Decent Start....Decent End.

A decent start to the day yesterday, when a Goldcrest was in the plum tree in our garden, and a few minutes later, a Small Tortoiseshell was the first butterfly of the year.

Although 5 days later than the influx of 26 February 2024, when I arrived at Conder Pool, it was good to find up to 1,500 Black-tailed Godwit there again, 2 Dunlin were also in the mix, and maybe other stuff if I look through the video later.

Also to note on Conder Pool, I found 9 Shoveler there still, 2 Gadwall drake there too, and 2 Pink-footed Geese looked a little lost.

Kestrel. Pete Woodruff.

A Buzzard was over the fields along Jeremy Lane, and as I drove along Moss Lane, a female Kestrel was on a lookout post giving me an opportunity to grab a shot through the windscreen.

The Cockersand area swans where widely fragmented today, scattered over seven fields between the south end of Jeremy Lane, off both sides of Moss Lane, and through to distant fields behind the north side of Bank End Farm. I estimated a total of at least 400 Whooper Swan, probably being a peak count in the area this winter according to my records.

Plover Scar was pretty quiet, though two mutt minders were in the area, with 12 animals running riot. I noted about 20 Turnstone and 15 Knot. Three Cormorant were roosting on the railings on the lighthouse, and 6 Meadow Pipit seen. A male Stonechat was in the rough grasses again behind Bank Houses, as it has been through this winter.

When I called in to the Lune Estuary 4 hours after I had been to Conder Pool, the flock of 1,500 Black-tailed Godwit had returned here after the tide had receded. But a more interesting sight, was that of 17 Avocet along the shoreline to the Conder mouth, also a decent count of at least 450 Wigeon. 

Goldeneye Glasson Basin 3 March. Ian Mitchell.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for the heads up and image of the Goldeneye drakes. These represent just three Goldeneye I've seen all winter. Much appreciated Ian, a nice end to a good day for me.

As drove back to Lancaster, 5 Buzzard were together over Ashton Nursery.

Well At Least My Species Count Looked Slightly Healthier This Time!

It was good to find a female Stonechat at the east corner of Conder Pool. In truth the chat added a bit of brightness to an otherwise dull visit, with just two other species present, being 5 Wigeon and 3 Little Grebe.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, at least 2,500 Lapwing were to note, with 350 Wigeon, a Snipe and just 2 Golden Plover looking forlorn, and by way of a change close in on the south shore below the bowling green, it would have been more expected to have seen up to 1,000 Golden Plover across on the north side below Colloway Marsh.

Off Moss Lane, 26 Whooper Swan were the first at Cockersand since I found 13 on 10 October, these were a one day wonder, didn't settle here and moved on. Todays Whooper Swan were accompanied in the field at Clarkson's Farm by up to 200 Greylag.

The Greylag were a bit of a mixed bunch as can be seen in my header image, including an odd one with three juvenile birds.

As I set off for my Cockersand circuit, the Hawthorns are stacked with berries, a larder waiting for the winter thrushes to arrive. 

A few hundred Lapwing, Curlew, and Starling were put to flight by a 'brown' Merlin whizzing over the field, then hedge hopped to disappear from view. Also 25 Black-tailed Godwit flew south, soon followed by 16 Pink-footed Geese over the sea from the west, and inland to soon turn south towards Pilling.

On the way round, I saw 3 Skylark drop into stubble, up to 200 Canada Geese and 125 Wigeon were in and around a flood by Slack Lane, from where 8 Long-tailed Tit were seen. Off Plover Scar, 5 Eider, and when I returned to Bank Houses, 22 House Sparrow were accompanied by 3 Greenfinch.

There are 2 Kestrel to be seen daily at Cockersand this winter, one in the area around Lighthouse Cottage, and one in the Caravan Park area showing its mastery of hovering. 

Tree Sparrow.

It's over 12 months since I last saw Tree Sparrow at Cockersand where they could been seen regularly, 16 were at Bank Houses on 10 October 2023. Before this, it was 12 months since my previous record of one Tree Sparrow on 1 December 2022, and before this it was another 12 months since my last record of 3 Tree Sparrow on 14 December 2021....The Tree Sparrow is absent from Cockersand!

Whooper Swan.

The species is slow to be seen at Cockersand this winter, 26 Whooper Swan is my best of two counts to date. Last year I recorded 245 Whooper Swan here on 24 November 2023.    

