Doing the Rounds.

A change of plan for today based on ignoring the weatherman who seems to be quite good at often getting it wrong. So rather than next Tuesday before I got to 'bird' again it was today....Alleluia!

At Conder Green it was good to see the new birds 2 Little - ringed Plover on here again, and the old ones 2 Greenshank and 3 Spotted Redshank but no sign of the Common Sandpiper, a drake Goldeneye was the only one seen today, and 5 Wigeon still on here. At Glasson Dock at least 5 Swallow over the basin now represents my highest count so far this year, there were others at one or two other ports of call I made today but numbers appear low as I see it to date. On the estuary the tide was well up but c.50 Black - tailed Godwit, 'very few' Bar - tailed Godwit, 3 Eider and 2 Red - breasted Merganser were noted.

At Cockersands where by now the estuary was entirely 'water' but c.70 Ringed Plover hung on to the remains of Plover Scar and was a good count for the species with a single Grey Plover, 5 Red - breasted Merganser were on the estuary. Also to note on the circular, 5 Wheatear, 6 Meadow Pipit, c.80 Linnet, 3 Willow Warbler were in a hedgerow and 28 Golden Plover were on the flood as was a Ruff an overdue bird here or anywhere else for that matter. At least 20 Brown Hare seen here again today and I'm hoping in due course to get documentation to prove this to be an outstanding area for this creature.

At Fluke Hall 4 White Wagtail were below the slipway and a superb 12 Wheatear together were behind the wood on the marsh/sea wall. The Wheatear is a smart looking bird and I almost had all twelve in view through my bino's at one point....excellent stuff! From the coastal path towards Cockers Dyke 2 Willow Warbler were in the gorse, 3 Little Egret on the marsh and c.550 Pink - footed Geese were in a field near Ridge Farm.

The pic is the best I could do with two of the three Spotted Redshank, a Redshank and a Curlew at Conder Green this morning.