BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND......................................................MEDITTERANEAN GULLS CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF

Wednesday 25 January 2023

A Little Soggy In The End!

I went off to do some wandering around the Lune Estuary yesterday, based on the false hope that the weather would clear as the day progressed but didn't, by 2.30pm I was a little soggy. 

Conder Pool was as miserable as the weather with just two species and 35 birds present, seen as 3 Little Grebe and 32 Mallard. It was a different story on Jeremy Lane, in a field at the north end I found in excess of 3,000 birds, the bulk of which was up to 2,500 Lapwing, with 120 Whooper Swan12 Pink-footed Geese250 Greylag, and 30 Canada Geese, also small numbers of Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, and the best bird a RuffOn the canal basin at Glasson Dock, 9 Goldeneye were all drake save one.

I almost abandoned the day at Cockersand but pleased I didn't, as I got out of the motor, at least 4,000 Pink-footed Geese were heard then seen distant coming down on to Cockerham Sands west of the Cocker Channel, the tide put up 3 Snipe off the marsh. It was relatively quiet on Plover Scar, with 120 Oystercatcher, 20 Turnstone, 6 Dunlin, and 3 Grey Plover.

By the time I went through the kissing gate at the abbey, the mist was thicker with light drizzle and anything but pleasant, but I was soon rewarded by the Black Redstart on the shore south of the abbey. The bird was busy and never still, it covers a lengthy area between Lighthouse Cottage and the Caravan Park and has done so for over four weeks. 

There are still at least 300 Whooper Swan located in three fields around Cockersand. In the area around the caravan park I found 17 Reed Bunting, this was a first for me, having never seen a flock of this number before, also 2 Song Thrush and 2 Kestrel.

Stonechat Cockersand 24 January. Pete Woodruff

Five Stonechat seen today, the first on Moss Lane fence posts on the east side of Abbey Farm, a pair on Slack Lane, and a pair foraging the marsh in front of Lower Bank House, from where I saw the ringtail Hen Harrier giving excellent views quartering the marsh.  

3 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a soggy day out.
    I too have seen quite a few Reed Bunting together but nearer to Bank End farm.
    Good the Hen Harrier is still about.
    Thanks for the update

    Regards Ian

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  2. I don't think that I have ever seen anything that resembles a 'flock' of Reed Bunting, Pete - I suspect that four would be more like it. Your day sounds as if it was well worth you getting soggy for! Thank you for the heart-warming video clip of the Stonechat. However, I'm afraid that this ranks only second in the 'delight' stakes today as I've just had four Redpoll on the feeders outside my study window - without consulting my records, probably a first!

    Thankfully, Lindsay continues to improve, albeit slowly.

    Best wishes to you both - - - Richard

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  3. Thanks Ian/Richard....Comments read with interest.

    Kind Regards to both, and to Lindsey for her continuing improvement.

    Pete.

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