....And A Bunting Bash!

 Snow Bunting. Cockersands. Copy Permitted.

Yesterday I spent the entire last hour of decent daylight only to fail on a bash around Cockersands looking for a Snow Bunting, two Snow Bunting actually according to the pager message at 3.00pm, and a backup from a reliable source about exactly where they were/had been. Other notes made at Cockersands, 10 Bewick's Swan were all adult, 32 Golden Plover with Lapwing off Crook Farm, and 2 Little Egret on the Sunderland Point side of the River Lune.

Red-breasted Merganser Brian Rafferty 

Four Bewick's Swan were in a field off Jeremy Lane, with 72 Mute Swan in another field on my way to Glasson Dock where I saw the Red-crested Pochard, immature drake Scaup, and 3 Pochard on the canal basin. On the Lune Estuary to note, up to 900 Golden Plover, 40 Goldeneye, 30 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Red-breasted Merganser. c.100 Common Gull, and a Little Egret, c.350 Canada Geese were on Colloway Marsh. 

At Conder Green, 4 Goldeneye, 20 Wigeon, and 2 Goosander were on Conder Pool with a Wren scolding in a bush next to the viewing platform. A Spotted Redshank and up to 200 Teal were in the creeks, and a Little Egret was in the Conder channel.

Little Grebe. 

There are 14 Little Grebe in the Conder/Glasson area covered yesterday, with 7 at Conder Green, 6 on the Lune Estuary, and one on the canal basin.

Grey Partridge.

Grey Partridge Simon Hawtin  

Four Grey Partridge seen in the Abbey Farm stubble field bring me to think maybe I cease to record the species based on I'm not prepared to record birds which are considered to be reared solely for the shooting industry, whilst the wild species is considered to be extinct, the Red-legged Partridge and Pheasant are another two examples which have never been seen recorded on Birds2blog. Having made my daily visit round the blogs I support, I found something I think you might like to take a look at. I have resisted the temptation to go into a rant which would have been to second everything PS says in his post.... These Sporting Times 

Thanks to Brian and Simon for the excellent Merganser/Partridge images.

RCP @ GD.

A female Red-crested Pochard was found on the canal basin at Glasson Dock last Saturday, the bird remains there this Wednesday morning and I had good views of it on Monday.

Red-crested Pochard Female. Hans Schick.

The Red-crested Pochard (RCP) breeds in scattered populations across Europe, and more abundantly through Central Asia to North West China. 

A naturalised population of RCP is being established in Britain, it is especially centred on Cotswold Water Park where numbers in the early 1990's stood at up to sixty birds but now probably stands at in excess of 130. Smaller numbers occur at gravel pits in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Lincolnshire. There appears to be no doubt that natural vagrancy occurs though this is difficult to substantiate, the species is kept at more than 200 wildfowl collections in Britain....so lots of wires to hop over!

The status of the RCP in Lancashire must be considered to be downright dubious, and there is no real evidence that it has ever occurred in a wild state in the county, even though there is a wild population of several thousand in Spain, with much smaller numbers close to our shores in France and Germany. 

The first record of RCP in Lancashire was of a bird at Leighton Moss in June 1965, it was seen there again two months later in August, and a male wintered at Scorton in 1973-74, there has been a string of Lancashire records since but a natural vagrant has yet to be proved. 

I'm grateful to Hans Schick for the use of his image of the female Red-crested Pochard.

Stonechat.  

Stonechat Brian Rafferty

As the Stonechat has had no mention on Birds2blog for a few weeks, I'm unable to resist this brilliant image of the one BR saw at Rossall Point recently. The bird was seen on the golf course perimeter, an almost guaranteed annual sighting here. Thanks Brian, another excellent picture of the delightful little Stonechat.  

Bewick's Beauties....

....and a few other birds.

With a little searching Conder Green put on a good show again yesterday with 2 Spotted Redshank, a Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, and a Grey Plover all in the creeks. On Conder Pool, 8 Little Grebe, a Little Egret, an influx of 32 Wigeon, 3 Goldeneye, 3 Snipe, 2 Tufted Duck, and a Reed Bunting which I saw along the coastal path en-route to Glasson Dock.

