BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND.................................................................................BRENT GEESE HEYSHAM PETE WOODRUFF

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Wading In.

In the main a waders day on Tuesday which started at Conder Green where I found the wintering Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper, they were down the Conder channel along with the staying Ruff which was with Redshank. Twelve Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Goosander were in the creeks, with 13 Little Grebe being the ever variable count on Conder Pool.

Viewing the Lune Estuary from the bowling green at Glasson Dock was pretty difficult, with no decent daylight and the bulk of waders choosing to be distant and beyond the Conder mouth as the tide came in, but I did pick out at least 60 Snipe in the gloom camouflaged amongst the weed covered stones, also seen was an adult Spotted Redshank hoovering up along the tideline, there was otherwise little of note and Golden Plover were few.


Buzzard. Pete Woodruff.

As I made my way along Slack Lane at Cockersands, the now resident Buzzard first seen on 12 October, was on a fence post, but the big surprise was of 36 Pink-footed Geese in an Abbey Farm stubble field. A Wheatear still at Cockersands, represents my first ever November bird and is heading towards the latest date of one at Pilling Lane Ends on 10 November last year. A count of 25 Twite was double that of the ones I found here last Friday.


Grey Plover Brian Rafferty

The tide on Tuesday was 8.00m, a useful height in that it pushes any waders in the area up close without displacing them off the shore. Today a good count of 16 Grey Plover were on and around Long Tongue, with c.250 Golden Plover, and singles of Ringed Plover, Snipe, and a Knot with a lame leg. Up to 100 Turnstone were hard work for accuracy,  and spread along the length of the shingle below the headland. At least 900 Wigeon were also straddled along the length from Plover Scar to the Cocker channel.

1 comment:

  1. A much more interesting set of birds for you to enjoy than there was here today pete! The light is so crap at this time of year aint it !!

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