Empty Spaces.

It got to mid-day today before I was able to get off down to Skerton Bridge to join the coastal path for the walk to Glasson Dock on a day like the first of spring, with some good sunny spells, little wind, and a distinct rise in the temperature. But there are often lots of empty spaces to fill on a days birding and for me today was no exception, but the walk to Glasson Dock produced a couple of surprises.

Pied Wagtail. David Cookson.

In three separate groups I counted a total of 39 Pied Wagtails....

Meadow Pipit. David Cookson.

....accompanied by 36 Meadow Pipits all feeding together....is the spring passage underway.

From Skerton Bridge I could make out 9 Goosander up towards the Skerton Weir, and on the river from here to Marsh Point I counted only 6 Goldeneye today compared to twenty last Friday, and saw a Grey Wagtail.

At Freeman's Pools I noted 'man with digger' had claimed the area virtually to himself presumably doing some necessary management work which caused the inevitable disturbance. Easily overlooked at the distance I noted 5 Snipe at rest by the wildfowlers pool, and between Aldcliffe and Conder Green I counted 18 Blackbird eleven of which were together in a field below the hedgerow, a Dunnock, and a Song Thrush always a nice record for me. I had to forfeit any time at Conder Green though a calling Spotted Redshank drew my attention to the bird. It was a bit of a whiz through today but an enjoyable whiz all the same.

Thanks to DC for the Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit, the latter of which was voted Birdguides Photo of the Year 2012 Runner Up, with a judges comment....

MT: "David Cookson's Meadow Pipit delivers a striking portrait of a bird that is all too readily dismissed as a "little brown job", capturing the subtle tonal differences and revealing characters central to pipit identification. With the aid of good lighting, David's Meadow Pipit displays a lemon yellow tinge to the supercilium and a warm buff to the chest. With light in the eye and a head held just above the horizontal this bird is alert and is brought to life."

And finally....I thought I'd pop these two photographs in the post, they've probably been here before. 

Spotted Flycatcher. Pete Woodruff.

The Spotted Flycatcher I hope to see in decent number sometime this year probably in the Trough of Bowland.

The other I just couldn't resist....

Tawny Owlet. Pete Woodruff.

The Tawny Owlet I found at Abbeystead a couple of years ago.