....And A Raptor To Boot!!

My visit started at Conder Pool....well where else.

There were 87 Wigeon present, with 9 Little Grebe, and a lone Snipe. A Roe Deer in the long grasses at the east end of the pool represents a first record for me on Conder Pool. 

The good number of 345 geese on Conder Pool 1 December had relocated, in fact a record of precisely 499 were reported, being 409 Greylag and 90 Canada Geese on Glasson Marsh 5 December. All was revealed about the absence of geese from Conder Pool, when I found a similarly large number of Greylag and a lesser number of Canada Geese on Jeremy Lane.

Fieldfare Moss Lane. Howard Stockdale.

Driving along Moss Lane, a flock of around 50 Fieldfare were the second flock I've seen from a moving vehicle in the past week. I have yet to have good views of any winter thrush this winter.

 Stonechat Cockersand. Martin Jump.

At Cockersand, a pair of Stonechat were working their way along the marsh towards Crook Cottage. My best encounter by far this year was at least 2,500 Pink-footed Geese in fields between Lighthouse Cottage and Abbey Farm, but with binoculars only I found nothing 'odd' amongst them. Also in the field by Abbey Farm, up to 150 Black-tailed Godwit seen, and on a wander around, 14 Snipe took to flight out of ditches and damp areas.

As I arrived back at the Caravan Park from the circuit, things progressively got better and more exciting. First a Stonechat was on the marsh edge, then a Barn Owl flew through the gate by Lower Bank House and promptly flew back and out of sight. But best of the day - after the Stonechat - was yet to come.

Flight of Dunlin off Plover Scar. Martin Jump.

I spied a Merlin perched distant on a post in the middle of the marsh, the raptor soon took off to take out a Dunlin which it immediately dropped, at which point 2 Carrion Crow on the shore and having witnessed this, seized the opportunity to pounce and started to pluck the unfortunate Dunlin.

Thanks to Howard and Martin for their excellent images, they are much appreciated.

First....A Plovers Tale.

The Grey Plover is at best scarce on the Lune Estuary, although it can be found in good number during the winter months not far to the north and to the south west of Cockersand. A couple of examples are, 525 at Middleton Sands, and 174 at Fluke Hall during this years January WeBS counts. In all my visits to Cockersand over many birding years, personal counts have only ever once exceeded single figures on Plover Scar, that of 14 Grey Plover 17 November 2017, and rarely on the Lune Estuary upstream from Glasson, I cannot recall ever seeing them there. 

Although the wind is a little annoying in this unsteady zoomed in clip, I decided not to mute so the feeling of real-time remains.

Finding 26 Grey Plover on Plover Scar was another first for me, and went some way to making my day. Also to note at Cockersand, 4 Stonechat seen, the pair at Bank Houses, and singles on Moss Lane east of Abbey Farm, and at Lighthouse Cottage. A mix of at least 50 Fieldfare and Redwing in the field behind Bank Houses, also two raptors seen, a Merlin over fields, and a Sparrowhawk over Slack Lane.

I counted 15 species in as many minutes on a very lively Conder Pool. With thanks to Howard Stockdale who saved me the trouble of counting by supplying the geese figures.

Stonechat Pair Conder Pool 9 February. Howard Stockdale.

The wintering pair of Stonechat, a Ruff and Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Pink-footed Geese, 88 Greylag, 34 Canada Geese, at least one each Reed Bunting and Goldfinch, a 'few' Wigeon and Tufted Duck, 2 Little Egret, 2 Little Grebe, a Grey Heron and a Kestrel. 

Making another one of my mis-timed visits to the Lune Estuary at Glasson, saw most of the waders and gulls driven off by the tide, though I noted about 40 Black-tailed Godwit hanging on, with c.350 Wigeon....The end of a most enjoyable and rewarding visit around the Lune Estuary.

Thanks to Martin for the header Reed Bunting, the image cropped with Martins permission, and which caused no loss of quality in my opinion, and to Howard for the Conder Pool duo of Stonechat.

Nice to see the Snowdrops, soon followed by the sight of a brilliant pair of Bullfinch in Lancaster Cemetery recently, also a beautiful cluster of half a dozen Daffodil's by the shore at Cockersand this week....'I wandered lonely as a cloud'....   

