....and west is west, and that's the way its always gonna be. I've just had a look at one or two east coast birding blogs and well....it's just never going to compare and the sooner I/you accept, this is the west coast you're on and that's the east coast you ain't on, the better.
Eider. Pete Woodruff.
Could almost be a mystery pic, but it's a drake Eider at an intermediate stage of adult plumage off Plover Scar at Cockersands today.
Mmmmm!
OK, so you knew the other was a drake Eider....but what about these two which certainly were not off Plover Scar at Cockersands today and probably won't be tomorrow either.
I had the now customary Monday four hours to spare today and just got on with the time available. At Conder Green 'the' Common Sandpiper was on Conder Pool along with 9 Little Grebe and 3 Wigeon of which neither count was accurate as I'm quite sure as with recent visits here the numbers are 11 and 4 respectively. In the channels 2 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, 5 Snipe, a Goosander, and c.60 Teal all seen on the circuit which I did a little quicker than is the norm to get to Glasson Dock before the tide took over the estuary. As it happens there was nothing spoiling and the area hasn't yet accumulated anything like it's winter numbers with c.650 Golden Plover, c.60 Bar-tailed Godwit, and a solitary Black-tailed Godwit to note, along with a distant Little Egret. Two pristine Red Admiral were feeding on a 'blossom' tree I was unable to identify in my ignorance.
At Cockersands where the tide had by now almost taken over, I counted 16 Eider, and a Great-crested Grebe on the sea, and on the rapidly submerging Plover Scar, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Turnstone - always a difficult bird to find in number- 4 Snipe, circa 550 Redshank, 85 Oystercatcher, and 60 Dunlin....Come in PW you're time is up!
The Mega's and Rarities continue to drop in with examples like a Solitary Sandpiper at Seaton in Devon, Buff-bellied Pipit Esha, Shetland, and Isabelline Wheatear at Lowestoft in Suffolk to add to the already impressive list.
The Mega's and Rarities continue to drop in with examples like a Solitary Sandpiper at Seaton in Devon, Buff-bellied Pipit Esha, Shetland, and Isabelline Wheatear at Lowestoft in Suffolk to add to the already impressive list.
Never give up Pete, you just dont know whats out there :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting you say 'never give up Pete' as I made the same comment to one of my photographer friends about his photography recently, his reply was brilliant and was 'I'll give up the day I die'....excellent stuff!
ReplyDeleteHopefully I won't be giving up my birding until then either and I've got a feeling neither will you Warren.