Good 'Start' To A Good Day!

Friday got off to a good start for me, when, enroute to Harrisend for end of April chats. I found a pair of Redstart, obviously breeding in the trunk of an Ash....Watch this space.

In the tree next to the Ash, a pair of Lesser Redpoll, with a Mistle Thrush close by. 

Andrena cineraria Pete Woodruff.

A small aggregation of Ashy Mining Bee were on the dry sandy path, from where I found them emerged from their burrows. A robust and distinctive mining-bee, unlike any other species in Lancashire with its ashy-grey appearance.

On to Harrisend where I found 6 Stonechat, seen as a pair and four male. Whilst I gave all the male birds a few minutes to see any females, I can't record as such, but I reckon there are five breeding pairs on Harrisend to date.

But better was to come, following one at Cockersand last Tuesday, I came across another stunning male Whinchat which was still around the same fence post on my return two hours later....A bit of Harrisend magic this time.

A Cuckoo was calling frequently whilst I was on Harrisend, it was in the Nicky Nook area, from where I hear the bird near annually. Also noted here, 34 Meadow Pipit, 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Wren, a pair of Linnet, a single Red Grouse, and 2 Buzzard soaring overhead with periods of interaction. Butterflies seen, 3 Peacock and 2 Green Hairstreak. 

On Hawthornthwaite, I found 3 Stonechat, a pair and a lone female. Also, at least 20 Sand Martin flighting around Catshaw Grieve, 16 Greylag flew low and east, 12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren, 2 Red Grouse, and 2 Buzzard. Butterflies, 4 Peacock, and a Brown Hare seen.

Garden Siskins.

A pair of Siskin enjoying the offerings of our feeder.

No aplogise for the repeat in my header, at least a slightly better pik than the Cockersand Whinchat.

News From The Pool.

Avocet colour flagged 6V, is one of last years back on Conder Pool. 

   

This Sunday morning, 5 Common Tern were on Conder Pool, with this pair displaying. If I was this female tern, I would be well pleased with this excellent offering.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for images and updates on this excellent news for Conder Pool.

Cockersand....Best & Brilliant.

On a lovely sunny, cold, and calm day, Cockersand was at its best and brilliant on Monday, and produced a nice little trio to add to some other good things.

But I first called in at Conder Green to note 2 Kingfisher in flight down the creeks, one in pursuit of the other, before doing a U turn to fly back upstream and out of sight. On Conder Pool I counted 46 Wigeon, 7 Snipe, and a lone Little Grebe. Interesting, that the Conder Pool winter population has rapidly fallen in number this year, since the all time peak count of 32 Little Grebe recorded here 25 September, and numbers usually remain in decent double figures here until after the turn of the year.

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A circuit of Cockersand is always on the cards as a traditional thing for me, as is the case for most other locations I visit on my birding sorties. Today was no exception, and with the conditions, Cockersand was perfect for some birding.

In fields north behind the caravan park, up to 180 Whooper Swan including 28 off Slack Lane. As I wandered along the road, 13 Blackbird counted, 3 Greenfinch, and a Reed Bunting, and as I rounded the corner at Lighthouse Cottage to head south back to the Caravan Park, a male Merlin shot across my path and flew along the shoreline to Crook Cottage before turning inland and out of view. Almost certainly the same male Merlin I found here 8 October.

I counted 135 Wigeon drifting on the sea, in a line from Plover Scar upstream and out of view towards Glasson. 

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I got this clip of the Whooper Swans south of the abbey, looking east with the Bowland Fells and Hawthornthwaite in the background, whilst c.300 Golden Plover shot over my head to the shore, and from here I saw the only Brown Hare of the day, seen racing through the field.

When I got back to the caravan park it was to my delight I found a pair of Stonechat amongst the tall grasses above the shingle. Whilst stalking the chats to try for a pik, a visiting birder from Skipton - who I had met earlier along the headland - called that he had seen an owl that had gone to ground distant over the fields behind Lower Bank Houses. A Buzzard and Carrion Crow had gone down in the same area seemingly curious as to what was going on with the owl. We had to wait a while for the bird to reappear and take to the wing flying towards us, it was a Barn Owl....Thanks Duncan, nice one.

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I was at Cockersand until 4.00pm as the sun was setting, a pair of Stonechat and a Barn Owl was the prefect end for me. If it's a little therapeutic birding you're after, I recommend Cockersand....Be there.  

