....well, early'ish, with one or two other interesting birds found. And a couple of excellent photographs if its plumage detail you're after.
Turnstone. Brian Rafferty.
One of my favourite waders the Turnstone showing some excellent plumage detail. At Cockersand today I counted with great difficulty amongst the stones on Plover Scar - try it sometime - at least 40 Turnstones. I was pushed for time today and noted nothing else of any significance on the scar other than a solitary Grey Plover with 13 Eider off here, but I did note 4 Wheatear along the headland which should be thinking of reading the script by now.
The circuit at Cockersands was rewarded by c.450 Wigeon at the caravan park end with 32 Pink-footed Geese over going south. From the road I counted at least 45 Tree Sparrow minus one taken out by a Sparrowhawk....no garden bird atrocities being committed by this female then. In a field containing an estimate of 3,500 Black-headed Gulls, an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Ruff, a solitary Black-tailed Godwit, and c.120 Curlew. Forty 'finches' in the set-aside were predominantly Linnet with only about 4 Greenfinch.
On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, a Curlew Sandpiper, 4 Spotted Redshank, and an adult Mediterranean Gull. I had little time left for any waders assessments but reckon c.650 Golden Plover are still present here. Three Goldeneye on Conder Pool surprised me being a little early in my records, though I'm sure not the earliest ever in the recording area, I counted 8 Little Grebe again on the pool today.
Dunlin. Brian Rafferty.
The Dunlin image also shows some good plumage detail, useful for the study of. With many thanks for todays photographs to Brian Rafferty
They are really good quality pictures....nice to observe the feathers like you said!
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Pete. You do work so hard on your weekly observations around the Cockerham area. Your records provide a great resource of bird movements on this part of the Lancashire coastline. I am pleased I can help you to illustrate your accounts with some of my images from time to time.Keep up the good work and maybe we will meet up sometime.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments Brian, but to be really honest with you I met up with a birder yesterday who's fieldcraft and ability to know what he's looking for/at is the subject of my constant respect - he's not on his own in this regard - and I assure you I'm not alone in the 'hard work' you credit me with but thank you again.
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