The two wintering waders were at Conder Green today when I called in for a quick look. I had my better half with me for a joint fresh air mission, so I convinced her that a walk along the cycle track and return along the road via the Stork was the best plan, followed by a coffee in the Café de Lune. As it was the café closes on Wednesday afternoons so we ended up at The Lantern o’er Lune at Glasson Dock where the coffee was excellent. They have a few inventive names for caffs around here but I’m not sure that Conder Green bears a resemblance to anywhere in France.
From the cycle track above the creeks I saw the wintering Common Sandpiper in one of the skinny creeks that it seems to prefer. Then in the main, wider creek under the bridge was a Greenshank, one of the couple of winterers. Sorry I don’t have a picture of a Common Sandpiper, it’s one to work on this year, but the Greenshank photo is today’s. As compensation, below is a picture of the closely related Spotted Sandpiper which although very rare in the UK is always a possibility to turn up in the Autumn or maybe even the Spring. That’s a good enough reason to look at plenty of Common Sandpipers when they start to arrive in April and not wait for one to appear on the pager.
Spotted Sandpiper
Greenshank
Greenshank
In the area of Conder Pool itself were 1 Grey Plover, 8 Redshank, 30 Teal, 2 Grey Heron, 4 Tufted Duck, and a Song Thrush!
A roadside Merlin and a couple of roadside Kestrels on the way back.
I had a message from Will.
“Until this morning I would never have thought it possible that we would be awoken by siskins! The noise outside was unbelievable, the most I could count together was 24 in the silver birch, of course that's not counting all the ones in the alders, scotch pine and both sycamores. The most on the feeders at any one time was 17. Also in the garden were 130+ chaffinch and 2 bramblings”.
Chaffinch
Brambling
Siskin
Goldfinch
Guess where I am going if it’s fit for ringing tomorrow?
From the cycle track above the creeks I saw the wintering Common Sandpiper in one of the skinny creeks that it seems to prefer. Then in the main, wider creek under the bridge was a Greenshank, one of the couple of winterers. Sorry I don’t have a picture of a Common Sandpiper, it’s one to work on this year, but the Greenshank photo is today’s. As compensation, below is a picture of the closely related Spotted Sandpiper which although very rare in the UK is always a possibility to turn up in the Autumn or maybe even the Spring. That’s a good enough reason to look at plenty of Common Sandpipers when they start to arrive in April and not wait for one to appear on the pager.
In the area of Conder Pool itself were 1 Grey Plover, 8 Redshank, 30 Teal, 2 Grey Heron, 4 Tufted Duck, and a Song Thrush!
A roadside Merlin and a couple of roadside Kestrels on the way back.
I had a message from Will.
“Until this morning I would never have thought it possible that we would be awoken by siskins! The noise outside was unbelievable, the most I could count together was 24 in the silver birch, of course that's not counting all the ones in the alders, scotch pine and both sycamores. The most on the feeders at any one time was 17. Also in the garden were 130+ chaffinch and 2 bramblings”.
Guess where I am going if it’s fit for ringing tomorrow?
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2 comments:
Really please you found the Common Sandpiper at Conder Green again today Phil. My records are 'usually' accurate and if they are on this one then its the first sighting since 4 February.
The sound of those Siskins to Will must have been music to the ears....great stuff!
My word verification was 'mogie'....Mmmmm!
Fabulous post!
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