Off To A Good Start!

A Mediterranean Gull is a good a bird to start any days birding with, and if its on Conder Pool that's an even better start. But it isn't all that many years ago I would have overlooked the 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull on Conder Pool yesterday morning with just a pair of binoculars round my neck, but the instant my telescope panned onto this bird I knew it didn't quite add up to any age of Black-headed Gull, or Common Gull either, both species of which this individual was accompanying. 

Also noted at Conder Green, Common Sandpiper, 3 Spotted Redshank, and a Greenshank. Seven Little Grebe seen in creeks and pool, but I strongly suspect there are as many as ten still here. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock my estimate was up to 650 Black-tailed Godwit here today and a clear indication of more than the number (600) seen Wednesday 12 February, also noted 80 Goldeneye is a personal best count here this winter, 5 Bewick's Swan were off Bodie Hill. On the canal basin 3 Little Grebe and c.40 Tufted Duck, a drake Pochard on here is always something of a bonus.

The 'Moss Lane Swans' have moved even further away and have become even more inaccessible from the field they were initially found almost six weeks ago on 15 January, but my suggestion is that the number remains at up to 300 birds with 85 Whooper Swan and 11 Bewick's Swan - possibly/probably from this group - in the field to the south of the Caravan Park at Cockersands, also seen from here, c.2,500 Wigeon were in the Cocker channel, a Peregrine Falcon was on the hunt around here, and 80 Pink-footed Geese went over heading towards Pilling. Also to note on Plover Scar, 165 Knot, 80 Oystercatcher, 50 Turnstone, and 2 Grey Plover. 

I failed to find any appropriate images for the post, but here are three members of the 'tit' family, all excellent photographs of course, and helping to liven up and brighten up Birds2blog.

 Long-tailed Tit Martin Jump  

Like I said, an excellent image of the four Long-tailed Tit....Thanks Martin. 

Bearded Tit Marc Heath  

And excellent again, the Bearded Tit thanks to Marc. 

Blue Tit Isidro Ortiz

And the Blue Tit, with thanks to Isidro.

Another Afternoon Job!

I decided to spread my wings a little when I eventually got out yesterday afternoon and did an invasion into Fylde territory....though the report won't take you long to read, this is one example of what birding is and means to me.

Mediterranean Gull/Black-headed Gull Colin Bushell 

Following a healthy trek from Fluke Hall to Cockers Dyke - and after sifting through a few hundred gulls for an hour - I was eventually rewarded by finding two brilliant adult Mediterranean Gull one of which was advancing to breeding plumage with a very obvious black hood developing. Also of note here, c.255 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Little Egret, a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit, and a Snipe. I watched 7 Twite at close range but saw c.35 almost certainly this species in flight, lost to view and unable to locate them despite chasing after them.

From Fluke Hall I counted 10 Whooper Swan in a mid-distance field, and down the road from here another 24 Whooper Swan were seen from Fluke Hall Lane, and a little more down the road 2 Little Egret where in the middle of a field.

Snipe Antonio Puigg   

Never able to ignore Conder Green if I'm in the area, I called in on the way back to Lancaster to give it enough time to find 9 Little Grebe, a Spotted Redshank, a Snipe, and a Little Egret. 

Song Thrush Warren Baker    

I didn't find any Song Thrush yesterday but have had a couple of excellent records of this Red Listed bird recently, one of which was of ten individuals on a walk between Aldcliffe and Glasson Dock on 11 December last year. This full frame photograph is enhanced by the light given off the snow, and from my knowledge of photography I rate this one as technically excellent....and take a close look at those brilliant arrowheads.  

Thanks for the photographs Colin/Antonio/Warren. These are three excellent images, even  more so if you 'clik the pik'....Brilliant stuff.

A Birthday Missed!

I missed the birthday of Birds2blog last Thursday, 4 years ago on 15 November 2008.

This is just the opportunity to congratulate myself on the determination to keep the blog afloat,  and to thank everyone who visits Birds2blog to encourage me to do so.  It's  hard to believe  I've published almost 1,000 post and had over 78,628 visitors as I write over these 4 years. This is  all very rewarding and I'll be trying to keep it up and running a little longer, but....who knows! 

