And The Winner Is....

Hard to pick a winner from Friday's bag full of sightings at Conder Pool. A female Yellow Wagtail I found in the morning was looking good to take first place, but a Hobby seen later on my second visit to the pool, won by a small margin over the wagtail.

The Falco subbuteo came on the scene and zipped over the pool, putting every bird in sight to the wing, including at least 900 Redshank which were roosting with 20 Greenshank, and a Spotted Redshank.

My attempt to get some decent footage of the Spotted Redshank was in vain. Too far off, and in poor light. But good to see some behavior of the Common Terns, and the Little Egret in the background.

Spotted Redshank With Redshank. Pete Woodruff.

Other waders mixed with the shank's, a male Ruff, 75 Lapwing, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin, and a Snipe. When things settled down after the Hobby panic attack, I found 5 Little Ringed Plover which were seen as an adult with 4 juvenile, certainly not the Conder Pool birds, I would guess from somewhere on the Lune Estuary, Aldcliffe perhaps?

I made no attempt to count the Conder Pool Common Tern population, but noted fledged young and counted 5 chicks on the platform. At least 2 Linnet and a Stock Dove seen. A Red Admiral was the only butterfly seen during the time spent at Conder Green and Glasson Dock where 2 Raven were over the estuary. Two Emperor Dragonfly were seen from the canal towpath.

Saltcote Pond.

Clik The Piks....It Looks Even Worse

A visit to Saltcote Pond had me find the result of some bad management. All the pondside vegetation had been taken out, and the edges trimmed like a bowling green in 'Keep Britain Tidy' style. In performing this mis-management, they will have excluded a number of aquatic creatures and dragonflies from using this excellent little pond which hosted a Ruddy Darter, found by Martin Jump on 20 July last year. The Ruddy Darter is one of the rarest of our areas breeding dragonfly, second only to the Golden-ringed Dragonfly....I found no dragonflies here on Friday.

Thanks for the header image Martin....Much Appreciated.

Return To The Birk Bank Circuit.

On Tuesday I was in the good company of Steve Graham to do the Birk Bank circuit again following our visit here on 7 May, which in turn followed a visit here in May 2023 which started with failure to find the Wood Warbler in Gibson Wood, though we did settle for hearing the bird singing.

Todays circuit started in fine style, when at least 200 predominantly Black-headed Gull with a few Common Gull were accompanied by 6 Mediterranean Gull which were seen as 3 x adult, 2 x 2nd summer, and a 1st summer, they were in a slurry field at the junction of Rigg and Littledale Lane. Two dragonflies hawking over an area by Rushy Lee had us scratching our heads, eventually with size and brown colouration we agreed to call them early date female Migrant Hawker.

When we arrived at Cragg Cottage, 2 Swallow were seen to enter nests under the eaves, a Spotted Flycatcher was seen as a Chiffchaff flew into the scrub. A Golden-ringed Dragonfly and a pair of Common Darter in cop were over the River Conder.

In a state of disbelief, the only birds of note between Cragg Wood and our arrival at Birk Bank bog one hour later, were a pair of Stonechat and 3 Kestrel. Steve Graham would vouch for the fact we saw not a single Meadow Pipit in 4 hours here today.

Bilberry Bumblebee Birk Bank. Ian Mitchell.

The highlight for me was finding my ninth Bilberry Bumblebee this year, this one was around Ottergear Bridge.

Keeled Skimmer. Pete Woodruff.

At the bog, 9 Keeled Skimmer were seen as 6 male, a pair in cop, and a female. Also, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly put in a couple of appearances, 4 Large Red Damselfly and a pair in cop, and the Emperor Dragonfly had Steve claiming the first he has ever seen here, which gives credence to my records of the species present in Bowland at four locations.

Butterfly sightings were better than those on our last visit here in May, or in fact any of those this year, when we recorded just three individuals. Today we saw 10 Ringlet, 9 Meadow Brown, 3 Red Admiral, 2 Green-veined White, and a Small Tortoiseshell. 

Thanks to Martin Jump for the header image of Small Red-eyed Damselflies mating in flight. Thanks Martin, I may have to get on my bike to Preston to see any of these!   

Two For The Price Of One!

Being the summer finally decided to show up again, I managed a couple of trips into Bowland this week.

Wednesday 17 July.

Grisedale Bridge Looking To Harrisend

Well as I saw it, the weatherman said sunny clear skies and humid, but when I arrived at Grisedale Bridge with dragonflies in mind, I thought I'd made the wrong choice and come to the wrong place.

Undeterred, I set off to look for the quarry with golden rings, to find a male Stonechat as a welcome sight to start with. The only other birds to note were a Meadow Pipit and a Raven over. I saw no more than a dozen butterflies here, seen as a mega count by recent standards, the best of which was a Red Admiral, with Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, and Large White to note.

All was not lost as I got back to the bridge....There's something magical about seeing a Golden-ringed Dragonfly - not in the video - coming into view under the bridge and flying downstream. It's just so disappointing, that on 14 June last year I searched Grisedale Brook to find 12 Golden-ringed Dragonfly in one hour.