At 8°C a Small Tortoiseshell was in our garden briefly yesterday. 

Start, Chaser, & Chats

A Redstart, and Four-spotted Chaser at Holme Wood, and Stonechats on Hawthornthwaite Fell, were the top trio for my little black book. But blink and you'll miss the male Redstart. Eyes right of centre where the video arrow points to the small branch on the tree....View Full Screen. 

Two young Redstart are now being fed at Holme Wood, but I found neither female or young on this latest visit.

Other good news from here was a Four-spotted Chaser, my first dragonfly of the year, and the Cuckoo made itself know to be present calling a few times. Also of note, two pair of Dunnock with a juvenile seen, 4 Grey Wagtail on Grizedale Brook, with 4 Mistle Thrush, a Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, juvenile Goldfinch, and a Buzzard over. Butterflies seen were 12 Small Heath and 10 Large White.

A hike up Catshaw - well half way up - to look for Ring Ouzel reported to me complete with a detailed map, wasn't successful, but that's what makes birding what it is. But 15 Meadow Pipit, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Large White, a Small Heath, and a Brown Hare came as compensation for the effort.

On Hawthornthwaite, I was well rewarded by finding 5 Stonechat, including the first breeding evidence here, with two young seen. A lone male Stonechat put on a display, when I first saw the bird c.100m in the air, I thought it was a Meadow Pipit in silhouette, hovering for a few seconds, then parachuting down before leveling off to make a direct flight for around 200m. Also here, a Grey Wagtail which is scarce on Catshaw Greave, I don't recall the last one seen here, 8 Sand Martin flying around, with no colony established that I'm aware of, and 5 Meadow Pipit. Butterflies, 7 Small Heath and 2 Small Copper.

Ignorance Is Bliss!

Clik The Pik

The notice kindly erected at Cam Brow by FOBMG and says....SAND MARTINS NESTING PLEASE KEEP AWAY TO AVOID DISTURBANCE.  

Conder News.

On 26 April Howards Stockdale took this photograph of a CanadaxGreylag on Conder Pool....Sometimes nicknamed 'Granada', this is a frequent hybrid combination.

 

On 7 June, Howard got another shot, this time there was a surprise - third young from left - with this Canada Goose family on Conder Pool. Also here, the first Common Tern chicks were seen this week.

This record shot shows breeding evidence of a Redshank with four young on Conder Pool.

Thanks to HS for keeping in touch with info and images. 

7 Up....Again!

....and another pik in the amateur bracket by yours truly.

Stonechat Birk Bank 5 May. Pete Woodruff.

Following on from the seven chats on Harrisend 30 April, I found another 7 Stonechat on my latest visit to Birk Bank, they were seen as three pair, the seventh bird a male I regarded as a lone individual independent from the six.

Also seen on this enjoyable if mostly cloudy and cold upland safari, 10 Willow Warbler were seen as an abundant, ever present, and most vocal of our summer warblers, 5 Wren, and 4 Meadow Pipit. Then they came in two's, Chiffchaff, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, and Red Grouse, one of which was a female, something of a scarcity in my records despite seeing numbers like 40+ males on visits around Clougha over the years. Raptors seen, 2 Kestrel together, and a Buzzard which showed off its ariel skills hanging and hovering on the wind. I also saw a single Green Hairstreak and a Brown Hare.

Conder Green.

Common Tern Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

The absence of livestock on Conder Pool seems to have greatly contributed to an excellent six breeding pairs of Avocet to date, with one nest set to hatch in the coming days, also a pair of Common Tern observed with pairing behaviour as the image above illustrates. A pair of Mediterranean Gull were also seen on the pool behaving in a similar manner, though these were immature birds.

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The Bar-tailed Godwits are at best irregular at Conder Green in my records.

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale and Ian Hartley in sending me this info and records, and to Howard for the image and clip.  

April Chats And The Blue Nailed Hawker.

Searching through my records of April Stonechats since 2006. I found little has changed over 15 years, although 10 Stonechat on Hawthornthwaite 10 April 2006, 9 on Harrisend 5 April 2007, and 8 on Clougha/Birk Bank 21 April 2008 were decent peak spring counts. Thereafter, numbers only reached counts of no more than four birds in the month of April in the two years 2007/9. Two years of severe winter weather then saw the decline of a decade of growth in upland breeding and wintering Stonechats, from which - according to my records - they never recovered.

My latest visit to Harrisend had me finding 5 Stonechat, probably three pairs on territory to date. Also to note, at least 28 Meadow Pipit, 3 Wren, 2 Red Grouse, 2 Raven were foraging on the ridge, a Kestrel, and a Brown Hare. As I got back to the car, 2 Greylag were overhead loudly cackling before doing a U turn.

As I arrived at Hawthornthwaite, 2 Greylag flew east, when I got back to the car again two hours later, 2 Greylag flew west, all a little coincidental. I found a pair of Stonechat here, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Red Grouse, a Buzzard, Kestrel, a Curlew presumably on territory, and a Skylark which I don't recall ever seeing here before.

On the way back to Lancaster, I called in at Street Bridge for a brief look for the Pied Billed Grebe, with no luck, but did hear my first Chiffchaff, and a Song Thrush was nice. On Sunday, 4 Swallow over and around the canal in the Deep Cutting area, were the first of the year for KT and myself.

The Blue Nailed Hawker.     

I'm looking forward to the season getting underway. Maybe if I get myself off to somewhere like Birk Bank, I might find an early April Large Red Damselfly over the bog to confirm it's already underway.

 Female Migrant Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

Coming across my record of 54 Migrant Hawker seen in little more than one hour along the canal between Glasson Dock and Conder Green on 19 September 2019. I subsequently found this photograph of a female Migrant Hawker taken in August 2020. Although not the best of images, it clearly shows a distinctive 'blue nail' on S2.

Field Guide Reference 

I was puzzled by my 'blue nail' photograph, the mark should be a distinctive yellow. So, off it went for expert analysis which came up with some interesting explanations, 1) because this was an immature female, the yellow isn't very bold yet, 2) field guides can't illustrate at every colour stage, 3) colours can change with temperature. Mmmm....Learning something every day!

Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva. Pete Woodruff.

Smart little bee on Euphorbia in the garden yesterday.

Unconnected to the post, but an excellent and much appreciated image of the Avocet by Martin Jump.

Birds & Hymenoptera.

Made my first venture of the year on to Harrisend and Hawthornthwaite Fell this week. It was my first visit to both these fells which I made at the onset of the return of the beast from the east.

Add to the bleakness of the day, I got no returns for my search for Stonechats, drawing a blank at both venues, despite my finding possibly two pairs of Stonechat on my last visit in Nov/Dec last year.

Hawthornthwaite Fell. Pete Woodruff. Clik The Pik

On Hawthornthwaite, at least 12 Red Grouse, a Buzzard over, a Snipe flushed out of a ditch, and 2 Fieldfare seemed deserted in a nearby field. 

On Harrisend, 2 Red Grouse, 2 Reed Bunting, a Raven over, and a Brown Hare which I don't recall ever seeing before on Harrisend Fell.

Garden Birds.

Over 20 minutes, I watched 9 Blackbird leaving a blossom tree to go to roost. Five left the tree and flew in an easterly direction, and four northerly. Two Buzzard were soaring together, then drifting off directly over the house.

Five Years Ago.

Rooting through my records, I was chuffed to find this coming Thursday was the anniversary when I found a wintering Little Stint on the mudbank midway between the old iron railway and the Lune/Conder confluence on 18 January 2016. I remember the day well, when my good friend Stuart Piner later joined me to share and enjoy this smart little wader, on the same day a Spotted Redshank was on the Lune Estuary at Glasson, and a female Scaup on the canal basin....Nice!

Thanks to Antonio for the beautiful header image of a beautiful bird.

Bees, Wasps and Ants.

Tawny Mining-Bee. Pete Woodruff.

Though the subject is mostly outside my comfort zone. I well recall one encounter when I found some Tawny Mining-Bees emerging from a lawn in a garden whilst visiting a relative at a care home in Lancaster. These creatures create a distinctive 'soil volcano' (tumuli) around the nest hole, and it was a delight for me to witness the emergence of these little beauties.

 

Ben Hargreaves with Steve White (Editor), and all involved in this informative and beautifully illustrated book, should be congratulated for the huge effort involved in this publication. 

I would like to personally thank Dave Bickerton as the Honorary Secretary of L&CFS for being in touch with me, and for posting copies to members....A recommended read. 

The Chats Have It....Again!

Thanks to Martin Jump for the excellent and appropriate header image for this post about the Stonechat. It is the view looking NE from Hawthornthwaite Fell to the eastern edge below Ward's Stone, with Mallowdale Fell taking centre stage.

