....and a little twitch!

I don't think it's an all time record, but I was at Conder Green yesterday at 8.00am....early for me. The first bird to greet me here was a Greenshank in the creeks, followed during the circuit by 3 Spotted Redshank, the Common Sandpiper had found its way down the Conder channel again. I found 10 Little Grebe here again seven of which were in the creeks and three on Conder Pool where I noted at least 75 Lapwing and 12 Curlew.

At Glasson Dock on the canal basin, 9 Goldeneye, 3 Little Grebe, and a Great-crested Grebe. On the Lune Estuary I noted up to 700 Bar-tailed Godwit, c.250 Dunlin, and 37 Goldeneye which  - added to the canal basin birds - is the best count of 46 at Glasson Dock this winter. In the field off Moss Lane today's count totalled 252 Whooper Swans.

I must admit I never yet came birding to Cockersands and didn't enjoy the experience, but I must say yesterday was pretty void and the cold Arctic wind was pretty thin to say the least, but the hardy Snow Bunting was scratching away like a mouse in a cheese factory on Plover Scar for its 24th day, otherwise the only birds to qualify for the black book were 3 Greenfinch, and a Peregrine Falcon rocketing through and making a dive at something I didn't identify before continuing on its way.

So now I'm on my way to a do a little twitch and see somebody else's bird by way of a change at Freeman's Pools to find the 'redhead' Smew being floodlit by the blinding sun and giving excellent views. Also of note, a single drake Goldeneye, 3 Little Egret, 4 Little Grebe, c.30 Goldfinch,13 Pied Wagtail and 3 Meadow Pipit were feeding together, and up to 150 Dunlin and a similar uncounted number of Redshank were on the flood. 

Out on Plover Scar. Pete Woodruff. 

I was definitely not at all happy to see this thing out on the scar today and will be making enquiries to find out if any laws were being broken by it being there, it looks bigger and even worse if you 'clik the pik'. I was left wondering if perhaps Mrs Mutt was a better sight on there than this bloody machine, by the way she was there with 15 hounds unleashed recently.

Sorry there are no 'and finally' pics but I'm out of time here.