The Sunday Post!

There's a Wheatear to be seen soon at a location near you, possibly before next week is out, but you won't beat the first two males seen on 23 February in 2021, these birds set a new earliest arrival record for Lancashire.  

Golden Plover.

Birding this week was limited to a 3 hour session around Cockersand on Wednesday, and produced just 5 species getting into the little black book, but as always there was interest, not least of which was up to 2,000 Golden Plover in the field east of Abbey Farm. 

My archived video shows the kind of number to be found in the past on the Lune Estuary at Glasson. Wednesdays count exceeded the 1,500 Golden Plover seen at Braides 11 October 2022, which - until last Wednesday - was the best count anywhere on the Lune Estuary this winter. I'm repeating myself here but....where have all the estuary GP's been this winter?

Eider.

Off the caravan park, I saw 32 Eider, difficult to count whilst diving for molluscs.

Wigeon.

Their diet consisting mainly of 80% grass, 42 Wigeon where characteristically grazing in the field by Bank House Cottage. The Wigeon have long been numerous in Lancashire, migrating from Iceland, Fennoscandia, and Russia, from where an interesting recovery of a Lancashire-ringed Wigeon was found on the River Ob in Central Russia. This bird was ringed at Banks in March 1984, and was recovered 26 days later at Sytomino 4,495km to the east the following month in April.

Stonechat.

Stonechat Female Cockersand. Ian Mitchell.

I found just 2 Stonechat at Cockersand both female, one on roadside fence posts east side of Abbey Farm, one at the Moss Lane/Slack Lane junction. Both were at locations where birds have been seen all winter, but now not possible to know whether winter or passage, though I reckon the winterers have now moved on and these two are moving through. 

Whooper Swan.

Up to 350 Whooper Swan seen, a number regularly recorded this winter in the Cockersand area, though there was a peak count of 450+ recently.

Garden Birds.

I was a little more than chuffed to see a male Reed Bunting as a first and never to be expected visitor to our urban garden in Lancaster on Friday. Unfortunately it didn't stay long, but I did get a poor quality grab shot through the window with my out of date digital camera for the record. 

Reed Bunting. Pete Woodruff.

I'm puzzled by the result of the photo of this moulting bird, void of detail, it shows just a grey tone on the wing....Time to get up to date with my camera! 

Following the bunting, the dainty little regular Wren showed well, and long enough for some footage as it worked its way up the Norway Spruce outside the patio window picking off insects as it went.

March Migrants.

Fingers crossed I might soon find my first Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool, mean arrival date 19 March. Also a Sand Martin maybe over the canal basin at Glasson Dock before the month is out, the mean date for arrival being 9 March. I'll be on the look out for a Swallow 21/3, Willow Warbler 29/3, House Martin 31/3, Ring Ouzel 22/3.

Lots to keep us interested in the coming weeks....There's a good time cumin!