Seeing Double!

I got a double in on Tuesday with two days birding in succession.... what's the world coming to!

With the weather as good as it was it was essential I got myself out again if only to give the area a repeat looking over, and as on Monday it was 11.00am by the time I got to Conder Green where I took note of the Common Sandpiper again, but could only count 7 Little Grebe today despite a multi count, a Kingfisher was in the creeks quietly on the sand bank.

The adult female Scaup gave excellent views close in and allowing the opportunity to get some good detail of this bird on the canal basin at Glasson Dock. On the Lune Estuary, 2 Spotted  Redshank, c.90 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Little Egret, and the 'August' Whooper Swan which was in the very same area of Colloway Marsh as it has been the last three sightings, I'm beginning to wonder if this bird is as well as it appears to be. Talking of which, a Mute Swan on the river opposite the bowling green was frantically preening which - on close inspection through the telescope - revealed it to be injured and bleeding, it appeared to have an injury to its right wing, or maybe in the area of its right wing.

I gave Cockersands little time today, too many people, too many dogs, but noted a Little Egret on Plover Scar before the dogs did, and a bird glimpsed in flight was almost certainly a Jack Snipe. On Pilling Marsh off Lane Ends, 4 Barnacle Geese were distant with c.2,000 Pink-footed Geese and a Little Egret.

Weatherwise the day was brilliant and some legwork from Fluke Hall to Cockers Dyke was a joy, though it turned up nothing of note in either direction, but was rewarded at the dyke with a Curlew Sandpiper and 4 Little Egret.

Note....An interesting sighting - albeit distant and in poor light late afternoon - on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, was of a godwit sp - thought to be Bar-tailed Godwit - which had very unusual pale upperparts, and a pure white head, neck, and underparts, worth looking for if you're planning a visit here or elsewhere if it moves on. 

And the photography....

Redwing. Marc Heath.

The Redwings are coming....in fact they've already arrived in Kent where Marc took this photograph yesterday. 

Brown Hawker. Marc Heath.

Dragonflies in our area this summer have been in short supply, but in the south its probably been a different story....Thanks to Marc Heath who has posted numerous photographs of dragonflies recently, for the Brown Hawker on blackberries.

Black Darter Cliff Raby 

And thanks to Cliff for this photograph of the Black Darter....

Ichneumon Wasp Cliff Raby  

....and the excellent macro image of this wasp. All four photographs have helped to put some much needed colour and interest into Birds2blog.

No more birding for me I'm afraid until next Monday at the earliest.... what's the world coming to!