BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND......................................................MEDITTERANEAN GULLS CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF

Wednesday 19 September 2012

All the world loves a trier!



Full of big ideas about getting seven hours in on Tuesday I arrived at Conder Green at 9.30 not knowing that the weather had even bigger ideas than I did....So just watch how rapid this report fizzles out by the time I get to Cockersands about two and a half hours later at around noon.

A Little Egret was on Conder Pool again but I found only 3 Little Grebe on here today. On the circuit I found a Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, and Kingfisher. On the Lune Estuary the 'early' Whooper Swan seen again, been here since 21 August. Also of note, 2 Greenshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 5 Snipe, and a Little Egret. Wader numbers here today were very unimpressive.


Image Martin McKenna 

So now I'm at Cockersands, and having seen c.40 Snipe in the air together as I arrived I also saw a squall heading directly for me over the bay, the dictionary definition of which is....'a sudden violent gust of wind bringing rain, snow, or sleet'....well you can say that again. I find it hard to believe I sat six of these 'squalls' out, as one passed over another one appeared on the horizon, there was to be no way I was leaving the car to end up drowning in one of these, not even for birding, but I sat it out in the hope the latest one was the last. 

Well I did try, but in the end I submitted and went home. I'm thinking of giving up birding to support Manchester United as a full time occupation, which brings me to think....I'm becoming mentally unstable!!

And now, four brilliant non-bird photographs to brighten up and add some colour to Birds2blog....


Hoverfly Martin Jump  


This looks suspiciously like the Helophilus pendulus in our garden a few weeks ago, and attractive looking creature whatever....Thanks Martin.

Badger Paul Foster  

PF gained permissive access to an undisclosed Badger set and took the advantage to the full with some excellent images of these brilliant creatures....Thanks Paul.

Leap of Faith
Red Squirrel David Cookson  


DC gave the perfect title to this perfect image of the Red Squirrel 'Leap of Faith'....Thanks David.

Brown Hare Brian Rafferty 


Cockersands holds good numbers of the Brown Hare and has done since I first started visiting the area many years ago, but that's not the area BR took this excellent 'mug shot'....Thanks Brian.

7 comments:

  1. I've still not managed to see a Redshank yet. From Findlay

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow!!!.. Superb pictures.. i love all.. Cheers..

    ReplyDelete
  3. We must meet someday, I reckon we could have a great days birding when I could show you a few hundred Redshank together on the Lune Estuary. Thanks for looking in Findlay.

    Yes, all superb with thanks to all the excellent photographer/birders I know including you Ana. Thanks you for looking in.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That really would be a lot of Redshank

    ReplyDelete
  5. very nice post
    and greetings from my blog

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice article, congrats to the photographers!
    The redshank is certainly a water bird I would love to see and photograph!
    Take care!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Joanca....just enjoyed a tour of your blog, excellent.

    Noushka....Enjoyed my latest visit to your blog, the Ringed Plover are amazing.

    Thanks to you both for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete