Hardly Riveting!

Considering I set off in rain this morning - in itself a rare event - perhaps an alternative title could have been 'In Desperation'. But I managed a few notes on the day, and found three more excellent images for the post.

Photo Colin Bushell 

First....thanks to CB for the excellent 'Find the Ruff with Black-tailed Godwits' pic....nice one Colin.

It was a bit desperate today both weather and bird wise despite quite a bit of time and legwork, but eventually the cloud broke to be quite sunny. At Conder Green at least 30 Swift and one or two House Martin had played clever and found a food source over and around Conder Pool where an Oystercatcher was seen with a well grown young bird, a male Reed Bunting was noted. About 6 House Martin appear to be nesting again this year at River Winds. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock a similar number of Swift as at Conder Green over the basin hawking the insects and I took note of the Mute Swans which had only nine cygnets with them today, ten were seen 22 May.

At Cockersands, up to 60 Ringed Plover and c.32 Dunlin noted, 9 Linnet, 6 Skylark, and a Lapwing with three chicks was a rewarding sight. My records of 22 May omitted 2 Grey Partridge in Bank Houses horse paddock. In a conversation with the farmer at Gardners Farm he told me of lower numbers of Swallow here again as last year compared to previous years. I also noted no Sedge Warblers seen/heard today in the Cockersands area which has produced double figures for me in the recent past.

Like the title says....Hardly Riveting, but its always a pleasure to be birding.

Finally, a raptor and a damselfly....

Black Kite Antonio Puigg

Thanks to AP for the stunning image of the stunning Black Kite....Like I say, stunning on both counts Antonio.

Azure Damselfly Cliff Raby

And thanks to CR for the freshly emerged female Azure Damselfly at Foulshaw Moss recently....An excellent result for your efforts Cliff.


It was good to see a small piece in the local newspaper The Visitor about the 'back down' on the Buzzard Project, but worth noting a comment....'that the government under pressure from some shooting interests will not let the matter rest.....You bet your life they won't.