Short But Sweet!

The highlights of another spell of pleasant birding around the Lune Estuary, which started well when I found 2 Stonechat in the tall rough at the east end of Conder Pool, they were very busy, and I had feelings of three birds, but it didn't develop any further than that. Five Goosander were the only other birds to highlight here, but I did see a dragonfly too distant to ID, but a Migrant Hawker to record towards the end of October would be my bet against that of a Southern Hawker.

As I turned into Slack Lane at Cockersand, five white objects seen in the top corner of the field opposite Lighthouse Cottage, turned out to be 4 Cattle Egret in company with a Little Egret....Nice!

A walk along the headland produced a nice late October Wheatear, and looking inland from here, I found that at least 120 Whooper Swan had arrived back on their wintering grounds distant in the Thursland Hill area. When I reached the caravan park, I found the first of 2 Stonechat, one in the rough field by Lower Bank House, then the second one seen from the path to Bank End.

This was the Stonechat that can be seen and heard calling in the video which I found interesting. The alarm call is probably related to my presence, though in my experience the Stonechat never give the impression that they are agitated or alarmed by humans outside the breeding season, and certainly not during the winter period. The only other explanation would be of a ground predator around, or maybe just territorial. Incidentally, with regard to the Stonechat singing, only the male sings, and both male and female are virtually silent during the winter. 

October Chats.

It's good to see the upland Stonechat back at lowland sites, where my interest is with those around the Lune Estuary. Andrew Cornall and myself have found a total of 11 Stonechat at Conder Green/Jeremy Lane and Cockersand, I've also collected records of 85 Stonechat from 35 locations during October, predominantly from the Fylde Bird Club sightings page, where the most interesting one was of 9 Stonechat at Fairhaven Dunes 23 October.

Footnote.

I was pleased to hear, John Callion and his dedicated team in Cumbria, have ringed 160 Stonechat nestlings this year....Many Thanks for passing on to me news of this excellent achievement John & Co.   

The Cockersand Merlin.

Ian Mitchell's sighting of a Merlin on Slack Lane 16 October, is the epitome of 'right place, right time' to take full advantage of what was being seen, and to achieve footage of a bird not only grounded in a winter stubble field, but then seen taking a bath, and then on a fence post. The result of this amazing spectacle is a well deserved ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ video by Ian Mitchell.  

Copyright Ian Mitchell

The Show Goes On.

Regarding my bird found at Cockersand on 12 October, I was contacted by Ian Hartley who found a Merlin at Cockersand 3 days later on 15 October, describing the bird as an adult female. Reading Ian's report on the LDBWS sightings page, and having already found a 1st winter Merlin in the same area of Cockersand, brought about a comment from me on Birds2blog....'In my opinion, the same bird has been seen on two ocassions since my first sighting on 12 October when I aged/sexed it as an immature/female, my description being based on immature Merlin not being separable from female in the field'.

Having seen the post on B2B, Ian offered some explanation about his description, telling me that having compared the videos of my 1st winter Merlin with that of the bird he saw 3 days later, he was convinced they were two different birds. Going on to explain, Ian said 1st winter and adult females can be separated with good views as was the case on 15 October.

The truth is, having taken closer looks at Ian Mitchell's footage, the best feature regarding plumage detail, is that the bird is noticeably much more heavily streaked than an adult female would be, and also less rufous on upperparts which tend to be seen as a richer brown.

I would like to point out, it is generally accepted that most winter Merlin seen in lowland Britain are juvenile/immature/1st winter - take your pick for description -  which adds to my surprise that an adult female had been found at Cockersand in mid-October. 

It is important to note, there was never any intention to indicate doubt about Ian Hartley's sighting, the post made no such mention of any doubt. In the end, my opinion....'the same bird has been seen on two ocassions since my first sighting on 12 October'....is now invalid.

The Twite Return.

Monday is best described as sunny and chilly with a flat calm sea at Cockersand. It could also be described as the best mid-October conditions I ever experienced here.  As the coaster Silver River passed the lighthouse, 8 Eider were drifting in the foreground, and as I watched this pleasant and atmospheric scene, waders gathered on Plover Scar at high tide.

