Rainy Days and Mondays....

....always get me down. 

A record by The Carpenters which failed to chart in the UK 42 years ago in 1971 and reflects today's weather and its affect on me and my birding. But this is all about last Fridays day with BT as the leader and was going to be titled....'Here, There, and Everywhere'.

In the 45 minutes spent at Aldcliffe, a 'few' Goldfinch noted with Long-tailed Tit, 2 Black-tailed Godwit were on the wildfowlers pool, beautiful birds in brilliant summer plumage and ignored by 99% of the traffic on foot and cycle who use this path daily, 2 Little Egret seen, one on Aldcliffe, the other Heaton Marsh. Butterflies included my first Comma this year, with Peacock, Meadow Brown, and Speckled Wood. 

Lapwing Martin Jump

Around 30 minutes at Conder Green, interestingly after Thursdays House Martin negative at River Winds, Friday saw them there again into double figure. Conder Pool held a high 320 Redshank and 200 Lapwing, with one juvenile Little Ringed Plover showing, and the Goldeneye and 2 Wigeon noted. 

The Lune Estuary from Glasson Dock showed an increase in wader numbers with figures of at least 1,500 Lapwing, 450 Redshank, 150 Curlew, a Spotted Redshank was almost certainly the 'Conder Green' bird, and a pristine Red Admiral was seen. At Cockersands I had the time to note c.550 Curlew in the Cocker channel.

Large Skipper Martin Jump   

A tour along Gulf Lane and Cockerham Moss Edge resulted in a zero of anything of note. But Pilling Lane Ends made it a 'butterfly day' with at least seventy seen, up to 50 Common Blue, c.12 Gatekeeper, a 'few' Meadow Brown, and a Small Skipper recorded.

I think an alternative title for this post could well have been....'The Run-around'. 

Thanks for the Lapwing Martin, not just an image of a Lapwing, but one walking on water, and for the Large Skipper - mine was a Small Skipper - brilliant on both counts Martin.