Well Blow Me Over....Twice!

I was a bit slow off the block on Friday and got to Conder Green at 11.00am to find the area quite the opposite to my visit here on Tuesday when I referred to the circuit as 'quite lively'. Today I noted just 3 Whitethroat, 3 Reed Bunting, and a pair of Linnet.

Little Ringed Plover Noushka Dufort  

But I put in one of my regular return visits - when possible - to an area already visited on the day, a practice which has so often paid off with me by finding something I missed the first time round....Lesser Yellowlegs springs to mind. Well blow me over, five hours after my first visit here, and at least a month late, a Little Ringed Plover was on Conder Pool. Food for thought on this one....has the bird only just turned up here, has it been skulking in some little hidden corner and escaped the attention of everyone these past few weeks, does it have a mate, has it bred on the pool, does it have young....Mmmmm!

Timed to be at Cockersands Plover Scar for the high tide, after panning through no more than c.160 waders, I noted around 80 Ringed Plover and Dunlin, 10 Eider were off the scar, and I was pleased to find a ringed Herring Gull - yes I do check the gulls - here for its fifth showing to me. This bird is almost 8 years old and was ringed on 1 July 2006 on the Ribble Estuary.

Curlew Sandpiper Brian Rafferty 

But wait a minute, what's this then, well blow me over....again, its an adult Curlew Sandpiper in breeding plumage, an excellent spring record and not many of those in a pound. 

One or two birds of interest on a wander, a Wheatear was still on the headland, 5 Whitethroat seen included three on Slack Lane, 7 Tree Sparrow included two young, a pair of Linnet and a singing Dunnock noted.

With a bit of effort required, yet another enjoyable and educational six hours birding.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. 

Many thanks to Isidro Ortiz for the excellent LSW image in the new header. When did you last see a LSW, or more to the point....have you ever seen one!