Back In Business!

I rarely if ever plan to be out of birding for four days in a row, but it's been that long since I was out last Thursday, so it was good to be back in business again yesterday.

Common Sandpiper. Pete Woodruff.

Conder Green produced a peak count of 21 Common Sandpiper, with ten birds together in view on one island on Conder Pool....'clik the pik' to count them. A solitary Knot still retaining it's red summer plumage was a nice find, it was with 54 Redshank and 2 Dunlin. The resident summer Wigeon and a Little Egret were also noted.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 2 Mediterranean Gull were seen as an adult and a 2nd summer bird, also 9 Little Egret, and up to 500 Lapwing slowly building up to looking like winter numbers.

At Cockersands, up to 100 Golden Plover and 3 Black-tailed Godwit were in an Abbey Farm field, 7 Whimbrel flew past Plover Scar which was deserted, but 9 Eider were off here. On Slack Lane, 12 Goldfinch briefly seen were mainly juvenile, 3 Whitethroat, and a Dunnock, with a House Martin over. Butterflies seen were 3 Red Admiral, a 'few' Meadow Brown and Small Tortoiseshell. Eight Brown Hare were all in the same field. 

The Conder Pool Common Terns.

Young Common Tern With Redshank July 14 Pete Woodruff

I saw 4 Common Tern - two adult and two young - on Conder Pool yesterday, but despite two visits, failed to see the third young bird. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable about this, but a text message told me all five birds were in the air together 30 minutes after I left....thanks once again to AC for alerting me to this. 

And Finally....

Harlequin Ladybirds. Pete Woodruff.

Wildlife in our garden again recently, 2 Harlequin Ladybird seen mating as a now widespread if not abundant and unwelcome invader.