Trio to start and finish.

Tufted Ducks. Pete Woodruff.

This trio came at the start of my short birding period of four hours today and were found on the canal basin at Glasson Dock and were a pleasant surprise. But there was a 'before this' at Conder Green where after some effort both Little Ringed Plovers were found on the pool today with the female keeping things at the right temperature, 2 Spotted Redshank were present in the Conder channel here today along with c.130 Redshank, just 5 Common Sandpiper seen but the tide was well up and presumably causing them to scatter here and there, 3 Dunlin and 16 Lapwing were noted. At Bodie Hill a Peregrine Falcon was on  Glasson Marsh surveying all around before taking off to reveal all here which in fact represented little though at least 12 Eider bobbed up and down on the high tide line.

 

Sand Martins. Pete Woodruff.

I then went to the caravan park end at Cockersands in the hope a few butterflies would be seen along the path towards Bank End but found just 6 Small Tortoiseshell. The surprise here was c.70 Sand Martins on a fence line, a bit of a puzzle as to what they were up to and where they come from ran through my mind, I also noted a singing Whitethroat along here. The trio at the finish of my birding day were at Bank End when sifting through a decent medium size gull roost I eventually ended up with 3 Mediterranean Gulls being two adult and a second summer bird.

As can be seen I was able to practise my photographic skills with the 'not so excellent' results on display above. And finally....

Green Sandpiper. Peter Guy.

One of my favourite waders is the Green Sandpiper, I'll swear these birds can actually smell a human being and take to flight the instant they 'smell you' often before you even see them yourself. Thanks for the photograph Peter....excellent stuff.