After The Break.

After what must have been the coldest and - for me - the most boring Easter weekend ever, it was good to get my feet back on some familiar territory again yesterday.

Spotted Redshank. Copy Permitted.

And Conder Green was 'showing off' today with excellent views of a male and female Little Ringed Plover and a Little Grebe on Conder Pool. In the creeks, 2 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, and a single Black-tailed Godwit. From the coastal path, a Chiffchaff, singing Dunnock, 2 Tree Sparrow, and Long-tailed Tit were all to be found in the hour I spent there.

At Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary I counted at least 210 Black-tailed Godwit, 10 Goldeneye, 3 Little Grebe, a drake Red-breasted Merganser, and a distant Merlin was on Colloway Marsh.

Knot David Cookson

At Cockersands between Crook Farm and Plover Scar, c.2,500 Dunlin, and another 450 Black-tailed Godwit made a combined count of at least 660 of the species still on this section of the Lune Estuary. On Plover Scar, c.95 Knot, 45 Turnstone, 5 Grey Plover, 3 Ringed Plover, and 4 Eider, a Little Egret was by a ditch in an inland field. 

Chiffchaff Warren Baker

At Fluke Hall a Chiffchaff was in the hedge which runs along the parking area. Whilst watching this bird - which was never still during the time I spent with it - I took particular note of some habitual behaviour by this species whilst feeding which is useful for separation from Willow Warbler, that of the Chiffchaffs habitual tail-dipping as opposed to the Willow Warblers 'stiff tail', useful if I'm struggling with other subtle ID features separating the two when silent and busy feeding.