Hijacked!

On Friday I had my car hijacked by KT and daughter No 2, therefore the only thing for me to do was to leg it to Glasson Dock via Aldcliffe which took me a very pleasant six hours in good birding country. Old railway routes are always good birding country....I know one in Cumbria which in summer can/could turn up multi numbers of Wood Warbler along a lengthy route. 

I started with a circuit of Aldcliffe where I found 3 Little Ringed Plover, one on the flood and two on the wildfowlers pool where I saw the only 2 Little Egret in the entire six hours. I also saw my first 2 House Martin overhead here. A male and female Blackcap together were excellent along the path by Freeman's Pools, and at least one pair of Goldfinch and Greenfinch are almost certainly breeding along here. 

Disappointingly the route to Conder Green wasn't exactly ringing with bird song, nor was it heaving with birds, but noted were, 5 Wheatear, 6 Chiffchaff, 6 Willow Warbler, another singing male Blackcap, 5 Wren, 4 Song Thrush, 2 Long-tailed Tit, a White Wagtail in the horse paddock at Stodday, and a Goldcrest....For six hours and as many miles, I don't call that ringing with bird song, or heaving with them either. Four Small Tortoiseshell, and a Brown Hare were the non-bird interest. 

A quick whiz round Conder Green produced a Spotted Redshank well into its transformation from winter to summer plumage. And at Glasson Dock, c.30 Swallow and a single Sand Martin were hawking over the canal basin. I counted 22 Blackbird along the way today, a Sparrowhawk was over the Pointer roundabout in Lancaster, and the Siskin - male and female Friday - continue to visit our garden feeders.

And three of those 'can't resist these' pics.... 

Chiffchaff Christian Thompson

I rate this one of the Chiffchaff - having just caught an insect in mid-air - as brilliant, the light on this image is perfect as the result illustrates....simply brilliant.

Long-tailed Tit Martin Jump  

Heres another one qualifying for the brilliant rating, the Long-tailed Tit frozen in time. A truly wonderful photograph. 

Stonechat Isidro Ortiz  

And this one was always going to be brilliant....'cos its a Stonechat.

Thanks Christian/Martin/Isidro, like I said - three times - Brilliant.