A Decent Bash.

Despite a good - well decent anyhow - 5 hour bash around the OK corral yesterday I didn't find the migrants I had hoped for.

Wheatear Ana Minguez  

But on a Cockersands 2.5 hour circular with diversions, I found at least 28 Wheatear, a few of which were in the Abbey Farm stubble field, in which the farmer had done them and 5 White Wagtail a favour with a recent muck and fly spreading exercise. Two Grey Partridge were a couple of rarities seen, with 6 Linnet, 4 Skylark, 3 Tree Sparrow, and a female Reed Bunting. Off Plover Scar 28 Eider, and I noted 7 Brown Hare during the visit.

There are still at least 150 Black-tailed Godwit in the Conder/Glasson area with 55 on Conder Pool. In the creeks, 7 Common Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, and a Greenshank. I saw my first Whitethroat on the coastal path along with a Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterfly.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 95 Black-tailed Godwit, and 65 Bar-tailed Godwit. Fourteen Eider here was a bit of an irony as not too long ago on this very blog I claimed the Eider to be at least unusual on this section of the Lune Estuary as viewed upstream from the bowling green according to my observations, but I have recently been seeing them regular here, obviously no longer 'unusual'.

Otter and Tawny Owl.  

A visitor to the area stopped to talk and told me of an Otter he'd seen on the canal somewhere around the second lock was the best info he offered. Also a Tawny Owl he'd seen along the coastal path by a culvert was the best he offered me on this.

And finally....

Chrysolina Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

An interesting little creature which I found at Cockersands, but confusion has set in on this one. I think Chrysolina menthastri - or Mint Beetle - can be ruled out, not necessarily, but this is scarce in Britain. So the confusion then is between C. hyperici and C. varians, I'm going for the latter. Help....anyone!