Wednesday 22 April.

Four more first migrants for me on Wednesday all seen at Cockersand, with a trickle of 12 Swallow through, and on one occasion accompanied by a single House Martin. A Sedge Warbler was singing in the hedgerow, and 4 Whimbrel on the shore.

A Shoveler pair were in the wide ditch at the junction of Moss/Slack Lane. I've seen the Shoveler here in previous years. Three Skylark seen, one in flight song, two flew off a fence post in front of me, A Linnet was in song by the caravan park, and 72 Black-tailed Godwit were feeding on the tideline. I saw just two butterflies, a Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.

Up to 12 Lapwing were on territory in the stubble field behind Lighthouse Cottage, one bird drew my attention alarm calling, and as I looked over the gate it soon became apparent why....

On Conder Pool, I made a peak count of 28 Avocet including two in the creeks, where the near summer plumage Spotted Redshank was with a Greenshank. Also of note, 2 Little Ringed Plover, with 54 Black-tailed Godwit and a similar number of Knot still here.

I was more than grateful to receive a message to tell me of the arrival of the Common Tern on Conder Pool Thursday 23 April. This date is 3 days later than last year 20 April 2025....Thanks to Pete Crooks for the info and for adding that John Wood had found 2 Common Tern before he had seen one later in the afternoon. 

River Lune At Glasson. Pete Woodruff. 

At low tide, the estuary resembled a desert save the channel, where 14 Eider were diving, a decent count for the location.

Friday 24 April.

Cuckoo. Marc Heath.

The highlight of a circuit of Birk Bank has to be the 2 Cuckoo heard, one in the Birk Bank area east of the bog, the second to the east of Cragg Wood. Thanks to Marc Heath who found a Cuckoo at Bishopstone on 11 April, seen as an early bird and scarce too in this area of Kent.

There was some excellent birds to run a close second to the Cuckoos, with a good count of 42 Willow Warbler, then marked as seen in the little black book, Blackcap pair, 2 Treecreeper including one sunbathing at the base of a tree, a Wren and Robin, 6 Redpoll, 2 Chiffchaff, 6 Swallow, a Coal Tit, 2 Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Linnet, 2 Meadow Pipit, and 3 Stonechat which were seen as a pair and a male which was probably standing guard over a nest site, and so almost certainly making 2 pairs of Stonechat. Raptors seen were, a Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.

Green Tiger Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

Other than the birds....A quite surprising number of 14 Green Tiger Beetle, 2 Common Lizard, neither of which were associated with Birk Bank bog, in fact one was at Ottergear Bridge. Butterflies seen, 12 Orange Tip, 4 Green Hairstreak, 2 Peacock, a Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell.

Target of the day was to find some early damsels, 3 Large Red Damselfly were seen as a male and 2 teneral.

Garden Bees.

The bees in our garden started to emerge from the Bee House this week. 

Red Mason Bees. Pete Woodruff.

It's a joy to watch the antics of the Red&Blue Mason Bees in and out of the holes in good number. 

Blue Mason Bees. Pete Woodruff.

And Now For Something A Little Different!

Lune Estuary.

By way of a change, I decided on a different viewpoint to observe the incoming tide on the Lune Estuary, and went to the embankment above the picnic site at Conder Green. This was a first for me, I always view the same stretch on the river from the bowling green at Glasson Dock, but both these locations have plus and minus points, some you win, some you loose.

Until the tide gained height, most of the waders were out of view below the marsh, but once the tide reached the marsh they were out in the open, though then the smaller birds were in the long grass.

On the shoreline I managed to see 4 Greenshank, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, Whimbrel, and Common Sandpiper. Then driven on to the marsh by the tide, a Curlew Sandpiper and Snipe. Overhead a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard was briefly attacked by a Kestrel, and 3 Migrant Hawker were patrolling the trees.

When I left the area, there was little dry land for the waders to escape to. The group pictured in my header were hanging on in at high tide.

Birk Bank Bog.

Black Darter male. Pete Woodruff.

Thinking it could well be my last chance for the dragons, and the day being at least decent weather-wise, I decided to give Birk Bank a return visit where I found 6 Black Darter, 5 male and a female.

Black Darter female. Pete Woodruff.

