Pleasantries Around The Estuary.

A nice little trio of waders at Conder Green on Monday were seen as the rapidly transforming Spotted Redshank in the creeks. On Conder Pool, an adult male Ruff is also transforming into breeding plumage, also present 2 Little Ringed Plover, with 2 Black-tailed Godwit. up to 10 Avocet were the only ones in view.

The Ruff was a little distant for footage of any quality, but there was entertainment provided by a male Redshank pursuing the female with no sign of any letup in the chase for several minutes.

At Cockersand, there was no sign of any Whooper Swan, but up to 2,500 Pink-footed Geese were distant in fields on the north side of Bank End Farm. A Raven was high over head, probably the highest I have ever seen a soaring Raven, a count of 52 Eider were on the estuary between Plover Scar and Crook Farm.

At Bank House I saw 2 Tree Sparrow, these were the first I have recorded at Cockersand since I saw 16 on 10 October 2023, they were in company with half a dozen House Sparrow. I don't recall ever seeing the two species literally side by side. Hybrids between the two are rare, the only record I know of, is that of a bird in Somerset probably 40 years ago, which showed mixed characters obviously intermediate between the two.

Do Not Disturb.

Four bodies with seven mutts decided a visit to the seaside was a good idea.

I'm really hoping this is going to be the only time they decide to trespass out on to Plover Scar. This is a known breeding site for the Ringed Plover, and today there was no chance of me seeing the odd Sandwich Tern plunge diving off here, which I did in early May 2018.

It's important to know, Plover Scar is an essential high tide roost for waders, and is within a SSSI - Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

A Little Upland Birding.

Bowland Wilderness. Pete Woodruff.

My last visit to Hawthornthwaite was 12 November 2024 when I found two wintering Stonechat. The only other records I have from this location in 2024 are, 2 Stonechat 24 April, and 7 Stonechat 10 May. This is a disappointing result from me, but the truth is, the dragonflies, butterflies and bees take over these days from late April and the chats suffer serious neglect.

In the video, the farmer on his quadbike was ahead of the sheep on the Hawthornthwaite track. It was an amazing sight to see up to 300 bleating sheep running off the fellside from all directions to form an orderly procession and claim their turn for a portion of the cake.

Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It!

The visit produced five sightings of Stonechat, but my records read 4 Stonechat seen as 2 pairs, I regarded one of the females seen alone, to be one from a pair. Other notes made, a Pied Wagtail was on Cam Brook, a Lapwing was on territory and was the only one seen, a Curlew was heard only as was a Red Grouse, 2 Wren seen, and a Raven overhead, 5 Meadow Pipit was a shock result, but I decided as it was only the 2 April, maybe early days.

Two hours on the east side of Hawthornthwaite from Marshaw, had me find 2 Stonechat, seen as a pair in a area of Bowland that my records have never highlighted to be a Stonechat mecca. The only other sightings were, 8 Meadow Pipit and a Jay was seen as I arrived back off the fell.

That's a total of 9 species in a 5 hour period....Well that's upland birding in'it!

Wilfred The Cuckoo

    

There had been no signal from Wilfred's transmitter since 20 March when he was in south-east Guinea, but good news eventually came through in the past few days, that he had made remarkable progress and was in fact now in Spain. Currently just north of Guadalupe, having covered at least 2,174 miles since leaving Guinea, and in excess of 4,350 miles since he departed his wintering grounds in Angola. 

It's worthy of note, that of all the tagged Cuckoos, Wilfrid was the one that wintered the furthest south, and that he is now by far the most northerly of all the satellite tagged Cuckoos.

Rock on Wilfred....I think you are one truly amazing bird!