Local birding: Iceland Gull - 14th March 2008.

This very pale 2ndw Iceland Gull was viewable distantly from Withnell Landfill Site in fields north of the M65 mid-pm.

At around the same time Burnley birder Mark Fanshawe found an ad Taiga Bean Goose nr Pilling whilst looking for the Ross's Goose, and managed to 'phonescope' the bird. Here are two of his photos.... What an absolute stonker!

Bill Berry and I attempted to twitch it but dipped. A Short-eared Owl, a species in short supply this winter locally, along Bradshaw Lane was some compensation however. A Little Egret was on the saltmarsh off Lane Ends and c20 Corn Bunting at the Eagland Hill feeding station.