3D Birding!

That was going to be the title for today's post 'Dull, Damp, and Dismal' when I set out but in fact it made quite a pleasant day eventually but I thought I'd leave the title as it was being I couldn't think of an alternative. From a busy day I managed to salvage four hours for birding and gave Conder Green/Glasson Dock/Cockersands a reasonable 'going over' mainly all legwork. Thanks to Brian Rafferty for the excellent but unrelated pics - other than they're birds - of a bathing Mallard and the Magpie.

At Conder Green a Spotted Redshank put in an appearance in the creeks, and on the pool I noted just 5 Little Grebe today, 2 Goldeneye, 42 Teal, 10 Snipe, and the Kingfisher flew the entire circuit of the pool in stages landing within 5 mtrs of me at one point. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock a 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull was excellent, a Little Egret was over below Waterloo Cottage again, 6 Goosander, a solitary Goldeneye, and the number of 380 Wigeon had much increased here today, wader numbers were unimpressive this visit with circa 320 Bar-tailed Godwit, and 280 Golden Plover noted.

I decided on a full count of the canal basin today with 32 Coot, 15 Mallard, 10 Tufted Duck, another solitary Goldeneye, a drake Shoveler was something of a surprise on here, 8 Mute Swans were seen as a pair with six juveniles, a Little Grebe, and 2 Great-crested Grebe.

 

Something of an amazing transformation on Glasson Marsh from Bodie hill today which - by comparison to last Friday - was deserted and I made a hasty retreat.

At Cockersands - where by now I was running out of time - I noted a Stonechat on the same fence line I had seen one/it two weeks ago on 9 November, also 14 Eider were off Plover Scar, 35 Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit were in a flooded field, 3 Kestrel seen, and a Brown Hare was on the shore, and from Moss Lane c.20 Fieldfare were seen. I have noted the male Stonechat seen at Conder Green on 9 November has not been seen since, and no Stonechat/s have yet been seen at the caravan park end of Cockersands this early winter......but is the one at the lighthouse end on its way there!