When I decided to give blogging a go in 2008 I had just had an excellent run with the birds since the beginning of September, and which ends on 14 November 2008 with 19 Waxwings seen at Levens Village in Cumbria, for the sake of interest I have copied the records below.      

The four species  marked * were  all self  found and  are exciting  rewards, all of which added to my ever growing passion for the birds.

Black-necked Grebe on Conder Pool 1 Sept * 
Honey Buzzard over Birk Bank 19 Sept * 
Brent Goose on Pilling Marsh 6 Oct
Med Gulls three seen Cockers Dyke 9 Oct
Common Scoter on Conder Pool 27 Oct
Ross's Goose Cockers Dyke 28 Oct *
Scaup on Conder Pool 28 Oct
Whooper Swans an amazing 300+ in the Nateby area on Black Lane 28 Oct 
Hooded Crow over Birk Bank 29 Oct *
Pink-footed Geese an astounding c.30,000 on Pilling Marsh 12 Nov
Short-eared Owls three on Bradshaw Lane Head 12 Nov
Common Sandpiper still on Conder Pool 12 Nov
Waxwings 19 at Levens Village 14 Nov 


And the pics representing three of the birds in the list above....

Short-eared Owl Geoff Gradwell

By  coincidence  the Short-eared Owls  are once  again  currently  'performing'  in  the Rawcliffe  area as they were in the same month of November 2008 when  I saw  three of them  just as GG has recently not many miles away from mine on Bradshaw Lane. Thanks for this GG....brilliant bird, brilliant photograph. 

Hooded Crow © Photo by Szabolcs Kókay

The Hooded Crow was a great reward as I came down off Clougha on 29 October 2008 during one of my monthly 5 hour foot slogs looking for Stonechats.

Mediterranean Gull. Pete Woodruff.

This adult Mediterranean Gull frequented off Broadway at Morecambe where I took this photograph on 3 February 2010.                                  

And finally, to note....

In my post of last Thursday 15 November when I visited Cockersands I had noted a 'few' Skylark there and suggested a number were probably still in this area in stubble fields. I was  right, but it turned out to be a bit of an understatement, in excess of 100 were reported there on Sunday. Also worthy of note....In excess of 200 Little Egret at Burton Mere Wetlands yesterday, also a Whinchat seen here.  

Seeing Double!

I got a double in on Tuesday with two days birding in succession.... what's the world coming to!

With the weather as good as it was it was essential I got myself out again if only to give the area a repeat looking over, and as on Monday it was 11.00am by the time I got to Conder Green where I took note of the Common Sandpiper again, but could only count 7 Little Grebe today despite a multi count, a Kingfisher was in the creeks quietly on the sand bank.

The adult female Scaup gave excellent views close in and allowing the opportunity to get some good detail of this bird on the canal basin at Glasson Dock. On the Lune Estuary, 2 Spotted  Redshank, c.90 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Little Egret, and the 'August' Whooper Swan which was in the very same area of Colloway Marsh as it has been the last three sightings, I'm beginning to wonder if this bird is as well as it appears to be. Talking of which, a Mute Swan on the river opposite the bowling green was frantically preening which - on close inspection through the telescope - revealed it to be injured and bleeding, it appeared to have an injury to its right wing, or maybe in the area of its right wing.

I gave Cockersands little time today, too many people, too many dogs, but noted a Little Egret on Plover Scar before the dogs did, and a bird glimpsed in flight was almost certainly a Jack Snipe. On Pilling Marsh off Lane Ends, 4 Barnacle Geese were distant with c.2,000 Pink-footed Geese and a Little Egret.

Weatherwise the day was brilliant and some legwork from Fluke Hall to Cockers Dyke was a joy, though it turned up nothing of note in either direction, but was rewarded at the dyke with a Curlew Sandpiper and 4 Little Egret.

Note....An interesting sighting - albeit distant and in poor light late afternoon - on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, was of a godwit sp - thought to be Bar-tailed Godwit - which had very unusual pale upperparts, and a pure white head, neck, and underparts, worth looking for if you're planning a visit here or elsewhere if it moves on. 

And the photography....

Redwing. Marc Heath.

The Redwings are coming....in fact they've already arrived in Kent where Marc took this photograph yesterday. 

Brown Hawker. Marc Heath.

Dragonflies in our area this summer have been in short supply, but in the south its probably been a different story....Thanks to Marc Heath who has posted numerous photographs of dragonflies recently, for the Brown Hawker on blackberries.

