LDBWS field meeting at Sunderland Point, Middleton Sands yesterday.

[Dan Haywood]

#4118

Nineteen of us had a lovely get together yesterday 9 October.

Movements from 0830 included:

Pink-footed Goose 490 S
Starling 100 S
Skylark 65 SE
Greenfinch 45 SE (most unexpected)
Meadow Pipit 35 but messy!
Alba wag 16 SE
Chaffinch 8 S
Linnet 8 SE
Grey Wagtail 3 SE
Swallow 2 SE
Song Thrush 2 S
Rock Pipit 1 E

Jay 1 N from point

Golden Plover: 1000 flew W over The Lane in about six flocks in the 90 minutes prior to the spring tide, presumably having been displaced from the Glasson / Colloway S area. We assumed we’d see at least some of them again in the Middleton Sands / West Shore roost but I only noticed a few at high tide– leaving me wonder where they eventually roosted– Bank End? Inland at Thurnham? Further afield?

Mediterranean Gull 1 S on incoming tide.

Rough wader counts of Middleton Sands roost:

Knot 4500
Oystercatcher 1500
Dunlin 950 (c40 still in breeding plumage)
Bar-tailed Godwit 800
Curlew 400
Grey Plover 270 with luscious black armpits.
Ringed Plover 200
NC (sorry!): lesser (double / single figures) numbers of Redshank, Turnstone, Golden Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing and Snipe also Wigeon, Shelduck, Teal, Cormorant and c8 Great Black-backed Gull.

Passerines on the deck were in relatively short supply but included:

Linnet 45
Robin 30
Goldfinch 28
Tree Sparrow 22
Stock Dove 18
Pied Wagtail 8
Greenfinch 4
Chiffchaff 2
Kestrel 2
Sparrowhawk 1
Blackcap 1
Goldcrest 1
Mistle Thrush 1
Rock Pipit 1
Raven 1
Wheatear 1 (thanks Bert!)

Long-tailed Tit: we kept seeing a flock of 18 with serious zugunruhe, often towering up to twenty metres in the air contemplating their next move as they were running out of hedgerow and surrounded by salt water.

Cheers to all for taking part.

[Sas1uk]

#4124

I posted this in the wrong place….#Luddite!

To all those who attended the meeting at Sunderland Point yesterday.

My first Birdy Meeting and I felt most welcome and able to ask the simplest of questions.
I was quite reluctant to come on my own, but so glad I did.

Dan’s expertise and local knowledge was greatly appreciated – a smashing group.

Having read the count above though, I’m absolutely GUTTED to have missed the “Grey Plover with luscious black armpits”…..😉🤣

Thanks
Steph
Ps Sue….I’m still coveting your house……

[jeffbutcher]

#4126

Congratulations to Dan and others of the Committee for bringing this breath of life back into the Society. Well done.

Jeff Butcher

[Steve Graham]

#4131

I would just like to echo Jeff’s comments.

Despite not being able to make many of these outings,life still pretty chaotic at the moment. Hence my pausity in sighting reports recently! They have been very well received and are drawing new people and hopefully members into the group.

Thanks to Dan and the rest of the Committee for no doubt re-igniting interest for seasoned birders and encouraging beginners on the quality and variety of local birding available.

Well done.

Steve

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