Little New....

....on the migrant front yesterday, but a nice bit of enjoyable variety around. 

Gadwall. Bob Bushell @  Birdsfod 

A pair of Gadwall on Conder Pool were at least unusual, with 14 Redshank and 8 Tufted Duck to note, everything in sight put to flight at the sight of a Sparrowhawk flap flap gliding through. The Spotted Redshank was again the first bird I saw at Conder Green when it was in the creeks and almost half way to becoming black as the devil's waistcoat. A Song Thrush was a nice bonus here today alongside 2 Robin.

On the Lune Estuary, not every day you see 12 Eider on the River Lune at Glasson Dock, they were all hauled out as was a drake Red-breasted Merganser. A single Goldeneye took me by surprise as it rocketed downstream, I had thought they had all gone, and just 12 Black-tailed Godwit here. At least 50 Shelduck were on Colloway Marsh, and c.20 Sand Martin were over the canal basin, soon moved off north, and I saw 2 Long-tailed Tit here.

At Cockersands, little more than 20 Whooper Swan remain here now. The tide was at it's height and along the headland I saw the one Wheatear. At Bank Houses horse paddock, 5 Tree Sparrow, a single House Sparrow, 3 Blackbird, and a Great Tit, 2 Skylark on the circuit, with 11 Curlew at rest in a field, and off Slack Lane, c.450 Golden Plover have taken a liking to the flooded field now considerably drier, along with c.50 Ringed Plover and 20 Dunlin. In an Abbey Farm field I counted an excellent 18 Brown Hare.

The Plume Moth.

20-plume Moth. Pete Woodruff.

This 20-Plume Moth was found trapped in our bathroom where I photographed it in the window, then released it back into the garden where it belonged.

The English name of this unusual little moth is inappropriate as each wing is separated into 6 plumes, the scientific name - Alucita hexadactyla - is more accurate and means six-fingered. It is the only British member of its family and is fairly common, it can be found at almost any time of year.

Thanks to BB for his drake Gadwall, and thanks to DC for his 'Stoney' header, both excellent and much appreciated images.