Other Peoples Birds To The Fore!

Invasion.

There has been an unprecedented invasion of some species into our area in recent days, and if I'm going to keep a website with local birding interests, then this certainly has to be documented on Birds2blog.

Ringed Plover Plover Scar 19 May. Howard Stockdale.

Howard Stockdale must have thought he was hallucinating when he found c.1,200 Ringed Plover on Plover Scar 19 May. I know of no previous records of RP in such number on Plover Scar. The record of 160 Ringed Plover on the River Lune at Glasson, is also unprecedented in my book. Many Thanks to Howard for the record and image. 

Sanderling Heysham 23 May. Malcolm Downham.

If I'd have been at Heysham on 23 May, I certainly would have thought I was hallucinating at the sight of at least 500 Sanderling on Heysham skeer. As far as I am concerned, a record of historical proportions. Many Thanks to Malcolm for the record and image.... Heysham Bird Obs

 

Curlew Sandpiper Rossall Point 24 May. Jonathan.

Brilliant find west of Rossall Coastguard Tower, a Curlew Sandpiper advancing into breeding plumage. For permitting the record and image of this stunning bird onto B2B, Many Thanks to Jonathan.... Fylde Bird Club

Spotted Flycatcher Fluke Hall 22 May. Paul Ellis.

There has also been a large influx of flycatcher into the area recently, with up to 33 Spotted Flycatcher on the morning of 22 May, and still coming through today FBC WhatsApp....Many Thanks to Paul for the image.

Foulshaw Moss.

In company with Ian Mitchell, we managed a pleasant couple of hours around Foulshaw Moss, with nothing seen to called unexpected, and on a date too early for dragonflies, though one or two damselflies were seen, being Large Red/Blue Tailed/Common Blue Damselfly.

Of course we were able to view the two Osprey nests through the haze, and other birds to note, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, and Reed Warbler, with just one moth seen, a Common Heath. The butterfly had to be the highlight of the visit, with at least 6 Brimstone seen.

Garden Magic.

It was our treat of the year when the Goldfinch family turned up in the garden for lunch yesterday.

Friday 17 October.

I suspected some kind of recent disturbance had caused me to think, the best one word description for Conder Pool was dire. With the exception of c.120 Black-headed Gull, the best on offer was 7 birds, being a lone Redshank, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Mute Swan, a Robin was singing -  as they do all year round - in the hedgerow, with 3 Little Grebe bringing up the rear. 

The grebes seem to be moving away from Conder Pool earlier this year, according to my records they move to the creeks and on to the Lune Estuary early January, this autumn it seems they are deserting at least 8 weeks earlier. But as I made the move to leave the pool, things certainly took a turn for the better. Looking toward the creeks, I picked up a couple of small waders to see they were Curlew Sandpiper.

At the first cursory glance I prefer to rule out Dunlin, the sandpiper being more elegant and gangly. But on this occasion one bird started to preen, briefly showing its striking white rump and doing the elimination for me.

At Cockersand, I was pleased to find my first pair of wintering Stonechat here, they were in and around the dyke opposite the junction of Moss/Slack Lane. AC had already found two Stonechat last Monday 13 October, his birds were around the Bulrush dyke behind Lighthouse Cottage, I reckon mine were the same pair relocated slightly to the south.

Thanks to Ana for the stunning male 'Spanish' Stonechat

I managed the circuit to find 100+Linnet flighty around the fields off Slack Lane, the same flock here as those seen 22 September. Also a count of 6 Long-tailed Tit, with Song Thrush, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Great Tit, 2 Kestrel, and 38 Curlew were in a field north side of Abbey Farm. Two small skeins totaling 100 Pink-footed Geese were over Plover Scar>south.

Short and sweet again!   

The Show Goes On.

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.

Clouded Yellow Cockersand. Pete Woodruff. 

Butterflies on the day were a pleasing 4 Clouded Yellow, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Wood, and a Silver Y moth.

Large White Chrysalis. Pete Woodruff.

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.

Wheatear 21 September. Pete Woodruff.  

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!    

All Things Bright And Beautiful!

