Just to be going on with....

....a bit of news and some pics - five actually - until I can get out birding again....

2nd Winter Iceland Gull Ronald Surgenor  

A 2nd winter Iceland Gull was on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock yesterday. The bird was  on Glasson Marsh initially, then west of the marsh before flying off.

Snow Goose. Copy Permitted.

This intermediate morph Lesser Snow Goose is/was doing the rounds with Pink-footed Geese since first being found SW of Cockerham on 13 January.

Snow Bunting Martin Jump  

A Snow Bunting was found on the beach opposite the old Lifeboat Station at Morecambe on Sunday.

Wheatear Brian Rafferty  

I'll be looking in earnest for my first Wheatear probably - but not necessarily - at Cockersands, not sure it will be in the next couple of days with the weather as it is, but I'll be looking just the same.

Sand Martin Simon Hawtin  

And the canal basin at Glasson Dock will be a good place to find my first Sand Martin if I haven't already found one elsewhere beforehand.

And finally....

A Little Ringed Plover was at Marbury Country Park in Cheshire yesterday....Conder Pool here we come!!

3B Birding!

Boots, Bins, and Buses.

With some 'other things' sorted and enough light left in the skies at 11.30am to last another few hours it was boots on, bin's round my neck, and I headed off to walk from Lancaster (Greyhound Bridge) to Glasson Dock once again on Friday.

Snow Bunting. David Cookson.

Not at all related to my day on Friday but a brilliant image of the Snow Bunting, with my sincere thanks to DC ....One found today (Sunday) on Plover Scar, Cockersands thanks to my reliable informant. 

And an hour later....

Lesser Snow Goose Alvan Buckley

A Lesser Snow Goose blue morph found SW of Cockerham.

But back to Friday....

I counted up to 12 Goosander upstream beyond Skerton Bridge on the River Lune before setting off downstream to count 15 Goldeneye to Marsh Point. I decided I had no time to walk down the path to check out Freeman's Pools but did see a female Sparrowhawk 'flap-flap-glide' across the pool. Along the embankment Aldcliffe Marsh was void of birds but held a 'lady' - note my politeness - complete with her charge of four unleashed mutts, who walked - they charged, excuse the pun - the entire length of the marsh, I just wish people with mutts wouldn't do this....note my politeness again. 

Redwing. Copy Permitted.

On the flood at Aldcliffe I counted 25 Redshank and a solitary Black-tailed Godwit feeding along the edges, and of note from here to Conder Green, 5 Little Egret, 18 Blackbird, a Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, 12 Goldfinch, 2 Robin, and as always in the winter months 'a thousand or two' Lapwing. 

It was a bit of a rush job today and by the time I reached Conder Green my bus back to Lancaster was on its way and I barely had the time to note 11 Little Grebe, the ratio being the same as Wednesday which was seven in the creeks and four on Conder Pool where I noted a Little Egret appearing to have settled for the night amongst a small group of Teal.    

Barn Owl Brian Rafferty 

And another unrelated to my birding today, a brilliant collage of the Barn Owl....Many thanks to BR.

And finally....There's a sad 'raptor' story with a good ending - though not good enough in my opinion - which  you might like read HERE 

A Complete Blank!

This is not good, and I get no enjoyment from creating this post which is to report a week completely void of any birding, depressing stuff and I can't go on like this, things must change....and soon or else.

Floods have been the areas to check recently, though a flood anywhere anytime is always worth a check and if you live in the same area as I do one at Aldcliffe is as good as they come. But  three particular floods have been in the news in the past few days, and all have hosted some 'good birds'.

Wood Sandpiper Dave Appleton 

A flood viewed from Lancaster Road near to Lousanna Farm at Out Rawcliffe - which I know well and drove past many hundreds of times during my days delivering car parts - held a nice Wood Sandpiper this week along with a number of Ruff which reached a double figure in one report I saw. Another Wood Sandpiper was present during the week on another flood at Todderstaffe Hall on the Fylde. I can offer no accurate number but I recall going into the Allan Hide at Leighton Moss with John Leedal one day to find c.8 Wood Sandpiper together, a record I never equalled since....Thanks for the photograph Dave.   

Pectoral Sandpiper Colin Bushell

On yet another flood NW of Garstang and east of Lathwaite, a Pectoral Sandpiper was present this week too with another on Banks Marsh. The Pectoral Sandpiper is the most numerous Nearctic wader on this side of the Atlantic, in excess of 1,400 were noted between 1958-85 an average of over 50 birds a year. The one in the image above was in Manu, Peru 2010....Thanks for this Colin.

Lesser Snow Geese Geoff Gradwell  

I think the biggest 'Lancashire' surprise of all this week was the appearance of Lesser Snow Geese on the Fylde coast where the number peaked at thirteen at Cockers Dyke on Pressall Sands. The image above is of seven of these thirteen birds which were also over Rossall Point at Fleetwood...Thanks Geoff.

And finally....

Common Sandpiper Antonio Puigg

I wonder if the Common Sandpiper will winter again at Conder Green, this bird was photographed 'nodding off' recently in Spain....Many thanks Antonio.

And the MEGA news today was of a Yelkouan Shearwater past Whitburn Steel in Co.Durham.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING....NEXT WEEK OR ELSE!!