Back With A Vengeance.

The swans are back with a vengeance at Cockersand, I've seen some distant in the area since 13 October, but yesterday the number had increased dramatically and I put in some effort to get nearer to them via a public path, I was able to count up to 340 Whooper Swan. These birds are here much earlier than last winter when they didn't arrive in such number until mid-January, with a peak on 3 March when I recorded up to 400 in this same area.

Another excellent count at Cockersand was of up to 120 Snipe in the air and over the Abbey Farm fields. Until I saw c.200 Snipe on a flood at Crimbles Lane on 30 August, and a similar number on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock on 31 October, these kind of numbers of Snipe were firsts for me, but there was Snipe in and coming up out of just about every field I looked at today at Cockersand.  

Also at Cockersand I had only my second decent count on the Lune Estuary this winter so far, when 352 Black-tailed Godwit were off Crook Farm, this follows my first count of 295 at Glasson Dock on 10 October. Also off Crook Farm, 550 Golden Plover and a single Bar-tailed Godwit.

Along the headland, 4 Pied Wagtail, and in the ditch 14 Teal and 4 Wigeon noted. In and around Bank Houses horse paddock, 9 Blackbird, 6 Greenfinch, 2 Dunnock, 2 Robin, and 2 Linnet.

On Conder Pool, 25 Lapwing, 20 Teal, 12 Wigeon, 8 Black-headed Gull, 3 Snipe, a single Curlew and Shelduck. Of the 11 Little Grebe seen, 2 on the pool, 2 in the creeks, and 7 in the Conder channel downstream from the iron bridge. Also in the creeks, the Common Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank.

From the coastal path to Glasson Dock, 2 Song Thrush were excellent, 2 Blackbird, three Great Tit, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Robin and a Chaffinch. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 4 Red-breasted Merganser were all drakes, a lone Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit were all the rewards I gained from a visit at high tide, not recommended, and....where are all the Bar-tailed Godwit? 

Waxwing Paul Foster

The Waxwing are here....but they aint in Lancaster!

Nice one Paul, brilliant photograph, brilliant birds....Many Thanks.