Normal Service Resumed.

I was wrong....The other things in life didn't take over from my birding for the week as predicted, in fact they've gone away - I got rid of 'em - and yesterday normal service was resumed....Alleluia.

On Conder Pool, 27 Black-tailed Godwit were still hanging around as are the summering 2 Wigeon drakes, a 'few' Tufted Duck and even fewer Teal were also noted. 

Mallard Bob Bushell 

Two female Mallard had 22 ducklings, nine on Conder Pool, and thirteen downstream from the old railway bridge, with a nasty Grey Heron looking on.

The Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock was pretty deserted, though as if to contradict that a mix of c.350 waders was broken down to 250 Bar-tailed Godwit and 100 Knot, 4 Eider noted.

At Cockersands high tide, an impressive c.3,500 waders on Plover Scar were seen as at least 2,500 Dunlin, and 1,000 Ringed Plover. I'm quite certain the Ringed Plover count here was an all time highest in my records. A total of 36 Eider seen were 24 off Plover Scar, and 12 off Crook Farm. 

Grey Partridge Brian Rafferty

Also to note on a 2.5 hour Cockersands trawl, 2 Grey Partridge which take the 'rarest bird I saw all day' award, 9 Wheatear, a good count of 12 Stock Dove, 3 Skylark, a Whitethroat, and good to see a Lapwing with three young, having chosen to nest in an 'unworked' field. There are good numbers of Swallow still moving through, and when I arrived back at the motor a Peregrine Falcon put to flight the wader mass I'd seen three hours earlier on Plover Scar before perching up on the lighthouse railings.

Stonechats.

 Stonechats Marc Heath

Had some regular and excellent news on the Stonechats at various upland locations from a contact who tells me of 4 pairs on Bradford Fell recently....sounds good to me.

Thanks to Bob for the Mallard, Brian for the Grey Partridge, and Marc for the Stonechats....Excellent images - even more excellent with a 'clik the pik' - and much appreciated.