Ducks And Others.

I noted 20 species in the time I was on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock yesterday, and ducks were worthy headliners, if only because 48 Goldeneye were the new peak count here surpassing 42 seen 1 February. Also on the estuary, a female Scaup was with 7 Goldeneye at the Cocker mouth, c.150 Black-tailed Godwit were difficult to count well scattered, with c.1,200 Golden Plover and 6 Snipe of note.

Great White Egret. Pete Woodruff. 

The Great White Egret was on the southern end of Colloway Marsh, this picture taken at Conder Pool 20 January.

A drake Pochard was on the canal basin with a Great-crested Grebe noted. Ten Tufted Duck had turned up again on Conder Pool where the drake Goosander was seen again, 5 Little Grebe, the Spotted Redshank, and a lone Black-tailed Godwit were in the creeks. In a field at the junction of Jeremy and School Lane, 2 Whooper Swan were with 42 Mute Swan.

In a shortened version of a visit to Cockersand, Whooper Swans here were seen as, 22 in a field behind Crook Cottage, and the herd of at least 400 were now mainly at Bank End. Off Slack Lane, 20 Bewick's Swan, and at high tide Plover Scar, 455 Oystercatcher, up to 50 Lapwing, 26 Turnstone seen, with c.1,500 Wigeon off the scar and to the south.

Snipe. Pete Woodruff.

I did well to spot the Snipe in the pik above, they were hunkered down in the field by Abbey Farm. One on the left can be picked out, two heads centre and right not so easily, but there are four Snipe there....honest! 

Thanks to Peter Rhind for his Goldfinch header, and to Peter Guy for the Conder Green cross column image....Much appreciated.

Other Notes.

Another first for our garden was 3 Robin together on Thursday, and a peruse through my records uncovered a Peacock on the wing seen on Clougha 11 February 2004, from memory my only winter butterfly record. 

News of a Peregrine Falcon shot and killed at St Thomas church at Lytham St Annes Here