BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND.........................................................................LOCAL BREEDING NUTHATCH PETE WOODRUFF

Wednesday 15 December 2021

Another Ten Days Later.

Three Of A Kind!

Another bit of decent birding around the Lune Estuary again for the third time in a row yesterday.

The male Green-winged Teal which has recently become a member of the local Anus crecca gang which was up to 80 strong today on Conder Pool. It wasn't very obliging in poor light, distant, and asleep, the vertical white bar at the side of the breast appeared quite indistinct in the head on view in the video. Wildfowl of note, 62 Wigeon and a drake Goosander. A Little Grebe was the only bird seen in the creeks. Maybe this was the same Little Grebe I saw an hour later at the Conder mouth.

Notes from the River Lune at Glasson, with no apologies for comfortable rounded figures, at least 3,000 Lapwing, 120 Curlew, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Golden Plover, uncounted Redshank and Dunlin, and a lone Snipe. Also of note, 350 Wigeon, and a drake Goosander. On the canal basin, 3 Goldeneye drakes.

At Cockersand, a mix of 50 Redwing and 30 Fieldfare, and 3 Tree Sparrow in a hedgerow. On the circuit, a large swathe of waders in the air off Crook Farm included up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit, at least 2,500 Starling were marauding the fields, and the winter resident herd of at least 180 Whooper Swan keep changing location and included six off Slack Lane today.

As I got back towards the caravan park, a Snow Bunting was on the coastal path opposite the brick tower, from where I saw 28 Twite in flight and undecided where to land. The resident wintering pair of Stonechat spent their time making sorties, some the results of which according to AC, they catch hairy caterpillars, something I have yet to see for myself.

No Grand Finale this time....But as ever, a good time was had by all.  

2 comments:

  1. I nearly missed this blog post, Pete! I continue to find myself amazed at the number of birds you see on your walks. I particularly enjoyed the Snow Bunting clip. I have never caught up with a Green-winged Teal.

    Stay safe - it's getting absolutely bonkers out there! Best wishes to you and KT - - -
    Richard

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  2. A good choice of words 'bonkers' to describe this dreadful situation we find ourselves in.

    Thanks again for your input Richard, and you stay safe too.

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