Notes From The Estuary.

I put together a few notables around the estuary on Friday, starting at Conder Pool where there was a decent count of 35 Tufted Duck, the 47 Wigeon present took off in sync flying to the estuary. Also 4 Little Grebe, and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull noted on the island.

At Cockersand, the swans were over three fields again, the ones north of Bank End Farm were distant and inaccessible, but I reckon the total count was of up to 320 Whooper Swan with 12 Bewick's Swan including juveniles, and 2 Black Swan in the field west of Gardner's Farm.

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Around 90 Pink-footed Geese were in a field - a few in the next field - between Lighthouse Cottage and Abbey Farm, and at least 500 Curlew were in view on the Cocker Estuary, probably more out of my view at Bank End.

Stonechat Female Cockersand 14 Jan. Pete Woodruff.

It took a while to find the female Stonechat being elusive today, but it eventually performed well in front of the motor, from where I got the shot through the windscreen. I've not seen the male of this pair on my last two visits here, and four other reports failed to mention the bird.

 NOT ME!

I'm now thinking it may have fallen prey to a cat, there are at least three often around and on the hunt, though I did catch a glimpse of what I reckon was a male Stonechat in silhouette at the far end of the rough field behind Lower Bank Houses....Watch this space!

The light was fading when I decided to take a brief look at the estuary at Glasson, but I managed to find an adult Mediterranean Gull with at least mainly 400 Common Gull....probably an underestimate there.

Black-necked Grebe....Ian Hartley LDBWS.

A blast from the past December 2019, and a good example of why the Lune Estuary is amongst those at the top of the list for some excellent all round birding in our area.

View Full Screen Video Pete Woodruff

The header Grey Wagtail visiting his garden, features one of Martin Jump's excellent images he keeps sending me....Thanks Martin.

Breaking News.

Male and female Stonechat at Cockersand yesterday 15 January, in grassy area off the Caravan Park.....Guy McClelland LDBWS. 

Post Edit 17 Jan. 

Three Stonechat at Cockersand this morning. A pair flying in from the Bank End area have joined the original female. Excellent report from Andrew Cornall....Thanks Andrew.  

After The Break.

After a break from the Lune Estuary - 10 days actually - I was back on parade there yesterday. But since 15 January, Heysham has been the location for me, being I saw 6 Brent Geese, after which I got hooked on the unprecedented numbers of the birds there which culminated with a peak count of 88 Brent Geese on 28 January. Still there, with MD seeing 65 yesterday.

The 50 sec video is another one of the Brent Geese with Wigeon and Oystercatcher at Red Nab 30 January. The wind is annoying, I'd suggest turning off the sound. 

  

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It's a pity these videos on Blogger aren't viewed as clear as elsewhere on the computer.

On Conder Pool yesterday, 32 Wigeon, 20 Curlew, and a drake Goosander. In the creeks, 7 Little Grebe was a count equal to 26 December.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, I just wish the c.2,500 godwits would stay apart and didn't mingle like today, they were either side of the Conder mouth making life difficult, but the estimates I came away with were, at least 1,600 Black-tailed Godwit and 900 Bar-tailed Godwit. Other waders of note, 350 Dunlin, 325 Golden Plover, and 120 Curlew. Up to 450 Common Gull noted, also 8 Goosander, 4 Goldeneye, 35 Greylag, and a Merlin which was distant on Colloway Marsh. 

At Cockersand, the herd of c.300 Whooper Swan and 2 Black Swan were seen over four fields including some on Jeremy Lane, and 5 Bewick's Swan were with 2 Mute Swan off Slack Lane. The low tides don't push the waders into the fields, but c.250 Curlew were by Abbey Farm, and at least 10 Pied Wagtail were around a flood at the junction of Moss/Slack Lane.

Garden Birds.

A pair of Greenfinch, the male showing resplendent yellow-green underparts, seen as a species nudging at mega status in our garden this morning.

Chasing The Brents.

The birds made a return to Heysham 14 days ago, when 26 Brent Geese made an appearance there on 13 January, since then numbers have fluctuated slightly. But yesterday saw an all time peak number at Heysham.