I found 22 Bewick's Swan, six - including two immature - on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, and sixteen in a Cockersands field included three immature....Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) ornithologist and the best-known English illustrator of his generation.

Also of note on the Lune Estuary, the build up continues with 58 Goldeneye seen, also c.180 Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Dunlin, and 1,550 Wigeon noted.

Red-crested Pochard. Pete Woodruff.

The female Red-crested Pochard found on the canal basin on Saturday obliged and was reasonably close in today, though the pic above is the best my humble little pocket digi camera could do about it, a seriously cropped pic is a bit of an understatement. Also on the basin, the immature drake Scaup, at least 95 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard being two drake and a female, and a Little Grebe.

By the time I reached Cockersands the daylight was about to start to disappear in around an hour and I squeezed in Crook Farm to Plover Scar to note c.2,500 Dunlin, 107 Black-tailed Godwit, and 3 Bar-tailed Godwit feeding on the mudflats, with 25 Turnstone on Plover Scar, and 160 Wigeon and 2 Eider drake off here. 

And finally....

 Long-eared Owl Noushka Dufort

I think the the post deserves a couple of decent photographs, and they don't come any more decent than this. So here's the long and the short of it!....

Thanks for the Long-Eared Owl Noushka....Excellent.

Short-eared Owl David Cookson 

Thanks for the Short-eared Owl David....Excellent.

A Bowland Bash.

Not a big bash, but a look in on one or two locations in Bowland with BT on Friday which started off quite interesting but soon fizzled out to nothing. We first pulled up at Blea Tarn Reservoir where I noted a single Goldeneye and 20 Wigeon. 

Brambling Astland Photography 

The interesting bit was a stroll on Plantation Lane, a beech lined road for about a quarter of a mile and found 4 Brambling with Chaffinch, at least 3 Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Great Tit, several Blue Tit were of note, with 3 Buzzard soaring overhead. At Stoops Bridge in Abbeystead, 3 Long-tailed Tit seen and c.45 Greylag over.

Buzzard Antonio Puigg

By now the day had 'fizzled out' and we spent little more than 15 minutes at Tower Lodge where 2 Buzzard went over, and a trip over the hill from here to Langden proved to be the road to nowhere and BT dropped me off back home again just after 3.00pm. To be realistic, hardly front line birding, but it was nice if cold up there today.

During a couple of periods we went different ways, BT claims 2 Siskin at Stoops Bridge, and 5 Buzzard over Plantation Lane.

Thanks to Antonio, Susan and Peter (Astland Photography) for the images.

Birdbrain....

....and six hours coastal stuff!

KT called me 'birdbrain' the other day and it wasn't meant as a compliment either I assure you, I was told I don't listen and that my brain is full of feathers....but I don't care about any of this! 

At Conder Green yesterday I counted the falling number of 6 Little Grebe on Conder Pool, also 3 Goldeneye again, 9 Snipe, 12 Wigeon, and 47 Mallard. The Scaup was on the canal basin again at Glasson Dock with uncounted Tufted Duck and a female Pochard, I failed to find the drake.

On the Lune Estuary, although Golden Plover and Black-tailed Godwit numbers were much fewer than my count here on Tuesday 12 November, there was a least the same number as then of 7,500 Lapwing, 6,000 Knot, and 450 Bar-tailed Godwit viewable from the bowling green. But I'd put money on it being a Peregrine Falcon which put the entire River Lune upstream population of waders to flight and I witnessed probably in excess of 25,000 birds in the air as far as the eye could see....an amazing spectacle, a build up of 35 Goldeneye here today too. On Jeremy Lane at least one Bewick's Swan identified in a mid-distance field hidden behind reeds.

At Cockersands, Plover Scar at high tide held c.320 Oystercatcher and 40 Turnstone, 12 Black-tailed Godwit were in a field feeding with predominantly Curlew, with Lapwing and Redshank, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel, and 3 Little Egret seen may have only been two birds, today I noted 2 Brown Hare. 

Cockersands.

Just in case anyone wonders why Cockersands rates as one of my favourite birding destinations - birds aside - here's just one reason....

 Looking West. Pete Woodruff.

