A Good Going Over!

Well a reasonably good going over though a little 'thin' in places. I gave Conder Green the circuit which took me an hour......the only way to do it! Another circuit at Cockersands with some disappointments mentioned later. And an hour at Pilling Lane Ends/Fluke Hall by which time the light was fading rapidly. And I make no offer of apology for yet another one of those amazing Stonechat images from BR's recent observation's of some remarkable survival strategy. This image makes it even more difficult to believe its a Stonechat we're looking at.

At Conder Green the pool had been reclaimed from the ice today by, 9 Tufted Duck, 7 Wigeon, 42 Mallard, and 3 Goosander. In the Conder channel, a Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, 3 Little Grebe, and c.80 Teal, a Little Egret was on the marsh viewed from the rail bridge.

On the Lune Estuary from Glasson Dock, I estimated up to 2,500 Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, and no more than 20 Goldeneye seen today, anything else was unimpressive and I left it for another day. On the basin I noted 2 Goldeneye. On Jeremy Lane 7 Whooper Swans which were there on Sunday when I checked but no sign of Sunday's reported Bewick's Swan.

At Cockersands waders were 'thin' on the estuary but 'thick' in the fields. On the estuary I took note of, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 35 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover a hard bird to find here most of the time, a solitary Grey Plover nothing new there, and at least 14 Turnstone but a difficult bird to count on the stony area's where it is well camouflaged to add to the fact it was bloody cold out there today. In Cockersands Farm field's from the road on the return to the lighthouse end I noted 82 Black-tailed Godwits, 55 Dunlin, and 15 Golden Plover where are they all? a detachment of 4 Pink-footed Geese, a Kestrel, and a Little Egret flew out of a ditch in front of me. In a field from Moss Lane, another 58 Black-tailed Godwit and 18 Golden Plover.

From Pilling Lane Ends I counted at least 105 Whooper Swans, and 3 Bewick's Swans though all were distant, also 3 Little Egrets. A brief visit to Fluke Hall produced another Little Egret, and a farmer who obviously had the need to go into one of his field's putting up c.850 Pink-footed Geese before I had the time to put a 'real' estimate to their number.

Black-tailed Godwit courtesy of Ian Tallon.

The day's disappointment's were, not being able to find the Cockersands male Stonechat which has been there since 28 December unless it was the lighthouse end bird in which case it's been there since 9 November, also no sign of any Eider off Plover Scar today, and void of searching my record's I don't recall the last time I saw a Grey Wagtail at Conder Green. Otherwise a good time was had by all......as ever!