I got in three days birding in a row last week - what's the world coming to I ask myself - and probably walked 15 miles into the bargain.
It was a decent day on Friday, decent enough to get myself on the coastal path at Skerton Bridge in Lancaster, and walk to Conder Green. Nothing particularly significant found but its always good to see and note the changes over the weeks, and of note on Friday it was interesting to find the numbers of one species diminishing since I counted 48 Blackbirds on the same route 8 weeks ago on 11 December 2012, the numbers fell on each of 5 walks since and today I counted 16 Blackbirds, even more significant were the 10 Song Thrush seen on the same day of 11 December compared to none seen on the 5 following walks until today when I found two Song Thrush, always an excellent record these days.
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Between Skerton Bridge and Marsh Point I counted 20 Goldeneye, the River Lune from here to the estuary at Glasson Dock being the only location this species can be found in double figures though I did see a record of 14 at Dockacres last Friday. Also of note on this section of the River Lune was 2 Goosander....
....and a good number of at least 150 Redshank finding their way upstream. Freeman's Pools oddly held not a single diving duck but 3 Gadwall and a Little Egret were of note. The flood at Aldcliffe held 75 Dunlin, and 24 Redshank. From Aldcliffe to Conder Green in addition to the Blackbirds and Song Thrushes mentioned earlier I noted just 10 Pied Wagtail feeding together, and a Mistle Thrush.
I had barely a minute to spare when I arrived at Conder Green, yes you guessed it....my bus was coming. Thanks for the drake Goosander Brian, and for the Redshank David, both excellent photographs with a difference as always.
I do hope you saw all six parts of the 'Africa' series on BBC television which ended last week, and which concluded with David Attenborough making his views known on the future of a continent and its wildlife which could fit the US, Japan, China, India, UK, and most of the rest of Europe into its boundaries. He put on a brave face and spoke some positive words and some negative ones, including a comment on the rainforest which has been earmarked to have 50% of its area removed for its timber....his views had many more positives than those of mine on the future of this vast country called Africa and its amazing array of wildlife.
I think the video below was an excellent trailer for the series and is a minute well spent to watch it.
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Goosander Brian Rafferty
Between Skerton Bridge and Marsh Point I counted 20 Goldeneye, the River Lune from here to the estuary at Glasson Dock being the only location this species can be found in double figures though I did see a record of 14 at Dockacres last Friday. Also of note on this section of the River Lune was 2 Goosander....
Redshank David Cookson
....and a good number of at least 150 Redshank finding their way upstream. Freeman's Pools oddly held not a single diving duck but 3 Gadwall and a Little Egret were of note. The flood at Aldcliffe held 75 Dunlin, and 24 Redshank. From Aldcliffe to Conder Green in addition to the Blackbirds and Song Thrushes mentioned earlier I noted just 10 Pied Wagtail feeding together, and a Mistle Thrush.
I had barely a minute to spare when I arrived at Conder Green, yes you guessed it....my bus was coming. Thanks for the drake Goosander Brian, and for the Redshank David, both excellent photographs with a difference as always.
I do hope you saw all six parts of the 'Africa' series on BBC television which ended last week, and which concluded with David Attenborough making his views known on the future of a continent and its wildlife which could fit the US, Japan, China, India, UK, and most of the rest of Europe into its boundaries. He put on a brave face and spoke some positive words and some negative ones, including a comment on the rainforest which has been earmarked to have 50% of its area removed for its timber....his views had many more positives than those of mine on the future of this vast country called Africa and its amazing array of wildlife.
I think the video below was an excellent trailer for the series and is a minute well spent to watch it.
Each time we have one of these cold snaps Pete, the Blackbird and Songthrush numbers go up markedly here, then as soon as it warms up a bit, numbers fall back again.
ReplyDeletecracking set of shots Pete and love the header, first class stuff.
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