Not Much Fun.

Twite. Phil Slade.

I thought I'd made a big mistake this morning, by the time I reached Conder Green it was raining and I spent the first 30 minutes doing one of those staring through the windscreen routines wondering if I should be doing something more useful with my life, but it cleared up and I managed to complete the three hours I had to spare to devote to my birding before having to be back in Lancaster by 3.00pm, though I'd have to  regard today and it's weather as not much fun. I didn't see any Twite like the one in the photograph above but expect to I will somewhere soon. Thanks for the pic Phil.

I didn't get to do the circuit at Conder Green so only half the task achieved today, on the pool I counted 10 Little Grebe, and a Goosander was the only other bird of note, come to think of it was probably the only other bird....full stop! In the creeks the Spotted Redshank obliged as did a Little Egret. The platform overlooking Conder Pool was as far as I got today and I was off to Glasson Dock where a quick check over the canal basin gave me my first Goldeneye this year, 3 Little Grebe were of note on here.

On the Lune Estuary where the tidal and flood water were still covering much of the area 155 Golden Plover, a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit, and a pair of Red-breasted Merganser were all I noted before taking cover from the second of a few showers I had to dodge today.

I decided if I was going to have to go through another sulking period I may as well do it at Cockersands whilst I see if it clears up again which it did for just enough time to estimate 40/35 Greenfinch/Linnet at the set-aside whilst a Snipe went over and a Little Egret was seen on Plover Scar. In one of the Abbey Farm fields I became a dedicated recorder for a while and counted c.750 Lapwing, 125 Redshank, 450 Curlew, a few as yet uncounted Brown Hare are showing in this area again now. Driving down Moss Lane a small raptor seen briefly in flight down a ditch was almost certainly the 'possible' Merlin seen in the area on 18 October....next time I'll nail this bird!

I was out of time....I'm sick of birding against the clock!  

A RBA MEGA alert this morning at 9.40am was of an American Kestrel in Suffolk, south of Felixstowe at Languard NR, but by 12.40pm it had been re-captured as an escaped bird with a metal ring on its leg.