Quality!

I had some thoroughly enjoyable birding around the Lune Estuary on Monday, it was pure delight along the headland at Cockersand, brilliant sunshine and barely a breeze, a scarce combination here. 

 

1st Winter Male Stonechat. Brian Rafferty.

I was almost back at the motor and was walking along the road to Crook Farm, and had noted 22 Greenfinch and 2 Chaffinch flying up off the tide wrack, soon followed by a Stoat disappearing into the marsh, then back in to view before disappearing again. A bird caught my eye ahead, it was the best bird of the day and had took me five hours to find, a stunning 1st winter male Stonechat.

 

Twite. Pete Woodruff.

In the rough field behind Bank House Cottage, at least 25 Twite, and in the field beyond Bank Houses horse paddock, c.450 Common Gull and 4 Stock Dove. Along the way from here, and by the time I reached Lighthouse Cottage, a total of at least 40 Snipe had flushed with their scratchy 'ca-atch' take off call from almost every ditch in the fields I passed. Fewer waders in the fields today, but 375 Golden Plover and 75 Curlew were noted, 25 Black-tailed Godwit and a Sparrowhawk went over, and 12 Blackbird, 4 Robin, 2 Song Thrush, and a Mistle Thrush seen.

Difficult  to count, but I estimate 240 Whooper Swan present over two fields, one distant and down towards Bank End Farm.

The Lune Estuary at low tide was pretty deserted, with probably no more than 50 gulls seen, 10 Snipe were hard to see hunkered down on the weed covered stones, a Greenshank was amongst the small number of common waders, and a drake Goosander noted.

Conder Pool was frozen over save a small area at the west end where a Little Grebe was with 12 Tufted Duck and a Snipe on an island, later I saw a Grey Wagtail and 4 Meadow Pipit feeding by the poolside. In the creeks, 4 Little Grebe with a female Goosander, up to 180 Teal, and in the channel a Greenshank and drake Goosander.

Along the coastal path, a few Fieldfare, 2 Redwing, 6 Blackbird, 22 Goldfinch, 2 Song Thrush, and a Dunnock.

Quality.

The Stonechat is all it takes to spell quality for me, and with the two found at Heysham on Sunday, I've seen three on two consecutive days. When this bird is no longer seen by me as the little gem it is, I'll cease my birding and take up stamp collecting.