BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND.....................................................................................BARN OWL COCKERSAND IAN MITCHELL

Wednesday, 4 October 2023

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.  

5 comments:

  1. Only anglers and canoeists, at least they are quiet, what about jet skiers that go tearing up and down the Lune from the Golden ball and sometimes from Cockersands itself. Paddle-boarders can also cause disturbance a couple of years ago I watched one individual paddle right out to rocks in the middle of a loch to disturb 2 White Tailed Eagles which were sat there peacefully minding their own business.
    Good you are getting out and watching the waders on Plover Scar gradually getting pushed up by the tide, quite relaxing. Liked the video.
    Good to hear the Pink Footed Geese calling as they pass overhead at this time of the year at Cockersands.
    Great picture of the Black Tern.

    Cheers Ian

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  2. Hi Pete.

    That second video clip is fabulous! I find myself wondering how long you spent scanning through that lot in case there was a rarity amongst them.

    My lack of computer, mentioned in my comment on your last post, wasn't due to a computer problem, but due to me being away on the Isles of Scilly - something that I didn't want to mention for security reasons!

    Best wishes - - - Richard

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  3. Ian....It was a treat to watch the waders being pushed ever nearer. As you say relaxing and very therapeutic, pity the wind drowned out the sounds these birds were making.

    Richard....Spent the whole time I was at Plover Scar in the hope of three species, but the force wasn't with me on the day, but that's what makes birding what it is.

    Thanks to both for kind words appreciated....Pete.

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  4. Without doubt the most Red Admirals I can ever remember seeing this year? Steve

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  5. Me too re this years Red Admiral numbers Steve. I'm going to do a search for a three figure record of the RE on Ivy seen from the track to Clougha years ago, I will put it on B2B when I find it.

    Appreciate your looking in and commenting on B2B Steve.

    Regards....Pete.

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