The 1stw Eurasian Spoonbill at Brockholes Quarry, Lancs, UK.

29th Nov - 4th Dec and again on 8th Dec 2003.

Bill Aspin.

This species had been considered by local birders as an inevitable addition to the site list one day, but no-one could have predicted that the first record would have occurred at the end of November!

The Spoonbill was found by visiting birders Alan Moorhouse and Colin Straker during a recce of the site for an RSPB field trip they were due to lead in December.

Somewhat surprisingly, the bird re-appeared on the main pool for one day on December 8th. Presumably it had been feeding on a stretch of the River Ribble. 

As of 24th December, what must be the same bird has been relocated on the estuarine River Douglas at the Ribble Estuary.

All known local records records of Eurasian Spoonbill.

Those marked with * = ELOC records.

1993: An adult was seen with Grey Herons at Wayoh Reservoir on 4th July at 19.30hrs (C. Heyes per 1993 Lancs Bird Report).

*2000: 1 seen by Margaret Clarke at Walverden Reservoir on the evening of 4th June. This represented the first ELOC record.

*2002: A Dutch ringed bird found by Allen Holmes at Stocks Reservoir on 13th-14th May. Click here to view article and images of this record.

2003: 1stw at Brockholes Quarry, 29th Nov-4th Dec.