Out Without Pants On!

Birding without optics, are you serious!

It wasn't until I got to Conder Green, that I realised I had left my binoculars at home....Might as well have been out with no pants on.

The Birds.

As far as the Common Tern and the new raft is concerned, I counted 10 adult, five of which are sitting female, and 3 broods of 9 chicks.

On the very low water level at Conder Pool, four Mediterranean Gull including a 1st summer....You might need to be determined to see it in the video. 

I have no idea of the current situation re the Little Ringed Plover, the last I heard 13 June, was one pair had lost three chicks, but were back on eggs again, and a second pair had produced one chick. The only bird I saw this visit, was a lone adult.

Having no intention of counting the Avocet, I reckon up to 14 adult present, with fledged and marked birds, young and a single chick, including a pair with two young in the creeks having walked across the busy B5290 to get there again this year. Also in the creeks - it must be the end of June - I saw 8 Common Sandpiper, 12 Black-tailed Godwit, and an adult Greenshank in breeding plumage....I set off to do a circuit to Glasson Dock, and back to Conder Green via the canal.

There are possibly three active House Martin nests at Crossing Cottage? - in an earlier life was once a cafe - whilst I saw no activity at Rivers Winds which appears to join Tower Lodge as being the first year to have no breeding House Martin.

From the canal towpath, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Chiffchaff.

The Butterflies.

At least by way of a change, the day produced 18 butterflies, with 8 Ringlet, 7 Large Skipper, 2 Red Admiral and a Gatekeeper. But the best was to come when I got to Glasson and saw a butterfly on the grasses. I went to grab a shot and found it to be a White-letter Hairstreak.

White-letter Hairstreak. Pete Woodruff.

My sighting carries the claim of being the first White-letter Hairstreak to be recorded this year on the Lancashire Branch of Butterfly Conservation.

The Dragonflies.

On Saltcote Pond, a Broad-bodied Chaser was egg laying, with Common Blue Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly and Brown Hawker seen.

Along the canal towpath to Conder Green, 4 Emperor Dragonfly female including ovipositing, and 2 Brown Hawker.

A first experience for me, and perhaps the ovipositing Emperor Dragonfly, which had a lucky escape from the clutches of something under the surface, presumably a fish was the predator.

Please Note.

The figures regarding the Common Tern on the new raft are generated from personal observations and footage on Thursday 29 June, and therefore do not reflect the official number of Common Tern adults/juveniles/and chicks currently present on Conder Pool. Also, following a conversation, my claim of no House Martin at River Winds may prove to be incorrect, as two nests were reported there recently. However, based on no evidence found or seen by myself, my comments stand until my next visit to Conder Green.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the excellent header image of the juvenile Common Tern, the first to fledge from the best colony ever on Conder Pool this year.

Pontoon Harmony.

It was all very harmonious on the pontoon on Tuesday, and Conder Pool was quite busy, with plenty to entertain for a couple of hours.

Nine Common Tern were seen as two pairs with five young, the second pair having three young in the nest. The Black-headed Gull young are progressing well to get beyond the prey stage and hopefully to fledge, 4 Avocet remain with two sitting, one of which has three eggs. Also to note, a Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, the Little Grebe seen again, and a Stock Dove.

I watched 12 Common Sandpiper explode into the air and scatter from the backside of the near right hand small island, I decided not to count the four seen later in the creeks on the circuit to eliminate duplication....16 Common Sandpiper?

A Lesser Whitethroat gave excellent views in the hedgerow, later a Whitethroat seen. Butterflies seen, 4 Painted Lady, a Red Admiral, and a Meadow Brown. Two Swift were over the canal basin at Glasson Dock.

Watch the video 'Full Screen' and see the characteristic foot-trembling behaviour on soft mud by the Little Ringed Plover to unearth it's food of insects and worms.....Fascinating stuff.

Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool 2 July. Pete Woodruff

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for his excellent header image of the Keeled Skimmer at Birk Bank yesterday, the bog is currently a carpet of yellow with Bog Asphodel.

And The Winner Is....

7 June. Ian Pinkerton. (Clik The Pik)

This image shows the cramped style the birds are enduring on the pontoon at Conder Green, with two pairs of Common Tern and a Black-headed Gull all sitting on eggs. Already the week old Oystercatcher chicks have been dealt with, little doubt by the Common Terns, with two corpses in view as evidence, the Black-headed Gull and whatever it's nest produces will have been marked as the next. All this, and with tolerance tested to the limit between the terns when young are involved. There's only going to be one winner here....watch this space. 

