Despite a bright start it was soon steady birding but I was also fighting steady rain this morning.
The old Honda was on auto pilot as it found its own the way to Fluke Hall Lane via Wheel Lane where on a telegraph pole at Kestrel Corner the expected Kestrel surveyed the roadside. The flooded stubble and adjacent fields at Damside held plenty of birds this morning, even if it was all a bit distant; 580 Lapwing, 325 Redshank, 330 Golden Plover, 35 Curlew, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, and 200+ Jackdaw, whilst in the background beyond the sea wall, the pinkfeet flew left and right but stayed out on the marsh.
On the way to Conder Green a steady rain started then didn’t let up all morning, but I carried on the birding with limited photography in the poor light. The pool was unremarkable but I found 3 Little Grebe sharing the water with about 40 Black-headed Gulls,1 Wigeon and 1 female Goldeneye. In the creek I saw another 2 Little Grebe, 6 Redshank and a Spotted Redshank.
At Glasson Dock I splashed through the excuse for a car park and found a dryish spot from where I could look across the water: 33 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 4 Goldeneye, I Great-crested Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant. Two of the Goldeneye were drakes, what fantastic birds they are.
But even the common Tufted Duck is a beautiful bird that we perhaps take for granted, likewise the Pochard. Both photographs I took on a much brighter day than today.
I wanted to go up to Cockersands to look for the Snow Bunting but the rain didn’t ease so I cruised around the Jeremy Lane area where I counted 92 Mute Swan, 450 Lapwing, 55 Redshank and 22 Curlew on the wet fields as 12 Black-tailed Godwit dropped in to the flood after making black and white patterns against the grey cloud.
You can pretty much guarantee to see a few birds at Bank End, even if it rains, so it didn’t disappoint when the usual 3 Little Egret greeted me, just a bit distant for a proper shot, but here goes.
Only 4 Pied Wagtails today with 3 Meadow Pipits searching the tide wrack, then a couple of Chaffinch and 6 Tree Sparrows sticking to the gorse and hawthorn hedgerow.
Just three hours today, but I have another chance tomorrow. Let’s hope it stays dry.
The old Honda was on auto pilot as it found its own the way to Fluke Hall Lane via Wheel Lane where on a telegraph pole at Kestrel Corner the expected Kestrel surveyed the roadside. The flooded stubble and adjacent fields at Damside held plenty of birds this morning, even if it was all a bit distant; 580 Lapwing, 325 Redshank, 330 Golden Plover, 35 Curlew, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, and 200+ Jackdaw, whilst in the background beyond the sea wall, the pinkfeet flew left and right but stayed out on the marsh.
On the way to Conder Green a steady rain started then didn’t let up all morning, but I carried on the birding with limited photography in the poor light. The pool was unremarkable but I found 3 Little Grebe sharing the water with about 40 Black-headed Gulls,1 Wigeon and 1 female Goldeneye. In the creek I saw another 2 Little Grebe, 6 Redshank and a Spotted Redshank.
At Glasson Dock I splashed through the excuse for a car park and found a dryish spot from where I could look across the water: 33 Tufted Duck, 2 Pochard, 4 Goldeneye, I Great-crested Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Cormorant. Two of the Goldeneye were drakes, what fantastic birds they are.
But even the common Tufted Duck is a beautiful bird that we perhaps take for granted, likewise the Pochard. Both photographs I took on a much brighter day than today.
I wanted to go up to Cockersands to look for the Snow Bunting but the rain didn’t ease so I cruised around the Jeremy Lane area where I counted 92 Mute Swan, 450 Lapwing, 55 Redshank and 22 Curlew on the wet fields as 12 Black-tailed Godwit dropped in to the flood after making black and white patterns against the grey cloud.
You can pretty much guarantee to see a few birds at Bank End, even if it rains, so it didn’t disappoint when the usual 3 Little Egret greeted me, just a bit distant for a proper shot, but here goes.
Only 4 Pied Wagtails today with 3 Meadow Pipits searching the tide wrack, then a couple of Chaffinch and 6 Tree Sparrows sticking to the gorse and hawthorn hedgerow.
Just three hours today, but I have another chance tomorrow. Let’s hope it stays dry.
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2 comments:
Hi,
Nice shots of both goldeneye and tufted duck
the number of lapwing and jackdaw is also impressive, they're not common around here in japan.
Thank you so much for commenting in my blog!
Hi, We always have lots of winter Lapwing, it is the breeding population that is in poor shape. You have great pics on your blog - those thrushes are awesome. Thanks for looking in. Please do so again. Phil
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