Keeping The Faith!

 Semipalmated Sandpiper. Copy Permitted.

A bit of a tussle inside my head today when the RBA pager service told me of a Semipalmated Sandpiper at Knott End not a million miles away from where I was at Conder Green at 11.02 this morning....I decided to remain faithful to the Lune Estuary and continued my birding there. I parked the motor at Conder Green and gave the area three hours of footwork.

At Conder Green I counted 8 Little Grebe on the pool and noted 5 Goosander, 8 Wigeon, and a drake Pochard a species something of a scarce - if not rare - record on here, a Sparrowhawk went over. A Spotted Redshank was the only bird noted in the creeks today though Teal remain in good number.

I checked the Lune Estuary as I walked along the coastal path, it was impressive and alive with waders, I have no hesitation to suggest - including gulls and swans - probably in excess of 20,000 birds present today viewable from the bowling green. My reasonably accurate estimates were, 7,500 Lapwing, 6,000 Knot, 3,000 Golden Plover, 450 Bar-tailed Godwit, 180 Black-tailed Godwit, 800 Wigeon, 200 Mallard, and best wildfowl record of the day 12 Goldeneye back on the River Lune at Glasson Dock. The other best record of the day was 12 Bewick's Swan including two immature and an immature Whooper Swan. Also noted, a Greenshank, Red-breasted Merganser, and 3 Little Egret.

  Scaup. Copy Permitted.

On the Canal Basin at Glasson Dock, Saturdays Scaup still present with 95 Tufted Duck and a drake Pochard to note. 

The Semipalmated Sandpiper remained in the Knott End area all day and was last reported at 3.22pm between Knott End and Pilling Lane on Preesall Sands.