Barton Pits & East Halton,Saturday/Sunday 29th/30th September 2018.

With the rare chance of getting out birding on two days this weekend,i decided to visit Barton Pits on Saturday and the local patch at East Halton on Sunday,the following is a summary of what i saw and some photos thrown in as well.

Saturday 29th

Today i planned to walk from the 'New' visitor centre up to Leggot's Quarry and back,taking in Far-Ings,Chowder Ness etc.
 The main feature of the visit,was a westerly passage of Pink-footed Geese up the estuary as on my last visit here and today's totals were a decent 1002 birds.
 Other highlights included in the visit,saw at least 47 Bearded Tit being seen around the Outdoor Pursuit Pit reed beds,my first Rock Pipit of the autumn flying west along the shore at Chowder Ness,1 adult female Marsh harrier and a couple of Siskins heading west.
 I also had brief views of a Bittern and Kingfisher on Ness Lake,but it was just nice to get out and about in the sun today.

Sunday 30th

Today's local patch visit was pretty damn good to be honest,with some nice birds seen,including one pretty scarce bird here to be fair. 
 The first highlight went to lovely juvvie Grey Wagtail watched feeding around the margins of Winter's Pond and it gave some nice views just after first light,before flying off south,the first i have seen on the patch this year.
 Next goodie was the best bird of the day,as a grey goose took off from Winter's,flew over my head calling and headed towards the Skitter and landed in a stubble field at the back of the mitigation area.I walked up onto the bank to scope the bird,which to be fair was quite a way off,but I'm certain from it's call and structure,thin tail band at the tail tip in flight,big head and wedge shaped profile that this was a Bean Goose
 I watched it for a good while and flocks of Pink-footed Geese flew closely over it and it did not show any interest in them at all and there was also at least 50 birds feeding close by on a stubble field,strange behaviour i thought if this was a Pink.It was then flushed by a passing aircraft and joined the Pinks feeding nearby which in turn where flushed and i didn't see the bird afterwards.
 Other goodies seen today included 2 Marsh Harrier,a juv. and the adult male from Dawson City,1 Siskin which flew west,Kingfisher(At last!) at the Skitter and last weeks adult Med Gull was still present at the Skitter along with the pair of Stonechat.
 So with 4 additions to the patch year list and some great birding to boot,it was another great visit.

Pink-footed Geese,Heading West At Barton.

Part Of An Irrupting Flock Of 47 Bearded Tit,Outdoor Pursuit Pit.

Male Bearded Tit,Outdoor Pursuit Pit.

Cormorant,Ness Lake,Far-Ings.

West Bound Pink-footed Geese Over Far-Ings.

Curlew,Chowder Ness.

Gadwall,Ness Lake,Far-Ings.

Sunrise Over The Humber,East Halton.

Pink-footed And Greylag Geese,Winter's Pond.

Adult Med. Gull,East Halton Skitter.

Adult Med.Gull,East Halton Skitter.

Male Ruff,East Halton Skitter.