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

Tuesday, 8 March 2016

It's All Twite By Me!

Twite. Pete Woodruff.

I'm always pleased to find them, and up to 40 Twite around the Cockersands Abbey area were my 'Birds of the Day' yesterday. The Whooper Swan herd remains in tact, although to be honest as opposed to last Thursday's count of at least 400, today's looked more like 300 with a lot of agricultural activity going on around the area causing some disturbance. 

Off Plover Scar, I counted 27 Eider, and the only waders of note were 24 Black-tailed Godwit off Crook Farm, and c.350 Golden Plover in the flood ruined field off Slack Lane. There was thousands of marauding Starlings here again today, and I saw 6 Brown Hare in the fields.


Fieldfare. Martin Lofgren @ Wild Bird Gallery  

Off Moss Lane, 24 Fieldfare, a Song Thrush, and a Kestrel were all in the field opposite Gardners Farm. 

The Lune Estuary lacked any action today, with c.450 Black-tailed Godwit my only notes. Colloway Marsh held at least 8,000 Pink-footed Geese strung out as far as the eye could see looking north from Glasson Dock, with surely other interest intermingling with them given a little less distance and a some haze to deal with.

At Conder Green, the Spotted Redshank was in the creeks, seen as the most reliable bird to be found in the area. On Conder Pool, 8 Black-tailed Godwit took off to go down again over the canal to Jeremy Lane, a drake Goosander and 3 Little Grebe were noted.

All a bit subdued, but brilliant to be out and about birding, the walk along the headland at Cockersands was a delight, and the Twite even more so....I think I'll do it again sometime!!

Thanks to Martin for adding a little glamour to the post with his excellent image of the Fieldfare.

6 comments:

  1. Well done with the Twite, Pete - not seen one in years!!

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  2. Thanks Richard....Not that well done, but they aren't all that easily come by, though a figure in excess of 100 birds have been around a few weeks at a location a few miles south of here.

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  3. Moss Lane sounds like it holds much the same species as Ashes Lane does here Pete :-)

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  4. Great image of the Twite. I haven't seen one since I was on Isle of Mull, beautiful.

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  5. Yes, I noticed your Fieldfare flock with a Mistle Thrush on Ashes Lane, thrushes here and there....snap!

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  6. The Isle of Mull has a small localised resident breeding colony with flocks in winter, Fidden is a good area to find the Twite....But you knew all this didn't you Bob.

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