Miscellany!

In order to bring my second passion back to life, I've recently had to make a few diversions away from the birds.

Being one of the many thousands affected by the terrible Dr Beeching who wielded his axe on the  railways in the mid 1960's, in my case the footplate firemen. On Wednesday I found myself at Hest Bank for the purpose of trying for some footage of a train enroute to the renowned scenic Settle to Carlisle railway. 

The video turned out OK, and for the benefit of anyone not solely hooked on birds, and perhaps with a liking for steam locomotives and railway preservation....here it is.

When the train had passed I decided to check the channels off the shore at Hest Bank, and found up to 140 Eider here.

Conder Pool.

Numbers of waders continue to dwindle with just 86 Iceland bound Black-tailed Godwit seen, also a similar number of 80+Knot a good count for Conder Pool. Another good count, was of 25 Avocet, this is the same combined number of 25 Avocet seen at Conder Pool and the Lune Estuary at Glasson 2 April. Also seen Spotted Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, and a pair of Shoveler. One birder at the pool, told me he had seen 4 Little Ringed Plover but I found no evidence of his claim.

Lune Estuary.

At Glasson, 450 Black-tailed Godwit the majority being on the north side below Colloway Marsh, also  a pair of Red-breasted Merganser were to note. 

The Conder Spotted Redshank.

Image Courtesy of Howard Stockdale

The two images of the Conder Green Spotted Redshank were taken a year and one day apart, and a three way consensus including myself, is that this could be one and the same bird. Last years bird completed a full moult in 5 weeks. Howard Stockdale intends to monitor this years bird to see if there is a repeat of this amazing transformation....This will be interesting.

Chocolate Tip.

Ian Mitchell had quite a smart little moth in is trap on Thursday morning 9 April.

Chocolate Tip Moth. Ian Mitchell.

The Chocolate Tip has a disjointed distribution, mainly to be found in the south but expanding northwards. 

The first record away from the south was found at Astley Moss in 2010, followed by sightings at seven locations including one at Heysham in 2021 and at Longridge in 2022. I have no knowledge of records in our area of the Chocolate Tip moth beyond 2022, until Ian Mitchell's on 9 April 2026.

Garden Birds.

Summertime and the living is easy....Well that's how the song goes, but I reckon the Blue Tit collecting nest material on the Plum Tree in our garden, was thinking life is anything but easy! 

Migrants At Last.

Conder Pool.

I found my first migrants this week, the first being a pair of Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool.

The first bird was seen on the small island to the right of the viewing platform, it soon flew off. The next sighting was of a bird on the island behind the main Common Tern raft, was joined by a second bird. I was soon able to observe display behaviour, with posturing seen. I had seen the same behaviour between a pair last year on Conder Pool 26 March.

Other notes from Conder Pool, numbers of godwit continue to fall, with just 280 Black-tailed Godwit today, they were accompanied by at least 10 Knot. Also 15 Avocet in view, and 5 Tufted Duck noted, the Shoveler have departed.

 Cockersand.

My second migrant species was the 2 Wheatear male, seen off the headland. 

Wheatear. Pete Woodruff.

I'm not seeing the Tree Sparrow at Cockersand in anything like the numbers that used to be, though I did find 40 here last September. this time just 3 Tree Sparrow were around Bank Houses, 2 Stock Dove were in a field. The number of swans are dwindling, with no more than 160 Whooper Swan in fields off Moss Lane. I noted 3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Deceased Gannet Plover Scar 2 April. Pete Woodruff.

Lune Estuary.

The estuary at Glasson Dock was near deserted 3 hours after high tide, but 10 Avocet saved the day. If this number is in addition to the birds seen on Conder Pool 3 hours earlier - I ran out of time to call back and check - the grand total would be 25 Avocet. A pair of Red-breasted Merganser were also to note. I saw not a single Wigeon here today, but a few lingering gulls also added a bit of life to the area. 

Red-tailed Bumblebee.

Bombus lapidarius. Pete Woodruff.

In the garden this week, I found my first Red-tailed Bumblebee of the year. 

But There We Have It!

To be honest I was hoping for my first Wheatear at Cockersand on Monday - last year at Cockersand 1 April - and my first Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool - two last year 26 March with the male displaying - but it was just wishful thinking in the end.

It wouldn't sound to make much sense if I was to call my last visit to the Lune Estuary and surroundings, a little dull and cold like the weather, then go on to record almost 4,000 birds seen, albeit with just 9 species....but there we have it!