Three breeding pairs of Common Tern seen, with just 2 Avocet and none seen sitting, adds to the negative news from Conder Pool. Up to 140 Black-headed Gull had assembled here again, and 2 Dunlin seemed out of place here. There are a healthy number of Swallow around Conder Green Farm, and I counted six active House Martin nests at River Winds. Elsewhere, the Lesser Whitethroat continues to sing from the coastal path, and a Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler noted.

Common Blue. Pete Woodruff.

On the headland, I saw 6 Common Blue as I walked to Plover Scar where I spent a pleasant 45 minutes to find up to 160 Ringed Plover, the bonus of which was three day old chicks, also 130 Dunlin present, and 2 Linnet dropped in briefly. 

Cinnabar. Pete Woodruff.

A Cinnabar was at Conder Green. A fairly common moth which is usually nocturnal, but easily disturbed from long grass during the day.

Pool, Scar, & Garden.

The Oystercatcher family have disappeared from the pontoon which is now on a tilt presumably grounded, judging by the sustained dive bombing attacks I witnessed last Thursday, the chicks probably perished at the hands of the Common Terns, and the adults deserted.

There are three breeding pairs of Common Tern, with a second pair now having taken up in the right hand corner of the pontoon to join the left hand corner pair, and the Black-headed Gull still sitting at the rear. An error in the text sent to me on 30 May to say...'three B. H. Gull chicks still alive'....should have read Oystercatcher. The third Common Tern is sitting at the right hand edge of the island behind the pontoon. 

Also noted on Conder Pool, of 6 Avocet seen four are still sitting. For the first time I saw 2 Little Ringed Plover together, a Greenshank, 6 Redshank, at least 140 Black-headed Gull, and a few Sand Martin hawking insects. From the coastal path, a singing Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Whitethroat, 10 Canada Geese flew south off the Lune Estuary.

From Jeremy Lane, 2 Buzzard flew low over the fields towards Cockersand. On Plover Scar at high tide, c.200 waders seen as 120 Dunlin, 80 Ringed Plover, and a lone Sanderling.

Sanderling/Dunlin Plover Scar 3 June. Pete Woodruff.

I managed a poor shot of two roosting waders which were a long way off and a howler blowing on Plover Scar, the pale one had me guessing for a while and was much bigger than the Dunlin, both species being no more than 21cm in length, but the other bird being bulkier was a Sanderling.  

Garden Birds.

We had a family party of Great Tit with at least three young seen this morning, two sibling Blackbirds are thriving, and the young begging Goldfinch continue to visit the feeders. 

I got another short 'unsteady' video again on Monday, the Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool is best viewed on Full Screen.

    

Should Have Gone To Specsavers!

I met a birder as he drove away from the car park at Lighthouse Cottage on Friday, to learn I'd missed a decent passage experience from here including 54 Arctic Tern....Thanks for the conversation and info Ian, much appreciated.

Perhaps some drifters from a major passage into Morecambe Bay which was observed and recorded by a dedicated team of four over a 9 hour period....Birding at the cutting edge.

Avocet Conder Pool. Ian Mitchell.

On Conder Pool, 42 Black-tailed Godwit included four in the creeks with a Greenshank. Also on the pool, the currently resident Spotted Redshank and 6 Avocet, a White Wagtail, and the Greylag pair with five young still thriving and surviving, and my first Swift went over.

On the circuit, the Lesser Whitethroat still sings north of the picnic area, with Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler. A pair of Dunnock and Reed Bunting of note along the coastal path, and I watched 2 House Martin collecting mud in the creeks to take it to two nests at the Cafe d' Lune

My little bit of passage came on a check of Plover Scar, and had 6 Sandwich Tern lingering briefly with their distinctive loud grating call to plunge dive around the lighthouse before flying off. On the scar, 485 Dunlin, 85 Ringed Plover, and 3 Wheatear. Off here, a pair of Eider and Teal.

Green-veined White. Pete Woodruff.

Of the good number of Large/Small White butterflies seen today - I didn't see a single 'coloured' one - I was able to identify 3 Green-veined White feeding.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for the Avocet image he kindly sent me after I had met him at Conder Green last Tuesday.

Good Afternoon.

Having been a little tied up in the morning, I decided to give Conder Green the benefit of my birding for Friday afternoon, and spent what developed into a pleasing three hours there.

