Conder Pool did nothing to spur on my enthusiasm again on Monday, with 3 Little Grebe, 28 Teal, 22 Mallard, and a Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Within easy viewing range on the Lune Estuary at Glasson, barely moderate numbers of 600 Lapwing, 225 Golden Plover, and 90 Curlew, with more moderation of Dunlin and Redshank seen. At least 400 Wigeon, 3 Goosander, and a Great-crested Grebe on the river.
Along Jeremy Lane, swans in a field at the south end, were seen as 7 Whooper Swan and 3 Mute Swan. The Cockersand c.200 Whooper Swan herd were seen again in the fields south of Moss Lane stretching to Bank End.
Cockersand produced some interesting encounters today, not least of which was my finally nailing the Snow Bunting present here since 25 October.
The Snow Bunting is a ridiculously confiding bird, but can be difficult to spot when it is camouflaged whilst feeding amongst the tidewrack, but this one presented no such problem.
This Snow Bunting I saw on Plover Scar 5 January 2024, is a perfect example of just how cryptic the Snow Bunting can be at a distance.
Setting off on the circuit I soon came across the Dunnock, it was in the same hedgerow, and probably the same bird seen on 30 October.
This bird was just as confiding as the bunting, and gave me the opportunity to appreciate it as an attractive bird, with some nice plumage detail and colours, not as dowdy as sometimes portrayed.
As I walked along Slack Lane, 2 Snipe were high west overhead, and up to 12 Long-tailed Tit were working their way through the Willows.
One of the tits thought it was an autumn migrant Swallow on the wires!
There was a gathering of waders on Plover Scar, the best of which was a decent count of 14 Grey Plover, with 55 Turnstone and 350 Oystercatcher. A female Shoveler offshore was unusual, and certainly not a regular occurrence here, also 5 Eider. Another unusual and novel sighting was that of 5 Brown Hare driven off Plover Scar by the incoming tide, they were in a follow-my-leader line, up onto the sea wall, and away into the fields.
As I was leaving Plover Scar, in the space of a few minutes, 42 Pink-footed Geese, followed by up to 250 Golden Plover, and a spectacular encounter was of 3,500 Black-tailed Godwit were all purposefully in a fly-by >south.
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