Black Darter Cliff Raby 

And thanks to Cliff for this photograph of the Black Darter....

Ichneumon Wasp Cliff Raby  

....and the excellent macro image of this wasp. All four photographs have helped to put some much needed colour and interest into Birds2blog.

No more birding for me I'm afraid until next Monday at the earliest.... what's the world coming to!

The Sandpipers Have it.

Off Cockersands. Pete Woodruff.

It was a little dodgy again yesterday at Cockersands as it had been two weeks ago when I was here, though I managed to get back to the car before the one above reached me, and this time there wasn't another six to follow....otherwise a pleasant six hours birding.

Goldfinch. Brian Rafferty.

At Conder Green the tide had almost taken over by the time I got here, but I noted 5 Little Grebe on Conder Pool. The circuit was a bit of a non starter but a Goosander was in the creeks, and I saw up to 80 Goldfinch very mobile out on the marsh. Nothing unusual about the Goldfinch paying a visit to Conder Green about this time of the year, in the previous two years 200 Goldfinch were here on 21 September 2010, and 150 on 27 September in 2011.

At Glasson Dock, 2 Spotted Redshank and up to 1,500 Golden Plover were to note, also the adult Whooper Swan seen again, and 2 Little Egret.    

Curlew Sandpiper. Brian Rafferty.

A bit of determination at Cockersands eventually rewarded me with 5 Curlew Sandpiper, all juveniles accompanied by an interesting small group of no more than twenty birds in total, Golden Plover, Dunlin, and Turnstone either roosting or quietly standing about. 

What was left above the tide on Plover Scar held precisely 9 Dunlin, 9 Ringed Plover, and 20 Oystercatcher. Small skeins of Pink-footed Geese going south were, 55/30/20. Surprisingly most of the flooded fields have dried up in the Jeremy/Moss Lane area, but one still looked good off Moss Lane though I found nothing on it but did 'stumble' on a Buzzard preening distant on a fence post.

Thanks to BR for the brilliant photographs of the Goldfinch and the moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper. 

By the way....I assume most visitors to Birds2blog will know, if you 'clik the pik' in the posts you see a bigger and better one....hopefully!

F is for....

American Golden Plover. Copy Permitted.

At Cockersands yesterday afternoon at least 250 Golden Plover were on the weed covered shingle below and to the south of Cockersands Abbey. An ideal opportunity was in place to see if last weeks American Golden Plover - in the image above - was still in the company of its European relations....but bugger me theres a 30 mph wind blowing off the sea making my telescope behave as if it was stood on a giant jelly, the sun is not far from shining into my eyes, and the birds are as far away from me as they could possibly be before the shingle turned to sand and sea. 

I've always refrained from foul language on Birds2blog so I'll stick with it and keep to the refrain, grilling and assessing these birds was close to impossible....F is for Frustration.

On what was a pleasant if not very rewarding circuit at Cockersands, 4 Wheatear were seen, with 20 Greenfinch always worth recording, also 4 Goldfinch, and 15 Teal were on the ditch in the field opposite Bank Houses. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, today was the perfect example on how the scene can change dramatically in terms of numbers of birds and clearly illustrated how unpredictable they really are. Today saw the area as viewed from the bowling green holding no more than c.400 gulls/waders in total, but I noted 51 Golden Plover and 5 Little Egret upstream from the Conder mouth, with 3 Pink-footed Geese early on the south end of Colloway Marsh.

At Conder Green, a Black Swan accompanied 22 Mute Swan on Conder Pool, with 5 Little Grebe continuing to increase in number. In the creeks, three of the Conder regulars seen in singles, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, and Common Sandpiper, also 21 Teal noted.

Black Swan. Unknown.

The Black Swan breeds mainly in the south-east and south-west regions of Australia, it was hunted to extinction in New Zealand - nothing new there then - but later reintroduced. Within Australia the Black Swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependant on climatic conditions.

In Lancashire the Black Swan has been recorded for at least 30 years in all seasons, but there has never been any definite evidence of breeding although juveniles have been seen on occasions. The bird I saw yesterday on the Lune Estuary will have escaped from some zoological garden or bird collection and I reckon this same individual has been in this and surrounding areas for a 'few years' now, I myself have seen it several times in recent years.

