BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND..................................................SPOTTED REDSHANK RIVER CONDER HOWARD STOCKDALE

Wednesday 16 October 2013

Going South....

....south west actually to Pilling, and not a lot of pen and paper needed either. 


Going to roost
Pink-footed Geese. Brian Rafferty. 

I've been threatening to go south the past few times I've been out birding, yesterday I carried out the threat and an estimate of 10,000 Pink-footed Geese on Pilling Marsh were the first real number for me this year, as were my first 11 Whopper Swan which included a juvenile, also 6 Barnacle Geese and 6 Little Egret, a Peregrine Falcon was squat out on the marsh quietly surveying and planning its next move. 


Lapwing. Wash and Brush Up
Lapwing. Brian Rafferty. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, c.750 Golden Plover was another best count this back end of the year, and I should try to be a 'real birder' now and again and concentrate on coming up with some figures for the Lapwing here sometime, they were in huge number again today. Also noted, c.120 Dunlin, a Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit, Great-crested Grebe, and 2 Little EgretI spent relatively little time at Conder Green but got another increase in the count of 12 Little Grebe on Conder Pool, with 2 Spotted Redshank and a Little Egret in the creeks. 

Thanks to Brian Rafferty for the 'Going To Roost' PFG - definitely a must 'clik the pik' this one - and for the Lapwing.

And finally, perhaps a few more words about this one on Birds2blog sometime, meanwhile....




The RSPB has teamed up with a green energy company and submitted a planning application for a wind turbine to be erected at their Sandy headquarters in Bedfordshire.

4 comments:

  1. The RSPB (I refuse to accept their rebranding as rspb - although I might change my mind as they diminish further in my esteem) have done the avian woorld a great dis-service in this planning application. Last year a group of us tried to fight the erection of an industrial sized wind turbine in a field that is a favourite hunting ground for Short-eared Owls in the winter. We lost the case against the planning application where one of the main arguments from the applicant's representation was that "if they're that much of a danger to birds, the RSPB wouldn't be proposing to erect one at their HQ". It didn't help that Natural England also backed it saying that statistically there'd only be an 80% strike rate with SEOs, and that was acceptable! When I asked if that meant that statistically 20% of the SEOs would come to grief NE replied "yes". It beggars belief!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pete.Good to see you are still doing your regular rounds.Glad to help out with today's pics.Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm reading about the Golden Plover at Conder Green on Thursday 17 October. Is that the amazing row of gold-fronted birds on the north edge of the Lune estuary that afternoon?
    If so, THANK YOU for the identification!
    Roz Ivanic, Lancaster

    ReplyDelete
  4. Richard....Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. I hope everyone took note that UNNATURAL ENGLAND were in the reckoning once again in your attempts to stop the turbine in order to protect the Short-eared Owls.

    Brian....I'm glad too that you helped out with your images on Birds2blog, appreciated Brian.

    Roz....The Golden Plover are at Glasson Dock and are certain to be the very birds you saw as described. Hope you will visit Birds2blog again soon.

    ReplyDelete