Licensed To Bird!

I had my license to bird renewed again yesterday and promptly set off for Conder Green where I found 2 drake Pochard  and a Great-crested Grebe on Conder Pool, both species very unusual on here, also noted 3 drake Wigeon and 12 Tufted Duck. The only gain on the circuit was a singing Reed Bunting and the good number of House Martin nesting at River Winds.

Grey Plover Geoff Gradwell

On to Cockersands at high tide where Plover Scar was host to just 104 birds of which I was pleased to find were 8 Sanderling at variable plumage stages. Another good record was that of 7 Grey Plover, anything approaching a double figure count of Grey Plover here is good if not exceptional. GG's images of the bird are excellent, the top one illustrating the birds diagnostic black axilleries perfectly. The rest of the count was made up of 23 Ringed Plover, 12 Dunlin, 6 Oystercatcher, a single Knot and Lapwing, 10 Mallard were also on the scar. 

Eider ARKive  

Three good records a Cockersands today, the third being 36 Eider of which 16 were downy young. 

A wander around produced a 'few' Tree Sparrow and a singing Skylark. I also found my first young well grown Lapwing having survived the agricultural intensity where most of the fields in the area have now become bowling greens with one currently being sprayed and Lapwing sitting around looking bewildered.  

On Sunday at Leighton Moss with KT, a sit in the Public Hide for an hour or so - primarily in the hope of seeing a recently reported Hobby - gave us at least 2 Marsh Harrier, a Buzzard, and a Great-crested Grebe giving two young a piggyback, the Greater Black-backed Gulls appear to have at least one large downy chick on the island....No Hobby.

And finally....

Wheatear Isidro Ortiz  

Looking for another one of those pics with a difference, I looked no further when I found this one of the Wheatear on the sign post to Puerto De Candeleda. Thanks Isidro....Excellent.