Whingeing, Birding, And A Plover.

Here's the whinge....

Yesterday was more like late February than late April, and the hail shower which turned up around mid-day completely brought down my enthusiasm for Cockersands, so I went to seek shelter for a while at Aldcliffe. If there was any migrants at Conder/Glasson there was no way I was going to find them on song, and I sure found no silent one's either, though at Aldcliffe around mid-afternoon the sun put in an appearance the transformation of which was amazing, with numerous birds bursting into song....End of whinge.

Here's the birding.... 

On Conder Pool, the one day appearance of the Little Ringed Plover on 14 April, the stay on here of the Gadwall pair since 8 April, and the lone Little Grebe, all seem to have departed, leaving just the in residence Oystercatchers, a few Tufted Duck, Redshank, and Shelduck. The two birds of most interest was the return of a Great-crested Grebe at best uncommon on the pool, and a Coot, not sure I ever saw one before on Conder Pool. In the creeks, 5 Common Sandpiper, and a Greenshank.

The Lune Estuary, at least 20 Eider is my best ever count on this section of the estuary, 15 Dunlin were at the Conder mouth, and a Peregrine Falcon on Colloway Marsh was being dived bombed by 4 Carrion Crow until it flew off, my first House Martin was over with Swallows. Now the hail stones have arrived....I'm off.

At Aldcliffe, 4 Little Ringed Plover were on the flood with display seen between a pair which took off and went on to the Wildfowler's Pool where I found them ten minutes later, 2 Gadwall drakes were the only birds noted on here. I had to witness the transformation to believe it when the sun came out, what had been a complete silence now burst out into the song of 5 Robin, 3 Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, and a Song Thrush, all within a few metres of hedgerow, 10 minutes later the sun had disappeared again....End of birding.

Here's the plover.... 

Kentish Plover Jan Larsson 

Yesterday a male Kentish Plover was found ESE of Manchester on Audenshaw Reservoir, the bird showed well all day and remains there again today. Fond memories came flooding back to me when I saw this news, of the bird I found on Plover Scar at Cockersands, 5 years ago next Tuesday on 3 May 2011....BE THERE!!

Thanks to Jan for the much appreciated KP at Ottenby Bird Observatory