Above & below: Drake Garganey, Brockholes Wetland LWT - 11th May 2009. Nowadays regarded as a scarce but annual double passage migrant to the reserve, there can be few other county sites which can boast a similar number of records for this species over the past nine calendar years. Since the first two site records in 2001, there were 10 records totalling 16 individuals up to the end of 2005, including a whopping party of 6 in early autumn 2005. Four further individuals in 2006 brought the site total to 20 individuals by the time the site was purchased by the LWT. Post purchase, a brief analysis of records reveals as many as 11 individuals bringing the total to as many as an incredible 31 birds, though in a couple of cases at least, two single drakes in different years were considered to be commuting between Brockholes and other sites (the adj River Ribble and Alston Wetland) over a period of time respectively. Even allowing for duplication, the site total is in the mid-high 20's nontheless, Remarkable!
Yesterdays Red-necked Grebe did indeed prove to be a one-day wonder, much to the chagrin of the few birders who were onsite this morning hoping it would remain overnight. Hopefully the drake Garganey on the Main pool was some compensation. Single Dunlin & Whimbrel and two new-in Grasshopper Warbler were nice, but an Osprey briefly fishing the adjacent River Ribble at midday before flying north was an even better reward for the fortunate observer, John Hoyes.
