Birding By The Sea.

Oh dear, some of my titles are hard to believe....Sorry!

Turnstone Martin Jump  

I got to Cockersands yesterday at just about high tide, but as it turned out timing had no effect on sightings which were low. Plover Scar held a good count of at least 100 Turnstone, a brilliant wader both on the ground and beautifully marked in flight as this image clearly shows. Thanks for this Martin, a brilliant in flight shot of the Turnstone.

Wheatear. David Cookson.

I found just one Wheatear at Cockersands today, one of the most conspicuous and longest stayers of all our summer visitors on passage both in spring and autumn, the earliest ever record in Lancashire was of a Wheatear found on 26 February, and the latest record was of one seen on 27 November. A 'few' Snipe came up off the marshes in ones and twos pushed off by the high tide, c.30 Linnet, 8 Skylark, and a Kestrel. 

The Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock appeared unremarkable from where I viewed from the bowling green, though had a Peregrine Falcon on a post distant on Colloway Marsh took to the wing, I reckon the number of waders put to flight by this flying machine would have transformed it all into something quite remarkable and changed the few waders I could see into a few thousand I couldn't see. A Spotted Redshank, c.450 Golden Plover, and a Little Egret were also noted. 

At Conder Green, a Spotted Redshank, c.75 Teal, 40 Mallard, 2 Snipe, and 2 Redshank were in the creeks with a Sparrowhawk over the marsh. A Common Sandpiper and 11 Little Grebe were on Conder Pool. If you like a challenge try counting the Little Grebe on Conder Pool, up and down like yoyo's when they're feeding on the huge supply of small fry which they catch by the hundreds during their visits to Conder Pool.  

And finally....

Whooper Swans. David Cookson. 

The Whooper Swans are coming....but where are they, they're late.

Thanks to David Cookson for the excellent Wheatear and Whooper Swan images.