A Wisp Of Snipe....

....and some other birds to find their way into the little black book.

Snipe/Mallard. Pete Woodruff.

You can see how close to floating off the tern boxes became on Conder Pool, but I think they may get away with it as the water level begins to fall.

Snipe. Noushka Dufort @ 1000-Pattes  

There was an excellent count of at least 25 Snipe on Conder Pool on Tuesday, the highest number to date here. I reckon more of these birds were out of sight on the pool, with the probability of even more on the marsh where I flushed several one day a couple of years ago, but with the many small hidden channels, it's the best place I know to break your ankle. 

Another good count was of 12 Little Grebe, seven on Conder Pool, and five in the creeks where I found the Common Sandpiper and a drake Goosander, a drake Goldeneye was also on Conder Pool.

Numbers on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock were lower today, with c.1,000 Golden Plover, and 35 Bar-tailed Godwit noted, also a drake Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser, with a Reed Bunting in the bowling green area. On the canal basin, 8 Goldeneye and a Great-crested Grebe seen.

Despite putting in 2 hours plus, rewards at Cockersands were few, c.450 Oystercatcher and 180 Turnstone were on Plover Scar at high tide, with a Great-crested Grebe the only bird on the sea off here. The Buzzard was again surveying from a fence post, and 2 Wren were around Bank Houses. 

The Wigeon.

Wigeon Martin Jump  

Off Cockersands Caravan Park on Monday, I saw at least 2,500 Wigeon in the Cocker Channel. A mainly grazing vegetarian, virtually all appeared to be feeding in the channel and were stabbing at the surface in a manner I've not seen before.

Thanks to Noushka and Martin for their excellent images, as always bigger and even better if you 'clik the pik'.