Another Of Those Short And Sweet Jobs.

I just had to grab what birding time I could on Thursday, covering as best and as much as I could.

Spotted Redshank & Co. Pete Woodruff.

The Spotted Redshank was roosting on the marsh when I arrived at Conder Green, a female Teal was snoozing next to it, with a Snipe crouched in the background. On Conder Pool, 8 Tufted Duck were probably here having been displaced from the mainly frozen canal basin at Glasson Dock, 9 Little Grebe and 3 Snipe were noted.

As I drove along Moss Lane a good number of Fieldfare were seen, a Jay flying off with them showing it's distinctive white rump. At Cockersand, a single Grey Plover was on Plover Scar along with a few uncounted Turnstone and c.250 Oystercatcher, c.175 Black-tailed Godwit were on the shore between Plover Scar and Long Tongue. Good numbers of Snipe were again in the fields, some in company with Curlew at Abbey Farm. 

Song Thrush Bob Bushell

The line of Willows along Slack Lane were interesting in that a Chiffchaff was seen briefly before disappearing along the backside of the trees before I could turn it into a 'little brown job' rarity, a thirty minute search changed nothing, also 2 Song Thrush, and around the cover crops up to 60 Linnet, 6 Greenfinch, and a Reed Bunting.    

Thanks for the Song Thrush Bob, nice one....Keep on keeping on Bob.

And hey....

Waxwing Simon Hawtin

On the way back home from a retail therapy session with KT, taking advantage of the pager message about a report in Lancaster, we parked up on Heaton Road to catch sight of 9 Waxwing which promptly took off to fly purposefully north and out of view. Would you believe it....a five second Waxtwitch!

Thanks for the Waxwing image Simon, and to Richard for his Rock Pipit header, much appreciated on both counts.