But first the Orchid.

With JB today we first went to the junction of Newlands/Wyresdale Road SE of Lancaster to find up to 300 spikes of Common Spotted Orchid. I'm not well up on the history of this flower at this location but would suggest a good season this year. I'm also aware of this location for Bee Orchid but none found this year.

Our first birding port of call  was to Conder Green where 2 Greenshank was the first sighting soon followed by the trusty Spotted Redshank which changes its appearance on a daily basis at the moment, I also recorded the same number as yesterday with 11 Common Sandpiper seen, the Little Ringed Plover sits tightly and camouflaged to perfection, a Little Egret also graced Conder Pool, and the 3 Wigeon drakes are holding on here, c.75 Lapwing and 50 Redshank were noted along with single males of Reed Bunting and Greenfinch, 3 Knot in the Conder channel downstream from the old railway bridge were something of a surprise, and I heard for the first time in my birding life a Kestrel following another in flight and calling reminiscent of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

On the Lune Estuary from Glasson Dock c.30 Knot were almost certainly the same as seen yesterday which I refused to record because of uncertainty through haze and distance, a lone Black-tailed Godwit and Little Egret were noted. At Cockersands the combination of a little rain and fishing activity on and off Plover Scar caused me to stay in the car - a rare event for me - but 30 Eider were counted and included 5 grown young which coincidentally is the same number I saw off Bodie Hill on Glasson Marsh on Sunday 13 June. Unfortunately the day 'fell flat' from here on but a short walk along the coastal path west of Fluke Hall produced 15 Small Tortoiseshell. 

In my post on Sunday I noted 10,000 Swift through Spurn in the early evening, in fact later that evening I had another report of 20,800 Swift through Spurn, East Yorkshire. I think here we have the perfect example  of not always fully understanding the natural world though I've gratefully received some constructive suggestions.