Spotted Redshank Conder Creeks. Pete Woodruff. Clik The Pik

Numbers were falling on Conder Pool, today up to 600 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Shoveler, the summer plumage Little Grebe. In the creeks a Spotted Redshank, and 3 Buzzard were soaring together over woodland behind the Stork Hotel. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, I found 23 Avocet, no surprise that non on Conder Pool then. Also noted was a pair of Red-breasted Merganser. 

Wigeon. Martin Jump.

Otherwise the estuary was almost deserted by the winter birds, save the usual gathering of gulls and uncounted Wigeon still. Martin Jump sent me some images yesterday, by coincidence one was the portrait of a smart drake Wigeon with reflection. Thanks Martin....Clik The Pik for a quality result.

At Cockersand, I spent the best part of 3 hours walking, having legged it to Bank End for the Black Redstart, it was the road to nowhere, though AC reported a female along the coastal path at the farm at 11.58am....Mmmm! This was followed by my quest to find a Wheatear, but by the time I got to Plover Scar I'd dipped again 😡 

But a reward for my efforts was up to 2,000 Golden Plover in the field north side of Abbey Farm, some acquiring breeding plumage. Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the excellent header image. 

Unlike my usual experience of seeing them on the ground in tight flocks, the Golden Plover were very thinly spread out through the whole field. 

The Whooper Swan were in two fields today, c.250 north side of Bank End, and as I drove away from Cockersand along Moss Lane, another c.100 were at the east end at Thurnham, making a total of up to 350 Whooper  Swan.

Wood Warbler.

As I searched my records for first dates of past spring migrants, I came across some interesting data regarding the Wood Warbler, it contained the remarkable number of 38 records for the species over the 31 years 1992-2023.

Wood Warbler. Mike Watson.

My first Wood Warbler was found 13 May 1992. I was on a walk around Ingleton Falls in North Yorkshire, by which time I was able to separate a Raven from a Wren! 

The other 37 records followed....

1996

Littledale May/June 6 sightings  

Gibson Wood 8 June 2 birds

Gibson Wood 14/15 June feeding young at the nest

1997 

10 May Gibson Wood 

19/20 May Botton 

23 May Claife Heights Cumbria 

26/31 May Botton 

17 June Botton possible breeding

1998

3 May Gibson Wood 

12 May Botton 

13 May Gibson Wood 

15/23 May Botton 

23 May Barbondale 

1999 

16 May Gibson Wood 

12 June Rusland Cumbria 

18 June Barbondale

26 June Ellterwater Cumbria 2 birds

2000

21 May Gibson Wood

22 May Barbondale

27 May Botton

29 May Bolton Abbey 4 birds

7 June Barbondale

2003

19 May Dunsop Bridge

2006

13 June Barbondale

2007

22/31 May Tower Lodge

2008/09

30 May/11 May Barbondale

2023

3 May Gibson Wood

Worth noting, I found Wood Warbler in Gibson Wood for 5 years consecutive 1996-2000 including breeding. On a negative note, I've not seen a Wood Warbler anywhere since May 2023, and the truth is....not many other Lancashire birders have either. I found no more than 20 records in Lancashire over the 3 years.

Kwik Fix.

Conder Pool.

This years peak count on Conder Pool thus far, was of 22 Avocet on Friday 6 March. As always, I am grateful for the contact, record, and header image to Howard Stockdale.

My latest visit to Conder Pool was thwarted by a blinding sun turning the pool into a silver river, and the birds into silhouettes.

Back-tailed Godwit Conder Pool 26 February 2024. Pete Woodruff.

This could have been the view if conditions had been better, I reckon there was up to 1,000 Black-tailed Godwit on the island today. I also made no attempt to count the birds, but noted just 2 Avocet and 6 Shoveler. Worth noting, an all time peak count for Conder Pool, was of 25 Shoveler recorded on Saturday 7 March....Paul Ellis FBC 

Lune Estuary.

Time was restricted for me on Wednesday, but a brief visit to the River Lune at Glasson had me find 17 Avocet, probably the same seventeen birds as those seen here Tuesday 3 March, otherwise an amazing coincidence. The c.2,500 Black-tailed Godwit were also probably the same as those seen here Tuesday 3 March.

Although this scene might suggest otherwise, it was relatively quiet about one hour before high tide, the numbers of waders feeding along the shoreline were low, with a few Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, and Black-tailed Godwit all stabbing for their share of invertibrates as the tide flowed in. Also noted at least 650 Wigeon and 3 Red-breasted Merganser. 