When I pulled up on Knowleys Road at Heysham yesterday morning, the birds I was looking for were immediately seen from the car. I shot off down to the promenade for excellent views from the children's play area on a fine clear morning, to find an all time peak count of 72 Pale-bellied Brent Geese, including two Canadian ringed birds.

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At 10.50 the geese took off and flew south. Taking a guess they would follow a pattern and go to Red Nab, I followed them, but no sign when I arrived there. The next guess was the bay at Ocean Edge, and that turned out to be correct, it had been the pattern for them previously, they were still there when I left at 12.00pm.

Stonechat Ocean Edge 27 January. Malcolm Downham. 

There was a bonus bird present at Ocean Edge, with a 1st winter male Stonechat seen. Thanks for the image Malcolm, I never refuse a Stonechat on Birds2blog.

I decided to take a look at Cockersand, and calling in at Conder Green on the way, I noted 3 Goosander on the pool, and a lone Little Grebe holding the fort at high tide over the creeks. There are currently in excess of 300 Whooper Swan at Cockersand, 2 Black Swan were with the bulk of the herd in the field behind the Caravan Park, with two smaller groups in fields by Slack Lane and Moss Lane.

Lower numbers of waders than of late seen in fields were, 250 Golden Plover, 165 Black-tailed Godwit, and 155 Curlew, 15 Meadow Pipit dropped and disappeared into the grass, and c.450 Pink-footed Geese seen in the air from here were over Glasson Dock.  

By Recent Standards....A Nice Day.

Weather-wise a nice day, if there's not even a hint of a breeze at Cockersand it's certainly a nice day, but a couple of bod's out on Plover Scar meant the end of any chance of a roost, but n'er mind, there's more to Cockersand than a high tide roost. And anyway....why wasn't I out looking for Yellow-browed Warblers!

On Cockerham Sands/Cocker Estuary, a conservative estimate was of 3,500 Wigeon, with an excellent count of up to 1,250 Curlew, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 275 Shelduck, and 3 Great-crested Grebe, there was no significant numbers of uncounted Redshank and Dunlin. I was impressed by 25 Greenfinch flighty around the Bank Houses area, a sample of 18 Skylark which I could hear during my time at Cockersand, they were heading SW towards Pilling, also 15 Meadow Pipit, a Wren was around the abbey ruins and 2 Grey Plover were on the shore below the headland, c.250 Pink-footed Geese went over SW, and 8 Little Egret were in fields with 82 Curlew around Abbey Farm. 

Although c.750 Golden Plover were on the mud below Colloway Marsh, the Lune Estuary was otherwise pretty quiet, but 155 Dunlin noted, with 24 Curlew, 12 Wigeon, and the Black Swan emerging from the Conder Estuary. Conder Pool was equally quiet, with a roost of 6 Greenshank and just 10 Little Grebe seen today. In the creeks, 120 Teal, 4 Little Grebe, 2 Goosander, and 15 Goldfinch flighty as ever over the marsh.

Giant House Spider Tegenaria duellica Pete Woodruff Clik the pik

No appropriate piks for the post again, but thought you would like to see this beauty in our house recently, the coin for scale is a two pence piece. KT wasn't too keen on it staying here, so we decided to eject it from the living room and into the garden....Hope this wasn't a fatal decision for the spider, after all it is a House Spider.

Estuary Notes Weds 25 Oct.

When I met Andrew and Michael at Conder Green, there was a couple of surprises in store for us all. Just when we thought we'd seen the last of the hirundines for 2019 save the odd straggler, the skies over the picnic area seen from Conder Pool, held in excess of 100 House Martin, widely spread and milling around. Prior to the martins, c.50 Swallow had been over Conder Green, and c.120 Goldfinch were flighty over the marsh and feeding on Sea Aster seeds.

This was followed by the surprise of 2 Pintail female on Conder Pool, and was another first for the pool, I can find none in my book in 16 years of watching here. Also on the pool, 106 Black-headed Gull, 18 Little Grebe, a Meadow Pipit, Kingfisher, and a Common Sandpiper, with a second bird seen in the creeks.