I've been off the road and side-lined since my last outing on Tuesday 9 September, with tomorrow being my next chance, that's going to be a 12 day break from birding. Over this period and a little before it, our recording area and beyond has produced some impressive records, some of which are first or peak counts taken from the LDBWS and FBC WhatsApp groups....I've not catalogued them in date order.

Glossy Ibis Conder Pool. Paul Ellis.

Conder Pool has claimed two 1st records and peak counts, with 39 Greenshank and 19 Ruff recently on Conder Pool, also 2 Glossy Ibis put in a first time appearance here. The Little Stint previously posted on B2B, is also included in this list of Conder Pool records.

Curlew Sandpiper Conder Green. Gary Coulburn.

Curlew Sandpiper have been appearing in good number - some in double figures - at several locations including Conder Pool and on the Fylde, where a staggering 57 Buzzard were over Preesall in a vis mig watch. Another staggering record, was that of 24 Yellow Wagtail seen in the Bank End area. Even more amazing about this record, was that a Kestrel on a fence post was surrounded by the spectacle of these wagtails. 

Three Black Tern were on Conder Pool, and a Black Tern was reported flying downstream on the Lune Estuary, and multiple sightings of Hobby have been seen at Conder Green and through Conder Pool.

7 of 29 Mediterranean Gulls Conder Pool 26 June. Pete Woodruff.

Away from the Lune Estuary, two spectacular records were made, 216 Little Egret were noted going to roost at an undisclosed site, and 208 Mediterranean Gull were recorded at Heysham where Grey Phalarope was seen, also seen off the Stone Jetty at Morecambe, and two at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve.

Last But Certainly Not Least.

If I'm going to draw up a list of amazing events in and around our area, this one has to be included.

Sabine's Gull Off Star Gate Blackpool. Ashley Cooper.

Along with many other seabirds during the recent stormy weather, this juvenile Sabine's Gull flew through Ashley's viewfinder to give him the perfect opportunity to capture it on film. 

My header image is of the same Sabine's Gull, and for me is the photograph of the year....Thanks Ashley, much appreciated. Thanks also to Paul Ellis and Gary Coulburn for the use of their excellent images, they too are much appreciated.

All Things Birds Bright And Beautiful!

And Now For Something A Little Different!

Lune Estuary.

By way of a change, I decided on a different viewpoint to observe the incoming tide on the Lune Estuary, and went to the embankment above the picnic site at Conder Green. This was a first for me, I always view the same stretch on the river from the bowling green at Glasson Dock, but both these locations have plus and minus points, some you win, some you loose.

Until the tide gained height, most of the waders were out of view below the marsh, but once the tide reached the marsh they were out in the open, though then the smaller birds were in the long grass.

On the shoreline I managed to see 4 Greenshank, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, Whimbrel, and Common Sandpiper. Then driven on to the marsh by the tide, a Curlew Sandpiper and Snipe. Overhead a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard was briefly attacked by a Kestrel, and 3 Migrant Hawker were patrolling the trees.

When I left the area, there was little dry land for the waders to escape to. The group pictured in my header were hanging on in at high tide.

Birk Bank Bog.

Black Darter male. Pete Woodruff.

Thinking it could well be my last chance for the dragons, and the day being at least decent weather-wise, I decided to give Birk Bank a return visit where I found 6 Black Darter, 5 male and a female.

Black Darter female. Pete Woodruff.

Eleven Common Darter were seen as 6 male and 5 female. It was good to find the male Emperor Dragonfly again, still patrolling and checking out the vegetation by the boardwalk.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

I reckon these are the last of the dragons at Birk Bank Bog in '25. 

Guillemot Inner M'cbe Bay.

Scaup Off Broadway 17 January. Pete Woodruff.

 

I met Steve Edmundson at Birk Bank, he reminded me we had met earlier in the year at Morecambe when we were watching the female Scaup off Broadway. Steve told me of a Guillemot he'd seen off Teal Bay during the week. I told him he had been fortunate to find a scarce sea bird for this area of Morecambe Bay, he said he would send me a picture of the bird.

Guillemot Teal Bay 9 September. Steve Edmundson.

Thank you Steve, much appreciated.

Swifts.

