A Little Routine....

....with nothing 'new in' to talk about, save a White Wagtail on the flood at Cockersand, one of which I had seen here on Tuesday. Also on the flood, 26 Pied Wagtail, 4 Meadow Pipit, a Skylark, a pair of Shoveler, and 2 Dunlin. Up to 900 Golden Plover were in an Abbey Farm field, and 12 Tree Sparrow at Bank Houses was the best count I've had at Cockersand since I don't know when. On Plover Scar at high tide, 213 waders seen, 135 Turnstone, 68 Oystercatcher, 5 Dunlin, 3 Ringed Plover, a single Knot and Golden Plover. I put in a bit more of a determined effort to count today to arrive at 460 Whooper Swan at Cockersand, not an easy task with birds spread across fields from behind Crook Farm all the way south to Bank End. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, a much reduced number of 650 Black-tailed Godwit, with 2 Eider my only other notes, though I sifted twice through a couple of hundred gulls to find nil of note amongst them. 

Spotted Redshank 15 March. Pete Woodruff.

At Conder Green, the Spotted Redshank is showing signs of plumage change, and 10 Black-tailed Godwit came down on to the marsh from the estuary as I viewed Conder Pool, which showed the Common Sandpiper waiting for the relatives to turn up in the coming weeks, 2 Little Grebe were also showing signs of summer plumage, with 2 Goosander and a Little Egret present. 

Stonechat.

I was grateful for the e-mail from JW to tell me of two pairs of Stonechat at Littledale on Sunday....thanks John, and when I saw PR at Conder Green on Wednesday, I appreciated him passing the news on to me about 6 Stonechat he had seen at Harrisend recently....Much appreciated Peter, I'm well overdue a visit, and time to get up there myself.