Mediterranean Gull. Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik

On the Lune Estuary, the recently ever changing number was of 550 Golden Plover today, 18 Snipe, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Greenshank, and 4 Mediterranean Gull being two adult and two 1st winter, a Black Swan was in the company of a juvenile Mute Swan. A short distance on the canal, between the basin and Christ Church, 5 Migrant Hawker seen. 

Black-necked Grebe juvenile Len Blumin@Flickr.com 

Although pretty laborious, especially now the number can reach a peak of twenty on occasions, the exercise of always counting the Little Grebe on Conder Pool, serves the purpose of checking individuals to find an odd one out amongst them again one day. I found a juvenile Black-necked Grebe here 11 years ago on 1 October 2008, it stayed for 17 days.     

Friday 26 July.

Setting aside the exciting events concerning the Common Tern fledglings, 5 adult Common Tern were in flight over Conder Pool in the afternoon, they were all noisily screeching in the area where the juveniles were and also over the pontoon, but nothing came of the commotion, and it eventually quietened down.

With a slow build up in number on Conder Pool, 6 Little Grebe were seen today, and a Greenshank and Stock Dove were of note. In the creeks, 7 Avocet were seen as two adults with four growing young, but I failed to find the single young with the other adult, this bird being the lone survivor of three chicks seen on Conder Pool 17 July, also in the creeks 10 Common Sandpiper.

On the Lune Estuary, 8 Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpiper, up to 250 Redshank, no attempt to count, but probably c.100 Dunlin distant upstream beyond the Conder mouth, 26 Little Egret, and a Black Swan was probably the regular bird returned to the area. 

From the coastal path, 18 Gatekeeper and 2 Speckled Wood, also a small flock of 6 Long-tailed Tit.

......................................................................

The Greylag is Britain's only native breeding goose, and colour marking projects were undertaken to gain a better understanding of the movements of these birds.    

This Greylag was on Conder Pool a week ago, Orange collar marked SFY in June 2016, at Rayrigg Hall by Lake Windermere in Cumbria. It is always interesting to see the history of marked birds, and I'm grateful to Kane Brides for sending me this one. 

Ongoing computer problems mean I have no photographs appropriate for the blog, but the header is of the Speckled Wood on the coastal path at Conder Green on Friday.

The Buzz Is Back.

A little more interest and movement at Conder Green on Wednesday than I had experienced on Monday, not least because I found 8 Wheatear in a ploughed field north of the picnic area at Conder Green, they were accompanied by 4 White Wagtail, 28 Black-tailed Godwit were feeding close in on the shore seen from here.

At Conder Green, 5 Common Sandpiper seen, and on Conder Pool the 2 Avocet looked settled here, a Greenshank, the Cockersand 2 Black Swan, 11 Tufted Duck, and 10 Teal.

Golden Plover C'sand 17 April. Pete Woodruff.

At least 220 Golden Plover and a White Wagtail were in the field behind Lighthouse Cottage again. I took great pleasure in spending 30 minutes looking through these birds, perhaps I might see a Dotterel with them, based on finding one with 275 Golden Plover in a field close by at Abbey Farm, albeit 6 years ago on 16 April 2013, and five Dotterel seen in the same field I was at today on 8 May 2015 (Stuart Piner).

Sand Leek. Pete Woodruff

In a recent conversation I was reminded that my long lost friend and mentor John Leedal and I had found a specimen of Sand Leek Allium scorodoprasum on the banking at the edge of the marsh north of Conder Green. 

It was because I went to search the area of the marsh for the Sand Leek that I found the Wheatear in this field....Thanks John, It was good my buzz returned today too.

Seven Months Later.

Apart from a few Occupational Therapy style outings pretending to be birding, I was out yesterday to be a little more serious for the first time since my Birk Bank visit on 31 August 2018.

Avocet. Conder Pool 24 March. Ian Pinkerton.