When I found the quite amazing record of 60 Swift on passage through Borrowdale in the Lake District on Thursday 11 September, I thought it was a sighting worthy of mention. Even more amazing when I read they were observed over a 2 hour period flying north, which is in the opposite direction of their wintering grounds in Africa. Only a minority of Swifts would still be in Europe during September....Sixty Swift flying north in Northern England in mid-September doesn't sound like a minority in Europe.

Better Late Than Never!

On a nice bright if cold sunny day, Conder Pool was as dull as it gets, with just 2 Little Grebe, a Goosander, and a few Mallard making the total of no more than 20 birds present. Conder Pool rules....but not this time.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, at least 2,500 Black-tailed Godwit, a couple of hundred Redshank and Dunlin were hanging on to the shoreline as the tide rushed in, with 3 Goosander noted, and then the Peregrine Falcon flew onto the scene.

The Peregrine Falcon caused a mass dread for a few thousand waders, including the Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, and Dunlin, and created a spectacle that lasted several minutes.

At Cockersand, 5 Stonechat seen, a pair in the rough field behind Bank House, a pair at Lighthouse Cottage, and a female along Moss Lane. Seeing 32 Stock Dove come down into a field was a first for me in our recording area, where birds seen in single figures is the norm in my experience. Whilst watching the doves, a Merlin rocketed over towards the estuary, and in the area around Bank House, 45 Linnet was a decent count, with 5 Greenfinch and 5 Reed Bunting seen, 13 Eider were off Plover Scar.

Sandylands Geese.

On Sunday, I'm quietly confident the geese flying silent and in silhouette north>south towards the harbour, were 20 Brent Geese. Earlier a Peregrine Falcon was seen unsuccessfully chasing a small wader, before doing a U turn to fly off inland.

Stonechat At Cockersand.

My header image is of one of the Lighthouse Cottage birds sent to me by Ian Mitchell....Thanks Ian, much appreciated.

This cropped image from Ian Mitchell, is of the same female Stonechat in the header, showing something best described as thin white plastic wire wrapped around both left and right lower leg.

I was in touch with and forwarded this image to a front line ringer in Cumbria, who notes they are both identical in dimension and position, otherwise is as baffled as me....Are we missing something here I ask myself!

Barn Owl.

Ian Mitchell finds a fair share of interesting stuff....Bilberry Bumblebee at Birk Bank in June 2023, including an amazing video of it burrowing on Clougha. The Merlin at Cockersand in October 2023 with some excellent photo and video footage of the bird taking a bath on a flooded stubble field. Two Otter in the Lune Valley in January, and the Stonechats at Cockersand this week, one of which has what appears to be thin white plastic rings on both legs.

Then up to date, a Barn Owl at Cockersand on Thursday 1 February bearing a metal ring on its right leg....What next Ian!

Movements of Barn Owl.

The West Palearctic population is basically resident, though young birds are known to make occasional dispersals, with no clear overall directional trend within Europe.

As a result of Ian Mitchell's discovery of the Cockersand Barn Owl bearing a metal ring. I made enquiries to another front line ringer, this one in Lancashire, about any known movements of Barn Owl, to be told they are usually only over fairly short distances. However, in the conversation I learn of one bird recovered in Lancashire having been marked in Nottingham.

And Finally.

At this point I'm not sure of the significance of the record, but I'd suggest it is a first for Lancashire and beyond. What I do know, is that this bird should have been more likely to be seen in West Africa.

Curlew Sandpiper Record Shots. Ian Walker.

An amazing record of a Curlew Sandpiper on Warton Marsh yesterday 3 February....Ian Walker FBC.

More Pleasantries Around The Estuary.

Although I had to sit out a 30 minute downpour as I was about to set off on my traditional circuit of Conder Green following a check of Conder Pool, the pilgrimage around the Lune Estuary was rewarded by at least one decent wader, and a personal all time odonata record.

With 8 Greenshank seen on Conder Pool, it's obvious they are remaining faithful to the site, not unusual as they can be recorded here throughout the winter, whilst they wave goodbye to their brothers and sisters as they migrate west of Africa. Also on the pool, a Common Sandpiper, 13 Little Grebe, and a Collared Dove not being a regular here, 2 Raven were calling overhead.

