The Big Bash.

I gave Cockersands a good five hour bashing yesterday giving the area two hours before the tide and three after, including a bit of a wander inland on a lovely calm, sunny, and warm day. 

The results of all this are....

Curlew Sandpiper Brian Rafferty

The first bird I saw was a Peregrine Falcon which had again perched on the railings round the lighthouse, 3 juvenile Curlew Sandpiper were eventually driven close in by the tide and were below the headland just south of Cockersands Abbey with estimates of 200 Dunlin and 250 Ringed Plover, also 2 Whimbrel, and a Sanderling, with 3 Wheatear seen, just 4 Eider were off Plover Scar, and up to 50 Wigeon were a sign of the approaching winter. Thanks for the CS's Brian.

Lesser Whitethroat Arkive

In the fields, hedges and bushes around Bank House Cottage, a Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Whitethroat, a 'few' Tree Sparrow and Goldfinch, 6 Great Tit, 2 Robin, a Wren, 15 Curlew, a Stock Dove, up to 200 Swallow hawking, and 8 Teal in the broad ditch.

At Conder Green I found 2 Spotted Redshank downstream from the old railway bridge with a Greenshank, a Ruff was in the creeks, 6 Little Grebe were an increase on the pool, also a Common Sandpiper and 6 Snipe, the two site faithful drake Wigeon on here have some relatives arrived at Cockersands now. I probably saw 50 Small Tortoiseshell on the day, with 3 Speckled Wood seen at Conder Green.

Spotted Redshank at Conder Green. 

The two Spotted Redshank I saw at Conder Green yesterday were both juvenile, the two birds that have been present in recent weeks have both been adult and with another adult I saw on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock on 30 August five Spotted Redshank are/have been present in the area.

And finally....putting a smile into birding!

Bully Boy and a small group of his large harem were looking a bit menacing as I walked by them on the shingle below. He's a great guy really, I actually think he's brilliant, when you walk by him chilled out on the ground chewing his cud surrounded by cows he just glares at you.