And finally....

Knot. David Cookson. 

Stunning bird....stunning photograph....stunning DC

The Friday Sortie.

Sparrowhawk. Warren Baker

With JB/BT yesterday we saw 3 Sparrowhawks with one over the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock being mobbed by a couple of Black-headed Gulls, one on Gulf Lane gliding below a hedge-line above a ditch, and another being mobbed by c.50 Meadow Pipits over Broadfleet, Pilling.

The day started by standing at the gate overlooking Aldcliffe Marsh, a Greenshank seen, Little Egret, and c.600 'geese' were estimated as 350 Canada Geese and 250 Greylag. At Conder Green stood on the old railway bridge I observed a personal first regarding numbers when a wisp of 35 Snipe flew off the marsh before soon returning back on to the banks of the River Lune. Seven Goosander were noted on the River Conder, and on Conder Pool 3 Red-breasted Merganser, 7 Little Grebe, and 32 Tufted Duck probably displaced from the canal basin at Glasson Dock. On the Lune Estuary I noted a Spotted Redshank, estimates of up to 5,000 Lapwing, 2,500 Golden Plover, 250 Redshank, 300 Curlew, and 150 Bar-tailed Godwit.

Off Bodie Hill another c.2,500 Lapwing, c.250 Golden Plover, and a Little Egret, 450 Wigeon were on the river. Driving not much more than a half mile from Bodie Hill to Jeremy Lane up to 20 Magpies were of note in this short distance. At Cockersands where I walked the headland from the lighthouse to the caravan park to meet up again with JB/BT, 5 Wheatear were seen and 22 Eider were off the abbey.  

Little Owls. Marc Heath



A detour along Gulf Lane gave us 2 Golden Plover looking quite lost stood in the centre of a large field of short grass, but we failed to find the resident Little Owls here. The photograph above of the two in Kent is my kind of picture in that it illustrates the birds in their natural surroundings....great stuff Marc.

Little Owl. Mike Watson

In this photograph the Little Owl shows how adept it is at catching insects like this unfortunate cricket....another great picture Mike.

On Pilling Marsh - from where we had seen large numbers flying inland as we drove towards here - I estimated at least 2,000 Pink-footed Geese still on the marsh when we arrived, 3 Little Egret were also seen. At Fluke Hall another Little Egret and a Wheatear seen.  

And finally....

I want to share these two photographs with you. They were taken yesterday on the shore at Fluke Hall and are two more of my - maybe soon to become famous - 'Human Remains' pictures illustrating the kind of people with who we have no choice but to share this fragile planet of ours.

Thanks to WB for the Sparrowhawk, and to MH/MW for the Little Owl photographs. As with all photographs on Birds2blog....EXCELLENT.

Early Birds....

....well, early'ish, with one or two other interesting birds found. And a couple of excellent photographs if its plumage detail you're after.

Turnstone. Brian Rafferty.

One of my favourite waders the Turnstone showing some excellent plumage detail. At Cockersand today I counted with great difficulty amongst the stones on Plover Scar - try it sometime - at least 40 Turnstones. I was pushed for time today and noted nothing else of any significance on the scar other than a solitary Grey Plover with 13 Eider off here, but I did note 4 Wheatear along the headland which should be thinking of reading the script by now.

The circuit at Cockersands was rewarded by c.450 Wigeon at the caravan park end with 32 Pink-footed Geese over going south. From the road I counted at least 45 Tree Sparrow minus one taken out by a Sparrowhawk....no garden bird atrocities being committed by this female then. In a field containing an estimate of 3,500 Black-headed Gulls, an adult Mediterranean Gull, a Ruff, a solitary Black-tailed Godwit, and c.120 Curlew. Forty 'finches' in the set-aside were predominantly Linnet with only about 4 Greenfinch.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, a Curlew Sandpiper, 4 Spotted Redshank, and an adult Mediterranean Gull. I had little time left for any waders assessments but reckon c.650 Golden Plover are still present here. Three Goldeneye on Conder Pool surprised me being a little early in my records, though I'm sure not the earliest ever in the recording area, I counted 8 Little Grebe again on the pool today.

Dunlin. Brian Rafferty.

The Dunlin image also shows some good plumage detail, useful for the study of. With many thanks for todays photographs to Brian Rafferty