Part Time Birding!

Things didn't go as planned today on account of the weather....so whats new there. At one o'clock I left Cockersands for Harrisend being due to check the area out. Unfortunately the section of my brain which should tell me to act sensibly had obviously broken down and I could see I was heading towards poor weather but just kept on driving and in fact when I arrived here the misty heavy drizzle was upon me and I sat in the car hoping it would pass over but no such luck and forty minutes later I pointed the bonnet towards Lancaster with the usual sulky expression on my face when these things happen and cut short some excellent birding opportunities....Ah well!

On Conder Pool things were very quiet and I was compelled to note every bird I saw. One of the Little - ringed Plovers obliged and I noted 15 Black - tailed Godwit with not a single bird having two legs to stand on, a female Teal was of particular note, 7 Tufted Duck, 3 Mallard, 3 Redshank, 4 Oystercatcher,and a Lapwing were the full complement on here today. On Glasson Basin c.20 Swift were a joy to watch as they hawked for insects in their masterly life on the wing. I never fail to be amazed to think the young from this years breeding will spend something like the first two years of their lives on the wing without ever touching terra firma....mind boggling stuff. From Bodie Hill I counted 19 Eider and again saw what appears to be the pair of resident Grey Partridge here for the fourth consecutive visit.

At Cockersands 2 Common Tern were at rest on the red number 8 buoy, the waders were reduced to 12 Dunlin and 39 Ringed Plover, the Eider were also reduced to just a single drake, a Wheatear, 2 Skylark, and only 4 Sedge Warbler heard along Moss Lane today and from here on it all went downhill.

Well at least I got a pic out of the days efforts and although I didn't realise at the time of taking the picture it clearly separates the male from the female Ringed Plover.