My initial plan was Cockersand next, but with an ominous looking sky, that idea was quickly kicked into touch. So it was an hour spent at the bowling green, to watch the tide rise and push a nice juvenile Curlew Sandpiper into closer views, surrounded by good numbers of Redshank, Dunlin, Lapwing, and 5 Black-tailed Godwit. Also, in company with a few hundred gulls, I picked out an adult and 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull.

The day bucked up nicely, breezy and sunny, and a wander along the canal towpath Glasson Dock - Conder Green, rewarded me with another eleven hawkers including four pairs in cop. This count sent my record through the roof, to put a grand total of 206 Migrant Hawker seen since my first over the River Conder at Cragg Wood 8 August.

House Sparrow.

During the week, I watched four groups of up to 60 House Sparrow flying to disappear into a wild rose bush on Sandylands Promenade towards Heysham. 

Gone Fishing Part 2.

Enquires about the legality of fishing off Plover Scar are ongoing. Meanwhile, as an explanation as to why these two 'completely ruined my birding' and caused serious disturbance to the waders on the day. My header image and two others sent to me, clearly show the reason why this was the case.

Little Stint Plover Scar. Howard Stockdale.

Sanderling Plover Scar. Howard Stockdale.

The images show a Curlew Sandpiper in the header, a Little Stint, and my favourite wader the Sanderling, all three of which I was hoping I might connect with on the day, but was thwarted by the anglers. 

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for this trio of excellent images. 

Gone Fishing!

I was struggling for a header image this time, so decided to give some publicity to the fishing duo - that's me being diplomatic for a change - who completely ruined my birding, and more importantly were responsible for disturbance to hundreds of waders which use the dry land on Plover Scar each and every day to rest and escape the tide. I watched dozens of flocks flying in towards Plover Scar to roost on Friday, only to have to divert elsewhere because of the action by these two who were fishing on and from a SSSI location on the Lune Estuary....Think there may be some laws being broken here!

But none of this fazed the smart 1st winter Little Gull which sat on the sea, accompanied by a mix of at least 600 predominantly Black-headed Gull and many other large gulls off Lighthouse Cottage....No Little Gull, and just a fraction of the gulls in the short video.

Also seen here at Cockersand, 12 Wheatear, 46 Eider, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Stock Dove and a small flock of 15 Linnet.

Curlew Sandpiper. Brian Rafferty.

A couple of hours after high tide, I called in at the Lune Estuary at Glasson, to find a lone juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, with a few Dunlin and larger numbers of Redshank and Lapwing. On a stretch of the canal Glasson - Conder Green, I found 7 Migrant Hawker, and at Conder Pool saw 4 Greenshank, 10 Redshank, 2 Ruff, and after a few counts arrived at 18 Little Grebe. Geese seen, 16 Canada Geese and 4 Greylag. As I was about to leave Conder Pool, a Tree Sparrow came onto the sluice.

I was struggling for pictures for the post, so grateful to Brian Rafferty for his excellent Curlew Sandpiper moulting into breeding plumage at the opposite end of the season to my juvenile bird on the Lune Estuary on Friday.    

Pool And Scar.

 
Conder Pool 4 September. Pete Woodruff.

With the recent high tides approaching near 10m, Conder Pool once again resembles a lake, and with the summer breeders having now departed, 10 Greenshank found a roost from the Lune Estuary, 2 Common Sandpiper, and a double figure number of uncounted Little Grebe, were joined by a sure sign of winters approach, with a vanguard of 2 Wigeon putting in an appearance.

A surprise was on Corricks Lane, where I saw several House Martin, one of which entered a nest at River Winds, where I had established no breeders here earlier this year. House Martin were also around the ex-cafe, where I also saw one to enter a nest hole.

Having dusted of my twitchers hat, I made haste to catch the rising tide at Cockersand, to join five birders at Plover Scar in the hope of finding some goodies.

With the sun in my monitor, I was supposed to point the camera at a Curlew Sandpiper which five pair of eyes took an hour to find. I missed the target and ended up with a few of the c.250 Dunlin and 150 Ringed Plover in the frame. The only other waders here were no more than 8 Turnstone.

