BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND..............................................................................SCAUP CONDER POOL 5 MARCH PAUL ELLIS

Sunday 15 January 2017

(N)ice Windy Birding.

More nice birds to be found on Friday, on a brilliant day spoilt only by the unpleasant bitter north wind.


Common Sandpiper Antonio Puigg

I found the Conder Green Common Sandpiper again today, the first time in 24 day's despite three visits here, the bird was on the marsh on the rising tide with the Spotted Redshank, both initially at rest. The only other birds of any note were last Mondays 3 Goosander on Conder Pool.

Not the result of bad timing today as I couldn't have got to Glasson Dock any earlier, but the high 10m+ tide was half an hour away and had already taken over the Lune Estuary, but a walk east along the coastal path to Conder Green achieved the best count this winter here of at least 1,000 Wigeon, with 82 Bar-tailed Godwit, and a lone Little Grebe diving like a good'un and resurfacing like a cork in the raging river.

Including two seen on the estuary, the canal basin produced another increase in the peak count of 35 Goldeneye, they favour the east corner where there's an obvious food source. I went through a field along Jeremy Lane to get a closer look to find no odd one out amongst 350 Pink-footed Geese, just in time before a 'rhymes with trick' with two mutts put them to flight.

Off Moss Lane spread out between four fields west of Thursland Hill, I rough counted up to 300 Whooper Swan. The fields around Cockersand held more waders than I can recall here in a long time, most notably at least 2,000 Golden Plover, with uncounted but good numbers of Lapwing, Redshank, Dunlin, and Curlew, and I got my third helping in the last three visits of up to 80 Twite, they were again in the area around Bank Houses and the shore, though on each occasion they have been very flighty.

Thanks to Barry for the Starr Gate Snow Buntings in the header, and to Antonio for the Common Sandpiper in the post....Excellent and much appreciated on both counts.

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