It was good to find 2 Avocet on Conder Pool, also 3 Shoveler drake at best a scarce sighting on here, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and 13 Greylag. Although I've never accurately noted April numbers in previous years, 36 Oystercatcher seemed a good count yesterday, and certainly will be if the intention is breeding on Conder Pool this year.

The Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock looked very early summer in bird numbers, though up to 2,000 gulls seen, waders were all but non-existent save 32 Black-tailed Godwit and a 'few' Redshank and Wigeon hanging on. Cockersand had the same early summer feel, livened up by a Peregrine Falcon having put to flight c.400 Golden Plover, seen later more settled on the shore off the headland. Six Tree Sparrow were around Bank Houses, and I could hear a Skylark singing most of the time I spent at Cockersand.

A count of 82 Whooper Swan at Clarkson's Farm accompanied by 2 Black Swan, was all that was left of a record peak count of 620 at Cockersand on 3 February (Ian Hartley).

Of note, the Spotted Redshank failed to return to winter on the Lune Estuary/Conder Green, nor did the Common Sandpiper, last seen at Conder Green 10 October 2018. Other negatives, I failed to see my first hirundine, Wheatear, or any other summer migrants today.

Thanks to Ian Pinkerton for his image of the Avocet on Conder Pool.

I'd advise not to hold breath for the next blog post....My birding may never be the same intensity as before.  

Hard Times!

I met three birders on Monday, one of them said he'd come out today with some target birds and had found none of 'em....Join the club.

Conder Green/Glasson Dock. 

Conder Pool was almost deserted, but 22 Tufted Duck, and 14 Oystercatcher seen. The Lesser Black-backed Gull pair had taken up on Tern Island, I've no idea what these two are up to, they take up residence here every spring, loafing around but never show any sign of action....until the Avocet hatch!

Raven. Cliff Raby @ Fylde Coast Wildlife 

I was attracted to 2 Raven calling very high over the Lune Estuary which I would otherwise have missed, larger in size than the Buzzard, and wedge tail was obvious once I got on to them. There was a little song along the coastal path, including that of a Wren, the volume of which belies this diminutive bird, also much calling and display by the Redshank in the creeks, a Reed Bunting and Kestrel noted. On the canal basin, a drake Goosander and 22 Tufted Duck seen.

Cockersand. 

Any birds to be seen at Cockersand on Plover Scar or along the headland, would have been a bonus for the pleasant walk here on a brilliant sunny and milder spring day.

White Wagtail. Noushka @ 1000-Pattes 

The inland section of the circuit produced 2 White Wagtail accompanied by 6 Pied Wagtail, at least 4 Skylark seen/heard, I saw just 3 Meadow Pipit on an apparently good visible migration day for the species, and watched 10 Snipe feeding in a flood strip in a field off Slack Lane, they were accompanied by a lone Dunlin. 

Cockersand Plovers and Swans....An Update.

After the first quarter of this winter, the Golden Plovers have consistently spent most of their time in fields at Cockersand, with in excess of 3,000 on occasions. Although numbers are now falling and fluctuating, 750 Golden Plover were again in the Abbey Farm field on Monday, a figure quoted independently by two other birders.

The Whooper Swans have spent their entire winter at Cockersand, averaging c.500 birds, though on Monday 26 February they reached a peak count of double that figure, with 1,000 in the area Jeremy Lane, and Moss Lane - Bank End. This Monday the count was of 290 Whooper Swan as agreed by JW who I met earlier in the afternoon. The Black Swan was with 33 Mute Swan in the field at the east side of Cockerham Sands CP.

Thanks to Cliff and Noushka for their images in this post, they are much appreciated.     

At Least Reasonable.

A sluggish start to Thursday's birding, with Conder Green appearing to have closed down for the day. Conder Pool was once more like a lake with the high tides, and little of note save a few Black-headed Gull bobbing up and down on the swell, and a pair of Lesser Black-backed Gull having taken a shine to the inside of the pontoon. 

Common Sandpiper. Conder Channel 22 March. Pete Woodruff.

But the reliable Common Sandpiper was down the channel again, and I got another grab shot for the record, the Conder Kestrel also put in an appearance.

