Cockersand/Conder Green.

Cockersand.

Sandwich Tern Richard Pegler

Armed only with binoculars, I walked across Plover Scar out to the lighthouse to get a positive ID on 4 Sandwich Tern which were plunge diving and highly vocal with their loud grating 'kerrick' flight call, a pretty impressive display. 

A few Eider were off Plover Scar, 4 Wheatear along the headland, with 2 Sedge Warbler, a Whitethroat, and 3 Stock Dove seen.

The Lapwing.

Since I was at Cockersand a week ago, two large fields have been 'Lapwing trashed' keeping the population number down as is the annual tradition. The Lapwing is a species having suffered a 53% population decline over the past 25 years, and is something that could be addressed if more appropriate options were in place within agri-environment schemes.

Conder Green.

I got my first viewing of the pair of Common Tern which returned to Conder Pool on Tuesday via IP. All three hirundines were over the pool, probably up to 50 birds descending numerically, Swallow, Sand Martin, and at least one House Martin, of which c.15 were around River Winds/Cafe 'd Lune, with a Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting both singing upstream from the A588 road bridge. Also on Conder Pool, at least 8 Swift over, and 35 Black-tailed Godwit were accompanied by a lone Bar-tailed Godwit, they were on the Lune Estuary by the Conder mouth 30 minutes later.

Common Tern v's Oystercatcher.

War is about to break out on Conder Pool, and in-fighting to settle territorial rights and overcrowding has already been observed. If any attempt to breed takes place, tolerance by two species of birds aside, the pontoon won't/can't accommodate ten birds, two boxes, and two dummies. Perhaps the Common Terns will relocate elsewhere on the pool, the Oystercatchers certainly won't, she's already sitting on eggs having staked a claim to the pontoon.

Thanks to Cliff Raby for the Common Tern header image.