After an unplanned leave of absence from birding for 13 days, it was good to get back out on Monday to catch up with a few things I've been missing recently, but now the show goes on....
On Conder Pool I found 3 Curlew Sandpiper in a mix of 16 Greenshank and a few Redshank, also 10 Little Grebe and 15 Canada Geese, whilst at least 10 Long-tailed Tit passed in procession through the bushes, and a Kestrel hovered overhead for the unsuspecting vole no doubt. But the big surprise was an adult Whooper Swan, although the surprise was lessened when I remembered seeing this bird on the Lune Estuary at Glasson on 9 July.
On my way to Cockersand, I stopped off at Clarkson's Farm to find c.120 Black-headed Gull accompanied by an adult Mediterranean Gull, this bird was marked with a white darvic ring, frustratingly too distant to read, but based on the colour, the best I could come up with, was ringed in the near continent perhaps. Also seen around a small flood in the same field, a Ruff, up to 6 Golden Polver and a similar number of Ringed Polver.
The traditional Cockersand circuit started with a surprise just beyond Bank House Farm, when I counted at least 40 Tree Sparrow. I've not been seeing many Tree Sparrow here the past 2 years, in fact I saw just 2 on 7 April this year, previous to that, I recorded 16 on 16 October 2023. Worth noting the Tree Sparrow is Red Listed, with a BTO report showing a significant decline across the country.
Further into the walk, I found another encouraging sight, that of 100+Linnet. Although the arrival of wintering geese has been noted, it was a bit of a surprise to find just 3 Pink-footed Geese in a field off Slack Lane, from where I heard a Skylark burst briefly into song.
Butterflies on the day were a pleasing 4 Clouded Yellow, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Wood, and a Silver Y moth.
As I walked along the side of Lighthouse Cottage, I spotted about a dozen chrysalis 'glued' to the whitewashed wall, a bit of searching had me find they were Large White butterfly.
On Sunday, a pleasant walk along Morecambe Promenade at Sandylands, was made all the more pleasant with 3 Wheatear seen along the sea defences.
The Header.
Struggling to find a suitable pik of my own for the header, I remembered Ian's stunning Merveille du Jour, and....Bingo!
That's a very full day out in my book. What a variety of birds seen. Like the picture of the Wheatear looking at you.
ReplyDeleteYou were lucky to come across the Clouded Yellow, I believe there are a couple about at Heysham Nature Reserve lately. Glad you could get a picture of one for me, I have only ever seen one and that was at Bank End.
Thanks for the update.
Ian