Ten Days Later.

I was back in business last Friday after an unplanned week out of birding, and out of blogging another three days mainly due to a power cut.

The water level at Conder Pool was as high as I've ever seen it, a little more depth and the island goes under, the 'tern boxes' will be washed away.

Lesser Black-backed Gull. Pete Woodruff.

Nine Little Grebe were seen as seven on Conder Pool, and two in the creeks which - with the river in spate - were otherwise deserted. Also noted on the pool, 10 Wigeon, at least 50 Teal and similar Mallard, a lone Tufted Duck, and the regular handsome Lesser Black-backed Gull pictured above.

On the Lune Estuary, up to 450 Golden Plover, 350 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Red-breasted Merganser, and a Peregrine Falcon on Colloway Marsh was probably the culprit for several mass disturbances whilst I was in the area today, though I never did pick it up during the dreads.

Goldeneye. Pete Woodruff.

Eleven Goldeneye today were seen as seven on the canal basin at Glasson Dock, two on the Lune Estuary, and two on Conder Pool. Nine Mute Swan were on Jeremy Lane seven of which were immature. At Cockersands I saw 11 Blackbird on the visit, with 17 Greenfinch in the cover crops on Slack Lane. Off Crook Farm, 62 Wigeon, and c.450 Golden Plover.

  

Up to 200 Curlew were off Crook Farm at Cockersands on Friday. Featured in the December issue of British Birds the Curlew has become one of the latest additions to the British Red List and is deemed to be of the highest conservation priority, it has had a 46% decline across the UK in the last two decades, this figure exceeds 50% in Wales and Scotland. The UK holds 28% of Europe’s breeding Curlew, meaning that declines here represent the loss of a substantial portion of Europe’s total breeding Curlew population.

Thanks to Ana Minguez for the brilliant Black Redstart image which is much appreciated.