Oh No Not Cockersands Again!

Well it was still howling again on the headland at Cockersands on Wednesday, but I had to get back there. It's simple really, it's just got to be done. 

I had been watching and listening for the pager to say the Dotterel at Cockersands was still present and showing well, or that there was no news of the said bird....but nothing either way was forthcoming. So, I'm off to look for myself, and in any case there was a 'plover' I had seen briefly on Plover Scar on Tuesday that didn't appear to be a Ringed Plover and I needed to get to the bottom of what this bird really was.

As with Tuesdays birding my availability was limited to a couple of hours and some of this time needed to be spent checking the waders on Plover Scar at high tide. But wait a minute, the Golden Plover are still in the same Abbey Farm field and there's more of them too, my luck is in and I'm already confident the Dotterel is also still here. Thirty minutes and at least six complete scans with some birds out of sight at times in a dip in the field revealed 355 Golden Plover and no Dotterel in sight. 

By now the tide was at it's height, but Plover Scar was out of the question as a couple of 'fishermen' - note how polite I can be if I really try - had decided to have an afternoons er....fishing. But the roosting waders had taken to a stony area close by and I had excellent views of a similar number to Mondays 400 Ringed Plover, Turnstone, and Dunlin, and yes I found my mystery 'plover' which - after careful study - could only have been a retarded Ringed Plover which appeared to be in plumage similar to that of a juvenile/1st summer bird....in April!! Mystery solved, and my first ever retarded Ringed Plover seen....learning something new every day.

Other birds of note on a couple of hours mainly taken up by Dotterel hunting and the mystery 'plover' were, a Wheatear, a Whimbrel, 2 Stock Dove, and 6 Brown Hare. A whistle stop at Conder Green showed me a Spotted Redshank, Common Sandpiper, a Little Grebe, and a pair of Goosander. 

Little Grebe. Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

The Little Grebe on Conder Pool - present in good number during the winter months - appear to be reduced to the one now as noted on my last few visits here. Thanks to Howard for the excellent image.  

And the pics....   

 Broad-billed Sandpiper. Copyright In The Image

A couple of reminders of past rarities to be found at Cockersands. With the Broad-billed Sandpiper found coming up to 7 years ago on 15 May 2006.

Kentish Plover. Copy Permitted.

And the female Kentish Plover which was found coming up to 2 years ago at Cockersands on 3 May 2011. Cockersands rules, especially in May, be there....OK!