Spotted Redshank Conder Pool 3 May. Pete Woodruff.

As with Tuesday, when it was catch up with the Little Ringed Plover, I caught up with another 'Conder Special' this time it was the Spotted Redshank.

Spotted Redshank/Black-tailed Godwit. Pete Woodruff.

Thinking it was one of the 48 Black-tailed Godwit it was in company with, it was obligingly enjoying the feeding frenzy in front of the viewing screen at Conder Pool.

A mass arrival of Swallow and Sand Martin today included a mix of up to 200 over Conder Pool, with a few House Martin seen. A Little Ringed Plover seen again, with 6 Avocet and a pair of Greylag with nine gosling. In the creeks, a Greenshank and Common Sandpiper, and on a wander, a Lesser Whitethroat included my getting a good recording - but not quite as good as the one below - of the singing bird heard on Tuesday north of the picnic area at Conder Green. A Whitethroat, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, and a Dunnock, a Whimbrel heard calling on the estuary.



Common Tern.

A Common Tern was back on Conder Pool again yesterday, the earliest date of the five previous years, and three days earlier than last years arrival on 7 May. Thanks to Ian Pinkerton for the alert text.  

Back To The Future.

Well....back to the coastal path from Aldcliffe to Conder Green on Tuesday, an excellent five hour crawl even if the flood was totally deserted. I was well pleased with the results on the route to Conder Green along the old disused railway, always a good birding venue especially at this time of the year. 

Two Jay and a Mistle Thrush  were around Freeman's Pools, the Wildfowler's Pool hosted no more than 13 birds, being 3 Shoveler drake, a pair of Gadwall, 6 Mallard, and 2 Shelduck. 

The competition between two species ended with a draw, when I saw/heard 10 Blackcap and 10 Chiffchaff. Runners up on the warbler front, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, and surprisingly only 3 Willow Warbler, and even more surprising, only a single Whitethroat which sang at Stodday whilst I had stopped off there for refreshments.

I noted 10 Blackbird, 7 Goldfinch, 4 Robin, and 12 Little Egret, 6 Whimbrel were across the river from Nansbuck Cottage. But I was about to get the surprise of the day, when I passed Waterloo Cottage and walked on about 200 metres, a Cuckoo called six times then fell silent, I noted the grid reference from the path was SD457567. 

At Conder Green, 2 Dunnock were in the picnic area, and a Greenshank was in the creeks. On Conder Pool, as Monday up to 50 Black-tailed Godwit again, 5 Avocet, and a pair of Goosander.

Speckled Wood. Pete Woodruff.

No more than 6 Swallow seen in the five hours, four of which were at Conder Green Farm. Butterflies of note, 14 Orange Tip one of which was a female, 6 Speckled Wood, 2 Green-veined White, and the butterfly surprise of the day, a lone Small Tortoiseshell. The only pik I managed today was of the Speckled Wood with some damage to it's right wing.

In Memoriam.

 Woodchat Shrike. Jo Bradley.

Remembering the brilliant Woodchat Shrike found at Aldcliffe 5 years ago on 8 May 2014. Thanks to Jo Bradley, excellent image....excellent bird.

I'm also grateful for the LRP header image on Conder Pool from Ian Pinkerton.

The Steady Plod....What Again!

Another steady plod around the Lune Estuary on Tuesday started with a brief look in at Conder Green where I poked my nose through the screen at Conder Pool to see the Avocet pair on the island, and the Common Tern pair looking more interested in the pontoon than they've ever done previously, I reckon they're going to nest there this time, 45 Black-tailed Godwit were in the creeks.

Turnstone. Howard Stockdale

With the exception of 8 Eider and 112 Shelduck counted on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock the place was void of waders and gulls. Of 8 Sedge Warbler seen, three were on Jeremy Lane, with another five at Cockersand where on Plover Scar, c.2,500 Dunlin, 60 Ringed Plover, 2 Sanderling, and a Turnstone which was a stunning male in summer plumage making it one of the best dressed birds I know. A Peregrine Falcon came bombing through and changed the landscape in an instant with a good portion of the waders leaving post haste, but one of which the falcon made a weak effort at taking out, then went on it's way, a Whimbrel and 5 Eider were off Crook Farm.

In Bank Houses horse paddock, I watched Tree Sparrows flying into the air, hovering at times and fly-catching, I've never seen the Tree Sparrow as a flycatcher before. Three Wheatear, 3 Skylark, and 2 Whitethroat seen, with 2 Whooper Swan and 95 Mute Swan in the Moss Lane T junction field.