Eleven Common Darter were seen as 6 male and 5 female. It was good to find the male Emperor Dragonfly again, still patrolling and checking out the vegetation by the boardwalk.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

I reckon these are the last of the dragons at Birk Bank Bog in '25. 

Guillemot Inner M'cbe Bay.

Scaup Off Broadway 17 January. Pete Woodruff.

 

I met Steve Edmundson at Birk Bank, he reminded me we had met earlier in the year at Morecambe when we were watching the female Scaup off Broadway. Steve told me of a Guillemot he'd seen off Teal Bay during the week. I told him he had been fortunate to find a scarce sea bird for this area of Morecambe Bay, he said he would send me a picture of the bird.

Guillemot Teal Bay 9 September. Steve Edmundson.

Thank you Steve, much appreciated.

Swifts.

When I found the quite amazing record of 60 Swift on passage through Borrowdale in the Lake District on Thursday 11 September, I thought it was a sighting worthy of mention. Even more amazing when I read they were observed over a 2 hour period flying north, which is in the opposite direction of their wintering grounds in Africa. Only a minority of Swifts would still be in Europe during September....Sixty Swift flying north in Northern England in mid-September doesn't sound like a minority in Europe.

Conder Pool & Birk Bank.

Conder Pool 27 August.

Having landed at least two first records this week - four in my book - Conder Pool has earned the recognition of one of Lancashire's birding hot spots. This weeks header for B2B bears testament to that claim with a grand total of 46 Little Egret, seen on Conder Pool early Wednesday morning as an all time best count. On the same day, a Little Stint was on Conder Pool.

Little Stint Conder Pool. Tom Parkinson.

The second of four first records in my book at least, I don't recall a Little Stint on Conder Pool before.

Wednesday was a good day, and 31 Greenshank was certainly an all time best count here, and represents first record No 3....All this and more, whilst I was waiting to get my motor fixed 😝

Conder Pool 28 August.

I put in a couple of hours on Thursday to join Mark, a birder I respect, and who is as keen and dedicated as anyone I know for accuracy of the count. During my stay, Mark probably counted through the species a dozen times to come up with a result of 19 Ruff....Yet another all time best count No 4 for Conder Pool. 

There's a Black-tailed Godwit in the video, it thinks it's a Ruff!

Green Sandpiper Conder Pool 28 August. Pete Woodruff.

Other notes on Conder Pool for the little black book, a Green Sandpiper, was seen in pursuit around the pool of a Common Sandpiper, 420 Redshank were accompanied by 22 Greenshank, 4 Snipe, and 15 Little Grebe.

As soon as I set the camera for a video, the Green Sandpiper shot off and disappeared behind an island.

A Whimbrel was in the creeks and was another first in my book at Conder Green. As with the Little Stint on Conder Pool, I don't recall seeing a Whimbrel in the creeks before.

Birk Bank 25 August.

I connected with just three species of dragonflies today, but observed some interesting behavior. Five Keeled Skimmer were seen as two pairs in tandem and a lone female, all the females were noted to be 'old'. It was interesting that a male never let the female out of its sight, following its every move, and hovering around the female whilst she was egg laying and seeing off any other dragon that approached it.

Five Black Darter were seen as 2 pairs in tandem and a lone male. It was fascinating to watch the pair thrashing quite violently whilst egg laying.

The third species seen were 6 Common Darter, they were all males.

And Finally.

More pictures from my inbox....

  

Small Red-eyed Damselfly. Martin Jump.

Martin continues with his luck to find the Small Red-eyed Damselfly, and to achieve excellent results in his images.

Wasp With Green Bottle Prey. Martin Jump.

It's a one word comment here from me....WOW!

Red Admiral. Ian Mitchell.

Buff Ermine. Ian Mitchell.

Ian progresses with his success of butterflies and moths in flight.

Small Tortoiseshell. Pete Woodruff.

And we continue to get some nice butterflies and bumblebees in the garden.

Red-tailed Bumblebee. Pete Woodruff.

Pleasing Rewards Around The Local!

The best counts I came up with on Conder Pool Thursday was 10 Common Tern, but the peak count here to date has been fifteen. My best count was of 13 Avocet, but I suspect there may be double that number and the breeding stats are encouraging.

Also present 3 Greenshank and 3 Little Ringed Plover, though two pairs are reported breeding, with one pair having already suffered a first brood lost. In the creeks, 42 Black-tailed Godwit seen.

The Cockersand wander was a pleasant and rewarding experience.  

As I set off, no sooner had I passed Bank Houses, a Sedge Warbler was in full song hidden in the hedgerow, a second Sedge Warbler was at Slack Lane, 4 Stock Dove were in a field with up to 70 Carrion Crow and a Buzzard over. 

At the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, I saw a passerine fly out of the field to the vegetation along the ditch, it was soon followed by a second bird to be revealed as a male and female Whinchat. I was reminded of a good year in 2022, when I had records of three Whinchat sightings, two at Cockersand on 26 April and 3 May, and a male at Harrisend on 29 April.

As I arrived at Lighthouse Cottage, 3 Whimbrel were on the shore opposite Crook Cottage, and a pair of Eider were drifting on the tide. At Plover Scar, 2 Sandwich Tern were lingering around the lighthouse, occasionally plunge diving and completely submerged for several seconds.

On Plover Scar at high tide, 220 Dunlin, 15 Oystercatcher, and 4 Ringed Plover. As I approached the abbey, a Wheatear was on the kissing-gate. In the 30 minutes along the coastal path between Lighthouse Cottage and Cockersand CP, I must have seen up to 40 Large White butterflies, with 2 Peacock and Orange Tip.

Picture Gallery.

I'm in receipt of two excellent action photographs from regular visitors to B2B which warrant publicity.

Common Tern. Howard Stockdale.

Howard activated the shutter with split timing to achieve the terns in conflict about who can claim the best corner on which to perch on the raft on Conder Pool.

Mallard vs Avocet. Martin Jump.

Martins image of the Avocet in an attack on the Mallard with ducklings, also needed precision to freeze the action between the wader and the duck.

Scalloped Hazel. Ian Mitchell.

Ian's image is of a variable moth species which can range from brown to almost black, it is fairly common throughout the British Isles.

Giant House Spider. Pete Woodruff.

And I discovered a Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica in the greenhouse.

Short'list And Sweet!

An afternoon wander around the fringes of Bowland yesterday, mainly to look and see if the Redstarts had returned, but resulted in a no not yet.

The Redstarts were found here the same date of 29 April last year, when I saw them checking out the Ash, and I was able to watch and admire the aerobatic skills of the male. This is also the same date I found a stunning male Whinchat on Harrisend.

Tawny Mining-Bee Andrena fulva. Pete Woodruff.

From the footpath towards Holme Wood, this Tawny Mining-Bee was weighed down with a pollen overload, also seen, a Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. With just a few strides into the woodland, a singing Blackcap, Nuthatch and a Treecreeper. In the air from the road by Harrisend, 4 Buzzard soaring together, and a male Stonechat atop of gorse.  

Calling in at Birk Bank to see if the bog would perhaps show an end of April Large Red Damselfly drew a black, but a Cuckoo compensated, heard calling somewhere to the east. At the top of Stock-A-Bank, I counted 12 Whimbrel, with a peak count of 75 being made earlier in the day, per LDBWS. The fields around this area are an annual stop-off on their spring passage for the Whimbrel.

And Finally.

Can't resist featuring this excellent image of the European Bee-eater with a Humming-bird Hawk-moth in the firm grip of its bill....Thanks to Ana Minguez.

Also, thanks to Howard Stockdale for the header image at Cam Brow, with up to 30 Sand Martin present and excavating there on Thursday.  

Conder & Cocker.

Yesterday it was interesting to note the wintering birds have departed for their breeding sites, and with a message from Boddi that 'the godwits are piling up here in Iceland' I saw just a lone Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool yesterday from seeing a few hundred there earlier in the month. 

Also to note on Conder Pool, up to 18 Avocet, with some sitting birds included, 9 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 25 Knot, a Greenshank, and a drake Wigeon perhaps going to summer here, with 2 Pink-footed Geese perhaps doing the same, and a mixed group of c.20 Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull. Elsewhere at Conder Green, a Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and an Orange Tip seen.

AC reported to me an egret at the east end of Moss Lane, I went to take a look and found 2 Cattle Egret there.

 

My photo of the Cattle Egrets on the spoil heap is about as bad as it gets, but good enough for the record book.

A wander around Cockersand, I found my first 4 Lapwing chicks, and from c.320 seen 11 April, the number had dwindled to 52 Golden Plover hanging on in the stubble behind Lighthouse Cottage. Following 250 on 18 April, no more than 15 Linnet seen here today. A Wheatear on Plover Scar with 5 Whimbrel seen off here. A Small Tortoiseshell was the only butterfly identified from three other sightings.

In the garden, 2 Common Blue, and high overhead soaring and acrobatics, 2 Raven. I'm reliably informed of a Cuckoo calling in the Birk Bank area on Monday 24 April.

The header image is vintage material of a bird seen many years ago on Newby Moor, where I made contact with Whinchat in good number over the years.

The Cockersand Shortlist.

If I'm honest, theres a shortage of enthusiasm for this post.

But hey....a days birding never fails to turn up at least a little something of interest, and my interest on Tuesday was that I found an impressive c.250 Linnet, flighty in and around the stubble field behind Lighthouse Cottage, where 65 Golden Plover were still lingering. From Slack Lane, I heard Raven with its repeated deep 'korrp-korrp' call. My first Whimbrel flew by off Plover Scar from where I saw a lonely pair of Eider, soon followed by my first Cockersand Wheatear, an area which usually produces my first of the year.

Pied Wagtail. Pete Woodruff.

Pied Wagtail were notably seen in small number, but no continental birds with grey backs yet. Skylarks were seen throughout my walk on the circuit, and a skein of c.300 Pink-footed Geese flew south....obviously not yet read the script to go north!

Conder Pool. 

With management work being carried out, Conder Pool was a no go zone when I called there in the morning. Looking in on there a few hours later on my way back to Lancaster, there was little of note save c.80 Black-headed Gull obviously determined to stand their ground. We will not, we will not be moved....but everything else seemed to have been.

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 16 April. Howard Stockdale.

On 14 April I found two stunning Mediterranean Gull, two days later a different adult pair were seen and photographed behaving in a manner in the image above, indicating the possibility of breeding on Conder Pool. Later the same day, this was followed by a conclusive report of a bird with nesting material. 

The Birds And Bee.

Four healthy Avocet chicks emerged from the nest on Conder Pool Thursday morning, they were surviving into their third day on Saturday. 

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the excellent footage he sent me....View the videos Full Screen.

I made no total counts on this visit, but note there are several Avocet on nests. Also noted, 4 Common Tern, 2 Little Ringed Plover, and a Common Sandpiper which obliged and came feeding close by.

At least 250 Knot and 52 Black-tailed Godwit were in the creeks with 2 Greenshank. On a wander round the circuit, singing Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting upstream from the road bridge, 4 Greenfinch in trees by the Stork Inn. Hirundine numbers generally appear low to date, but 8 Swallow were around Conder Green Farm, and 2 House Martin had arrived back at River Winds, with 2 Chiffchaff at the picnic area. In the field by Saltcote Brow at the north end of Jeremy Lane, 3 Wheatear.

My visit to Cockersand was never going to be called eventful today, but a healthy number of Lapwing on territory, look set to have a good year here. For the first time in my records, I've seen no agricultural activity recently, and not a tractor in sight....yet! 

My only other notes were, a White Wagtail with Pied Wagtail on the spoil heap by Lighthouse Cottage, with a pair of Reed Bunting seen, and the lone Whimbrel in my header and the video below, on the ebbing tide at Plover Scar.

Satellite Doves.

The Collared Doves decided to nest on the bracket behind the satellite dish on our neighbours house, the two young were roosting there last evening.

And Finally....The Bee.

Bombus pascuorum. Pete Woodruff.

This queen Common Carder-Bee spent a little time on Water Avens by the pond in our garden. 

Dock And Green Day.

On Friday, with little activity on the outfall, I gave a couple of hours to Red Nab, to sit and watch the gulls and anything else that might be around, being pushed ever closer by the incoming tide. In the end, I noted 16 Mediterranean Gull and 5 Whimbrel.

On the pond returning from Red Nab, a Brown Hawker seen ovipositing, also a male and female Common Darter in tandem were seen in flight, constantly pausing to oviposit. Butterflies seen in 45 minutes at the south end of the reserve, 34 Painted Lady, at least 30 Gatekeeper, 18 Meadow Brown, 5 Common Blue, and 4 Peacock.

By now the Conder Green magnet had got a hold on me, and there I was. It was good to see 6 Common Tern, which included the two young birds seen in flight together. A peak count reached a double figure when I found 10 Little Grebe on Conder Pool today, also 7 Greenshank, 5 Dunlin and c.150 Redshank, I never did get around to counting them....too much Common Tern/Avocet distraction!

In the creeks, more sightings of the Avocet family of six, with two adult birds at the east end of the creeks, one of which was squat on the stony area, possibly brooding a chick I thought, also seen 3 Common Sandpiper. Butterflies, 4 Speckled Wood, 2 Painted Lady, and 2 Gatekeeper.

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

The video of the juvenile Common Tern on Conder Pool 2 August, has had to be trimmed. I can't download more than 100mb to Birds2blog...Blogger restrictions.

VIEW FULL SCREEN

There's no telling if any lasting physical or mental damage has been inflicted on this bird during the violent attack by the Black-headed Gull, but things appear to be going well for it. AMAZING....there, I said it again.

Decent By Numbers.

Monday was a decent day on the numbers score, starting at Conder Pool where 11 Greenshank was the best ever count here at one sighting, also on the pool, 7 Little Grebe was the new high.

Two adult Common Tern accompanied the two fledged juveniles, which haven't yet convinced me that all is well, despite AC telling me that both had been seen in flight on Sunday, they've moved little on any of my sightings, and I've yet to see them fed by parent birds. Today they were hunkered belly down in the same place during the five hours I was in the Lune Estuary area.

In the creeks, 8 Avocet seen as the family of six, and two adult from the A588, also in the creeks 5 Common Sandpiper. There was around 20 House Martin around the River Winds and Cafe d' Lune where I saw one bird approach a nest but immediately flew off.

On the Lune Estuary, a Greenshank, and Whimbrel, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, c.200 Redshank, and half that number of Dunlin. There was a small unidentified duck too distant to photograph, upstream and well beyond the Conder mouth, presumably a hybrid of sorts. 

   7 of 15 Painted Lady on Knapweed July 29. Pete Woodruff.

The decent numbers day kicked off again, and by the time I had done a circuit from Glasson Dock, along the canal tow-path to Conder Green and return, I got a good share of an influx when I had seen 55 Painted Lady including 15 together on Knapweed by the bowling green. 

Along the coastal path, 28 Gatekeeper, 7 Speckled Wood, 6 Meadow Brown, 3 Peacock, and 2 Red Admiral. On the canal tow-path, 9 Brown Hawker was my best ever count of this dragonfly, and 4 Emperor Dragonfly males were also seen.

Common Tern on Conder Pool....Breeding season late June/early July.

Guy McClelland (LDBWS) has noted seeing an adult Common Tern on Conder Pool yesterday, the bird was presenting another with a fish, a gesture of breeding behavior, which I myself also saw on Monday. Comments went on to rightly note the late date for breeding behavior by Common Terns adding when they first colonised Conder Pool and went on to breed for the first time here, was also a late date....Interesting.

In fact Common Terns were first seen on Conder Pool on 14 July 2014 and went on to successfully rear two young. 

Thanks to Marc Heath for the Brown Hawker header image.  

Red Nab Therapy.

It was never planned, it just happened to be a couple of hours at Heysham Red Nab on Sunday which proved to have excellent therapeutic value. It was good to sit quietly and watch the gulls slowly pushed closer by the incoming tide....recommended if you want your head clearing out. 

Five Mediterranean Gull, and 4 Whimbrel seen. Over the pool on Heysham NR, a male Emperor Dragonfly chased a female around, which was eventually seen ovipositing, also a male Broad-bodied Chaser, a Painted Lady and Small Skipper. 

On Monday, a check of Conder Pool showed harmony to prevail on the pontoon, though a period of flying around, with screeching gulls and terns, and dive bombing at the pontoon, eventually calmed down.

Common Tern adult with juvenile. Conder Pool 8 July. Pete Woodruff. 

Three young are out of the second Common Tern nest, the two fledged CT's are enjoying their freedom and independence, as are the two fledged Black-headed Gull young. The second BHG now has two chicks out of the nest, and one of the Avocet also has day old chicks out of the nest, whilst the other Avocet continues to be sitting.

Two Little Grebe were seen again, and the Little Ringed Plover put in another brief appearance, with no evidence of breeding seen to date. In the creeks 12 Common Sandpiper, and on a wander, a Whitethroat, a Painted Lady and Cinnabar moth seen.

Swift at Conder Green.

A Swift was seen around Conder Green Farm, and by something of a coincidence was only two days adrift of one seen here on 6 July 2018, when it showed the same behaviour as this 8 July bird, in that it having been flying low around the farm, twice appeared to be going head-on under the guttering of the farm-house before sharply veering away. 

The Swift has never nested here to my knowledge, so it's hard to understand exactly what this behaviour is all about, though I read an interesting comment recently....'now is when patient watching reveals active nests and boxes can attract non-breeders searching for future sites'....perhaps I'd better be more vigilant next year. 

Cabbage Moth. Lynn Woodruff.

Thanks to Lynn for the Cabbage Moth found in her garden recently. A common moth which resembles a few other species, and has the unfortunate distinction of being a serious pest, mainly due to its liking for the cabbage as it's name indicates. 

The Estuary Terns et al.

Not easy to be accurate about the number around the Lune Estuary yesterday, but I reckon over a five hour period 6 Common Tern were seen in five sightings. When I arrived at Conder Pool, two birds were present, whist I was there four joined the two and flew around the pool briefly before heading off towards the River Lune. In the afternoon a bird was patrolling the canal by Christ Church, later I presumed the same bird was leaving the canal basin towards the estuary where I found two birds plunge diving, both to return to the same area of the river bank before soon taking off to plunge again, they returned to the bank together three times. I went back to the car to get my telescope to see if I could make out what this behaviour was about, I thought perhaps a male was feeding a female, but when I returned the pair were heading back off the river towards Conder Pool. I drove straight to Conder Green to find 3 Common Tern on the pool, two on the pontoon and one in the background on the island.

There's no telling what will happen on the pontoon, having beaten the Common Tern to it, the Black-headed Gull is obviously sitting by now, and a Common Tern was creating a scrape yesterday and looking intent on nesting there. I think I know the outcome....watch this space.

Stock taking on Conder Pool, 6 Common Tern, 6 Avocet, a Little Ringed Plover, 28 Black-headed Gull, 13 Oystercatcher, 10 Tufted Duck, 2 Shelduck, 2 Wood Pigeon.

Turnstone Plover Scar 20 May. Pete Woodruff.

At Cockersand high tide, Plover Scar held up to 550 Dunlin, 80 Ringed Plover, and a single Turnstone, a Whimbrel was on the marsh off Lighthouse Cottage, and a Whitethroat was singing on the wires. The only butterfly was my first Common Blue at Cockersand, with 3 Orange Tip at Glasson Dock.   

More Catch Up.

A couple of hours around Conder Green on Tuesday began with me looking for other people's birds again....This is in danger of becoming pretty boring.

Today's catch up was the Common Tern which had arrived on Conder Pool last Friday. The bird hasn't attracted any company as yet, though I'm told of two birds on the pool before my arrival, but I've yet to see any other reports to confirm the claim.

Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool 7 May. Pete Woodruff.

The Little Ringed Plover came to rest a while just off the viewing screen, giving the opportunity for a pik. Also on Conder Pool, 6 Avocet, a pair of Goosander, and the Greylag pair which have already lost four goslings, down to five from nine seen last Friday, 2 Sand Martin came down on a muddy edge and briefly showed pairing behaviour before flying off.

Spotted Redshank. Pete Woodruff. 

The Spotted Redshank was sweeping up in the creeks, also a lone Dunlin. On a wander, the House Martin are around River Winds and Cafe d' Lune, and there was healthier numbers of Swallow seen today particularly around Conder Green Farm. A singing Reed Bunting, with Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, and 2 Orange Tip seen.

A look in on Plover Scar at Cockersand around the high tide produced a low count of Dunlin and Ringed Plover in a ratio of c.110/50, also a Wheatear on here, and 2 Whimbrel were off Lighthouse Cottage.

Thanks to Ian Pinkerton for his Sedge Warbler header.