The scene was ablaze with one of Morecambe Bay's renowned sunsets at around 4.00pm, this one looking west....

Looking North West. Pete Woodruff. 

....and this one looking north west.

And finally....can't have a post on Birds2blog without the photograph of a bird.

Tawny Owl. Howard Stockdale.

Not just a photograph of a Tawny Owl, but a brilliant photograph of one, 'clik the piks' they just might blow your socks off!....Thanks Howard.

A Nice Little Owl....

....and even more Bewick's Swans. 

Little Owl Noushka Dufort 

It was high tide at Cockersands when I visited on Tuesday and Plover Scar was deserted, but the visit was made all the worth while if only for finding my first Little Owl here, void of searching my records possibly three years since the last one seen. The bird flew out of a tree by the road and flew across the horse paddock at Bank Houses where the Little Owl was regular for many years. Another decent record at Cockersands yesterday was that of up to 30 Greenfinch feeding on the wild bird cover crops. Also noted, 12 Eider, 32 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Egret, and 3 Reed Bunting. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock 15 Bewick's Swan, ten - including two juvenile - were off Bodie Hill, and five adult Bewick's Swan were seen from the bowling green where I counted up to 20 Goldeneye. On Glasson Marsh, estimates of 2,000 Golden Plover, 1,500 Lapwing, and 240 Black-tailed Godwit, a Raven went over having the same effect on the assembled waders as any raptor would have done.

Pochard Simon Hawtin

On the canal basin I counted at least 90 Tufted Duck and noted male and female Pochard again. At Conder Green I got the count to 10 Little Grebe on this visit, with 3 Goldeneye, 3 Goosander, 8 Wigeon, and 2 Little Egret all on the pool, up to 200 Teal are still present in the creeks.

Brown Hare. Howard Stockdale.

I rarely fail to see Brown Hare in the Cockersands area, but don't record them in my book these days. I've lost touch with how the figures add up today compared to a year ago....perhaps its time for me to put things right on Brown Hare records.

Thanks to Noushka/Simon/Howard for the excellent images.

A Local Wander.

Yesterday I decided to take a look at the birdlife in our local Williamson Park and ended up giving the place a good three hours.

I have little idea of the history of the birds of this park, whether or not anyone regularly - or even occasionally - monitors the park these days I've no idea. Today I had about 20 sightings of Blackbird, but a phone conversation later with a birder having more experience than yours truly on such matters indicated in excess of 60 pairs of Blackbird recorded here in the 1980's.

Great-spotted Woodpecker Warren Baker 

I took notes of all other species I saw in the three hours which included, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, at least 4 Nuthatch, a 'few' Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, a Goldcrest, Robin, Chaffinch, 6 Magpie, and a Sparrowhawk. The biggest surprise was of a lone Little Grebe on the old Moor Hospital reservoir below Fenham Carr. 

Autumn In The Park. Pete Woodruff. 

Some excellent autumnal photo opportunities in the park at the moment....

Leaf Litter. Pete Woodruff.

....'clik the pik' and you can read the info board at the top too. Thanks for the female GSW Warren....Excellent.

Teal Bay & Migration.

Another of those compromises with KT whilst on a visit to Morecambe had us at Teal Bay just after high tide when the waders were assembling to feed and I noted in excess of 1,000 Dunlin, 55 Black-tailed Godwit, and a 'few' Knot. A female Scaup was off here, with 3 Pintail, 6 Wigeon, a Red-breasted Merganser and 4 Great-crested Grebe, 2 Little Egret were in the area.

Great-crested Grebe Martin Jump

An interesting record of note was of 124 Great-crested Grebe off Starr Gate at Blackpool today Sunday 17 November.

Migration.

There were predictions of huge movements made last week, some of which came true when almost 60,000 Wood Pigeon were counted flying over Swanscombe Marshes in Kent in a single morning, Fieldfare also arrived in number when 20,000 were counted coming in off the sea in one hour in Norfolk. Cold winds straight from Greenland and Iceland look like they could bring snow to parts of the UK, along with Greenland White-fronted Geese....

Ross's Gull. Pete Woodruff.

 ....and maybe a Ross’s Gull taking refuge on Plover Scar at Cockersands!