Mediterranean Gulls Lune Estuary 11 March Pete Woodruff.

A little distant, but a nice image for the record, 2 Mediterranean Gull adult were drifting upstream on the incoming tide.

It was a Kwik Fix, but as always a pleasant one for me.

Birk Bank Bog.

Palmate Newt June 2024. Maurice Wilby.

Some interest from the bog have included finding a Palmate Newt last year. Thanks to Maurice for his record shot of a creature I've yet to see on the bog at Birk Bank.

Toad 4 March. Ian Mitchell. 

Thanks to Ian for his excellent image of the Toad. Like the Palmate Newt, Toads are another amphibian I have yet to find on the bog at Birk Bank.

Toad Spawn. Ian Mitchell.

A week after 3 Toads were found, Ian saw that they had spawned on 11 March.

News from Conder Pool.

Tern Raft Conder Pool....FBC

Covers were fitted to the rafts yesterday 14 March. As was the case last year, the plan is to remove them when the Common Terns arrive back on Conder Pool, hopefully to breed for their 12th year, which I'm predicting will be within a week commencing 20 April. If they don't arrive during that time frame....the milky bars are on me!

Common Tern Conder Pool 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Early Spring'ers.

Willow Warbler Leighton Moss 14 March....LDBWS WhatsApp. Earlier by 5 days in 2024 on 19 March.

Little Ringed Plover River Wyre Fylde 14 march....FBC WhatsApp. Earlier by 5 days in 2024 on 19 March.

Sand Martin 85 at Pine Lake 15 March....LDBWS WhatsApp. Earliest record in Lancashire 35 years ago on 24 February 1990.

Common Quaker. Ian Mitchell.

Ian had a Common Quaker in his trap 14 March. Common as its name implies, but non the less beautiful for that.  

We Have Lift Off!

It was 17 days since my last spell of birding, and my first session for 2026....Lift Off!

I suppose lots of visitors to Conder Pool, wouldn't know the drake Shoveler and Pintail present today, were both at best only occasional here, but I note 5 Shoveler were recorded here last Thursday, and I reckon this is an all time best count of the species on Conder Pool. My last Shoveler here, was a pair last year on 23 February 2025, and my last Pintail was a drake 24 November 2025. Also noted today, 9 Redshank, 8 Tufted Duck, and 2 Little Grebe.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, I found my first Goldeneye of the winter and was a drake. I've seen no previous records of Goldeneye this winter around the Lune Estuary, but low end double figures at Aldcliffe.

 

A smart drake Goosander was close in with the Wigeon, and thinking I may not get any more opportunities for piks today, I grabbed a video. A pair of Red-breasted Merganser were diving by the Conder mouth, seen as a species at best irregular here, my last were a pair seen on the estuary 3 years ago on 13 January 2023. Also of note, 550 Black-tailed Godwit, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit, and 52 Knot.

At the south end of Jeremy Lane, a splendid 2,500 Black-tailed Godwit, with single figures of Curlew and Dunlin, and up to 60 Redshank in the field opposite.

Stonechat Cockersand 14 January. Pete Woodruff.

At Cockersand, a pair of Stonechat were on the spoil heaps, presumably the same pair seen on my last visit here 29 December. Off Slack Lane, 8 Whooper Swan were the only ones at Cockersand. I think the bulk of swans seem to have pitched up in fields at Cockerham/Braides where the 2 Bewick's Swans also seem to be currently residing.

Breaking News.

Bewick's Swans Cockersand 21 December. Ian Walker.

It was great to see the news that 4 Bewick's Swans were found this morning at Lower Thurnham, begging the question....are there 6 Bewick's Swans in the recording area now?

Thanks to Ian Walker for his excellent image of the stunning Bewick's Swans. 

The Header.

Couldn't resist this one....Long time no see a Stonechat header image on B2B, but Dave Mudd delivered the goods when he got this excellent shot of the pair at Cockersand recently. Not unique, but I reckon Dave or anyone else will achieve an image of two Stonechat so close together in the frame any time soon.    

By Way Of A Change.

It was hardly to be called pleasant, overcast and a cold breeze, but by way of a change of scenery, a wander along the promenade at Morecambe seemed a good idea. 

