Geese At Last!

It's been the poorest winter I can recall for Pink-footed Geese in our recording area, of no more than 3 sightings, it took me until 18 February to see 1,250 Pink-footed Geese in the air over Hillam Lane.

On Thursday up to 5,000 Pink-footed Geese where in a field at Cockersand with a Tundra Bean Goose. Also up to 1,800 Golden Plover in two fields south and north side of Abbey Farm, with 8 Meadow Pipit and 4 Skylark noted. Six Eider were off Crook Farm, with Sparrowhawk and Kestrel seen.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson low tide, 22 Avocet were feeding at the mouth of Conder Estuary, 320 Golden Plover, 124 Black-tailed Godwit, and 425 Wigeon which were mostly hauled out on the mud.

Viewing Conder Pool was hopeless in the afternoon sun, but I managed to find a Greenshank which was my first on Conder Pool since 29 October, also 8 Snipe were hunkered down, and 9 Black-tailed Godwit dropped in on the creeks.

Disturbance Of Pink-footed Geese.

This is my post Geese and Chats 2 years ago on 2 March 2023 and is relevant to the event below.... 

Pink-footed Geese 2 March 2023

Off Moss Lane on Thursday, along with two other birders, I was observing up to 5,000 Pink-footed Geese from the gate into a field. Two 'farmers' came on the scene and claimed sheep would soon be coming down the road, a third person then arrived on a quad bike, went through the gate and promptly drove towards the geese putting them to flight en-masse....When I left Cockersand 3 hours later, driving past the field again which was void of sheep and geese!

Wheatear.

The first Wheatear for our recording area was at Fluke Hall yesterday 8 March, a male found by A.C. The earliest spring Wheatear in Lancashire was recorded on 26 February 2003, and an interesting record of a late Wheatear at the other end of the season, was one seen at Cockersand on 25 November 2022.

Wheatear Cockersand 25 November 2022. Pete Woodruff.

The Cuckoos Are Coming!

This is Wilfred the Cuckoo, he was satellite tagged as an adult in June 2024 at Worlingham Marshes, Suffolk. Here is the BTO update on his progress back to the UK and hopefully Suffolk.

Of the 14 tagged Cuckoos that successfully departed the UK in 2024, the biggest mover on the return journey has been Suffolk Cuckoo Wilfred. Having spent the last few months deep in the forests of north-west Angola - furthest south of all the tagged Cuckoos - and largely in radio silence, we feared the worst for him. But, over the past week he has made a massive leap, covering multiple African countries, passing through Gabon and western Cameroon before arriving in Nigeria a few days ago. From here, he has continued his journey, sweeping past a further four countries until arriving at his current location in south-eastern Guinea. He has already covered approximately 3,700 km (2,300 miles) since leaving his wintering quarters in Angola.