Plugging away again......

......for the third time this week at Conder Green/Glasson Dock and Cockersands where I may as well have never bothered going as the weather once again put paid to the day following another of those 'sit in the car and see what happens' sessions and nothing did except it rained and rained some more rendering it unsuitable for me to try to see - amongst other things - the Black Redstart for the third time, apparently the bird has made a move to the abbey area at Cockersands for its fourth day.

So I achieved just two hours today starting at Conder Green - well where else - where two of the 'specials' showed today with the Common Sandpiper on the pool, and a Spotted Redshank in the creeks, this bird can be identified a mile away, slightly larger than its commoner relation and its brilliant white underparts, longer legs and bill, it's hard to believe this bird transforms to its unique black breeding plumage in the summer, 2 Goosander were also in the creeks, 3 Goldeneye were on the pool, and I managed 10 Little Grebe almost enjoying the challenge of counting them several times before eventually getting them whilst they were all on the surface but needs determination......try it sometime.

On the Lune Estuary it was a large number of waders day here with minimum circa numbers - and no apologies for nice cosy round figures - of 3,000 Knot, 2,000 Bar-tailed Godwit, and 1,750 Golden Plover, 5 Red-breasted Merganser were of note, and an adult Mediterranean Gull is obviously 'always' here but doesn't jump out at you to make the announcement it is, and is invariably at some distance. A Raven was going west over Lancaster City centre at 9.05 this morning.

A couple of points about birding the estuary from Glasson Dock. I've always suggested the necessity of being here at least 2.5 hours before high tide and I was quite surprised when I was here recently and witnessed the bore rushing past me more or less precisely 3 hours before the high tide on that day. The other point is, how unfortunate that there appears to be little - if any way at all - to get nearer to the birds to sift through them which consumes a great deal of time and taxes the eye, as a consequence there must surely be many a 'goodie' escapes the attention of birders at this excellent wader rich location.

I couldn't resist the excellent images of the immature Ring-billed Gull courtesy of Paul Baker......thanks a lot Paul for the superb photographic quality of this equally superb quality bird.