Not Before Time!

A bit late with the news, but....

Whinchat. Warren Baker @ Pittswood Birds 

An excellent visit to Cockersands on Friday gave me my first Whinchat of the year, though not before time as there have been many reports on the pager, websites, e-mails and texts to me from birders about good numbers passing through, the best of which - thanks to AC - was of 6 Whinchat together at Wrampool Bridge last Thursday. 

Dotterel. Cockersands 8 May. Chris Batty.

But better was to follow the Whinchat when my mobile rang with SP at the other end telling me that he'd found a trip of 5 Dotterel in the ploughed field behind the Lighthouse Cottage car park. I was on my way back to Lancaster at the time, and had pulled into the lay-by to take a look over Conder Pool, but did a rapid u-turn and was treated to excellent views of these five beauties which had come down with the rain and into the field at Cockersands....'Cock of the North'. 

Also seen on this visit, 8 Wheatear, 8 Linnet, a Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Stock Dove, and the Lapwing seen on 30 April with the lone surviving young bird was seen again. On Plover Scar at high tide, an estimated 500 waders were seen as c.250 Dunlin and Ringed Plover, with 2 Turnstone and a Grey Plover of note.

Whitethroat. Ana Minguez @ Naturanafotos

On Jeremy Lane, a Whitethroat, 2 Reed Bunting, and a Brown Hare seen. And on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 14 Bar-tailed Godwit, a single Black-tailed Godwit, 28 Eider were probably my best count ever here in the little black book, and 2 Little Egret.

I never did get to check Conder Pool, in my book a cardinal sin committed. 

Thanks to Warren/Chris/Ana for the excellent images to accompany this post, they are much appreciated. Thanks also to Brian Rafferty for the excellent Dotterel header....not a Cockersands bird I hasten to add.