A Closer Look Round The Estuary.

Plenty of added interest around the Lune Estuary on Monday when I look closer into the details of some of the sightings.

Little Ringed Plover. Pete Woodruff.

The Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool was an early bird here, although by coincidence, this bird goes into my records as being seen on the same date of 27 March 2022. With no up to date data available for earliest summer arrivals, the earliest date to be seen for LRP in our recording area, is one at Arkholme on 16 March 2020.

Ruff Conder Creeks 27 March 2023. Howard Stockdale.

A male Ruff seen in the creeks is just a few days short of the species being present around the Lune Estuary for 12 months, which will be seen as a first record here.

Ruff Conder Creeks 17 September 2022. Paul Ellis.

This Ruff appears to be one and the same in both the above images taken 6 months apart. But note, the bird in the top image has the orange base of the bill muddied....Thanks to Howard and Paul for their excellent images.

Another record of interest on Conder Pool was of 3 Shoveler, seen as a drake and two female, no better than scarce here. Also to note, single figures of Black-tailed Godwit, Greylag with 2 Pink-footed Geese, Tufted Duck, Pied Wagtail, with c.150 Black-headed Gull probably considering breeding here....heaven forbid!

Not an Avocet in sight on Monday at Conder Pool. The bird with a limp from September last year, is posted for old times sake and a reminder of things soon to come.

The only thing of note on the Conder Green circuit, was a Chiffchaff heard at the picnic site. On the Lune Estuary from the bowling green, 6 Avocet were in the area around the Conder mouth, also up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Goosander to note.

As I drove along Jeremy Lane, c.2,000 Pink-footed Geese were in the air over Thurnham off Moss Lane, also up to 250 Whooper Swan are still around the Cockersand area. Although a sunny spring like day, my trundle round the circuit was unproductive save 30 Twite flighty over stubble, and at least 150 Golden Plover settled as a circle in the field by Abbey Farm.

Dotterel Cockersand April 2013. Chris Batty.

Seeing the plovers again on Monday at Cockersand, triggered my memory to recall finding a Dotterel in the same field by Abbey Farm on 16 April 2013, it was with 275 Golden Plover. This was the first Dotterel in the Fylde Bird Club recording area for 13 years.

The down side of my visit to Cockersand was no Stonechat seen, wintering and passage birds now departed, and no Wheatear seen....Ahhhh well, winners and losers!

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the Barn Owl header at Conder Green, seen regularly here....but not by me yet.