Cockersand Scores Again.

I gave in to the wet and windy weather again yesterday which was a blueprint of the day before, and was sat wasting my life away looking at a computer screen when, at 12.51pm my pager went 'ping-ping' to alert me to a text message. The instant I saw the name attached to the message I knew there was a 99% possibility I was going to be shooting off birding and probably to Cockersand. I was right, I was indeed off birding, and it was to Cockersand....I'm a liar....I'm a twitcher after all.

As I headed towards Cockerham Sands along Moss Lane, I could see no sign of anyone on the headland, I had expected to see a silhouette on the skyline, and thought I knew the whereabouts of this bird, pessimism kicked in, the bird has gone. 

But I was wrong again, as I got on the footpath, there was this figure way out on the shore with eyes to the scope. I went out to be immediately put on to a smart adult American Golden Plover settled down with a group of European Golden Plover excellent for detailed comparison.

American Golden Plover/European Golden Plover. Cockersand 28 Sept. Stuart Piner.

The bird stayed in this spot some time, but later flew north to be relocated on the appropriately named Plover Scar, home to many a good and rare bird. 

Past recent records of AGP at Cockersand....

19  Nov 2008
  4  Nov 2011
5/6 Sep 2012  An AGP was reported at 2.15pm on 6 Sept on the Lune Estuary at Glasson.

I was grateful to Stuart Piner for alerting me to this brilliant bird, and for the images he has since sent me.

And a few others yesterday.

I called in at Glasson Dock to look over the Lune Estuary, but it was back down to earth now, and things were pretty quiet here, with comparatively few gulls, and low numbers of waders which included 2 Greenshank. 

On Conder Pool, a single scan gave me a count of 11 Little Grebe, with 24 Teal noted, and at least 50 Swallow moving through and lingering over the pool. In the creeks, the Common Sandpiper, with a Red Admiral and Silver Y moth seen.