Another Short List....Very Short.

I could use several words to describe yesterdays birding with big effort and little reward, disappointing would be a polite one. To a certain extent it was my fault as I missed both good sides of the tide - coming in and going out - especially in the case of my visit to Cockersands, but here are the results....

I first visited Cockersands in the hope the birds wouldn't have moved to far off on the ebbing tide, but hopes were dashed and there was no more than a 'few' Dunlin and Ringed Plover on the mudflats and a 'few' Turnstones on Plover Scar with 3 Eider off here. Most interest was with c.200 Golden Plover also on Plover Scar, but with camouflage to blend in perfectly with the landscape and something of a howler blowing the optics about like jelly on a plate, anything like an accurate count was beyond my capability. I went nowhere beyond the scar and otherwise noted 3 Wheatear.

Mediterranean Gull Noushka Dufort  

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, the area was almost deserted - just not my day - with 'gulls' barely reaching 100, and hardly a Dunlin, Lapwing, Curlew in sight, and certainly not a Golden Plover to be seen. An adult Mediterranean Gull lifted the gloom, with c.350 Redshank noted. Thanks for the Mediterranean Gull Noushka, much smarter and much closer than mine was today.

At Conder Green, it needed a circuit to find 2 adult Spotted Redshank downstream from the old railway bridge almost round the bend out of sight to the Conder Estuary where there was also a single Common Sandpiper, the redeeming feature about the visit to Conder Green was that Conder Pool now has an increase with 5 Little Grebe.

Adonis Blue Marc Heath  

I saw one butterfly today being a pristine Red Admiral. Thanks to MH for the Adonis Blue, a species of chalk downland - go south young man - I may never see one....excellent as ever Marc. 

Curlew Sandpiper.

Curlew Sandpiper Cockerham Sands 31 August. Copy Permitted.

The autumn influx of Curlew Sandpiper into our area and beyond appears to continue with reports of a peak of 34 seen at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve on 31 August, with double figure counts elsewhere in Lancashire.