The Lune Estuary wasn't much less sluggish, with little more than 80 waders in viewing distance, 60 Dunlin, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, and a drake Goosander of note. Noticeably, not a Wigeon to be seen, and a little less surprising, no Goldeneye. A female Pochard on the canal basin was almost certainly the one with Tufted Ducks on Conder Pool recently, a Grey Wagtail also seen here. On Jeremy Lane 40 Whooper Swan and a lone Greylag. 

The Cockersand swans were again spread out from Moss Lane to Bank End almost 2 miles away, but remain at least 300 Whooper Swan, a Black Swan was with a group at Bank End. Plover Scar at high tide held 152 Oystercatcher, 95 Turnstone, 4 Grey Plover, and a lone Knot, a Rock Pipit dropped in as I was leaving. A 'few' Meadow Pipit were in the Cockersand Abbey field, and with numbers lower and fluctuating, c.950 Golden Plover were in the Abbey Farm field where I also saw a Buzzard on a fence post. 

I picked up a Merlin on a distant post as I watched a Raven heading towards Abbey Farm, and a Merlin I saw an hour later over the marsh and Cocker Channel was no doubt the earlier male seen. Of 6 Snipe seen, four were up off the marsh, and two out of ditches from the road, from where I saw 3 Shoveler on the flood.

Given the weather wasn't perfect for birding, it was still bloody windy, and still bloody cold especially along the headland at Cockersand, but it was at least a reasonable selection of birds seen.

Thanks to Martin Lofgren for the excellent header image of the Water Pipit, which reminded me of my less than excellent image of the bird I found at Conder Green in 2016.

Water Pipit. Conder Green 4 April 2016. Pete Woodruff.    

Bring 'Em On!

Little Ringed Plover Andreas Trepte

I'd been at Conder Green about thirty minutes yesterday looking over Conder Pool and was about to set off on the circuit when I found myself saying - yes I do talk to myself - all I want to see is a....when out of hiding, a pair of Little Ringed Plover....excellent. 

The Spotted Redshank is well on it's way to achieving summer plumage, and the Common Sandpiper is still waiting the arrival of some relatives, a Stock Dove here is something unusual as were 2 Brown Hare, a few uncounted Tufted Duck, and the Oystercatchers were causing a bit of a commotion probably about breeding rights. There was a good number of Meadow Pipits around and I saw my first 6 Sand Martin over the pool.

Notable on the Lune Estuary a Glasson Dock, c.325 Black-tailed Godwit, a pair of Pintail are at best scarcely seen here, and a Great-crested Grebe.

What swans to be seen at Cockersands were viewable close by from Moss Lane and turned out to be 37 Mute Swan and a Black Swan with just 2 Whooper Swan left behind. About twelve unidentified birds through the fog from Moss Lane were at Bank End. I was unable to get down to check them out, but if these were Whooper Swans then the total would have been fourteen left from a winter peak at Cockersands of 355 seen on 16 March.

Cockersands 1.30pm 7 April. Pete Woodruff. 

There was nothing nice about Cockersands when I arrived yesterday afternoon with the fog lingering, but by 3.30pm it was in fact a brilliant calm, sunny, spring day. Good numbers of Meadow Pipit were around and the Skylark was singing.

Off Crook Farm, 65 Black-tailed Godwit with 2 Knot were feeding on the dropping tide. Passerines - resident or migrant - were depressingly scarce, with 7 Blackbird in Bank Houses horse paddock, 3 Linnet, and a Wren noted. I saw my second Small Tortoiseshell of the year, and at least 18 Brown Hare. 

As I drove away from Cockersands I spotted c.100 Golden Plover had come down into a field at Abbey Farm. 

A Party Political Broadcast....

....on behalf of the Migration Party. 

But nothing to broadcast as there has been little migration into the country yet, and I'll miss the start if it happens before Tuesday as I'm out of business until then. 

Meanwhile....Alleluia, I got out birding again on Thursday, first time in six days, but I haven't missed much as evidence showed today.

