Page 13 - Out Birding Summer 2024

Another GBC Friendship Story
On 30 January I caught the bus to Glasson where I met up with a friend, Louise, whom I met through the GBC Facebook site and with whom I had been birding earlier that week, and her friend Bev who was new to me. We started with a walk around Glasson, around the river and marsh to the sea wall with Collared Dove, Mallard, Teal and Wigeon on the river. Small skeins of Pink-foot flew overhead as we looked out over the Lune Estuary to distant huge flocks of Lapwing and smaller flocks of Redshank, Knot, Shelduck and Dunlin and the usual scattering of Little Egret.
The tide was coming in so we moved down to Glasson Dock where we could watch the Lapwing and Redshank take off and wheel around before they found another dry spot to stand. One flock of Redshank was some 800+ and as it wheeled flashing in the sun it split in two as a Peregrine half heartedly chased them before landing on the mud to watch their acrobatics like us. There seemed to be Lapwing everywhere at all levels along with smaller flocks of Golden Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot and Dunlin in the air.
Later we drove down to Knott End where about 15 minutes after arriving a flock of about 40 Twite dropped down to feed on the tideline in front of us until disturbed by a local dog walker. Bev wanted to see Turnstone and Eider both of which arrived around the same time together with Long-tailed Tit, passing Buzzards, Goldeneye and Reed Bunting. We had 47 species during the day in cold but brilliant sunshine.
I got to know Bev over coffee and I'm sure we will meet up again, it's one of many reasons I enjoy belonging to GBC, the chance to meet new friends that will become old friends.
Sarah Payne
Cryptic Quiz not all British, some generic names
1. Spade’s one was Maltese (6) 11.
2. Car polish in flight (7) 12.
3. Old slang for pickpocket (6) 13.
4. Tied up in nau􏰀cal velocity (4) 14.
5. Right, le􏰁 or dizzy (4) 15.
6. One sat on a silver shoulder (6) 16.
7. One half of our calendar girls (5) 17.
8. Sing like this when under threat (6) 18.
9. An enemy of Batman (7) 19.
10. Elizabethan collar (4) 20.
Found nes􏰀ng in bowler hat (3) AU heraldic emblem (9)
Deity with sense of humour (6) Golden gavel (12)
Symbol of quality (4)
Holy symbol for account (9) A􏰁er dark jam container (8) Willow or reed singer (7) Gulliver’s scribbler (5) Arrester of pearl maker (13)
13
Answers on p 16