Routine....But Good With It.

Ruff. Sharon Whitley The Rambling Artist 

A bit of routine birding yesterday, but with a couple of nice jobs thrown in, not least to find the Ruff still on the Lune Estuary, and a Grey Plover here too, not at all an every day bird the GP in these parts. Both these were with up to 400 Redshank, 25 Curlew, and 14 Dunlin, all reclaiming the mud back from the tide at 2.45pm as seen from the bowling green. Also of note, 3 Goldeneye, and 3 Red-breasted Merganser. On the canal basin, at least 450 Black-headed Gull, 7 Goldeneye, and a Great-crested Grebe noted.

Turnstone. Plover Scar. 25 January. Pete Woodruff.

At Cockersands, there was a decent count of 250 Turnstone with 2 Dunlin on Plover Scar at high tide. The Buzzard was again on the branch in it's tree, and 4 Blackbird in Bank Houses horse paddock soon disappeared when a Kestrel came on the scene. Up to 300 Whooper Swan were still stretched out along the fields off Moss Lane towards Bank End. 

The flooded field south of the Caravan Park had been deserted by the high counts of Curlew here recently, but 3 Little Egret were still here, a Snipe came up off the marsh, and c.13 finches bounced silently by in flight over the marsh were probably Twite.

I had called at Conder Green at 11.30am before the high tide, and returned on my way back to Lancaster four hours later at 3.30pm, the two visits produced, 5 Little Grebe, 4 Goosander, 165 Teal, 90 Mallard, 26 Wigeon, and a Snipe. The Common Sandpiper was again downstream from the railway bridge, with c.85 Redshank also down here.

And a good time was had by all....again!

Thanks to Sharon W for the Ruff, and Pete W for yet another Turnstone image at Cockersands....can't resist the Turnstones. 

Another Petition. 

LEAD IN AMMUNITION IS POISONING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BIRDS EVERY YEAR, INCLUDING MANY THOUSANDS OF DUCKS WHICH DIE EVERY WINTER IN THE UK, THEY MISTAKE PARTICLES OF SPENT LEAD AMMUNITION FOR FOOD OR GRIT. 

THE PETITION IS ALSO AT THE TOP OF MY SIDEBAR, WOULD YOU CONSIDER SIGNING IT PLEASE.