The Waxwings Are Coming....

....and I got out birding yesterday too.

Waxwing Brian Rafferty

An irresistible photograph of an irresistible bird, and early arrivals are already in the UK from Scandinavia, so I'll be taking particular note of anything with berries on it from now on. Thanks Brian....brilliance in a single image.

November Issue Out Now.

At Conder Green on Tuesday 23 October I had three sightings of the Kingfisher but no evidence I saw more than one bird, today I had the same number of sightings, this time I certainly saw two and possibly three birds. Also of note, a Spotted Redshank, Common Sandpiper, 8 Little Grebe, and 4 Snipe.

Short-reared Owl Christian Thompson

At Glasson Dock, a Short-eared Owl was quartering the marsh as viewed from the bowling green, an adult Mediterranean Gull was eventually found amongst a horde of Back-headed Gull, a Greenshank, Little Grebe and Little Egret seen, 8 Goldeneye were my first multiples this winter, and at least 100 Dunlin were of note. A female Scaup was seen again on the canal basin, with a Little Grebe noted, another Little Egret was on Glasson Marsh off Bodie Hill. Thanks for the SEO Christian....I can image the excitement you must have had taking photographs of this stunning bird.

Turnstone David Cookson 

At Cockersands, with difficulty I counted up to 40 Turnstone on the stony Plover Scar and perfectly camouflaged, 4 Red-breasted Merganser were off here. With the exception of c.60 Dunlin and probably 250 Redshank on the shoreline the vast majority of waders were otherwise in the fields here, with 'large' numbers of Curlew, Lapwing, and Redshank seen. Short of making any attempt to count the rest in the fields I'd put the figure at 250 Golden Plover and 2 Black-tailed Godwit. Inland birds only amounted to 7 Greenfinch, a 'few' Tree Sparrow, and a Reed Bunting. Thanks for the Turnstone David, I can't achieve anything photographically like this any more.... that's if I ever could!

I spent in excess of four hours at Cockersands and nearly walked as many miles, but as can be seen above was poorly paid for the effort, but.... mustn't grumble!

And finally....

Painted Lady Noushka Dufort 

This photograph of the Painted Lady should have accompanied Sundays post on the subject, but I had no access to it then. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction for this Noushka....WOW!