Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Steady

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.