Birding By Halves.

I got just one hour in at Heysham on Wednesday having no motor, it being in hospital for a health check. In a half dozen scans on Red Nab I found 3 Mediterranean Gull on the incoming tide, all first winter birds.

Common Tern. Brian Rafferty.

Yesterday my birding was in two halves, the first half took place at Conder Green - well there's a surprise - where I saw 3 Common Tern and included two fish delivered to young out of view, but one of which I eventually saw and appeared to be the largest of the two seen so far which will hopefully fledge the early part of next week. Also on Conder Pool, a Greenshank, 7 Little Grebe seen again, as was a Great-crested Grebe and 3 Wigeon, Swallow and the odd House Martin were insecting and drinking over the pool. In the creeks, 5 Common Sandpiper, a Spotted Redshank, and 2 Snipe....

Grey Wagtail. Brian Rafferty.

....A Grey Wagtail was upstream from the A588. Thanks to BR for the Common Tern and Grey Wagtail images....End of the first half.

Just after my arrival at Glasson Dock, the forecast rains came with vengeance and I had to sit it out for in excess of an hour by which time I threw in the towel and pointed the motor towards Lancaster. But as I approached Conder Green I spotted a chink of blue through my rear view mirror and decided to do a 'U' turn and headed to Cockersands where soon after the weather came good with wall to wall sun and I started the second half.

Little Stint Jan Larsson

I shot off to Plover Scar for the high tide to find the place dire with barely 40 waders to view, Redshank, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, and Turnstone, but hey....what's the 'odd one out' scuttling around the stones, it's a smart and aptly named C.minuta Little Stint, a juvenile to give the day a buzz. Thanks to Jan for the excellent image.

Eleven Wheatear seen included five on Plover Scar, 3 Eider were off here, and a Whimbrel seen in flight, 12 Golden Plover flew by off the headland, and c.30 Meadow Pipit indicated a bit of movement along the shore. Six Tree Sparrow and c.20 Goldfinch were in the bushes by the cover crop field on Slack Lane.

Black Tern.

I'm reliably informed of a juvenile Black Tern on Conder Pool Tern Island  this morning at 11.10am. 

All birding is excellent birding, and definitely better than no birding at all!