But in fact I started at Heysham in the hope of catching some geese before the tide drove them off somewhere south, probably to Red Nab. For a change I had timed it right, and 52 Brent Geese - 21 in the video - were driven quite close in before taking to flight. It was also quite pleasing to see 4 Grey Plover before they too escaped the incoming tide.

Brent Geese Heysham. Pete Woodruff.

I drove along the promenade at Morecambe and pulled in at Broadway where I found a Grey Seal with its head bobbing above the swell, also a pair of Great Back-backed Gull alongside it at one point.

A raft of 55 Eider were diving, making the count a little challenging, also 4 Red-breasted Merganser, and between Broadway and Teal Bay I counted 8 Great Crested Grebe.

Roosting On The Groyne At Teal Bay. Pete Woodruff.

At Teal Bay a gathering of waders included a Knot retaining traces of its summer plumage on its breast nearing the end of December! Also of note, 11 Bar-tailed Godwit and 22 Wigeon.

.............................................................................................

I wish everyone, visitors or dedicated followers of B2B for which I am very grateful....

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS 🎅

Two For The Price Of One!

I took advantage of decent days to get off my backside and get out again....Twice!

Wednesday 29 January. 

I covered the estuary starting at Conder Pool to note 5 Snipe, the same number of 5 Little Grebe and 3 Tufted Duck, but the best bird for my book was the Song Thrush below the hedgerow.

Notes from a 'relatively quiet' Lune Estuary at Glasson, up to 400 Golden Plover, 325 Wigeon, 3 Goosander, 450 Pink-footed Geese were at the south end of Colloway Marsh. Pick of the day was 4 Goldeneye seen as two drake and two female, these four represent my best count this winter....something wrong here!

I made a video of two Cormorant on the Lune Estuary today, but the birds were too distant for it to be any value for positive ID. But in a drastically cropped still from the video, one of the Cormorants was seen as suggestive to be a continental Sinensis, though good views of the gular pouch angle - not possible here - is the best way to be certain about this.

I have found Continental Cormorant twice on the canal basin at Glasson Dock, the first being seen 14 years ago in February 2011, when I was grateful to Stuart Piner for sending me this illustration for comparison of the gular pouch on both carbo and sinensis. The second almost to the day, was seen 5 years ago in February 2020. I was also grateful to Paul Ellis for his help in the 'suggestion' that my bird at Glasson was of the continental form.

En-route to Cockersand, at least 60 Fieldfare off Moss Lane, and probably up to 400 Whooper Swan were fragmented over five fields between Bank End Farm and Crook Farm. In fields around Abbey Farm, at least 1,500 Golden Plover were put to the wing with Curlew and Lapwing, probably by the wintering Merlin which I failed to latch on to. Eight Eider were off Plover Scar from where I saw 2 Greenfinch on a fence post.

Notes.

I make interesting notes about two species today. In my book, the Goldeneye is generally absent from our area this winter, the best count I've seen recently reported is of 17 Goldeneye on 12 January. My records reached a peak of 4 Goldeneye at Glasson this week on the Lune Estuary. 

As far as I can see, the winter thrushes are also in short supply in our area this winter too. My best count was of the c.60 Fieldfare seen along Moss Lane this Wednesday, my previous best was of 12 Fieldfare at Cockersand 9 January.

Thursday 30 January.

My intention was to go on the Stone Jetty at Morecambe, but I swiftly had a change of mind, and made a U-turn when I saw this from the landward end of the jetty....

Off Broadway, up to 60 Eider and 2 Red-breasted Merganser seen. At Teal Bay, there was a nice variety of 8 species of waders roosting on the groyne, including 10 Bar-tailed Godwit and a lone Golden Plover, 2 species of wildfowl, 26 Wigeon, 4 Pintail, and 2 Great-crested Grebe.

It was good to be close up and see the birds come to feed as soon as the tide started to ebb.

In The Garden.

I found a Pygmy Shrew on Wednesday, a first for our garden, and a Buzzard was excellent low over the house, with great views of underwing plumage detail in the sunlight.

Pygmy Shrew (Deceased) Pete Woodruff

When it is active, the Pygmy Shrew has to eat every 2/3 hours to survive, it lives little more than a year, long enough for it to have two litters producing up to 6 young....Shucks!

Goodies Off Broadway!

Cold, overcast, and calm in the days before Darragh arrived, it was good enough for me to take a look at the incoming tide along Morecambe Promenade.

Strung out in groups of various size from Broadway to Bare, I counted at least 110 Eider. Also between Broadway and Teal Bay, 7 Great-crested Grebe and 5 Red-breasted Merganser. 

