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

Saturday 4 October 2014

Little Grebe Hit The Heights.


Little Grebe Warren Baker

On Thursday Conder Pool came up with the highest number so far this autumn when I counted 17 Little Grebe, this count equals the same I made here on 29 October last year....18 needed now for an all time best count. A Common SandpiperSpotted Redshank, 62 Redshank, 2 Snipe, a solitary Dunlin, and Little Egret were all in the creeks.

Linnets On The Wire. Pete Woodruff.

A chunk of my time at Cockersands was taken up getting to grips with a flock I initially picked up distant, but being a flighty bunch they came closer at times, though most of the time they were down in the long grass. But from the outset I had a good idea what I was looking at and eventually they were seen as a high count of at least 300 Linnet. But in flight with them, and on the ground whilst looking round the area, I found Meadow Pipit and Skylark, with Tree Sparrow and Reed Buntingat one point I estimated in excess of 350 birds in the air together....something of a spectacle.

I wandered out on to Plover Scar to find c.400 Oystercatcher, with a number of Redshank, Curlew, and Dunlin. Thirteen Eider, 25 Wigeon, and 2 Great-crested Grebe were off Plover Scar, and off Crook Farm, c.350 Golden Plover, and 30 Turnstone were noted. True to tradition 3 Wheatear were around the abbey, and a Kestrel and 4 Little Egret seen.

Common Sandpiper at Conder Green.

I note a report of 3 Common Sandpiper on Conder Pool yesterday. 


Thanks to SP for allowing the excellent 1 October Cockersands Merlin to show in the new header on Birds2blog....I think I recognise the wall. Thanks also to WB for the equally excellent Little Grebe, and to PW for the 'not so excellent' Linnets....one from the 'dodgy' folder.   

6 comments:

  1. How do you go about counting 17 Little Grebes with all their diving and moving around the place ? ! LoL

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  2. Very interesting question Warren, the answer being....not very easy to say the least. I'm never convinced about numbers like this with the LG which are up and down like yo-yo's when the are feeding and it often takes several counts to reach a conclusion. And by the way, these little buggers come up with small fry by the dozen on Conder Pool.

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  3. Bonito post, excelente blog. Me hago amigo y seguidor. Saludos desde España.
    Fauna Compacta blogspot

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  4. Oho great.... One of your photos!!
    Cute juvenile linnets! :)
    I was unable to photograph the youngsters this season, they bred too high!!
    About LG, I like Warren's comment! HAHAHA!!
    I will have to wait some more to see soooo many at time, therefore when I count them I am sure of their numbers! LOL!!
    Keep well Pete :)

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  5. I really like your Linnet picture.

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  6. Germán....Thank you for the kind comments about this post and Birds2blog. Good to hear you are a friend and follower, I appreciate all this.

    Noushka....Good to see and enjoy your comments....keep counting!!

    Findlay....Glad you liked my photographic efforts on the Linnets, the best I could do.

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