BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND...............................................................RED GROUSE HAWTHORNTHWAITE PETE WOODRUFF

Monday, 7 March 2011

The Squeeze!


Continental Cormorant Glasson Basin
Cormorant. Copyright Granted

Managed to squeeze in three hours today, one a Conder Green, and two at Cockersands where I found nothing to inspire me to visit this area ever again, but probably will do as soon as tomorrow but in any case before the week is out. Glasson Dock wasn't included in the squeeze but here's another photograph of the Cormorant P.c.sinensis currently on the canal basin/marina for good measure. Incidentally, this bird is unringed and therefore not the previously recorded sinensis on here for - void of checking records - I don't know how long.

Whooper Swans. Pete Woodruff.

At Conder Green a Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, and Common Sandpiper were the only birds of note including the circuit. On Jeremy Lane 3 Whooper Swans remain here with Mute Swans. The photograph above can justifiably be referred to as rubbish, the bird on the left is an immature but the plumage is 'bleached out' in the picture rendering the bird unidentifiable as one.

At Cockersands estimates on what was left of Plover Scar at high tide were, 420 Oystercatchers, 250 Dunlin, a reasonable count of at least 60 Turnstone, 5 Redshank, and a solitary Grey Plover. Offshore, 3 Red-breasted Merganser and 11 Eider. In the horse paddock at Bank Houses 12 Blackbirds, up to 230 Golden Plover off Moss Lane, and just 11 Linnet in the winter seed with a Reed Bunting.

Lapwing. Phil Slade

There are a few Lapwings on territory in the fields around Cockersands now and numbers will slowly build, unfortunately - and unknown to the birds - living dangerously, of all the places I do my birding this area is as bad as any other I know, and made a concerted effort last breeding season to find fledged Lapwings without success....No other political, environmental, or conservation comments! 

And finally....There's a  record of an early White Wagtail HERE

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