I was in touch with John Callion regarding the 'Ward's Stone Chat', to ask if he had any wintering records for Cumbria that might dispel my claim that this was the highest altitude bird in our area if not England. If John didn't have the answer to this question, nobody else would....

'Many of the Stonechats that breed in the high fells tend to nest in the steep angular valleys that,  after the autumn and the onset of the low arc of the sun, become sunless and unsuitable for survival during the winter.

There are however some of the wider and shallow valleys that offer 'full sun' during the winter and retain territorial birds; to my knowledge they include the upper Mosedale valley near Skiddaw House, and upper Borrowdale at Dock Tarn. Both of these sites are around 400m asl, so not as high as the one you have in Bowland. There may be others, perhaps higher, but l have no knowledge of them, so l think it's fairly safe for you to suggest your bird is likely to be the highest that we have information for?' John Callion.

Map Courtesy of Simon Hawtin

During the summer, keen fell runner Simon had seen two Stonechat (Green) in the same area as the January Ward's Stone bird (Red), one of which may well have been a female to the male, thereby making an excellent 420m wintering pair. Perhaps if Simon can find a pair in the shadow of Ward's Stone on Tarnbrook Fell during this winter, we can then put an end to conjecture.

Stonechat Male. D.G.M'cGrath

Since 1 January, to date I've noted 35 Stonechats, recorded at 18 locations and mainly found on the FBC website, including an excellent 6 Stonechat at Lytham Moss 3 January. You just don't usually see six Stonechat at any one time in winter, and certainly not lowland/coastal birds. Thanks to Dave for this little beauty he found at Marton Mere. 

Wood Mouse.

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I've previously paid little or no attention to the Wood Mouse - sometimes referred to as Long Tailed Field Mouse - and had no idea it was probably the most common mammal in the UK.

From the B+W File.

Brown Hare in the long grass at Cockersand....Well, being I took the photograph, where else!

A Murky Short List.

The damp murky weather did nothing to enthuse me on Friday, but undaunted off I went to find 2 Avocet on Conder Pool loafing at the left edge of the island, one preening the other dozing. Otherwise 13 Tufted Duck, 7 Black-headed Gull, a few Redshank, and noisy Oystercatcher with their resounding shrill calls, a Greenshank was in the creeks.

At Cockersand, at least 1,000 Golden Plover seen from the road, in flight over the abbey and appeared to go down onto the shore, Five White Wagtail were on a flood, 35 Linnet seen, c.30 Meadow Pipit, 2 Dunnock, a Stock Dove, Skylark seen/heard, and a pair of Shoveler still on the flood. A casual count resulted in at least 20 Brown Hare seen today.

I called in at Glasson Dock to find just 5 Eider of note on the Lune Estuary, and to find birds of the day which were my first c.50 Swallow hawking and drinking over the canal basin.

Local Goodie.

No permit for the photograph on Birds2blog, but a Black-headed Wagtail on Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve found yesterday, still there this morning....Here

Chat Finale.

Grey Heron Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

A Grey Heron and 16 Mallard were the only birds present on Conder Pool on Thursday, and noted on the circuit, a Grey Wagtail in the creeks, and a male Sparrowhawk seen flap-flap-gliding across the marsh. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, with the exception of several hundred Lapwing, there was no other three figure counts of Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Wigeon, Common Gull, or Black-headed Gull, but 8 Goldeneye were my best count to date here this winter, and a drake Goosander was noted.

At Cockersand, I estimate the 245 Whooper Swan still in fields here, and in other fields checked, probably in excess of 2,500 waders of which were 1,750 Golden Plover, 250 Curlew, with good numbers of Lapwing, Redshank and Dunlin. Finches seen, up to 40 Twite in a mix with a few Linnet in the rough field behind Bank House Cottage, with 12 Goldfinch and 3 Greenfinch seen. I saw a total of 9 Brown Hare, eight of which were together in the same field not 50 metres apart.

Chat Finale....

My last birding day in 2017 on Thursday ended nicely for me with the 1st winter male Stonechat seen again off the Caravan Park, though no sign of the female seen with this male on 22 December. Hopefully the New Year will start with a Stonechat, that would be good enough for me if it did.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.

A Little Birding Magic.

Avocet. Conder Pool 26 April. Pete Woodruff.

The Avocet were on Conder Pool again yesterday, though interestingly they were nowhere to be seen when I called back again five hours later. This bird was initially on the nest but then started a cleaning up exercise around the site, picking up bits of vegetation and other debris and throwing it to one side. A Kingfisher landed briefly on the outlet, and a Brown Hare was seen running off. In the creeks, 3 Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, and 'the' lone Black-tailed Godwit seen again.

