Keeping in touch.

I'm always grateful to those who keep in touch with me and I'd like to use Birds2blog to thank three birders who - by coincidence - all e-mailed me on the same day recently to pass on some interesting records.

Male Stonechat. David Cookson. 

The first two both involved the Stonechat and the first one's subject was 'Stonechats or the lack of' and was from a birder who - like me - does a lot of upland birding, only differing from me in that he covers many more miles than I do whilst up there. He told me of a walk he did recently from Tower Lodge - Marshaw - Black Clough - Holdron Moss - Blaze Moss - Tower Lodge, the only detail he omitted was the mileage but sounds like a high one to me. On this walk the report was that not a single Stonechat was seen, to which I replied, he'd probably be no less surprised than I was about this result....bad news all the same. 

Female Stonechat. David Cookson.

The second correspondent sent me some better news in that he had found a family party of Stonechats on a lengthy walk in Bowland when he had observed three young being fed by adults near Langden Castle. Hardly an abundance of the species on another long trek in this part of the country, but at least it had some positivity to it.

Reed Warbler. Phil Slade.

The third e-mail contained some interest in that this birder discovered up to ten Reed Warblers in an area I  never cover, and have a distinct feeling nor does any other birder on a regular basis that I'm aware of. These birds were in the Phragmites along the canal in the Glasson Dock/Conder Green area.

Female Banded Demoiselle. Linda Gilhespy. 

This birder was also surprised to find at least two Banded Demoiselle along this stretch of the canal. Thanks to DC PS and LG for the photographs....excellent as ever.

Putting the record straight.   

In a recent post I suggested that young Ringed Plover found on 28 July on Plover Scar at Cockersands were 'surely a first record'....not so, the Flyde Bird Club Annual Report reports a record of two seen at the very same location on 15 July 2007.

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING !