BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND..................................................SPOTTED REDSHANK RIVER CONDER HOWARD STOCKDALE

Tuesday 9 December 2008

Out of stock....

....of suitable bird pics but this one is
appropriate for today's birding part of
which covered the canal basin at Glasson Dock and these are the highlights of a rewarding day with JB.

At Conder Green a Spotted Redshank, always likely to be seen here these days and three seen 1 December, the Kingfisher also obliged here again today.

A female Scaup was on the canal basin which accommodated at least 120 Tufted Ducks and a Little Grebe to note.

There was an excellent show on the Lune Estuary of c.1,700 Knot, c.400 Bar-tailed Godwit, and what may sound like a little sarcasm but certainly isn't....three Dunlin. Another bird 'missing' from the Lune Estuary this winter so far is the Wigeon the number of which I am sure will have been recorded by JB on the LDBWS website. A Little Egret was below Waterloo Cottage

A smart male Merlin was on Colloway Marsh though distant.

On the Lune from Bodie Hill c.7o Goldeneye is by far the best count anywhere in the area so far this winter and appears to represent yet another 'missing' species from the area. These blighters always seem to be diving when it comes to a count by me so never anything accurate in my records but if there wasn't 70 here today then it was 75.

The biggest surprise of the day was on Jeremy Lane where a lone Whooper Swan was with at least 200 Mute Swans posing the question....has this bird been with the 'Glasson Mutes' since its arrival here perhaps two months ago.

At Cockersands, two Little Owls were perched in a small tree in the Bank Houses paddock and poses another question....has the Little Owl bred here this year after all, bearing in mind none have been seen/reported here for over 12 months? Another Merlin was seen on Moss Lane, or had the Colloway bird been on the prowl. Also another Little Egret was in a field behind the CP.

OOA as they say, four Short-eared Owls were seen from Bradshaw Lane this afternoon, and if these creatures fail to excite you then its time to hang up your boots and collect your pension, as for me I hope to still be birding in a hundred years time but somehow don't think I will be. Also, yet another Little Egret flew NW over Pilling Marsh....they really are all over the place these birds nowadays.
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