As I left Cockersand, I saw a female Marsh Harrier quartering the fields....And a good time was had by all! 

Full House....Well Sort Of!

A bit of a marathon on Conder Pool, in the creeks, a circuit around Conder Green, around the Lune Estuary, and a run down the A588.

On Conder Pool, a Spotter Redshank obliged albeit asleep with 9 Greenshank in the not the best video I ever saw, 9 Little Grebe were my best count, 12 Wigeon and up to 150 Teal were also noted.

Ruff Conder Green. Ian Mitchell.

Three Ruff were in the creeks, also just one Avocet was seen in two visits, another day closer to wintering here.

Lune Estuary From Glasson Dock. Pete Woodruff.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, c.350 Bar-tailed Godwit were of note, with up to 2,750 Lapwing, 14 Snipe, and a drake Goosander. On Jeremy Lane, 550 Black-tailed Godwit and 320 Curlew on a flood. Along Moss Lane, 7 Little Egret were in a small field on the west side of Gardner's Farm. A visit to Cockersand served the purpose well when I found a female Stonechat in the rough field behind Lower Bank House.

As I drove down the A588 up to 2,000 Pink-footed Geese were in the air, eventually out of view and gone down in the Cockerham Moss area. At Braides, 3 Curlew Sandpiper were in the field, with at least 1,500 Golden Plover in the same field split in half by a grit track to Cockerham Marsh.

I decided to continue to Fluke Hall to be rewarded by another female Stonechat and 30 Whooper Swan to the south of the car Park.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for the excellent header image of the Spotted Redshank/Greenshank on Conder Pool, and the Ruff in the creeks. 

Blot On The Landscape.

 Conder Pool 1 November.

The perfect example of 'some' photographers getting the rest a bad press. So what's wrong with the sluice as a perch for the Kingfisher, instead of the plank with a nail in the end, and weighed down with a ridiculous huge stone. Both these props will have been removed by the weekend....Guaranteed. 

Plover Scar Delivers.

There was a spectacular mix of corvids on the Lune Estuary on Thursday as viewed from the bowling green, they were all over the place and impossible to count, they numbered at least 500, with a maximum of probably up to 700. In order of numbers, the highest being up to 50% Rook, with Carrion Crow, and Jackdaw, they were on the mud, and scattered widely on the south end of Colloway Marsh, many distant with little if any chance of separation.

Otherwise, the estuary was on a quiet day, though up to 350 Golden Plover were present, and 3 Goosander were noted, also the crippled Curlew Sandpiper made it's third appearance for me in 14 days, still hoping on its left leg, the right one tucked under its belly.

Snow Bunting Plover Scar 17 October Pete Woodruff Clik the pik

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Cockersand with a Snow Bunting which showed well though often quite mobile and well camouflaged when it went way out on Plover Scar amongst the shingle. Seen as an early record for Snow Bunting, most of which are singles found on the coast from around mid-October, these tend to pass through quickly, this one hasn't been seen since Thursday seeming to confirm this, most turn up during November to January. 

A male Kestrel, was the only other bird I noted at Cockersand, and a Painted Lady in mid-October may well be my last of the year, in which case my tally for this brilliant butterfly in 2019 would be 417.

Wot No Piks!

It's now even more difficult to access the still rising number of grebe on Conder Pool, with channels to go down, and islands to get behind now the pool has flooded again, but after the customary multi-attempts, at least 18 Little Grebe counted, also 4 Greenshank, 5 Little Egret, 2 Snipe, and a Kingfisher in flight across the pool. Another 4 Little Grebe were in the creeks, with up to 55 Teal and 5 Goosander, a Sparrowhawk was over the marsh, with c.40 Goldfinch flighty over. Down the channel, the now wintering Common Sandpiper seen, and 4 Greenshank down here were probably the four seen earlier on Conder Pool.

Checking the Lune Estuary at Glasson it was good to meet four Fylde birders, all high ranking in my book and much respected. A Curlew Sandpiper which I saw briefly, was possibly another bird to the one I've seen here 3/8 October, based on SP - one of the four  - claiming this bird was mobile on both legs before it flew off prematurely, my bird had been seen as severely handicapped with one leg. 

