Hardly Exciting!

Dull-capped Attila. Colin Bushell.

A little exotic thing to start with from one of CB's trips to Peru, though the birds name hardly matches the beautiful rustic colour of it's plumage. But the birding today with JB/BT was anything but colourful, I don't think dark and grey can ever be called colourful, and the dark and grey turned to rain soon after lunch so....hardly exciting! 

As ever BT's car seemed to head off to Aldcliffe of it's own accord and as we drove down Aldcliffe Hall Lane we saw a female Kestrel perched on a fence post, a smart little falcon which I love to see, also noted were at least 10 House Sparrows. Down the lane at the gate overlooking Aldcliffe Marsh which was awash with the high tide, 6 Little Egret were over on Colloway Marsh with another just north of the gate we were stood by. As we drove through Stodday a Buzzard was overhead.

Wigeon and Little Grebe. John Bateman.

At Conder Green 2 Little Egret here, also of note were 7 Little Grebe on the pool with a single Wigeon and the Common Sandpiper showing too. Definitely no circuit today and we were off to Glasson Dock where - if you'd like a little advice - there's little  point in attempting to observe birds on the Lune Estuary from here up to 2 - 2.5 hours either side of a high tide. From Bodie Hill another 3 Little Egret on Glasson Marsh with another over by Bazil Point. At Cockersands - where by now we had to put up with some typical November damp turning to rain weather - we struggled to note 20/10 Greenfinch/Linnet in the 'set-aside' flock, and noted a single Grey Plover from the car park. The most interesting sighting here was that of a Grey Seal which some people had told us at Glasson Dock we had just missed by minutes, but the creature obligingly showed well here, close in eating a quite large fish, great stuff....who needs Autumn Watch! 

Whooper Swans. Gary Jones.

On Pilling Marsh it was pretty hopeless trying to count but estimates of at least 3,000 Pink-footed Geese, 300 Greylag, and 50 Whooper Swans were all distant in the murky grey yonder and no apologies for nice round figures, also up to 3 Little Egret seen. In the stubble field off Fluke Hall Lane 5 Whooper Swans were a family party of two adult and three juveniles. Thanks for the Whooper Swans in flight Gary, and for the Wigeon and Little Grebe John....both excellent photographs and much appreciated.