BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND...............................................................RED GROUSE HAWTHORNTHWAITE PETE WOODRUFF

Thursday, 18 August 2016

And The Osprey Came Too.

Tuesday 16 August.

Late off the block, I went straight to Cockersand primarily to look over Plover Scar at high tide, but the net result was little more than around 150 Dunlin and 90 Redshank. Along the headland a Wheatear was on the shingle below, with 4 Linnet and 8 Tree Sparrow around Abbey Farm. 


Osprey. Callum Bushell.

As I got my eyes on a Whimbrel on the shoreline, the bird crouched up to it's belly in water anxiously looking around, several gulls went into the air, and what waders had been on Plover Scar were flying past, I looked to my right and there it was, a lumbering Osprey low over the water and flying south giving excellent views. 

As I got back to Plover Scar a couple of hours later, c.350 Golden Plover had assembled there. Butterflies seen, 2 Painted Lady, 4 Common Blue, c.25 Small Tortoiseshell, and uncounted but probably up to 50 Large White, with a Silver Y moth by Crook Cottage.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, probably 2,500 Lapwing on the sands off Colloway Marsh, a Greenshank, and 12 Little Egret were my only other notes. At Conder Green, there were 12 Little Grebe on Conder Pool, I found only 3 Common Sandpiper in the creeks here today.

Conder Pool Wednesday 17 August. 

I called in on Conder Pool yesterday, unable to drive past and ignore the place on my way back to Lancaster. I've no idea where they came from, but I was a little more than delighted to see the Avocet adult and juvenile fly into view through my binoculars to land straight out from the viewing platform in front of me. Also on the pool, an excellent 15 Little Grebe now on here. 


Little Grebe. Bob Bushell.


The build up to a double figure of Little Grebe on Conder Pool has happened early this year. I've not done a past records search beyond 2015 when they didn't start to increase from 5 in early September, to 8 on 11 Sept, and a double figure of 10 on 22 Sept, with 13 by the end of the month, they peaked for 2015 in my book at 18 on 16 October. 

Thanks to Callum for his Osprey, excactly the view I got of my bird on Tuesday, and to Bob for his Little Grebe, see their website Here    

5 comments:

  1. Always exciting to get an Osprey on the days observations Pete. Hopefully I'll get one pass over in the next two or three weeks :-)

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  2. A nice one this Warren, barely 40 metres above the sea and close in. Good luck with your hopes of one over Pittswood sometime soon.

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  3. Hi Pete!!! There´s ospreys near Madrid but very difficult to take pictures.. Love ospreys are so beautiful..
    Have a great weekend

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  4. I'm sure you will get an excellent image of the Osprey near Madrid sooner or later.

    Thanks for your interest in Birds2blog and my Kind Regards Ana.

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  5. You´re welcome Pete.. Happy sunday..

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