The Ross's Gull is a stunningly beautiful bird, and one of the most stunning of all the gulls. My photographic efforts of the bird at Lytham St Anne's in April 2008 resulted in the brilliant sun at the time bleaching out the birds pale grey upperparts to make them appear brilliant white.

On Tour With BT.

Long time no see BT, so a tour was on the cards yesterday and we started at Conder Green to find in list format.

Common Sandpiper

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank 2

Little Grebe 14

Little Egret 2

Wigeon 9

Tufted Duck 3

Sparrowhawk
Kingfisher

On the canal basin at Glasson Dock the Scaup was again with uncounted Tufted Duck, the drake Pochard has been joined by a female.

Goldeneye Simon Hawtin

Not enough time spent to evaluate 'what's about' on the Lune Estuary - on my own I can be here at least an hour often more - but noted were 12 Goldeneye, and the 'regular' Peregrine Falcon squat on the southern end of Colloway Marsh quietly surveying for the next target. From Bodie Hill of note, c.300 Golden Plover, c.180 Black-tailed Godwit, and 2 Goosander, 9 Bewick's Swan included two juvenile, to make up the the count of twelve Bewick's Swans seen Tuesday, the other three adults were off Jeremy Lane today. On Moss Lane a Song Thrush always good to see.

Greenfinch Isidro Ortiz

At Cockersands, although I walked the headland from the lighthouse to meet BT at the caravan park I drew a blank save 12 Greenfinch which themselves are a good record. A Jay and 3 Little Egret at Pilling Lane Ends, and at Fluke Hall 11 Whooper Swan.

Whooper Swan Behaviour.

Whooper Swan David Cookson 

After counting 40 Whooper Swan in a stubble field flood off Fluke Hall Lane a few more came in from the south, soon followed by more until by the time we departed the number had risen to 88 Whopper Swan in the space of no more than ten minutes.

I've witnessed this before in the same field at the same time of day a few years ago when the number built up from just a few Whooper Swans to over 250 individuals. I've observed interesting behaviour many times by these swans presumably gathering to roost, in that they arrive in variable number loudly 'trumpeting', on landing some of the birds begin to display which can be taken as a 'greeting', but I regard the behaviour as a 'threat' display in that wings are quivered in a half open lifted position, the neck is repeatedly bent and extended, and the head nods up and down whilst the birds call loudly. 

Thanks once again to Simon/Isidro/David for the excellent photographs, and to John for the new header of the smart Merlin....the smartest of them all in my book.

Chasing The Piper.

Semipalmated Sandpiper. Copy Permitted.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper was reported again yesterday morning at 9.55am and although five minutes later another message was that the bird had flown off at 10.00am, I decided to chance my luck. The plan was to walk the coastal path from Fluke Hall possibly to Knott End if needs be. 

Meeting two birders soon after I set off from Fluke Hall caused me to have a little less enthusiasm as they were returning from the morning 'empty handed'. When I arrived at the halfway point of Cockers Dyke there was at least eight other birders ahead of me and I set myself up to scan the area for almost an hour by which time no mention of the bird from the pager service or from the other birders in the area since the bird had flown off four hours earlier. I decided to react to the silence about the bird by calling off my plan to go as far as Knott End and I called it my cut off point and returned to Fluke Hall.

The sting in the tail....The Semipalmated Sandpiper was reported at Cockers Dyke again, 'briefly' at 2.25pm, though no mention again for the rest of the day.

Twite. Howard Stockdale.

On the way back from Cockers Dyke I found at least 95 Twite on the saltmarsh east of the dyke and saw a Little Egret.

Black-tailed Godwit Martin Jump  

I decided to walk east from Fluke Hall to check out an excellent looking stubble field I had noted on the way here a couple of hours ago, in the field I found 3 Curlew Sandpiper and 85 Black-tailed Godwit, 22 Whooper Swan, and at least 7 Snipe, I reckon the stubble field was 'packed' with Snipe but very difficult to pick out and by the time I reached the seven count a predator - presumably a raptor which I did'nt pick up - had put the entire field to flight.

Thanks for the Sandpiper, the Twite on the sea wall at Cockersands, and the in flight Godwits, the images are much appreciated.