With an hour to spare before an appointment in Lancaster, I went to Aldcliffe to do a little part-time birding along the top path and return via the bottom path to note, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, 2 Greenfinch, and on the Wildfowlers Pool 2 Little Ringed Plover.

Thanks to Howard for the stunning male Turnstone image.

Whingeing, Birding, And A Plover.

Here's the whinge....

Yesterday was more like late February than late April, and the hail shower which turned up around mid-day completely brought down my enthusiasm for Cockersands, so I went to seek shelter for a while at Aldcliffe. If there was any migrants at Conder/Glasson there was no way I was going to find them on song, and I sure found no silent one's either, though at Aldcliffe around mid-afternoon the sun put in an appearance the transformation of which was amazing, with numerous birds bursting into song....End of whinge.

Here's the birding.... 

On Conder Pool, the one day appearance of the Little Ringed Plover on 14 April, the stay on here of the Gadwall pair since 8 April, and the lone Little Grebe, all seem to have departed, leaving just the in residence Oystercatchers, a few Tufted Duck, Redshank, and Shelduck. The two birds of most interest was the return of a Great-crested Grebe at best uncommon on the pool, and a Coot, not sure I ever saw one before on Conder Pool. In the creeks, 5 Common Sandpiper, and a Greenshank.

The Lune Estuary, at least 20 Eider is my best ever count on this section of the estuary, 15 Dunlin were at the Conder mouth, and a Peregrine Falcon on Colloway Marsh was being dived bombed by 4 Carrion Crow until it flew off, my first House Martin was over with Swallows. Now the hail stones have arrived....I'm off.

At Aldcliffe, 4 Little Ringed Plover were on the flood with display seen between a pair which took off and went on to the Wildfowler's Pool where I found them ten minutes later, 2 Gadwall drakes were the only birds noted on here. I had to witness the transformation to believe it when the sun came out, what had been a complete silence now burst out into the song of 5 Robin, 3 Chiffchaff, a Lesser Whitethroat, and a Song Thrush, all within a few metres of hedgerow, 10 minutes later the sun had disappeared again....End of birding.

Here's the plover.... 

Kentish Plover Jan Larsson 

Yesterday a male Kentish Plover was found ESE of Manchester on Audenshaw Reservoir, the bird showed well all day and remains there again today. Fond memories came flooding back to me when I saw this news, of the bird I found on Plover Scar at Cockersands, 5 years ago next Tuesday on 3 May 2011....BE THERE!!

Thanks to Jan for the much appreciated KP at Ottenby Bird Observatory  

The Squeeze....Short And Sweet.

Common Tern Attack Martin Jump  

After a busy morning last Friday, I managed to squeeze in little more than an hour at Conder Green to find the Common Terns attacking all and sundry that came within a few metres of the nest, which - if the terns are on course with their breeding - will by now have young, though when we're likely to see them through the vegetation is anyone's guess, but Common Tern young swim at an early age so maybe not long to wait.

Numbers have now started to build up, with 6 Common Sandpiper seen in the creeks with a double figure likely here anytime soon, also a Spotted Redshank any day now. Up to 200 Redshank were between the creeks and Conder Pool where I noted the drake Wigeon. I also finally caught up with a Lesser Whitethroat on the coastal path singing in the rain....

The squeeze was over and the rain had won again.

Is it a bird!

No, its Wallace and Gromit at the Morecambe Kite Festival....Brilliant stuff.

Despite All My Wanderings!

Willow Warbler David Cookson

I'm told of a local bird recorder in East Anglia who has referred to....'a worrying lack of Willow Warbler locally this year'....a feeling I've had myself in and around our area.

The 'Missing' Gallery.

Not to be seen as a suggestion of the decline in the numbers of these three species, but just that despite all the hours of wanderings, I've yet to connect this summer with the Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, and the Tree Pipit.

Lesser Whitethroat. Martin Lofgren @ Wild Bird Gallery

Last year I had seen a Lesser Whitethroat on 10 June at Conder Green - I actually saw a report of one there yesterday - as a migrant breeder in our area, mainly restricted to the coastal fringe.

Garden Warbler Jan Larsson 

A Garden Warbler was at Stoops Bridge in Abbeystead on 17 June last year where I see at least one almost annually, a fairly common migrant breeder in our area. 

