Grounded Again!

First days birding since last Thursday but made up with some excellent records in and out of the LDBWS area which is irrelevant anyway. Today's plan was to first visit the excellent Conder Pool where I was to discover the young Little - ringed Plover has fledged so brilliant news to start the day, the bird was seen in addition to an adult, 2 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, and a Little Grebe has returned to the pool, 2 Sand Martin were of note over the pool as was a Kestrel, and a Moorhen had three downy young in tow. The Kingfisher was seen again today and I noted a male Reed Bunting a bird I'm always pleased to see. In the creeks there was at least 16 Common Sandpiper, and in the channel below the railway bridge 5 Dunlin, and c.150 Redshank seen. Butterflies here were 4 Small Skipper in close company. The big disappointment - indeed worry - on the pool today was that I didn't see the female Tufted Duck of last Thursday with its four young. At Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary 10 Bar - tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel, and the Redshank were making their return noted with around 300 here today.

I wanted to be at Cockers Dyke and Knott End today around the high tide time and the decision was a good one as at the former were 4 adult Mediterranean Gull's, and at the latter an adult Little Gull was roosting with Black - headed Gull's......excellent stuff on both counts.

The excitement eased off a little from here on and a brief visit - by comparison to usual ones - to Fluke Hall produced a Whitethroat and c.30 Tree Sparrow's. Another brief visit this time on account of a rather ominous mass of blackness and some flashes in the sky now and again all heading in my direction, plus two beings who decided a walk on to Plover Scar was a good idea but the birds didn't, resulted in my noting just c.40 Golden Plover returning to the area (summer doesn't last long really does it) 4 Linnet, and 5 Painted Lady.

The Small Skipper pic courtesy of Pete Woodruff......well that's a novelty.