Trampling The Ground....

....at Cockersands again.

Merlin. Pete Woodruff.

I gave Cockersands another 2.5 hours trampling again on Tuesday on a mild, cloudy day with an annoying stiff wind from the south on the headland. I strongly suspect a Merlin wintering in this area, frustratingly I had to move my scope to allow a tractor past me just as I got on to a small raptor on a distant fence post, the consequences of which it became the one that got away....next time! The bird in the pic above was photographed at Cockersands on 14 September 2009, an early date for a Merlin to be on the coast. 

Black-tailed Godwit Martin Jump

The tide was at its height and the waders had taken to the fields, there was in excess of 1,000 Curlew with 750 in one of the Abbey Farm fields, best count was of 210 Black-tailed Godwit, with a single Grey Plover, 7 Eider were off Plover Scar, and on the Cocker Estuary at least 2,000 Wigeon with a 'few' Pintail noted. I gained little from returning to the lighthouse via the road save c.50 Fieldfare, a Buzzard, and 4 Skylark, I'd suggest a number of Skylark are still in stubble fields in this area.

 Golden Plover. Dave Appleton.

At Glasson Dock, c.2,500 Golden Plover were a lovely sight, c.250 Dunlin seems exceptional these days in this and the Cockersands area at least, 32 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Greenshank, and 2 Little Egret. On the canal basin I saw a Little Grebe, and counted 52 Tufted Duck.

Of note at Conder Green, all on Conder Pool, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, 5 Snipe, 8 Goosander, 4 Wigeon, a Little Egret, and I could find only 2 Little Grebe in fading light. 

If you've never had the good fortune to witness the spectacle of thousands of Pink-footed Geese arriving at or leaving the roost, do yourself a favour and take a look at this two minute video with the volume turned up....Thanks to Colin Bushell