Whinchat wins the Gold Award again!

Dotterel. David Cookson.

First of all, there are many stunning images of Dotterel around at the moment and none more stunning than this one from David Cookson....Thanks David.

At Conder Green the male Little Ringed Plover was again in the creeks whilst presumably 'the wife' is sitting somewhere out of sight on the backside of Conder Pool, the only other bird of any note was a drake Wigeon obviously not going anywhere this summer. On a circuit I noted at least one Sedge Warbler in the reeds upstream of the road bridge, also 3 Reed Buntings, 2 Goldfinch, 3 Linnet were interesting as I don't see that many anywhere these days, a Grey Plover was almost in full summer plumage, and 2 Whitethroat were singing beyond the old railway bridge, 4 Greylag and a 'white farmyard type' were in the creeks making a terrible racket about some disagreement they have.

On the canal basin at Glasson Dock 4 Great-crested Grebe noted along with at least 4 Swift, 12 Swallow, and 6 Sand Martin all hawking over the water. A check through a ploughed field on Jeremy Lane produced my best of the day in a female Whinchat one of which was on here last year on 19 May, also 2 Wheatear in the same field today.

A circuit of Cockersands armed only with binoculars round my neck, 6 Wheatear, c.30 Eider, and another sp Grey Plover. From the road back to the lighthouse end I heard a Lesser Whitethroat which represents a first here in my records book, no more than 4 Tree Sparrows here again today....where are all the Cockersands Tree Sparrows? 2 Skylarks, a Sedge Warbler briefly in song as were 2 Wren which were good to hear. In the 1.5 hour it took me to do this walk I counted just 3 Lapwing chicks with several dead ones presumably lying around in all the 'worked fields' since my last visit here which I experience each and every year here and elsewhere, but from which I am never able to become complacent about. Oh dear....ended on a down note....never mind!

Spotted Redshank. Stuart Piner.

And really finally this time....

Thanks to Stuart Piner for this brilliant image of the Spotted Redshank at  Conder Green which we have all been able to watch as it transforms from its bright winter plumage to its black summer one....Thanks for sharing this Stuart, this bird is that little bit special to me.