It was a bit hard at times today and if the fog had been forecast I didn't know it had been, it played a major part in disrupting my efforts for a couple of hours at Conder/Glasson, followed by more than a couple at Morecambe around the tide again....but I did my best. Be warned there are three 'so whats this got to do with birds then' photographs to follow the one below, all credited to yours truly.
Wood Pigeons. Logging off at Conder Green!
Although it was hard work at times because of the fog my day was already made up ten minutes out of the car at Conder Green when I found a male Stonechat in the horse paddock on the left just past the Stork Hotel, almost certainly SP's 29 January bird. The place was virtually void of any waders today and the circuit produced just 4 Goldfinch, 2 Reed Bunting, and a Song Thrush heard in good song only. On Conder Pool, the Jeremy Lane of late immature Whooper Swan was with 8 Mute Swans, also 4 Goldeneye noted.
On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, 10 Goldeneye and a Great-crested Grebe. The Lune Estuary was almost blocked out by the fog but I managed to filter through it to find a Spotted Redshank, counted at least 100 Golden Plover, and 3 Goosander drakes through the murk. At Bodie Hill the fog lifted temporarily to see Tuesdays 120 Black-tailed Godwit and - surprise,surprise - a Little Egret on Glasson Marsh....long time no see here! On Jeremy Lane the Little Owl seen.
At Morecambe by 1.30pm I was confident the day had improved to become sunny but I was proved wrong and the fog banks kept coming and blotted out anything offshore rendering the birding a bit of a half hearted affair. But at Teal Bay where the tide was pushing the birds out of the fog and into view I noted 720 Lapwing 650 Curlew, 96 Bar-tailed Godwit, 75 Wigeon, 24 Eider, 6 Goldeneye, and 3 Great-crested Grebe, a Peregrine Falcon passed by at least twice.
This was what turned out to be the last fog bank to pass through Morecambe as seen from Broadway where I counted 120 Turnstone on the groyne, an excellent count for the species.
By the time I reached the Stone Jetty it had become a spring like late afternoon, thought the birding had fallen flat on its face unfortunately, but....
LR66 was looking good again in the brilliant sunlight and flat calm sea.
Hi Pete,
ReplyDeletewhat time did you see the Stonechat? The one I saw near the pylons was 12.15ish.
SteveW
Thanks for this, an interesting question which I'll also answer on the Aldcliffe website.
ReplyDeleteSaw the Stonechat around 10.00am, interestingly - in answering your question - I couldn't find it two hours later in the same place but this means little to be honest.
Thanks for your continued looking in on Birds2blog Steve.