Little Ringed Plover Andreas Trepte
I'd been at Conder Green about thirty minutes yesterday looking over Conder Pool and was about to set off on the circuit when I found myself saying - yes I do talk to myself - all I want to see is a....when out of hiding, a pair of Little Ringed Plover....excellent.
The Spotted Redshank is well on it's way to achieving summer plumage, and the Common Sandpiper is still waiting the arrival of some relatives, a Stock Dove here is something unusual as were 2 Brown Hare, a few uncounted Tufted Duck, and the Oystercatchers were causing a bit of a commotion probably about breeding rights. There was a good number of Meadow Pipits around and I saw my first 6 Sand Martin over the pool.
Notable on the Lune Estuary a Glasson Dock, c.325 Black-tailed Godwit, a pair of Pintail are at best scarcely seen here, and a Great-crested Grebe.
What swans to be seen at Cockersands were viewable close by from Moss Lane and turned out to be 37 Mute Swan and a Black Swan with just 2 Whooper Swan left behind. About twelve unidentified birds through the fog from Moss Lane were at Bank End. I was unable to get down to check them out, but if these were Whooper Swans then the total would have been fourteen left from a winter peak at Cockersands of 355 seen on 16 March.
Cockersands 1.30pm 7 April. Pete Woodruff.
There was nothing nice about Cockersands when I arrived yesterday afternoon with the fog lingering, but by 3.30pm it was in fact a brilliant calm, sunny, spring day. Good numbers of Meadow Pipit were around and the Skylark was singing.
Off Crook Farm, 65 Black-tailed Godwit with 2 Knot were feeding on the dropping tide. Passerines - resident or migrant - were depressingly scarce, with 7 Blackbird in Bank Houses horse paddock, 3 Linnet, and a Wren noted. I saw my second Small Tortoiseshell of the year, and at least 18 Brown Hare.
As I drove away from Cockersands I spotted c.100 Golden Plover had come down into a field at Abbey Farm.
As I drove away from Cockersands I spotted c.100 Golden Plover had come down into a field at Abbey Farm.
Sound like a good outing in the end with some nice species noted.
ReplyDeleteQuick response there Marc, seven minutes after I posted....Appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI'm off into Bowland now....Yeehaa!
Your Black Swan with Mutes was interesting. There has been a Black Swan with a large herd of Mutes here on Harty, Sheppey, Kent for a month or so. Half the Mute herd have gone and with them the Black Swan - same lot perhaps?
ReplyDeleteThe best of all, from hide you spotting Little Ringed Plover, fabulous bird.
ReplyDeleteDerek....We've had a Black Swan on and off in our area for a year or two now, probably the same bird every time.
ReplyDeleteBob....The LRP is on of my favourites too and it was a delight to see these two back at Conder Green on Tuesday.
Appreciate both your comments.