Conder & Cocker.

A bit of action on Conder Pool Friday....As I stepped on to the viewing platform, a Barn Owl was disappearing below the far bank and hedgerow, to reappear and do the same again. I never saw the owl after that as I was distracted by the appearance of the Kingfisher which perched on the prop by the sluice. 

The best of three counts on Conder Pool resulted in 14 Little Grebe seen, with 3 Goosander, 2 Snipe, and my first Goldeneye of the winter, later 2 Goldeneye were on the Canal Basin at Glasson Dock.

Stonechat Female Moss Lane. Howard Stockdale.

At Cockersand, I found 5 Stonechat on the visit, two were working their way along the ditch by the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, two more were also working along the ditch off Slack Lane behind Lighthouse Cottage, and the fifth was seen in the rough field behind Lower Bank House. With recent reports and a little inside info, I would suggest there could be up to 5 pairs/10 Stonechat currently looking to winter around the Lune Estuary. 

Whilst watching the Stonechat at Lower Bank House, I saw a Red Admiral fly across the field....A note in my records reads, 7 Red Admiral seen 19 November 2022, and I found a record of Red Admiral on 19 December in Rossendale on a search of the Butterfly Conservation website.

Up to 120 Whooper Swan were on inland fields again as seen 25 October. I would have had good views of these birds looking to the north off Hillam Lane. I checked a flooded field at the east end of Moss Lane which held a few hundred gulls, to find a Ruff.

Sanderling.

In recent years the Sanderling has been referred to as an uncommon passage migrant at both seasons and a rare winter visitor....The Birds of Lancaster & District 2021

Sanderling. Martin Jump.

On Tuesday 7 November,  I received the report of 15 Sanderling on the shore off Lighthouse Cottage, Cockersand. An excellent record of a wader nothing more than rare north of the Fylde Coast, and certainly rarely if ever recorded on the Lune Estuary in winter. I have never recorded the Sanderling from Cockersand upstream on the River Lune in any season other than during spring/autumn passage.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the Stonechat, and to Martin Jump for his monochrome header image of Plover Scar, and the Sanderling from his archives.

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My Kind Of Birding.

    

If I was asked to give an example of what I like about birding. I wouldn't hesitate to show this video of c.2,000 Knot which were seen coming in to land on the beach off Sandylands Promenade last week.

The footage was made in the fading light of Sunday, and the Knot gave an impressive show not least because of the tightly packed flock, with a view of the Stone Jetty at Morecambe, and the Lakeland mountains as a backdrop.

Other than never knowing what's next to be found on the bird front, a pleasant hour in pleasant conditions on the promenade, presented some nice photo opportunities. This image of a group on the shore at Heysham gave the feeling of a relaxing walk on the beach in moonlight.

As the skies cleared behind the stormy clouds, a fraction of the numerous 'love'em or loath'em' wind turbines out in the Irish Sea, gave a slightly surreal feeling, some of which were dropping below the horizon....So the world is round after all!