A Bit More Like It.

Well five hours today was a bit more like a day's birding than yesterday's two. The female Scaup were off Broadway yesterday and for the benefit of my US visitors that's Broadway at Morecambe in NW England not New York City.

At Conder Green it was a pleasure to find the wintering Common Sandpiper once again, also a Greenshank was downstream from the railway bridge, 4 Grey Plover today is more than the average on a winters day at CG but there's always at least one each and every year. On Conder Pool 56 Tufted Duck, 11 Wigeon, and 26 Common Gull were all to note. I must make note here that it was a pleasure to see and have a few words with  PS of Fylde Birding fame....they're such a friendly bunch these birders from the south! 

I was a little surprised to find the canal basin at Glasson Dock 60% frozen again yet Conder Pool ice free....Mmmmm! I noted just 15 Tufted Duck and 4 Pochard drakes on here. On the Lune Estuary circa's 1,500 Bar-tailed Godwit and 140 Black-tailed Godwit, up to 90 Goldeneye, c.300 Wigeon, and a Little Grebe, otherwise there was a noticeable virtual absence of any other wader species particularly Golden Plover and Lapwing.

At Cockersands Caravan Park although very mobile I counted at least 6 Rock Pipits and watched something like 300+ Wigeon float by in good view on the incoming tide and of course hoped the AW was going to be with them, several hundred were offshore at considerable distance and in rubbish light, also to note were 12+ Pintail. With rain threatening a brief visit to the lighthouse end didn't allow me to give the area any justice but I did count a nice 37 Turnstones and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers before I swiftly left. 

On a flood in stubble on Fluke Hall Lane I counted a quite amazing at least 260 Whooper Swans and 2 Bewick's Swans. From Fluke Hall slipway I noted circa 45 Grey Plover and 1,500 Dunlin, 25 Pink-footed Geese flew south at a distance accompanied by at least 2 Barnacle Geese. A walk east below the sea defences gave me excellent views of Merlin and Peregrine Falcon both hunting with the usual mass panic of a four figure number of wader's. In the field behind the parking area 250 Pink-footed Geese were accompanied by 22 Stock Doves. Little Egrets were seen today at Jeremy Lane, Cockersands, and two from Fluke Hall Lane.

You can't help but have noticed I've used my usual terminology for the count figures in my post again, circa/up to/at least, one day I'll give an account of my accuracy for counts meanwhile, I'm never able to bring myself to believe in a count of 3,981 Dunlin (for example) by anyone.