Once again!

I did a repeat of Tuesdays birding yesterday which roughly had the same results....but the enjoyment never fails. This time Conder Green took two hours off me including a good look around the picnic area, a positive haven for migrants though I don't recall the last time one turned up here, and it certainly wasn't 'positive' yesterday.

Despite several attempts I couldn't get the count to more than 9 Little Grebe today, also on the pool, 2 Greenshank and a Snipe. In the creeks, 2 Spotted Redshank and the wintering Common Sandpiper. A few Blackbirds were in the picnic area with at least ten seen. The big surprise here today was the 'August' Whooper Swan which was to be seen on the marsh opposite Conder Pool in company with a Mute Swan.

Scaup. Pete Woodruff.

The female Scaup was on the canal basin still with its Tufted female lookalikes, the two in the pic above were off Broadway at Morecambe on 3 February 2010. The variety of waders on the Lune Estuary was minimal but up to 900 Golden Plover were noted with in excess of 3,000 Lapwing, but the best wader count went to c.250 Dunlin a seemingly 'scarce' bird. The 'gull' numbers here must have verged on 1,000 including an adult Mediterranean Gull, I'm sure I failed to find more here today, 3 Little Egret were also noted.

Once again I spent the rest of the afternoon at Cockersands though I've been threatening to pay a visit to another location - a pretty productive flood - for a couple of weeks now but haven't yet carried out the threat always running out of time....time for a change of scenery!

I went towards Crook Farm again to see if Tuesdays Twite sighting could be improved upon but only found about a 50/50 mix of 40 in total Meadow Pipit/Pied Wagtail on the stony shore having found a food source of sorts. Up to 70 Teal off Plover Scar which  - unless my memory is completely falling apart - is quite unusual, also noted here were 8 Pintail, and....

Curlew David Cookson  

I counted 248 Curlew in a field by Bank Houses. Its never 'just' a photograph with DC, always one with a difference....Thanks David.

And finally....

American Goldfinch Tim Kuhn  

Here's a Goldfinch I'm not expecting to see any time soon....never to be honest. A North American migratory bird which ranges from Alberta to North Carolina during the breeding season, and winters south of the Canadian border to Mexico. Thanks for this Tim, I know you look in on Birds2blog on occasions which I appreciate.