Seen on the Lune Estuary from the bowling green towards the Conder mouth, birds hanging on to what remained above water as the tide raced in, 120 Redshank, 85 Dunlin, and 34 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Eider seen but probably more out of sight on the bank on the river bend below Colloway Marsh. At least 15 Sand Martin were hawking over the canal basin, and I saw 3 Reed Bunting from a moving car on Jeremy Lane.

Dunlin. Plover Scar 26 April. Pete Woodruff.

I was at Plover Scar at Cockersand an hour before high tide standing as motionless as possible, by mid-day I was watching up to 3,000 Dunlin which had been driven slowly towards and just a few metres in front of me. This was twice the number seen on here on Monday, and with the sight and sound of a short rippling 'plip-ip-ip' by a flock of this size a little birding magic was created for me.

Also on Plover Scar, c.100 Ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatcher, and a lone Grey Plover, 6 Eider were off here, being five drake and a female, and 4 Whimbrel were later off Crook Farm. A pair of Shoveler remain on the flood where I saw my first 2 Lapwing chicks, 8 Goldfinch were around Bank Houses where Swallows have arrived, and 2 Stock Dove were in a bush by the track to Abbey Farm. 

But definitely not a migrant day....again.

Spring Is In The Air....

....not for me it ain't, and not that many 'spring' birds in the air on Monday either, or on the ground for that matter, though I've managed to squeeze three Wheatear into the book, but I've yet to find my first, Sand Martin, House Martin, or Swallow. 

OK, it's early days yet, but you see migrant birds reported here and there, which creates the impression it's all happening and time to get out and get a bit of the action for yourself, only to find there isn't too much of it about. 

But now I'm about to contradict at least a little of that....

Greenshank/Redshank. Conder Green 3 April. Pete Woodruff....Well I did try.

It was good to find a Greenshank at Conder Green yesterday, the first of it's kind here since I found four in the creeks on 17 October, at one point it was alongside the wintering(?)Common Sandpiper. On Conder Pool, 24 Shelduck, 15 Tufted Duck, 12 Redshank, the summer resident Oystercatchers, and a Little Egret.

A huge concentration of 'gulls' on the Lune Estuary but very few waders, my notes consisted of 15 Black-tailed Godwit, with a Shoveler, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, and a Goosander all of which were drakes, a pair of Eider, and a Great-crested Grebe, two Buzzard were soaring high over the river and slowly drifted south.

At Cockersand, I found only 3 Whooper Swan, they were in a field with 135 Mute Swan. In the flooded field, at least 8 White Wagtail, with 35 Pied Wagtail, 15 Meadow Pipit, 3 Skylark, 3 Shoveler, and 2 Redshank. In the Abbey Farm field, up to 600 Golden Plover and 6 Dunlin, c.80 Twite were again in the Lighthouse Cottage area, a Dunnock was in the hedgerow, and I counted 16 Brown Hare again.

Even the Portland Bill Obs sightings yesterday 4 April started....'It's been a long time coming'.... 

Brimstone. Warren Baker @ Pittswood Birds

It was good to see a Brimstone butterfly on Sunday at Heysham Nature Reserve 

Thanks to Warren for the image showing excellent detail of the male underwing.

Better Late Than Never.

Slow off the block again on Friday, but it was good to get to Cockersand to take a good look around.

As I walked from Crook Farm a Snipe came up off the marsh, c.80 Twite were again around the Lighthouse Cottage area with a few Linnet seen. There was little of Plover Scar above water by the time I got there about 30 minutes short of a 10.20m tide to find just 2 Turnstone hanging on, with 5 Pied Wagtail and a 3 Ringed Plover fly by.

Two Wheatear were on the abbey ruins, and from Abbey Farm at least 375 Golden Plover were in the field with 25 Curlew, a single Knot and 6 Oystercatcher were escaping the tide on the headland. Two Tree Sparrow and 2 Blackbird were the only birds of note around Bank Houses horse paddock today.

As I approached the flooded field at the junction of Moss and Slack Lane I saw 18 Ringed Plover fly off, the field held at least 80 Meadow Pipit, 2 White Wagtail, 15 Pied Wagtail, and 4 Skylark, 5 Shoveler were seen as two pairs and a drake, with Teal and Redshank present. The Cockersand wintering swan herd is now reduced to 132 Whooper Swan. 

