On Friday Cockersands produced my second Painted Lady of the week/year, it was on the headland below Cockersands Abbey, also 5 Wheatear, 15 Skylark were in flight over a field with goodness knows how many more hidden in the stubble, and the Little Owl showed again at Bank Houses.
Conder Green was at least looking a little decent, and the creeks were quite lively. Along with the regular/resident Redshanks and a Curlew or two, I found 2 Spotted Redshank both adult, 2 Ruff a 'little and large' duo, 4 Greenshank, 11 Snipe, and a Little Egret. On Conder Pool I counted 12 Little Grebe.
On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, a distant juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, an adult Spotted Redshank, and 10 Little Egret were all welcome sights at an otherwise quiet section of the River Lune.
Ten Moorhen seen on 9 September in the field adjacent to Bank House Cottage at Cockersands were noted again today, as always they were by the wide ditch which dried up weeks ago and had me wondering how these birds are coping as a species which indispensably requires ready access to at least a minimum of open fresh water.
Thanks to Brian Rafferty for the Oystercatchers and Snipe, and to Martin Lofgren at Wild Bird Gallery for the Moorhen.
Oystercatcher. Brian Rafferty.
With little else to be found on Plover Scar, the uncounted Oystercatcher and Redshank soon had me feeling I should put some more purpose into my birding, so I counted at least 100 Herring Gull, 45 Wigeon, and 3 Eider off the scar. 
Snipe. Brian Rafferty.
Conder Green was at least looking a little decent, and the creeks were quite lively. Along with the regular/resident Redshanks and a Curlew or two, I found 2 Spotted Redshank both adult, 2 Ruff a 'little and large' duo, 4 Greenshank, 11 Snipe, and a Little Egret. On Conder Pool I counted 12 Little Grebe.
On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, a distant juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, an adult Spotted Redshank, and 10 Little Egret were all welcome sights at an otherwise quiet section of the River Lune.
Moorhen. Martin Lofgren.
Ten Moorhen seen on 9 September in the field adjacent to Bank House Cottage at Cockersands were noted again today, as always they were by the wide ditch which dried up weeks ago and had me wondering how these birds are coping as a species which indispensably requires ready access to at least a minimum of open fresh water.
Thanks to Brian Rafferty for the Oystercatchers and Snipe, and to Martin Lofgren at Wild Bird Gallery for the Moorhen.
My own experience is that Painted Ladies are very thin on the ground this year. I reckon I've only seen a couple myself, and we usually get a few in our garden!
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