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

Sunday 20 October 2013

Missing Out!

In twitching language....'dipping'.


Collage of Lapland Bunting at Cockersands October 18. Copy Permitted. 

At 9.53am on Friday morning just as I was about to leave the house I received a text message to tell me of 3 Lapland Bunting at Cockersands. The first person I saw at Cockersands was my informant, soon followed by the farmer complete with tractor and slurry tank in the very field the birds were in, I decided to continue with my plan to visit Plover Scar at high tide. Some decision that was, it held 3 Oystercatcher and a Wheatear, it doesn't get any worse than this....does it? 

It was a lovely sight to see 29 Whopper Swan had pitched up in one of the Abbey Farm fields, the party included five juvenile. An hour later eleven Whooper Swan dropped into the field adjacent to Bank House Cottage, I assumed part of the earlier twenty nine, but they had gone thirty minutes later. Another hour later 41 Whooper Swan flew south west and landed on Cockerham Marsh, this group obviously included the initial twenty nine as the field at Abbey Farm where they had been seen was deserted by the time I got back there.

Other birds to note during a four hour stretch at Cockersands, for not much reward to be honest, c.80 Dunlin, 2 Grey Plover, 15 Eider, 5 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Great-crested Grebe - now there's a surprise - a Snipe, 4 Greenfinch, and a 'few' Tree Sparrow, 35 Pink-footed Geese came in off the sea and flew inland. 

The Lapland Bunting/s had apparently showed again just the once at 1.00pm - in my absence of course - so I suppose this is called a sort of....dip, dip, dip!

And finally....


Lesser Whitethroat Marc Heath 

Just a memory until next summer, but a brilliant image of the Lesser Whitethroat that I couldn't resist posting, with thanks to my man in Kent. 

3 comments:

  1. I've not seen a Whooper yet this Autumn, but I did get my first Redwings and Fieldfare last weekend.From Findlay

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great posts, Pete!
    Sorry I was not very present on the net lately, but I just went through these articles.
    The most striking bird is the Pratincole!
    I have never seen it, what a beaut'!
    I hope your are well, cheers my friend, enjoy your evening!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oystercatcher and Wheatear, it wouldn't get much better for me if they were here today Pete :-)

    ReplyDelete