As far as I could see the Conder Pool winter Little Grebes and Goldeneyes have gone, though the faithful Spotted Redshank and Common Sandpiper both showed themselves again, accompanied by a small motley crew of 18 Tufted Duck, 2 Snipe, and a Little Egret, a 'pipit' had me jumping to attention for one second when it became obvious it was a Meadow Pipit. A Stoat took my place on the viewing platform as I stepped down from it.

The Lune Estuary was hardly riveting, but c.120 Black-tailed Godwit seen, some of which were in their resplendent summer plumes, also c.60 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, and a Little Egret was the sum total of interest.

As I drove up Moss Lane towards Cockersands I saw at least 900 Golden Plover in the air over the fields, but in the three hours spent there I never saw them again. There are still at least 200 Whooper Swan in the fields here with the Black Swan still attached to the herd.

Turnstone Brian Rafferty  

On Plover Scar I estimated 80 Turnstone and saw 63 Eider off here. A single Stock Dove was in an Abbey Farm field, and a Small Tortoiseshell was my first this year.

Sparrowhawk Richard Pegler

The local Sparrowhawk took out one of our resident garden House Sparrows yesterday....BASTARD. The sparrow probably has a nest under the eaves of our house.

Migration as I post....Still waiting.

Thanks to Brian and Richard for the Turnstones and Sparrowhawk, and to Martin for the Black-tailed Godwit header....More excellent images on Birds2blog.

Hard Work Little Pay.

I have to keep reminding myself were still in the last week of March, and though the calendar says it's spring the birds don't think so, at least the migrant ones don't, and won't be moving much in our direction until the weather improves and becomes more favourable for them. 

Spotted Redshank. Conder Green. Stuart Piner.

I drew a blank on lots of birds on Friday - migrant or not - with little reward for some hard slogging. I've got to be honest, I need to be seeing some 'new' birds with no disrespect to the Conder Green Spotted Redshank - which is showing moult into breeding plumage as the image above shows - and the Common Sandpiper both of which showed well again on Conder Pool, the former at rest with 35 Redshank, and the latter hiding away in a corner and seen from the fence at the west end. Also on the pool, 2 Goldeneye, with a Snipe put to flight upstream from the road bridge. A circuit almost produced a blank saved only by a Dunnock....this is serious!

I spent an enjoyable 3 hours at Cockersands, but not attributed to the birds I saw, though the days count of at least 2,500 Golden Plover was impressive, even if they spent almost the entire visit wheeling around on the wing for some reason or other and never settling at all, really frustrating because at one point I picked out a small wader in the air with them, and it would have been rewarding to grill them on the ground if only to find it had been a Dunlin maybe.

Black-tailed Godwit. Howard Stockdale.

The count still stands at c.200 Whooper Swan at Cockersands, all viewable off Moss Lane and with the Black Swan still present with them. Off Crook Farm, c.195 Black-tailed Godwit....And that was my lot for Friday 27 March 2015.

Clik the pik....and spot the ringed BTG. Yes it has a white flag on it's right leg and a ring above the flag hidden from view. It could be any one of six Black-tailed Godwits ringed in Iceland....how frustrating!

A Blackbird sang full voice in our garden this morning at 4.45am 

Thanks to SP/HS for the excellent images, including the new header, another 'pic with a difference' and much appreciated.

The Mutt Brigade. 

I make no apologies for reporting the 'Mutt Brigade' at Cockersands on Friday once again, three handlers and 15 mutts this time, a mile out into the bay and probably responsible for the disturbance of the 2,500 Golden Plover when they first set out on the shingle if the truth be known. 

Small Fry!

Nothing to hit the headlines yesterday with just small fry seen, but I did get out birding and that's all that matters to me.

Redshank With Turnstone Roost Findlay Wilde 

Conder Pool was quite lively with waders seeking a roost over the high 10.40m tide, with an estimated 220 Redshank and 150 Dunlin on here. Also 10 Snipe and a 'few' Curlew, the resident Spotted Redshank and Common Sandpiper, with 2 Goldeneye and 5 Tufted Duck. A male Reed Bunting appeared in the road and began feeding on spilt grain off a passing lorry. The Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock continued with an unimpressive streak and produced just 45 Black-tailed Godwit of note, with 2 Goldeneye, and a mere 8 Wigeon, seen as left overs from the wintering hundreds here.

