I think the pager service I was tuned into yesterday - as I am every day - said all that needed to be said about 'what's about' when, during the 16 hours mine was switched on, just three Lancashire messages were broadcast.
But birding is OK, though you have to work at it....Well I work at it all the time, but if the birds aren't there no amount of 'work' is going to produce them, but yesterdays birding for me was OK!
I decided to go to Cockersands first, apart from anything else I need to establish whether or not the Sanderling are going to turn up here this year en-route to their breeding grounds. Birds from both the Siberian and Nearctic breeding populations migrate through Britain, and 6 years ago on 31 May 2007 I observed an excellent number of 130 Sanderling on Plover Scar. This has never anything like happened since, but if it is ever going to happen here again, I want to be there when it does....but it didn't yesterday.
It was actually a bit thin a Cockersands with just 23 Ringed Plover and 7 Dunlin on Plover Scar, with 2 Eider off here. Five Whimbrel were at the caravan park end, and 3 Wheatear, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Tree Sparrow, and a Dunnock were of note.
I then went on a mission to check out the River Lune upstream from Bull Beck to find 5 Little Ringed Plover....EXCELLENT....3 Common Sandpiper, and a Grey Wagtail.
Spotted Flycatcher Astland Photography
I then went to Hornby to walk the River Wenning downstream, then upstream on the River Lune to Lloyne Bridge where I found my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year. I also heard 3 Blackcap males in good voice, 3 Common Sandpiper, a Goosander, Skylark. In excess of 100 Swift were over and around both rivers, with a 'few' Swallow, Sand Martin, and House Martin noted.
The weather whinge.
I've left my weather whinge until the end, but on the headland at Cockersands yesterday the howler made it more like March than May, and there's little improvement today....Pathetic.
The weather whinge.
I've left my weather whinge until the end, but on the headland at Cockersands yesterday the howler made it more like March than May, and there's little improvement today....Pathetic.
Your certainly right about the weather Peter,it is making so much harder to see a bird never mind trying to photograph one.Very frustrating but we keep trying.
ReplyDeleteStill some very nice species seen Pete, and you are finding birds, despite the conditions being against you.
ReplyDeleteYou're right when you say 'if the birds 'aint there, no amount of work will find them' I suffer from that a lot!! :-)