Well....only me really, but I somehow enjoyed the birding a little more yesterday, not least because it was good to find up to 295 Whooper Swan at Cockersands, together with at least 12 Bewick's Swan, the birds were spread out over three fields, some of which were distant and inaccessible making the numbers game all the more difficult. Also 7 Whooper Swan, 4 Bewick's Swan, and the Black Swan were in a field off Jeremy Lane, a Little Egret flew out of a ditch here, and in another field c.300 Curlew and 100 Black-tailed Godwit were soon put to flight by some disturbance or other.
Kestrel Warren Baker
A Kestrel was opposite Gardners Farm on Moss Lane, and good root around the Cockersands area produced, estimates off Crook Farm of 350 Curlew, 220 Dunlin, with counts of 55 Black-tailed Godwit, and 35 Knot, with c.150 Golden Plover and 5 Brown Hare in the field behind Crook Cottage. I found nothing of note on Plover Scar, but 24 Eider and 2 Red-breasted Merganser were off here, with a Rock Pipit below the headland.
A congregation of 12 Magpie was interesting. I remember John Bateman once commented to me about the numbers of Magpie to be seen regularly on the drive from Glasson Dock to Cockersands. On a circuit I noted 12 Greenfinch, 6 Reed Bunting, 6 Robin, and a Song Thrush, 2 Snipe came up out of a field off Slack Lane.
On the Lune Estuary, 15 Black-tailed Godwit hung on to what little mud was left exposed as the tide was gaining height, 26 Goldeneye and a Great-crested Grebe were noted, and on the south end of Colloway Marsh a Peregrine Falcon sat quietly on a washed up tree trunk, with just 4 Greylag the only geese seen.
At Conder Green I confined myself to the viewing platform at high tide to note Spotted Redshank, 11 Little Grebe, 2 Goldeneye, 19 Wigeon, and a Kestrel.
Thanks to Warren/Bob/Noushka for the excellent photographs.
Magpie Bob Bushell
A congregation of 12 Magpie was interesting. I remember John Bateman once commented to me about the numbers of Magpie to be seen regularly on the drive from Glasson Dock to Cockersands. On a circuit I noted 12 Greenfinch, 6 Reed Bunting, 6 Robin, and a Song Thrush, 2 Snipe came up out of a field off Slack Lane.
Black-tailed Godwit Noushka Dufort
On the Lune Estuary, 15 Black-tailed Godwit hung on to what little mud was left exposed as the tide was gaining height, 26 Goldeneye and a Great-crested Grebe were noted, and on the south end of Colloway Marsh a Peregrine Falcon sat quietly on a washed up tree trunk, with just 4 Greylag the only geese seen.
At Conder Green I confined myself to the viewing platform at high tide to note Spotted Redshank, 11 Little Grebe, 2 Goldeneye, 19 Wigeon, and a Kestrel.
Thanks to Warren/Bob/Noushka for the excellent photographs.
I'd like to get a nice Magpie photo Pete, but they are just so wary and unapproachable........but you cant blame them for that!
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