Birding The Birdless.

River Lune at Glasson Dock 22 October. Pete Woodruff.

I have to say the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock yesterday was a little less than inspiring and comparatively birdless. I was struggling to find just about a four figure number of Lapwing, 150 Golden Plover, 100 Redshank. OK, that might sound like a contradiction to the claim of an estuary that was 'almost birdless', but this is the Lune Estuary, where several thousand winter waders would normally be revealed if a Peregrine Falcon put in an appearance. Yesterday the best bird was the lone Greenshank, I also noted a build up in number of up to 200 Wigeon, the numbers have previously been notably low here this early winter.

Wigeon Martin Jump 

I called back at Glasson Dock an hour later as the tide rushed in and gave it another hour to no avail. Meanwhile at Conder Green, a Spotted Redshank, 16 Black-tailed Godwit, and a Snipe were in the creeks, and a Ruff was with Redshank in the Conder channel from the old railway bridge. Just two swoops of Conder Pool revealed 10 Little Grebe, and c.40 House Sparrow together in the hedges were of note.

                                                             Dunlin Brian Rafferty 

Not a single Dunlin in sight on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock yesterday....where are all the Dunlin. 

Thanks to Martin for the excellent 'we have lift off' Wigeon at an icy Newton Marsh at the beginning of the year in January, and to Brian for his 'bird in a flap' Dunlin.