Tree Pipit Antonio Puigg  

....and a Tree Pipit at Barbondale on 29 April 2014, where I've neither heard nor seen one in three visits to Barbondale this summer, and didn't find one on my Clougha/Birk Bank visit last week. The Tree Pipit is an uncommon and declining breeder, and is a species on the Red List, all of which has contributed to my not seeing one yet this year. 

Thanks to David/Jan/Martin/Antonio for the excellent gallery, and to Warren for the brilliant Redstart header.

I'd sooner be birding!....And when I can, perhaps I'll eventually catch up with these three, but time's running out, the summer solstice has past.  

All Quiet....

....on the coastal front.

I was back at Conder Green yesterday to find Conder Pool not unexpectedly quiet, noting 23 Lapwing with at least three juvenile, and Oystercatchers with three young, and the 2 Wigeon drake. A Lesser Whitethroat was again skulking in the hedgerow west of the pool, and both River Winds and Cafe d' Lune have just two House Martin nests each this year, though worryingly the latter has scaffolding erected up to within a few metres of one of the nests since I was last here. The Lune Estuary was equally quiet with 4 Eider hauled out, and 3 Little Egret.

On Moss Lane a Whitethroat in song again and at Cockersands, 3 Little Egret were in the Cocker Channel, 3-4 House Martin were unusual around Bank Houses though not nesting at the farm to my knowledge, a 'few' Tree Sparrow were with 15 House Sparrow in a bush by Bank House Cottage, 4 Goldfinch noted, with a Skylark in flight song.

An altogether quiet few birding hours.

Small Skipper Phillip Tomkinson 

With the exception of two other brief butterflies elsewhere which escaped me, 2 Small Skipper at Conder Green were the only ones seen. Thanks to PT for the image.

The Foulshaw Ospreys.

Osprey Richard Pegler 

The Ospreys at Foulshaw Moss now have two chicks in the nest, an excellent piece of local news. 

Richard Pegler offers his services as a volunteer for the Osprey Watch at Rutland Water in the East Midlands. Great stuff Richard, and thank you for the image of Maya, one of the famous Rutland Water Ospreys 

A Rake Around The Green....

....and a look in at Glasson Dock and Cockersands.

Little Grebe Phillip Tomkinson 

Something of a surprise on Conder Pool on Tuesday when a few minutes after I arrived there, from behind the island up pops a brilliant summer plumage Little Grebe. I don't recall seeing a Little Grebe on Conder Pool before during the breeding season, but must check my records on that claim. The pool was otherwise very quiet, the two summering Wigeon, and 8 Redshank roosting, with another Redshank in the creeks displaying to a female, and an Oystercatcher close by with one young. A Lesser Whitethroat was working its way along the hedgerow between the viewing platform and the west end of the pool. The Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, and Dunnock were all in the same area that I saw them last Tuesday when they were all singing in the same bush, I reckon these three are all breeding close by. The Lune Estuary was unsurprisingly quiet with the number now down to 14 Bar-tailed Godwit, and 5 Eider noted.

Whitethroat. Howard Stockdale.

A Whitethroat was in song along Moss Lane on the way to Cockersands which turned out to be something of a 'damp squid' and I was rewarded with little for my efforts. Mr Mutt was out on Plover Scar with his unleashed half a dozen charges, though the tide was out this guy and hounds would have disturbed anything and everything. Though I went through my traditional routine, the best I achieved was 2 Sedge Warbler, 3 Linnet, 3 Tree Sparrow - one of which was a fledged young - and a Skylark.

Two more excellent images on Birds2blog, thanks to Phillip for the Little Grebe, and to Howard for the young Whitethroat, which I reckon is a fledged offspring of the very bird I saw singing atop of a bush on Moss Lane today.

And finally, some interesting news....

One of this years Cuckoos tagged in the New Forest has already departed the country on its return journey to Africa and was in northern France by 8 June.....

And some even more interesting news, is that of three active Hen Harrier nests in England two of which are in Bowland....ALLELUIA.

And the Osprey is nesting at Foulshaw Moss.

Seen Anything Interesting?

No motor on Friday, so best get my boots on and get on down to Aldcliffe to see if the Woodchat Shrike really has gone. Not the real reason behind the days plan which was to do the hike from Lancaster to Glasson Dock via Aldcliffe, Stodday, and Conder Green. 

