Good Birds/Poor Pic's.

With JB/BT today 'cos its Friday and there was some good bird's around. Very unusual to have poor pic's on Birds2blog with the excellent contact's I have providing me with equally excellent photograph's, but this is my latest attempt at obtaining a decent pic of the Freeman's Pools redhead Smew which was seen this morning again and which was a little closer to us, also noted on the pools, 8 Gadwall, 2 Goldeneye, and a Little Egret.

At Conder Green I counted 110 Teal in the channels, on Conder Pool I noted a Spotted Redshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 20 Wigeon, c.60 Tufted Duck, and 6 Pochard which included a female today by way of a change from the species seen always being drake's. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 3 Bewick's Swans, c.90 Black-tailed Godwit, c.1,700 Bar-tailed Godwit, 115 Golden Plover, and at least 165 Goldeneye. From Bodie Hill, 10 Whooper Swans, 5 Goldeneye, and a Merlin put panic into everything in sight and eventually flew close by us. On Jeremy Lane, 5 Whooper Swans, and c.260 Common Gull were of note. From Moss Lane, 5 Whooper Swans comprised of two adult and three juvenile, and in another field further up Moss Lane with poor views and no access c.6.500 Pink Footed Geese.

  

At Cockersands 17 Black-tailed Godwits included the ringed bird in the poor quality/little value record shot above in which the rings are not readable but be assured were....Orange over Red on both leg's above the tibia. Also noted here, 9 Eider, and a curious little flotilla of tightly grouped birds off Plover Scar consisted of, 8 Shelduck, 8 Mallard, 4 Wigeon, and a drake Pintail....'join the club'. The male Stonechat was again on the tide wrack at the Caravan Park end. 

From Gulf Lane a least 7,000 Pink-footed Geese were in a field in the area behind Sand Villa, and a Little Egret was seen to go into a ditch near Wrampool House. And on Pilling Marsh 96 Whooper Swans counted but distant and partially hidden for 100% accuracy, also 2 Little Egret.

An excellent day on which 116 Whooper Swans and 3 Bewick's Swans were seen along with an absolute minimum total of 13,500/14,000 Pink-footed Geese of which few were given the justified thorough grilling they deserved.