At Teal Bay, a Bar-tailed Godwit, was with Redshank and four other species. I always think it odd to see usually flocking waders as lone individuals. Also to note, 38 Wigeon, 8 Pintail, and a Wren seen a little out of context on the saltmarsh.

Scaup And Scoter.

 Scaup 4 December. Pete Woodruff.

One of the best from the visit was a female Scaup off Broadway, seen as an erratic and scarce winter visitor to Morecambe Bay.  

The Scaup was distant, but it was good to get some record footage of the scarcity, my first since I found a drake on Conder Pool 6 March. Last year there was just 21 records of Scaup in Lancashire, but included three singles in Morecambe Bay in November/December....Lancashire Bird Report 2023

Common Scoter. Paul Ellis.

But star birds were a drake and female Common Scoter which were also off Broadway. The Common Scoter doesn't feature very often in my records, in fact a clear indication of the rarity status for me, is that this is my first record since I found a female on Conder Pool 16 years ago on 27 October 2008. Seen as another duck scarce to our area, at best erratic, though sometimes seen as a common passage bird, for example flocks of 30 and 57 south past Heysham in August 2021....Birds of Lancaster & District 2021

Interesting that c.30 miles south of Morecambe, conversely I could have seen up to 2,000 Common Scoter off Blackpool North Shore on 16 November 2023....Lancashire Bird Report 2023.  

Thanks to Paul Ellis for his image of the Common Scoter at Shard Bridge 10 years ago in August 2014.

Stonechats.

It pleased me to receive three more wintering Stonechat records from Bowland recently, with a male seen on the top of Grit Fell by the adventurous Ian Mitchell. Also birds seen recently in Bowland by the ever reliable Andrew Cornall, a male by the Mountain Rescue Centre east of Langden, and a pair on Abbeystead Lane.

Better Late Than Never....Part 2.

Another week has gone by before I got only my second days birding for 2023, but having failed to carry out the plan to do a wander around Cockersand - wind and rain put paid to that idea - I did locate a pair of Stonechat on their winter favoured pitch in the rough field behind Bank Houses, so good enough to compensate my early retirement.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, there was a relatively small gathering of waders on the south side including a Ruff with uncounted Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Knot, Lapwing and Curlew. A drake Red-breasted Merganser isn't to be as regarded regular here, with 4 Goosander and up to 250 Wigeon.

I have no idea where the Golden Plover are/have been on the Lune Estuary so far this winter. My personal best count was at Braides 31 October, when I saw 1,500 birds, and other best counts I can find on the Lune Estuary, didn't quite match this number.

Two Greenshank can be seen on the left through the gloom on Conder Pool with 5 Goosander, also a Little Grebe, and 52 Mallard was the best count in some time here. In the creeks, c,150 Teal and 2 Little Grebe.

Greylag Geese/Whooper Swans. Howard Stockdale.

Howard sent me the image of a Greylag he found recently, I also found one last Friday in the same field. Howards bird was marked HVX, whilst mine was HVK. When I received this image I had thought perhaps I had made an error in the reading - X misread as K - but on making enquiries with Howard I understand HVK had also been seen in the area recently. Both the geese had been ringed age 4 years, at Millerground, Windermere, 26 June 2022.

Brilliant Brents.

Across The Bay

I could think of nothing better this afternoon, than a walk along the promenade to Heysham to find 48 Brent Geese off the children's play area.

Around The Estuary.

When I found 4 Mediterranean Gull on Thursday, I was singing the praises of Conder Pool again as it continues to collect impressive records and Nectar Points for me. These records now include 32 Little Grebe, found yesterday 25 September (Ian Hartley LDBWS).

Four Med Gull Conder Pool 23 Sept 2021 

After doing the rounds, I had called back there on my way back to Lancaster to see if I had missed anything first time round, something of a custom if mine which often pays dividends as it did today. 

Adult & 2nd Summer Med Gull Conder Pool June 2019

Thursdays four gulls joined three previous records on Conder Pool, including these two beauties. The 2nd summer bird was ringed 2 years earlier in the Czech Republic 2017 Red ZHF3. 

The gulls were accompanied by a decent line-up, with a juvenile Ruff, 6 Greenshank, 9 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Snipe, 12 Redshank, 22 Black-headed Gull, a Goosander, and 18 Little Grebe.

Five of the six Greenshank, all but the one legged one decided to depart as I got the camera on to them.