Dunlin/Ringed Plover Plover Scar. Pete Woodruff.

I counted 105 Turnstone, 55 Dunlin, 25 Ringed Plover, and a lone Grey Plover. Also of note here, up to 40 Meadow Pipit, and my first 30 Twite of the winter which I'm tempted to suppose are possibly the same flock in the same number as seen several times last winter at Cockersand, 110 Pink-footed Geese were over >south.

I made my third circuit of Cockersand this month, which again resulted with little of note, but in one field a lone Black-tailed Godwit was with 34 Curlew and a similar number of Lapwing, 35 Teal, and 10 Wigeon were on a flood. On a post by Slack Lane, a Kestrel and later 2 Red Admiral seen.

On Conder Pool, I regarded 2 Reed Bunting as unusual here, also 4 Greenshank and 10 Redshank, with a decent count of 24 Tufted Duck and 6 Wigeon, the Little Grebe were uncounted today.

Amongst the few hundred gulls on the Lune Estuary, I picked out 7 Mediterranean Gull, seen as four adult and three 2nd winter, also 3 Greenshank on the south shore.

The Cockersand Merlin.

In my opinion, the same bird has been seen on two ocassions since my first sighting on 12 October when I aged/sexed it as an immature/female, my description being based on immature Merlin not being separable from female in the field. It was seen three days later on 15 October at Cockersand as an adult female, and seen again two days later on October 17 when it was described as a female-type, seen to fly from Sunderland Point to Crook Farm in the Cockersand area, and return to Sunderland Point.  

Ian Mitchell had similar good fortune as me and grabbed some footage of the Merlin at Cockersand on Monday. It was on a fence post following a wash and brush up....I'm pleased you saw the bird and many thanks for sharing this video with me Ian.

Two Favourites And Some Other Birds

My day was already made up when I emerged from the motor by Lighthouse Cottage, and as far as I'm concerned Cockersand delivered once again....Bring it on!

Until I set eyes on the bird perched on the bench near the Lighthouse Cottage, I could have had no idea my circuit of Cockersand was going to start with my favourite raptor the stunning little immature/female Merlin, maybe the bird I saw over Conder Pool 25 September....Three minutes after I got the footage of the Merlin, it took out a wader on Plover Scar and flew inland with the prey.  A couple of hours later, the circuit ended with my favourite passerine, a female Stonechat on Slack Lane, being the first returning bird probably set to winter here.

The walk along the headland didn't produce anything, including no Wheatear which I was hoping for. When I arrived at Bank Houses, up to 350 Black-tailed Godwit were on the shore. As I continued the walk along Moss Lane, a Common Darter flew across the road at shoulder height. 

As with my last visit to Cockersand my notes on the circuit were a bit thin, but as I approached the line of Willows along Slack Lane, I saw a small mix of around 12 Blue Tit, Great Tit, and Long-tailed Tit working their way through, and were eventually seen to have a Chiffchaff tagging along with them.

On Conder Pool, 8 Greenshank, 10 Redshank, a Goosander, 4 Wigeon and a Migrant Hawker. Four Red Admiral were seen on the day.

Missing In Action!

Mostly missing for me around the Lune Estuary yesterday, disappointingly so....Should have gone to Specsavers! 

Little Grebe Conder Pool. Ian Mitchell.

A quick scan resulted with a count of 18 Little Grebe on Conder Pool, catching small fry like there's no tomorrow....nothing 'missing' there then. Also on the pool, a female Shoveler, interesting in itself as the species is no more than irregular here. Four Wigeon were the only other birds of note, and a Goosander in the creeks, decided to make a move and flew to the canal.

On the Lune Estuary, my best count to date of up to 600 Golden Plover, lined up on the shore below Colloway Marsh. Otherwise of note, 166 Curlew and 68 Black-tailed Godwit. I managed to pick out 3 Mediterranean Gull amongst the hordes of other mainly distant gulls.

Although as always, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cockersand, the only notes I came away with from here were, 6 Skylark over in a move from one field to the next, and 16 Tree Sparrow at Bank Houses. 

Tree Sparrow.

