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
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
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
A new FORUM for bird sightings
Why not register to record your bird and other wildlife sightings in the greater Preston area?
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You can do this by creating your own Google Account (free of charge)
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Go to Google Home Page, click on 'Mail', and on the resultant page click on 'Create Account'
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Then go to www.prestonsociety.co.uk home page and register for the Forum, where you will be able to use and make use of the sightings recorded.
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Again, there is no cost to registering and you don't have to be a member of the Preston Bird Watching & Natural History Society either....
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............but we'd like it if you were!
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Our recording area includes Garstang and Nateby in the north, Chipping and Ribchester in the east, Euxton and Tarleton in the south, Hesketh Marsh and Warton Marsh in the west.
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Look at the illustrated talk syllabus on our website after you've registered.
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Posted by: The Preston Birder.
Published Date:
06/11/2009
Modified Date:
06/11/2009
Black Redstart in Freckleton
Black Redstart in a garden in Freckleton. It arrived at 12.30pm on Thursday the 26th October, 2009, and stayed for about 20 minutes. This is only the 5th record that I have got of this species in the last 22 years in the greater Preston area. The photograph was taken by the lady who found it. She had seen one before when she was on holiday in Turkey.
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Posted by: Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
29/10/2009
Modified Date:
29/10/2009
Visible Migration: a.k.a.Vis-mig
There will be many readers for whom this is a new expression. There will be others who will have heard of it, but are uncertain about what's involved. Well, all that is to be remedied!
Vis-mig itself is undertaken by a few hardy souls who, mainly at dawn or dusk, will station themselves at suitable sites (##) during the migration periods, in order to monitor the species and their numbers as they pass through the skies.
(##) Suitable sites tend to be on higher ground with unobstructed all-round vision, and away from noise. The latter is to help facilitate the hearing of call notes of each species in order to positively identify them.
It is my intention to have somebody come and speak to us about the subject, but it is likely to be in the 2011 - 2012 series of Winter Lectures - we have no vacancies until then!
Where, apart from anything else, you will find links to about 160 related sites, many, or most of which relate to the same subject. By the time the lecture comes round we should be conversant with the subject that we'll be able to appreciate it all the more.
It's a fascinating subject - take a look.
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Posted by: Steve Halliwell
Published Date:
27/10/2009
Modified Date:
27/10/2009