In my write up of the Black-necked Grebe earlier in the week I said something like ‘hopefully there will be better pictures’. Well there were, and I’ve borrowed a couple taken by Paul Ellis on the Fylde Bird Club webpage to share with you.
It might seem a bit lacksadaisical but I assumed it was a juvenile rather than a winter adult on account of it being early July. Even through the scope I didn’t see the vestiges of juvenile head streaking that Paul’s excellent photographs have captured, which clinch the age.
As this blog is primarily about nature in the Blackpool area and I’m not sure I’ve ever done it before I will take this opportunity to promote the good work of the Fylde Bird Club. They offer some excellent resources to those wanting to know more about local birds including where to watch guides. The gallery page always has an array of excellent recent snaps and a record of past rarities and scarcities that have been captured for prosperity.
The club also does valuable conservation work. This includes improving the nesting opportunities for nesting Common Terns at Preston Dock and funding farmland bird feeding stations. Club members do the vast majority of bird surveying in the area as well, and the brick hide at Marton Mere is named after the club after it provided the money and manpower to erect it.
The club also has a program of monthly speakers and a Christmas social. Meeting places have varied over the years, but they are now at Poulton-le-Fylde Cricket Club on Moorland Road which is easily accessed off Garstang Road West. To check out the work of the club and see if membership might appeal put Fylde Bird Club into your search engine or go to http://www.fyldebirdclub.org.
Natural Selection 
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