Birds2blog With Pictures!!

A little sarcasm creeping in in the title.

Common Sandpiper Martin Jump 

The first sign for me of a returning bird yesterday at Conder Green when I found a Common Sandpiper in the Conder channel downstream from the old railway bridge, though I did see two birds here on 27 May which at the time posed the question....late arrivals or early returners. Also on an otherwise day of 'routine stuff', I noted c.150 Redshank in the creeks - there may be a black one here with them any time soon - 22 Lapwing sought peace and quiet on Conder Pool, with the two resident drake Wigeon, a 'few' Tufted Duck, and three healthy looking young Oystercatcher. A quiet circuit produced 3 Reed Bunting, some House Martin activity around the Cafe d' Lune where I still don't like the look of scaffolding with ladders pointing towards one nest, and a Little Egret on the marsh. 

On the quiet Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 16 Bar-tailed Godwit and 3 Little Egret. Geese were represented by 17 Canada Geese, 5 Greylag, and 5 Pink-footed Geese which took me by surprise as an unusual late June record.

Grey Plover Brian Rafferty 

With nothing to write home about at Cockersands, I was spurred on by thoughts of 'just got to keep on looking'. I found 3 Grey Plover as a pleasant surprise and seen as non breeding first year birds accompanied by up to 140 Oystercatcher. Three Great-crested Grebe were off Plover Scar, 4 Wigeon were of note in the Cocker Channel, a 'few ' Tree Sparrow and House Martin were around Bank Houses, a recently fledged Chaffinch came out of and fluttered itself along the hedgerow, at least one Skylark continues to flight song here, a Snipe by a ditch in the field, and 2 Whitethroat, one of which is almost certainly nesting in the lighthouse cottage garden, and several Swift moving south during the visit.

Meadow Brown Urban Butterfly Garden

Two female Meadow Brown were the only butterflies of note save the few reliable 'whites' seen.

Thanks to Martin/Brian/Urban Butterfly Garden for the images, excellent and much appreciated.