravel car park at Jones Stroud insulation, Lee Street, Longridge, close to the Stonebridge roundabout.
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Please remember that this is private property.
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Only 2 weeks ago a female/immature Black Redstart was seen in Freckleton. This new sighting is only the 6th sighting I have of this species in the greater Preston area in the last 22 years.
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Posted by: Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
13/11/2009
Modified Date:
13/11/2009