At last......

......back on the beat. What smart bird's both the humble Starling and the Kestrel below are when seen in image's as good as these.

By the time I got my act together today the tide was at its height so I called in at Conder Green before heading off down the road. No rare beauties to be seen here though, the 2 Spotted Redshank were roosting in the creeks, the three resident Little Grebe and lone Common Sandpiper were all on the pool and that was the sum total here again today. The highlight of the day was opposite Braides off the A588 in the new scrapes field a day earlier than 2008 in the form of 3 Whooper Swan's. I called in at Pilling Lane Ends to find at least 2,200 Pink - footed Geese, certainly more but distance and a haze makes the count pretty useless. From Fluke Hall I decided to walk to Cockers Dyke, the walk almost proved its worth as a 1st winter Yellow Wagtail had been west of here at Ridge Farm but despite the efforts (a call on my mobile) of a Fylde birder I encounter often on my wanderings I didn't connect with this smart migrant. Cockers Dyke was a little disappointing - but that's birding - and I noted estimates of 120 Golden Plover, 450 Lapwing, and a Wheatear not forgetting the Stoat which came out from under the sea defences and did a quick turnaround and disappeared back under them as soon as it saw me, a 'few' Meadow Pipits were on the move, and a Sparrowhawk had also noted this. Back at Fluke Hall 2 Little Egret were on the marsh and a Great - spotted Woodpecker flew out of the woods and headed out in the direction of Heysham PS but soon seemed to realise it was making a mistake and did a 'u' turn back over the woods.

I did a complete miscalculation today and by the time I reached Cockersands the tide was far too way out and my enthusiasm quickly drained and after noting 14 Eider, 15 Golden Plover and a 'few' Ringed Plover I left for Glasson Dock to view the Lune Estuary and find an adult Mediterranean Gull, 2 Little Egret, a Greenshank, 12 Bar - tailed Godwit, and a Peregrine Falcon doing its 'put panic into all and everything' act.

Thanks to David Cookson for allowing me to share some more of his brilliant photographs again.