Ringed Plover Brian Rafferty

At Cockersands the count of 185 Whooper Swan was something like 50% down on recent numbers. The Black Swan remains here, and the estimated 2,000 Golden Plover is an increase in the flock here for several days now, with a single Ringed Plover in the same field on a flooded section, c.30 Linnet were highly mobile, and up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit were off Crook Farm....Nothing small fry about them!

Migrants....still waiting and not even another Wheatear to be seen today.

Thanks for the images Findlay/Brian, much appreciated.

Anyone interested in a Music Festival!

Dull, Grey, And Nowt About.

Whooper Swans. Bank End March 16.

Well not quite that bad yesterday, but it certainly was dull and grey by mid-afternoon and as far away as ever from spring. But I can't really be saying 'nowt about' as today the 'Cockersands Swans' had congregated in the field by Bank End Farm with the exception of a few still distant birds, and I was at last able to get a better figure to put to them and came up with 350 Whooper Swan, with the Black Swan still in tow.

Whooper Swans. Bank End March 16.

Whilst looking through the herd of swans I came across a solitary Fieldfare below the trees in the background. The other decent count in the area was of the 1,500 Golden Plover still in fields here, 3 Stock Dove accompanied them. 

Other notes made at Cockersands, 28 Black-tailed Godwit were with Curlews again in a field. Small birds were, 8 Meadow Pipit, 5 Skylark, 2 Greenfinch, and 2 Reed Bunting, 33 Eider were off Plover Scar.

The Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock was void of any notable waders with just 3 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit to note, just 3 Goldeneye seen, a drake Goosander, and 2 Little Egret. 

At Conder Green, I found the Common Sandpiper first time since 3 March, the Spotted Redshank seen, with a Grey Wagtail by the road bridge. On Conder Pool, one Little Grebe, 2 Snipe, a pair of Wigeon, 2 Goldeneye, and 5 Long-tailed Tit worked their way through the trees. The L.B.B.Gull pair squat comfortably on the island were seen off by 2 Mute Swan which decided to haul out on to the gulls territory.

Attempts at photography are courtesy of yours truly, you get a better picture of the herd of swans if you 'clik the pik'....good eh!!

Saturday Birding....Who me!

I don't do weekend birding but....As a rarity on Saturday I gave Cockersands/Bank End a couple of hours to be rewarded with my first Wheatear on the shingle below Cockersands Abbey.

One or two other notes made included up to 600 Black-tailed Godwit seen, with 550 off Crook Farm, 16 with Curlews in a field, and 30 on the Cocker Estuary, c.50 Knot were also noted here, with 1,500 Golden Plover still around the Abbey Farm fields. Off Plover Scar, 48 Eider and 2 Pintail drake seen with Wigeon.

Whooper Swans Brian Rafferty

At Bank End I got close to the swans still here and beyond, and was able to get a better estimate of at least 300 Whooper Swan accompanied by the Black Swan which gets around some having been seen over recent weeks off Jeremy Lane, Moss Lane, Slack Lane, and Bank End. A lone Whooper Swan has been on Cockerham Marsh my last two visits and is possibly injured/ill though appears quite lively, a dead Whooper Swan is on the marsh in front of Bank End Farm and badly eaten into. Thanks for the image above Brian, a must 'clik the pik' for an excellent show.

A saunter through Williamson Park yesterday proved the resident Little Grebe still on the old reservoir, first found on 18 November 2013 and again 30 October 2014. In Lancaster Cemetery, at least 20 Greenfinch, 2 Jay, 2 Nuthatch, 2 Mistle Thrush, and a Coal Tit with Great Tits and Blue Tits.

Stonechat David Cookson 

I was pleased to hear of three male Stonechat up Whitendale in Bowland yesterday, with many thanks to JW for this info, and to DC for the image, appreciated and excellent on both counts.