Positive & Negative.

I managed three firsts on the migrant scene, all at Conder Green on Thursday, a lone Swift and a singing Whitethroat, with 2 Whimbrel on Conder Pool. 

Conder Pool was quite lively, showing 2 Common Sandpiper, a Greenshank, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Goldeneye, 8 Tufted Duck, a drake Goosander, 28 Redshank, and a single Linnet. 

A Turnstone was on the Lune Estuary, only seen here occasionally, it was with a small group of Redshank and Dunlin feeding close by off the bowling green. Ten Eider were all hauled out, with a pair of Red-breasted Merganser and a Great-crested Grebe noted. Around 20 Sand Martin were over the canal basin, and 2 Golden Plover were hunkered down in a field off Jeremy Lane.

It was pretty grim along the headland at Cockersand, cloudy, dull, with a howler, but at least 2,000 Dunlin and a few Ringed Plover seen feeding the length between Plover Scar and Crook Farm. Two flocks of c.30/90 Linnet seen at Bank Houses and Lighthouse Cottage areas, and a Buzzard over fields.

The Negative.

Where are all the Swallows?....I saw no more than 10 Swallow today, and have logged no more than 36 in total over the past four birding days/20 hours. On Friday Swallows were reported at Portland Bird Obs in their highest number so far this spring, including 800 over Chesil in 20 minutes, yesterday the Swallow got no mention in the Portland report.

The Mistle Thrush. 

Found last Monday 23 April, a Mistle Thrush on the nest in the fork of a Silver Birch and photographed 26 April.  

I was cut up when I viewed this shot on the computer. I had no idea at the time, that whilst I fumbled taking pictures, the male had visited the nest, and I had lost the opportunity of a pretty good image of both birds with what could well be a worm in the visitors bill just off centre top of image....with the birds head chopped off.