 

Greenshank Conder Pool 23 Sept 2021

Noted on the Lune Estuary at Glasson, rounded figures of waders, 2,000 Lapwing, 450 Redshank, 50 Dunlin, and 80 Wigeon, also 10 Greenshank and 22 Little Egret counted, a drake Red-Breasted Merganser, 2 Eider, and a Raven overhead honking as it went.

A circuit of Cockersand was a bit like a trip into the void, including Plover Scar deserted at high tide. But as I approached the Lighthouse Cottage, I saw at least 300 Wood Pigeon take flight out of the field, and watched 32 Skylark do the same. I hoped the pigeons had changed fields, but it was deserted when I got there, and was a good example of the void I had experienced at Cockersand today....But the return visit to Conder Pool buried all this. 

Conservatively....Twice!

I made two conservative estimates yesterday, the most impressive one being at least 2,500 Golden Plover in fields at Cockersand. If I assume the 820 seen earlier at Glasson hadn't joined these, I reckon I probably saw the entire Lune Estuary population of up to 3,350 Golden Plover on the day.

Redwing Moss Lane. Copyright Howard Stockdale. Clik the pik

Also impressive, I estimated up to 1,000 Fieldfare and good numbers of Redwing in a 5 hour stint around Conder Green, Glasson Dock, and the Cockersand area. A few hundred seen at and around Conder Pool and along the coastal path, and when I looked to the skies midway through the circuit at Conder Green, I probably saw 400 thrush over at one view. I was wrong to suggest the Fieldfare/Redwing had finally departed the Cockersand area in my post for last Fridays birding, birds were all over the place yesterday, and seen along Moss Lane, Slack Lane, and along the coastal path towards Bank End.

Back to the beginning, and 3 Goosander were my only notes for Conder Pool. A lone Little Grebe was in the creeks, and a Song Thrush along the coastal path was a nice relief from the winter thrushes. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 13 Goldeneye, c.820 Golden Plover, 135 Curlew, 6 Goosander, and 2 Red-breasted Merganser. On the canal basin, 4 Goldeneye and 2 Little Grebe to note.

At Cockersand, the Whooper Swan herd remain distant and uncooperative, but 4 Bewick's Swan were with 12 Whooper Swan off Slack Lane, c.350 Oystercatcher on Plover Scar at high tide, 365 Curlew was my count in fields, but large numbers of distant waders I could see inland towards Thursland Hill, means this was almost certainly an incomplete Curlew count. Ten Turnstone remain site faithful to the shingle in front of Bank Houses where I noted a Dunnock and Wren. Two Kestrel seen, and 2 Twite were off the Caravan Park entrance where I found last Fridays male Stonechat again.

The Grebes Have It.

But first....

The Conder Green wintering Common Sandpiper, not seen for 2 months now since 3 October, is almost certainly the bird seen upstream on the River Lune at Golden Ball/Marsh Point on 16 November and 1 December.

A couple of 'grebe' peak counts, and a Goldeneye one yesterday, and a smart little thing to end the day. 

At Conder Green, 15 Little Grebe was the best count here since 18 seen on 11 October, they were seen as 5 in the creeks, 6 down the channel including 4 almost at the Conder mouth, and 4 on Conder Pool, where I noted 10 Curlew, 7 Wigeon and a Little Egret. On the coastal path, 10 Long-tailed Tit were in procession through the bushes, 62 Pink-footed Geese and 2 Raven went over south.

On the Lune Estuary, 12 Goldeneye was the best count to date here this winter. Two low counts were, 12 Black-tailed Godwit and 42 Golden Plover, with 350 Wigeon similar to my last visit here, and 3 Goosander. I reckon up to 250 Fieldfare at least are still along the length of Moss Lane towards Cockersand, where I had a better chance today of assessing 250 Whooper Swan in view.

Walking along the sea-wall to Crook Farm with a purpose, 6 Great-crested Grebe and 5 Red-breasted Merganser were on the river, c.250 Black-tailed Godwit were on the shore, and across at Sunderland Point, up to 1,520 Bar-tailed Godwit and 50 Knot.

When I arrived at Crook Farm, I walked down on to the shingle and north c.100m to SD430553 to have excellent views of a Black-necked Grebe found here (Ian Hartley) on Sunday. Thanks to PE for pointing me in the right direction on this.

View The Video Full Screen   

Black-necked Grebe C'sand 3 Dec Pete Woodruff