A count here was of at least 300 Greylag, but almost certainly many more were upstream and out of sight on the mud below Colloway Marsh, 2 Greenshank, and 82 Curlew, the Redshank and Dunlin went uncounted, but not exceeding 250 in total after a number of both left and flew off downstream, leaving behind at least 1,000 Lapwing. 

I found 5 Migrant Hawker, one seen at the west end of Conder Pool, and four on the canal at Glasson Dock east along the tow-path beyond Christ Church. I wondered at the time, if I've seen four in one small area, perhaps if I'd have walked a mile along the tow-path to The Mill at Conder Green, I would have found another good count of Migrant Hawker as on 19 September.

A skein of at least 200 Pink-footed Geese over Bowerham again yesterday morning. 

WOT NO PICS!

No piks in the post, but the header is another Golden Oldie of the Kentish Plover found on Plover Scar at Cockersand 3 May 2011. Thanks to Mick McGough for the brilliant image of this excellent rare vagrant. 

Out For A Duck!....

....and one or two other birds.

There was no more than 40 Teal at Conder Green yesterday, but despite sifting through every last one of 'em, I failed to see the juvenile male Garganey....another first for the green, been here since 28 September.

Conder Pool is more appropriately called Conder Lake once again, and the best of four attempts resulted in 13 Little Grebe, with a few no doubt finding plenty of hiding places in the channels and out of view behind the islands. Otherwise quiet with 3 Greenshank and 21 Curlew making up the numbers. Two Goosander were in the creeks, and a Red Admiral can't have been the happiest butterfly on the wing today, windy, and lashing it down 15 minutes earlier.

Redshank. Howard Stockdale. Clik the pik

The left legged Curlew Sandpiper with injury to it's right leg, seen again on the Lune Estuary as last Thursday, it was accompanied by a Ruff, with Redshank and Dunlin amounting to little more than 200 birds. Of c.380 Greylag seen, I reckon those to make up last Thursdays count of at least 620 were out of sight upriver below Colloway Marsh where I counted 16 Canada Geese. A Great-crested Grebe and 17 Wigeon were noted, the Golden Plover were noticeably absent.

Home Sightings.

Four skeins of up to 300 Pink-footed Geese SW over Bowerham this morning, also a Red Admiral in the garden.

Thanks to Howard for the in flight Redshank and lone Dunlin, and to Martin for putting the record straight, that we've not had a Stonechat image on B2B for ages.

P.S....This is amazing, and a First for Ireland 

A Little Healthier, A Little Longer.

A bit more action on Thursday resulted in a healthier looking list than Mondays shortie, and I was at Glasson Dock 3 hours before to see the rising tide moving birds around.

There was something of a spectacle with at least 620 Greylag on the Lune Estuary, a personal highest concentration to date seen in one sighting. Also of note, a Curlew Sandpiper which had an injury to it's right leg leaving the bird severely crippled, an adult Mediterranean Gull, 25 Curlew, 12 Snipe, 4 Greenshank, and 3 Goosander. On Conder Pool, 10 Greenshank in the high tide roost, 15 Little Grebe, and a Common Sandpiper, c.120 Goldfinch were seen again as Monday, flighty over the marsh.

On only my fourth visit to Cockersand since the episode of last September, and my first circuit completed here since late August 2018. Plover Scar held up to 90 Turnstone, and a Sparrowhawk which I flushed from out of sight below the headland. A Rock Pipit was on the shingle, and I found 340 Curlew in fields by Abbey Farm, 220 in one, and 120 in another where there was at least 750 Golden Plover, 125 Lapwing and 5 Little Egret.

I saw 3 Kestrel on the day, two as I left Cockersand on Slack Lane and Moss Lane, and another as I drove by Ashton Golf Club.

Greenshank high tide roost on Conder Pool.

View Full Screen

I'm always singing the praises of Conder Pool, the header image continues the praises, albeit a Golden Oldie of the Temminck's Stint on 28 May 2011. 

  

Worthy of a mention on Birds2blog....On Wednesday, 500 Red Throated Divers at the rate of 100 per hour north past Maryport on a rising tide.