Brown Hare Martin Jump  

I counted 16 Brown Hare on the circuit at Cockersand on Friday. With thanks to Martin Jump for the image, good to see you as I came off Hawthornthwaite Fell last Tuesday Martin. 

Thanks to Jan Larsson for the header Lapland Bunting, rather more resplendent than the Cockersand bird. 

Before The Larks.

Before my dash to Bank End to see the Shorelarks on Friday, I estimated 500 Whooper Swan seen at Cockersand, with the wintering herd still standing at around 450, and another 50 seen in Crook Farm fields with at least 3 Bewick's Swan. In and around Bank Houses horse paddock, 8 Tree Sparrow, 4 Blackbird, 4 Robin, 2 Dunnock, 2 Wood Pigeon, a Song Thrush, and a male Chaffinch. Also noted, 5 Skylark, and 4 Shoveler on a flood seen as two pairs and a good record here. 

At Conder Green at high tide, the Spotted Redshank was on the marsh, with a single Little Grebe on the tide. I was about to leave when I watched a huge cloud of up to 1,500 gulls come up off the fields on Jeremy Lane to fly towards the estuary, c.250 came down on to Conder Pool, checking them out they were mainly Black-headed Gull but included 28 Common Gull.

On the Lune Estuary, high tide roosters were, 1,750 Golden Plover, and 95 Black-tailed Godwit. I counted 22 Goldeneye, with 16 on the estuary, and 6 on the canal basin with a pair of Goosander noted.

The Brown Hare.

Brown Hare Martin Jump

Taking into account duplication risk, with some running around and moving from field to field, I counted at least 21 Brown Hare at Cockersand today.

Shorelark Marc Heath 

The Shorelarks were seen again on Saturday, and are still there this Sunday morning at 8.35am.

Thanks to Richard Pegler for the Bluethroat header, to Richard Shilling who is back on Birds2blog with his Dandelion Sun, to Martin Jump for his Brown Hares, and to Marc Heath for his 'Kentish' Shorelark.

Into 2017....

....and one or two of yesterday's sightings had added interest.

Pochard Female. Jan Larsson @ Vingspann 

To be honest the big surprise of the day for me was the Pochard on the canal basin at Glasson Dock, a rare breeder in the Leighton Moss area, a declining winter visitor, and at best irregular everywhere. An even bigger surprise was that this one was a female, any Pochard I've seen in the past on the canal basin have been almost entirely male. Also, of the new peak count of 17 Goldeneye, thirteen on here were all drake save two female, with another four drake Goldeneye on the Lune Estuary where I noted the only waders to be seen were below the edge of Colloway Marsh where a Peregrine Falcon was sat, c.120 Lapwing, 20 Dunlin, and a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit. I don't remember when the estuary here was so void of birds tide or no tide....and where are all the Bar-tailed Godwit?

Along the coastal path, 8 Blackbird, 6 Fieldfare, a Dunnock, Robin, and Great Tit. In the creeks at Conder Green, Spotted Redshank and 4 Little Grebe. Conder Pool was void of Little Grebe and little else, but 35 Wigeon and a similar number of Mallard noted.

Along Moss Lane, the Cockersand - it's actually Thurnham on the map - swan numbers were down by 50% compared to my visit here last Thursday, I estimate 300 Whooper Swan in the area west of Thursland Hill now, with 20 Pink-footed Geese seen. Seven Bewick's Swan were still in the field by Clarkson's Farm, with another 5 Whooper Swan by Slack Lane, these were seen as three adult and two juvenile.

Around the Bank Houses area, a flock of at least 90 Twite was higher than the one last Thursday when they were more like fifty, c.300 Golden Plover were in an Abbey Farm field, a Song Thrush and 5 Brown Hare were in the same field.

Pied Wagtail at Cockersand.

Pied Wagtail. Warren Baker @ Pittswood Birds  

I counted 24 Pied Wagtail in a flooded field at the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, these were seen as an exceptional number, and being I had to step to one side to loose my count three times for cars to pass me on the narrow lane, I reckon I would have found more. I made a quick comparison with records, when 121 were recorded in the 2015 January survey in our recording area compared to the previous 5 year mean of 96....These 24 Pied Wagtail in this one field yesterday equated to almost 25% of these five January counts.

A most enjoyable and rewarding first days birding for 2017....With thanks to Jan and Warren for their continued contribution to Birds2blog.