Conder Green and Glasson were the venues this morning, where after a slow start I eventually found a good selection of birds. Following a few blank days with the camera there are new pictures for blog readers, so as ever dear friends, 'click the pics' to enjoy.
I finally got good views of the somewhat elusive Little Ringed Plovers, two siblings running around the pool margins close together but not near enough to get the two in the same frame properly. A little patience paid off when one came closer.
Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
The Spotted Redshank here since mid-June is now in almost complete grey winter plumage and I found it feeding alone again, not mixing with the 40+ Redshanks in the tidal channel. A single Greenshank today, 5 Common Sandpiper, 3 Snipe, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Oystercatcher and 45 Lapwing completed the wader count.
Wildfowl and herons - 1 Goldeneye, 2 Wigeon, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, 2 Little Egret and 1 Grey Heron.
Little Egrets are indeed little and here’s a picture of one in the company of Mallards today.
Little Egret and Mallards
Passerines - 10 Goldfinch, 2 Tree Sparrow, 2 Greenfinch and 3 Pied Wagtail.
A Kingfisher treated me to a fishing display, plunge diving or then barely breaking the surface of the water to grab a tiny fish before flying back to sit at the sluice wall.
Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Good numbers of waders at Glasson where against the bright morning light I managed an approximate count of 700 Dunlin, 250 Redshank, 350 Lapwing, 15 Curlew and 1 Little Egret.
A look at Glasson yacht basin revealed 40+ Coot and 15 Tufted Duck, with a single Willow Warbler in the roadside trees.
A very enjoyable couple of hours were had by all.
Linking today to Camera Critters, Paying-Ready-Attention-gallery and I'd Rather Be Birdin' - Well who wouldn't sooner be out birding?