The Godwits Have Landed.

After all my shouting about the missing godwits, up to 550 Black-tailed Godwit had landed on Friday, they must have heard about my complaining that they had been absent from the Lune Estuary. I checked as many pair of legs I could see on these birds to find not one a marked individual.

Black-tailed Godwit/Spotted Redshank. Jan Larsson @ Vingspann

It was good to find the Little Stint on the Lune Estuary again, always distant towards the Conder mouth, but good to see all the same, also good to find a Spotted Redshank here again too, it was aside the stint at one point....wish I could have got a pik. Up to 220 Dunlin fed on the tideline close in from the bowling green, 32 Snipe seen, and 34 Goldeneye was a reduction of eight from Wednesday's peak count of forty two.  

At Conder Green, Conder Pool was a virtual void, but the Spotted Redshank, Common Sandpiper, and 4 Little Grebe were all in the creeks, a Snipe came up off the marsh.

Bewick's Swan. Bob Bushell @ Birdsfod  

Pulling in at the entrance to Clarkson's Farm I counted 9 Bewick's Swan, and from a gate opposite looking into fields to the south, at least 400 Whooper Swan are still present here and towards Bank End, a Sparrowhawk went over. As I approached the path along the embankment at Cockersand 253 Black-tailed Godwit were seen as 235 in two groups flying south, and 18 on a flood at Abbey Farm. 

On Plover Scar, the wader number was 680, broken down to, 360 Oystercatcher, 240 Dunlin, 75 Turnstone, 3 Knot, and 2 Snipe. Off the scar, at least 300 Wigeon and a pair of Red-breasted Merganser, and on the shingle from Bank Houses a Rock Pipit. 

Thanks to Jan and Bob for their respective excellent images, and to Geoff for his brilliant Bullfinch composite header.