BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND...............................................................RED GROUSE HAWTHORNTHWAITE PETE WOODRUFF

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

And The Winner Is!

Avocet
Avocet David Cookson

Today's winner was the Avocet in the Cocker channel at Cockersands, it got a few more votes than the Barn Owl in fields behind Ridge Farm and the Tawny Owl roosting in a tree on the edge of the same field, followed by another Barn Owl briefly as I drove past Braides south west of Cockerham, these four birds were just ahead on points of the Merlin squat on the biggest boulder on Plover Scar waiting to pounce and put sheer panic into everything around....I was looking for waders!


 
Barn Owl Brian Rafferty

But the day as always when I'm in this area started at Conder Green which was pretty quiet and it was noticeable that I saw not a single Little Grebe here today, but a Spotted Redshank put in an appearance and I noted 4 Cormorant - a bit irregular on Conder Pool - 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and 3 Snipe, 2 Long-tailed Tit were the only birds of note on the circuit. 


Cormorant Ana Minguez

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock an unprecedented c.850 Black-tailed Godwit surpassed the recent number of the species here by 200, these birds have been/are almost certainly the ones from the Eric Morecambe complex at Leighton Moss, c.25 Goldeneye were the only other birds of note here today.


Turnstone Noushka Dufort

At Cockersands the 'Moss Lane' swans have dwindled to c.95 Whooper Swan today, still distant and still holding a 'few' uncounted and hard to assess Bewick's Swan. On Plover Scar, at least 80 Turnstone, 4 Eider were off here, and c.550 Golden Plover on shingle towards the Caravan Park end. Three Little Egret were also noted in a field opposite Braides as I drove by.

Many thanks to DC/BR/AM/ND....not just photographs, brilliant photographs. Did you 'clik the pik'.    

4 comments:

  1. Hello stranger...!!
    I haven't read you in while, I hoe you are well!
    Lovely choice of pics, the Avocet and the Barn owl are astounding!
    Ana's Cormorant whole series is outstanding!
    Cheers Pete!

    ReplyDelete
  2. No Little Grebes !
    Good, maybe they've come south, might even visit my patch ponds :-) :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love love love the avocet photo! Great to see you out doing what you love!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for comments Noushka/Warren/Sharon. I appreciate and note them all.

    ReplyDelete