Thursday, May 18, 2017

Conder And How Not to Bird

Things have sure moved on since last I was at Conder Green. There are now two pairs of Avocets breeding plus a pair of Common Terns showing all the signs. I was there this morning and somewhat surprised to see two Avocets flying from the pool to feed in the creek and to then see two pairs on the far island – six Avocets in total. 

The ones on the island are very distant but the two in the creeks gave a half decent chance for a picture. Early on I’d counted 170 Black-tailed Godwits, split 100/70 in favour of the creek. 

Avocet

Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit

Also on the pool, a pair of Common Terns spent time and energy around the metal pontoon and fishing out towards the River Lune. I watched the male bring in small fish with which to entice the female to stay around; it looked like she was impressed. 

Common Terns

A couple of pairs of Redshank were in display mode plus several pairs of Oystercatcher, Mute Swan and 6 Tufted Duck as 3 pairs. In the creeks I saw a Grey Heron, a single Little Egret and 12 Shelduck. 

There’s a pair of Oystercatchers breeding very close to the road, so close that they think nothing of playing “Oystercatcher Chicken” with oncoming traffic as they casually walk to the verge when a vehicle approaches. The Oystercatcher is a very common bird and also a very handsome one I think you will agree. 

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher


 Oystercatcher

Good thing I was there early as a “birder” arrived, dressed in suit, shirt and tie for the office party and pretty clueless as to how to bird. He proceeded to walk down into the creeks with apparently no thought to the fact that wild birds have eyes, ears and the ability to fly away from predators like man. I guess when he got to the office he explained how he went bird watching but didn’t see much, just birds flying away? 

How Not To Bird

I pretty much cleaned up on singing warblers with 2 Blackcap, 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, and 1 Reed Warbler. In the same patch as the Reed Warbler was a singing Reed Bunting. Over and around pool the main hedgerow - 2 Stock Dove, 4 Swift and a handful of Swallows. 

I took a drive around Jeremy Lane and up to Cockersands to find a day-flying Barn Owl and a good number of Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats and Skylarks – a minimum ten of each. 

While Sedge Warblers mostly sing hidden in the depths of a roadside ditch they do sometimes like to use a high point like telegraph poles from which to launch into their song flight.

Sedge Warbler

I saw good numbers of Brown Hare, Lapwings young and old and stopped to picture at Swallow waiting for to farmer open up the barn. 

Lapwing chick

Lapwing

Swallow

Please look in tomorrow when there’s news of a Siskin, a Lesser Redpoll and a Goldfinch.

Linking today to Eileen's Saturday Blog.


14 comments:

Linda said...

Another beautiful series, Phil. Thank you so much for sharing.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Seems like love was in the air. If someone brought me a fish I'd surrender right away! It's ironic that you mentioned the guy in the suit and tie. Recently I was looking at some old pictures of birders in the thirties and forties and they all wore suits and tie - hats too. And I don't mean baseball caps, I mean fedoras and trilbies, and other hats I can't even name. Some of the young rakes wore cloth caps which might have been pretty daring back then.

Stuart Price said...

Avocets at Conder Green..............they just keep on spreading!

Wally Jones said...

Your returned to find Spring in full bloom it appears! That's quite an impressive list of birds in total!
No suit, shirt and tie? Perhaps THAT'S been my problem.
I am in total agreement the Oystercatcher is a most handsome bird. (Even if it does look like he's wearing a suit....)
With all the courting, nesting, pairing, posturing and serenading you may be very busy in the coming days. Hopefully so.

Again, welcome home! Your birds missed you.

Dave said...

Another wonderful post Phil!
I always love to watch new birders...running around...getting frustrated. I tell them to sit still for a minute...you'll see so much more and won't be so tired!

Lea said...

Very colorful birds, those Oystercatchers
Have a great week-end!

Gordon said...

What a fantastic day you had Phil, I've just spent a week in Cornwall and saw very little, couldn't see a thing for two and half days because of thick fog. went to Marazion got soaked and only saw a swan, Hale estuary, and nothing but a Heron, oh how I would have loved to have been with you, LOL.
All the best Gordon.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, that is weird about the guy in the suit birding? Great collections of birds and sightings! I love the cute lapwing chick!
Now you have me wanting to run to the shore to see some shorebirds!

Thank you so much for linking up and sharing your post! Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

carol l mckenna said...

Phil ~ what a true birder you are and such wonderful photography always ~ thanks,

Happy Weekend to you ~ ^_^

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Great series today. Have a wonderful weekend of bird-watching!

Breathtaking said...

Hello Phil!:) You always manage to see so many birds on your morning bird watching jaunts. A great selection here, but the one that stands out today is the Oystercatcher,..a beautiful bird, which apparently likes to live dangerously!:) I find it amazing that they nest so near to the road. Lovely captures of all the birds Phil.

A Colorful World said...

Love the avocet...it has such sharp black & white coloring. I always enjoy the oyster catchers. How funny about the man birdwatching in his suit, wandering around! :-)

Lowcarb team member said...

Great photographs Phil,

All the best Jan

Karen said...

Always great to birds to see here!

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