Four And Six....Forty Six.

For a little added interest I decided to note all I encountered yesterday and reached forty six species. There's no doubt this figure doesn't constitute a 'World Record' but the choice birds of the forty six follow....

 

Ruff Jan Larsson  

At Cockersands the Curlew Sandpiper and the Ruff are always a nice find. A Whimbrel was the odd one out amongst the Curlew, and I saw two groups of Golden Plover, 150 were down at the caravan park end on the weed covered shingle and well camouflaged, and another 40 seen from Crook Farm, but I reckon this group numbered many more as the tide had dropped and the mud falls steeply down from here with birds out of view. I saw 3 Wheatear, uncounted Tree Sparrow were around Abbey Farm as were c.40 Linnet, and good numbers of Skylark were in stubble and in flight. I counted 112 Shelduck and 16 Eider off Plover Scar, and a Kestrel seen. The Little Owl was in view obviously having changed its habits and was perched in the bushes in Bank Houses horse paddock again. Forty two Pink-footed Geese over going south and c.250 Wigeon in the Cocker Estuary were both reminders of winters approach. A Silver Y moth seen.

The Lighthouse Keeper. Pete Woodruff.

I watched a Peregrine Falcon fly off the lighthouse, but I was surprised to find another one still there when I looked again. A dodgy 'clik the pik' is above, but the lighthouse is a good way out in the Lune Estuary....well that's my excuse!

The best notes I could make at Glasson Dock was c.90 Wigeon and c.150 Golden Plover. At Conder Green, a Ruff, and Spotted Redshank were in the creeks with 10 Snipe. The sum total on Conder Pool was fourteen birds, 10 Little Grebe, 2 Wigeon and 2 Tufted Duck. Around 40 Goldfinch were over the marsh.

Little Egrets on and around the Lune Estuary. 

Little Egret Antonio Puigg  

I found 40 Little Egret yesterday, including 21 on Cockerham Marsh/Cocker Estuary, with 13 at Glasson Dock, 4 at Cockersands, and 2 at Conder Green. 

Thanks to Jan and Antonio for today's excellent photographs.