Hello!

Sandhill Crane courtesy of Paul Baker.

Well titles don't come much more original than 'Hello' and the pic - which carries the usual Birds2blog excellence....thanks Paul - has nothing connected with me or with today's birding which went as follows....

I decide to check if yesterdays c.3,500 Pink-footed Geese were still on Aldcliffe Marsh. Today I had the telescope and yesterday it was frustrating not to be able to look through the geese with just binoculars on the walk and the birds too distant, they were there today but despite running through them a couple of times there were no hangers on that I could see. A Green Sandpiper was on the wildfowlers pool again and 2 Little Egrets were seen but its difficult to avoid them now even if you wanted too.

Conder Pool was a depressing sight with just 2 Little Grebes of any note. But Conder Green itself gave up five of its 'star' birds today with 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, and the Common Sandpiper all showing well, though I did have to search for the latter which was eventually found in the channel at the right hand bend in the road by the caravan park on the left.

At Glasson Dock the Lune Estuary was unimpressive but I noted circa 1,500 Bar-tailed Godwit and 350 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Goosander and just 2 Goldeneye seen here today, and on Moss Lane 19 Whooper Swans still in the field. From Fluke Hall Lane 2 Ruff were still in the stubble field opposite Wheel Lane. 

Well still too early for any arrivals and if you're going to find your own birds its still a bit of a struggle....but an enjoyable and rewarding struggle despite the often 'emptiness' that is experienced. Interesting that I just read a Kent birders report on his blog which claimed....not a sniff of a Wheatear or Sand Martin anywhere to be seen....Mmmmm!