Cockersand.

I've spent endless hours engrossed in birding at Cockersand, often there until dusk and beyond, and occasionally got drenched in a downpour with nowhere to hide. I always had my camera to hand for the scenery if not for the birds. 

VIEW FULL SCREEN WITH SOUND

With birds to be discovered, Cockersand sits on the chart in my book as the best in our area. Many are the times I've rocketed there in response to calls and text alerts from a birder to get gripping views of American Golden Plover (4) and Long-billed Dowitcher to mention but five.

The list of some of the birds found over the past 14 years....

2006. Broad-billed Sandpiper 15 May Maurice Jones.

2008. American Golden Plover 19 Nov Stuart Piner.

2009. Long-billed Dowitcher 13 Oct Stuart Piner.

2009. Black Redstart 9 Nov Pete Woodruff.

2011. American Golden Plover 4 Nov Stuart Piner. (Photo Stuart Piner)

2011. Kentish Plover 3 May Pete Woodruff. (Photo Mick McGough)

2012. American Golden Plover 5 Sept Stuart Piner.

2013. Dotterel 16 April Pete Woodruff. (Photo Chris Batty)

2014. American Buff-bellied Pipit 4 May Stuart Piner. (Photo Stuart Piner)

2015. Wryneck 13 April Pete Woodruff.

2016. American Golden Plover 28 Sept Stuart Piner.

2017. Lapland Bunting 24 March Pete Woodruff.

2017. Sabine's Gull 11 Sept Ian Hartley.

2018. Red-backed Shrike 27 May Kate Hughes. (Photo Ian Hartley)

2018. Pallid Harrier 16 Sept Ian Hartley.

And Finally....

I found Margery earlier in the year, she's been featured on B2B before, but certainly worth another look, and I'll swear the image of her husband is that of a birder I know!

Sorting out and looking back.

Six photographs to follow, non of which are competition quality but are essential to the post which relates to sorting out my records/photographs. All the photographs were taken by my old friend and mentor John Leedal, and the poor quality is down to how I have had to deal with them to get them on to Birds2blog. They are chosen at random to illustrate a hint of some quality birding JL and I experienced over many years.

I can't recall how many in total, perhaps they are all in this image which contains 8 Spotted Redshank on the Eric Morecambe complex at Leighton Moss on 10 October 1996. I'm not aware of the best ever count of this species here, but I certainly hadn't seen this number here before and not since. I appreciate you have to take my word that these birds are what I claim them to be as its not all that obvious in the picture....I assure you they are Spotted Redshanks.

Another 'goodie' on the Eric Morecambe pools was this Long-billed Dowitcher on 6 October 1998.

I remember all these bird observations in this post vividly - photographs have an amazing ability to give lasting memory recall - especially this one of the male Crossbill at Helsington Barrows in Cumbria on 28 February 1997. With no time to search my records for accuracy, this bird was one of a good number at this location which JL and I visited about five times during their stay of at least six weeks, to find an unusual male in that it was referred to - from a photograph - as ' a possible xanthachroistic male' in the Annual Birdline North West Report. We were intrigued by this bird which showed particularly yellow feathering around the underparts with a few hints of red, the mantle, back and upper wings were coloured as a female. If JL ever gave me a copy of the photograph of this 'odd' bird it appears to have been lost, if so, most unfortunate.

I clearly recall saying to JL, how unfortunate it was that the best shot he got of this bird had to have the empty can in the frame. This Marsh Sandpiper was at Seaforth in Liverpool on a date I cannot recall, but I'd say probably around 15 years ago in 1997.

    

The Snow Bunting was at Cockersands on 6 November 1999....

....and the Great Grey Shrike was at Marton Mere, Blackpool on 8 March 1998....Halcyon days, and theres more on the way for me too with just a couple more corners to turn yet!

Xanthachroistic....never did get my head round that one....anyone please!!

Fed Up!

OK....so you're fed up of hearing me going on about my 'no birding' life of late, but not as fed up as I am about living it. So here's a pic or two - all yours truly - of just a fraction of my birding paradises I'm looking forward to this coming spring/summer when the shackles are released more than I have ever done before.

Conder Green. 

This winter hasn't been remotely anything like the past two, and although this scene looks attractive I prefer the weather a little more friendly than it was when I took this pic at Conder Green last winter. I just can't wait to get myself giving this area a good going over to check out the bird life once again....

Plover Scar.

....followed smartly by a wander around this brilliant area at Cockersands, host to Broad-billed Sandpiper, American Golden Plover, Long-billed Dowitcher, Kentish Plover and....I forgot the rest!

Clougha Pike.

Of course this has to be my biggest goal, to get back up Clougha/Birk Bank, although I gave up on this area last year, after the demise of the Stonechats following the big freeze I'll be back with a vengeance to keep tabs on the comeback of this delightful and complex little 'chat'.

View from Hawthornthwaite Fell.

Hawthornthwaite, another of my many favourite upland locations for the Stonechat and who knows what else might be lurking around in this area of natural beauty, the only upland area I found breeding Stonechats in 2011 - and I never thought I'd ever have to put that down in writing about the Stonechat ever again - with nine birds found here on 30 June including a pair with a full brood. 

Cross of Greet.

Another brilliant area of upland Bowland beauty complete with excellent records of Whinchat over the past two summers, with 10 found in May 2010, and seven in the same month 2011....can't wait to get back here mister! 

Abbeystead.

Well I suppose this post could be a mile long....but finally, Stoops Bridge at Abbeystead, home to the Pied Flycatcher hopefully again this year with the added bonus of nesting in a natural tree-hole as opposed to a 'box', with two pairs found here doing just that in 2010. 

If you've read through this and enjoyed it my efforts were worth while, if you didn't, I wasted my time!