Butterflies....

....Alleluia butterflies that is.

Painted Lady (open/closed) Pete Woodruff.

At last I found two pristine Painted Lady today at Cockersands along with a Wall Brown, five Common Blue, two Peacock, and at least 100 'whites' mainly Large White. It's been quite worrying that I've not been seeing butterflies anywhere/anytime, it's interesting to note that I found 150 Painted Lady (yes that's 150) on 30 May on Clougha/Birk Bank during the 'explosion' last year.

Surprise bird of the day was my first bird of the day which was at Conder Green where a Greenshank was in the creeks, last year the first return bird was on 30 June. It was good to find a Little Ringed Plover - not seen since 24 May - on Conder Pool where the muddy edges are looking pretty inviting now for any passing rarity or any common wader for that matter, the LRP's didn't present any young for viewing until 16 June last year so with fingers crossed there's still time yet, the only worry today was the big ugly Grey Heron preening it's big ugly self on the island, 2 Brown Hare were also around the pool. The Reed Warbler just upstream from the road bridge was heard again, and c.6 House Martins and 3 Swift were over/around River Winds. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock 2 Great-crested Grebe were noted but I've seen no young with them yet and I suspect a breeding failure here.

At Cockersands c.50 Eider were in low water early afternoon and I found little else of note off the headland. From the road I found 7 Tree Sparrow posing the question....where are all the Cockersands Tree Sparrows, 4 Linnet, 2 Skylark, 2 Dunnock, a male Reed Bunting, and deadly silence from the seven Sedge Warblers seen/heard on recent visits here.

Birding can be hard work for a few weeks now but I just felt a rarity coming on today but my doctor having increased my dose is perhaps having me hallucinating. It's my four hour day today which started at 11.00am and ended at 3.00pm this afternoon....part time birding!