Yesterdays record represented my first record at Cockersand in nearly 12 months, when I found a lone Tree Sparrow at Bank Houses on 1 December 2022, the previous record being 3 Tree Sparrow - again at Bank Houses - 12 months earlier on 14 December 2021. In my records that represents a decline of the Tree Sparrow at Cockersand.

Golden Plover.

Albeit early in the winter season, yesterdays 600 Golden Plover at Glasson is my best to date and a good record. We will have to see what happens next this winter, but in 2022 Golden Plover records in Lancashire were disappointing, my peak count was of 1,500 at Braides on 11 October 2022, and as far as I'm aware, this number wasn't exceeded anywhere else that year on the Lune Estuary. 

Important to note, the Golden Plover is scarce on the UU Bowland Estate, and no breeding was confirmed in 2022....Lancashire Bird Report 2022    

Filling A Developing Hole!

Not totally related to the rubbish weather but mainly so, there's another hole developing on Birds2blog, so I thought it best to fill it in before it gets any bigger. 

By coincidence I have been sent two rather interesting and intriguing images recording two recent events, one of which was on Conder Pool, and one south in Gloucestershire.

Kingfisher Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

 

Taking this shot recently on Conder Pool, Howard sent it to me to do a little reading about the lunch in the Kingfishers bill which was identified as a Common Prawn Palaemonen serratus, a species of shrimp found in the Atlantic Ocean from Denmark to Mauritania, and in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.

P. serratus is one of several commercially important species of prawns in the UK. Fisheries are operated on a very local scale, and many of these Common Prawns are live exported to markets in Southern Europe. This one expired in the bill of a Kingfisher on Conder Pool in Lancashire....Thanks for the image Howard.

Crab Spider/Blue-tailed Damselfly. Nick Hughes.

So named because its long front legs are arranged in crab-like fashion, and it can run sideways. Nick said about the Crab Spider Misumena vatia....'This Blue-tailed Damselfly landing on top of a Crab Spider and not getting grabbed was my favourite nature shot of the year. I had just focused on the spider who was set to grab prey and the subject of the shot, when the damselfly landed, it escaped the clutches of the spider and lived to fly another day'....Chance in a million Nick, thanks for the image.

Thanks to Martin Jump for helping B2B out of the hole with his header image of a Ringed Plover ahead of two Dunlin coming in to land to join the high tide roost on Plover Scar. 

I'd Sooner Be Birding!

Another Estuary Mix!

A day with mixed feelings, but I'll keep the whingeing about flooded pools, anglers and canoeists to myself and just get on with the story. 

I think there's more than meets the eye to the fact the raft has partially sunk in the flood at Conder Pool....We'll just have to wait and see what happens next!

But 3 Black-tailed Godwit and a dozing Ruff seem to have found some solid ground, and the Canada Geese, Greylag, and a few farmyard geese, appear to be enjoying the situation. In the creeks, 2 Ruff and a Greenshank.

These two canoeists about to launch and enjoy their pursuit, managed to disturb a few hundred waders on the Lune Estuary, but further upstream up to 2,350 waders were unperturbed by them, with estimates of 1,550 Lapwing, 400 Black-tailed Godwit, 220 Redshank, 150 knot, and 32 Snipe seen.

An hour up to and including the high tide at Plover Scar, to be honest didn't produced one or two species I hoped for, but it was a magical experience to stand and watch the tide slowly pushing in excess of 600 waders towards me, including 430 Dunlin, up to 95 Ringed Plover, and 80 Turnstone, with 25 Eider and a Great-crested Grebe off the scar. A Wheatear and hovering Kestrel were around the Lighthouse Cottage parking area.

High Tide Plover Scar. Pete Woodruff. 

Red Admiral And Black Tern.

Red Admiral On Rhododendron. Pete Woodruff. 

At least 10 Red Admiral still being seen in the first days of October, with a total of up to ten seen in Williamson's Park, Lancaster Cemetery, and in our garden.

Black Tern Heysham 30 September. Mike Robinson.

Mike paid a visit to Heysham and achieved this excellent image of one of the juveniles present here for 13 days, but I understand have now departed....Thanks Mike, much appreciated.