You Never Know!

I think its a good idea to set off on a days birding on the basis you never know what you might find, a sort of tales of the unexpected.

Skylark. David Cookson.

Well I can't say I found anything unexpected today but on a circuit of Cockersands I did count at least 7 Skylark along with 6 Wheatear still coming through, 2 Sedge Warbler burst into song, a 'few' Tree Sparrow, a male Reed Bunting, and a Buzzard soaring inland. Waders were a bit thin and Plover Scar was almost deserted even by the guardians of the scar the Oystercatchers, but a 'few' Dunlin and Ringed Plover had a single Sanderling in company, with two drake Eider on the sea, about 12 Small Tortoiseshell were a sign of summer and the warmer weather which has arrived at last.  

It was at least nice to find two young Lapwing had so far survived the onslaught of the breeding time harvest which is always to be seen at Cockersands on a grand scale every year, one field today resembled a kind of agricultural motorway with about eight trailer pulling tractors following the harvest gathering machine and Lapwings going crazy overhead....a pretty depressing sight.

At Glasson Dock the Lune Estuary was virtually void of bird-life but 2 Common Tern in flight and plunge diving, a House Martin kept returning to collect mud, and a Mute Swan pair had ten cygnets on the canal basin. Conder Pool held around 6 Tufted Duck and 2 Wigeon having decided to summer here. 

Talking about the unexpected when it comes to finding birds in our area, here are a couple of good examples....you might have to wait more than a little while to turn up a....

                                                           Golden Oriole. Antonio Puigg.

or a.... 

                                                   Collared Pratincole. Antonio Puigg.

Thanks to Antonio Puigg for the stunning images of the Oriole and Pratincole, and to David Cookson for the excellent Skylark photograph.