Homework!

Another forced four days 'off the road' with 'Homework' of sorts to be done. No wall to wall birding seven days a week for this birder I'm afraid. So take a look at these three subjects I chose at random, I hope you find them interesting as I certainly did, and by the way, my comments are not to be read as patronising, just plain facts in plain English.

Willow Tit. David Cookson.

I've met some great people - birders and photographers - over my birding years and David Cookson is one of 'em and I appreciate the fact I'm able to liven up and show some brilliant photographs of his on Birds2blog. This one of the Willow Tit which he had the good fortune to visit his garden recently....lucky him, a bird extinct on our area in North Lancashire and beyond, go out and find one today for yourself and become famous overnight to prove they've all be wrong and that the Willow Tit is alive and well in the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society recording area. Please take a look HERE  if you'd like to see some more stunning photography....Thanks David.

Meadow Pipit. Phil Slade.

I look in on Phil's website on a daily basis and came across this photograph of the Meadow Pipit. This picture takes the bird a step beyond it's status of a very common, widespread, and abundant species and lifts this individual to a higher plain thanks to this stunning photograph, and there's more HERE ....Thanks Phil.   

5 Colour Weave Wheel. Richard Shilling.

Richard Shilling has been out in the great outdoors again and created his latest masterpiece. One or two  visitors to Birds2blog have thanked me for pointing them in the direction of Richards art and I'm pointing you once again to this brilliant creation. Whether or not you know of this mans work I strongly recommend you take a look at 5 Colour Weave Wheel and not only his art but on this occasion his words which accompany it....quite a revelation I found. Thanks for this Richard you continue to amaze me and I know you'll do it again soon.

TODAYS MEGA NEWS (RBA)

Bobolink on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire at 9.15am with no boats today....can I borra yer helicopter mister!



High Time!

Plovers and Dunlin. Pete Woodruff.

I dug out this pic as I was struggling for one for today's post, as it happens its quite a decent pic if only for having the benefit of separating the male - on the left - from the female Ringed Plover.

In relation to the title of the post....high tide time actually which made my allotted Mondays four hours a little awkward as high tide isn't quite the best time for a visit to Conder/Glasson, but please note 'isn't quite' as Conder Pool played host to one or two decent birds in the roost with 2 Curlew Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, Ruff, and Common Sandpiper, a Little Egret, 9 Little Grebe, 4 Wigeon, a Goosander, and 38 Pink-footed Geese flying high south.

At Cockersands the tide was barely on the ebb and heavy showers threatened, so in the hope last Tuesdays packet of Hula Hoops had a drawing effect on the sea birds I opened another packet and sat it out with eyes peeled but to no avail, but as the tide dropped I donned my 'recorders' hat - which was full of dust - and noted unimpressive numbers of waders before leaving having run out of time, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 7 Turnstone, 8 Ringed Plover, 6 Curlew, 12 Dunlin, and c.450 Redshank. I was also rewarded by seeing the set aside here having drawn and kept c.30 Greenfinch provided with winter seed....the birds need one of these set asides in every farmland field in the country and the sooner the better.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock 2 Curlew Sandpipers accompanieed up to 700 Redshank I was grilling, Lapwing numbers probably exceeded this but otherwise the area was quiet. 

Whooper Swans. Pete Woodruff. 

Whooper Swans at Fluke Hall last winter and a reminder of things to come, and if last year is anything to go by I'm hoping to have found some by 1 October which is the date three were in a field opposite Braides. 

Mega News.

In Glamorgan a Bobolink is/was SE of Port Talbot, and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is/was SE of Greatham.