Silent Spring....

....is a book written by Rachel Carson about which perhaps I may feature sometime, but today wasn't really silent but far from 'buzzing' with activity.

Coal Tit thanks to Mark Fellowes.

Well the pic is appropriate to accompany the post as I saw just the one today on a walk from Lancaster to Glasson Dock which I decided to do as JB was unable to come with me....Thanks for the photograph Mark.

I'll do a count next time I leave home to do this walk as I noted a decent number of House Sparrows in the urban areas to Aldcliffe, there were some other counts I failed to do today having also noted good song from the Robins as I came through Haverbreaks and elsewhere. Other species I did count to Conder Green were....5 Swallow, 11 Blackbirds, 4 Wren, 2 Dunnock, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Blackcap males, 6 Goldfinch, 2 Willow Warbler, a Chiffchaff, a Song Thrush, and a Coal Tit. Of particular note, a Lesser Whitethroat, and on the flood at Aldcliffe a male White Wagtail, and on Freeman's Pools, 2 Little Ringed Plover.

At Conder Green with not too much time to linger I found a Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, and 4 Sand Martin over. On Conder Pool, a Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Little Grebe, 3 Goldeneye, and a drake Wigeon hanging on here. Butterflies seen on the route were uncounted but at least 20 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Peacock, a Small White, and Orange Tip.

I must admit to being surprised to have seen - on a six mile walk at a snails pace - only 5 Swallows and 2 Willow Warblers today....Silent Spring....well nearly! 

And to end with you may well wonder why on earth would I want to put a picture of a bridge on a birding blog....

Well this is an old railway bridge north of the picnic site at Conder Green and I reckon its a beauty because its a bridge built in red brick, and I further reckon you'd have to travel far and wide to find another of its like, built over a railway track probably more than a hundred years ago in red brick....comments from railway historians would be most welcome.