'Seen anything interesting'....said the nice man who pulled up on his bike at Aldcliffe to ask the question and seemed to know a little about last weeks shrike. If I'd have arrived at Glasson Dock to be asked the question again I'd have been hard pushed to give a 'yes' answer. But the truth is it's all interesting, but birding does have varying degrees of it as last Thursdays discovery showed.

I must confess when I reached Dawsons Bank at Aldcliffe Marsh, I glared inland over the area and fantasised the bird would show....But wait a minute, that's a female Sparrowhawk flying across the field to land on a post immediately below the very same bush the shrike was perched atop of eight days ago at around the same time as today. Just imagine, the consequences of this last week could well have spelt the end for this brilliant Aldcliffe find before anyone knew about it. I had seen a Sparrowhawk over the old Salt Ayre Tip just 15 minutes earlier....the same bird I reckon. 

Whitethroat Martin Lofgren 

I took notes of 40 species on the walk including, 3 Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Willow Warbler, and a Chiffchaff. I saw up to 8 Robin including four young, and saw 3 Dunnock, a pair of which were involved in some mating ritual, and saw the male flickering its wings whilst pecking several times at the females rear....didn't look pretty, but very interesting to observe such behaviour and a first for me. I probably saw up to 12 Blackbird, some of which were in lovely song, as was a Song Thrush.

As is usual on this birding exercise I sped through Conder Green to note Tuesdays 27 Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool again. From the coastal path I could see a 'few' distant Bar-tailed Godwit on the Lune Estuary, but hey up....the bus is coming!

Willow Warbler David Cookson

Willow Warbler.   

On 25 April I did my birding along the Lancaster - Glasson Dock route, and made a particular note that I had been walking 5 hours over 7 miles and heard just one Willow Warbler at Glasson Dock at the very end of the walk. Four days later on 29 April I visited Barbondale and noted in my book that I had seen/heard no more than 4 Willow Warbler in an area I expected to be 'crawling' with them. I was beginning to think maybe the Willow Warblers haven't yet arrived in number. But on Fridays Lancaster - Glasson Dock birding when I had again been covering the same time and miles I had heard just one Willow Warbler in Freemans Wood, and thereafter nil. The truth is....I'm not seeing many Willow Warbler yet anywhere I go in 2014.

Thanks to Martin and David for the excellent images of Whitethroat and Willow Warbler. 

Also many thanks to Jo Bradley for allowing me to use the Aldcliffe Woodchat Shrike as the new header for Birds2blog....A brilliant image, of a brilliant bird, in a brilliant local location.

Sluggish.

....but we had lift off off eventually. 

I was actually going to give the title of this post 'Silent Spring', as I had decided to do the Skerton Bridge - Glasson Dock hike yesterday, and up to getting to the flood at Aldcliffe it was unbelievably just that....well at least 'Silent 2 May'.

Three Linnet and a Greenfinch took me by surprise on the salvaged stonework from the demolition boys on St Georges Quay, and a little further on I saw my first of 4 Whitethroat. But from there on I drew a blank save 2 Wren and the first of 10 Blackbird, most of which were in full song south to Glasson Dock. Then the job bucked up somewhat when I found 3 Little Ringed Plover on the flood and heard my first of 4 Blackcap, one of which was a 'harder to find' female just north of Conder Green.

Lesser Whitethroat Martin Lofgren 

Also to excite, I found my first Lesser Whitethroat which gave me excellent views as it rattled its way through the undergrowth. Along the way 4 Chiffchaff, and at Stodday I saw 2 Whimbrel briefly as they disappeared below the river bank, 2 Little Egret seen, and bringing up the rear, 10 Goldfinch and 2 Long-tailed Tit.

With less time to spare than usual at Conder Green I was able to note at least 75 Black-tailed Godwit feeding in the creeks. Two Coal Tit were on the coastal path, and hard to believe after 4.5 hours I heard the first and only Willow Warbler at Glasson Dock, last Mondays c.160 Bar-tailed Godwit were seen on the Lune Estuary from the bowling green.

Spring Blossom. Pete Woodruff.

There was some beautiful colours to be seen along the old railway route from Lancaster to Glasson Dock today.

And finally.... 

Ploughing Away. Pete Woodruff.  

Yes....if you look closely - 'clik the pik' - there's a Mr Farmer on his tractor in a stubble field yesterday, towing some sort of agricultural machine behind him, and turning young Lapwing chicks into pancakes whilst the adults fly around shrieking in terror....I wonder if he's ever thought of joining the Environmental Stewardship!!