On a circuit of the pond at Catshaw, I found no dragons or damsels, but flushed out 2 Snipe in the process. On Hawthornthwaite I found 2 Stonechat, 6 Meadow Pipit, a Kestrel and 2 Sand Martin. I saw just two butterflies, a Red Admiral and Small Heath. The 'best bit' here came in the form of a male Emperor Dragonfly.

With dragonflies in mind, my day ended nicely, with a Golden-ringed Dragonfly on Cam Brook at the foot of Cam Brow. But I'm convinced there's been no Sand Martin colony at Cam Brow this year, nor do I think there's been one at Hawthornthwaite on Catshaw Grieve....Food for thought! 

Friday 19 July.

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank Bog 24 July. Ian Mitchell.

At Birk Bank, 6 Keeled Skimmer was good enough for me, they were seen as three male, a mating pair, and a female egg laying, all seen at close range. Also an Emperor Dragonfly, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, and 4 Large Red Damselfly.

On a wander around the area, a Stonechat pair, a Raven over, 4 Buzzard soaring and mewing together, and a Kestrel in a direct flight with a large gull above it was calling repeatedly 'kee-kee-kee-kee'.

Anting Gulls.

Too many for the camera to pick up on one frame, but a few hundred anting gulls over the house yesterday tea time. 

Emperor Dragonfly.

I have had my Emperor Dragonfly records accepted on iRecord, all with the comment attached....'Coordinate is outside known range for Anax imperator'....Clearly this is incorrect, and in this regard iRecord needs to be updated. I am reliably informed, there are a few records of Emperor Dragonfly on moorland other than Bowland, where I have recorded the species this year and in 2023.

Early Peaking Numbers!

There were some impressive numbers to be seen on Thursday. I started my day at Conder Pool where - after an earlier visit to find c.700 - I returned there at high tide to find up to 800 Redshank. To say this is my best count ever of Redshank here is a bit of an understatement, and has you wondering if this early returning wader is the result of a poor breeding season. I have no records for 2023 yet, but for comparison the Morecambe Bay WeBS count for July 2022 was 553 Redshank.

Another peak count at Conder Green on Thursday, was at least 20 Common Sandpiper which I counted from upstream from the railway bridge, to downstream in the Conder Channel. Conder Green is traditionally the place for good counts of this wader, rated only below Skippool where 31 Common Sandpiper were recorded 29 June 2022.

Other notes from Conder Pool excluding the Common Tern colony and Avocet, third time lucky for me to pick up the adult Little Ringed Plover, I understand only one chick survived to fledging this year. Also seen, 15 Greenshank of which the nearest corresponding date for comparison was 12 Greenshank here on 17 July 2023. The long staying 'black' Ruff and 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and there was a small group of 18 Lapwing to note on an island.

 

In the midst of the Redshank horde was an adult Mediterranean Gull hidden by a Black-headed Gull, but one of the three Black-tailed Godwit stood out amongst the Redshank.  

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, 3 Mediterranean Gull, 12 Avocet, up to 130 Curlew and 250 Lapwing, a lone adult Common Tern and a female Eider, 16 Little Egret and 62 Canada Geese.

I watched a House Martin enter a nest at the crossing cottage, and a Chiffchaff was at Saltcote Pond were I saw not a single dragonfly.

Garden News.

Recent goings on in the garden have been, a recently fledged Blackbird, the video made from the patio window in the dull early morning light at 5.27am on Friday, with adult Goldfinch on the feeders. The Robin also returned yesterday, last years return date to the garden was a day later on 13 July.

iRecords.

I was pleased to see my 8 Bilberry Bumblebee on Birk Bank, and up to 100 Southern Marsh Orchid in Lancaster records accepted.

Grey Start....Golden Finish.

With the weather we are having recently, it wasn't the start I had hoped for at Birk Bank on Monday. Nothing had changed at the bog, and to be honest I'd refer to it as being grim, and with a dark grey cloud hanging overhead didn't have things looking like they were going to change anytime soon. But sightings from the path to the bog cheered things up, with a Garden Warbler, a male Blackcap, and Song Thrush seen as I set off for a wander to Cragg Wood.

The Willow Warbler seems to have gone silent, but I did get good views of one, along with a juvenile Robin, 3 Wren, and a Red Grouse. A male Stonechat was alarmed at my presence, but I've yet to find evidence of breeding anywhere I have been this year so far, though there are a few 'probable's' according to pairs and behaviour I've observed.

Stonechat. Ian Mitchell.

Ian Mitchell is one up one me regarding Stonechat breeding records, with two juvenile seen on Hawthornthwaite on Monday.

When I arrived at Cragg Wood, a Spotted Flycatcher was seen again as it had been on 26 June, but I saw no Golden-ringed Dragonfly on the River Conder in the brief time I spent here.

Bilberry Bumblebee. Pete Woodruff.

On the return leg I came across this smart little Bilberry Bumblebee which gave me no opportunity for a decent picture, but it was my eighth this year, all seen around Birk Bank.

Sexton Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

Another smart little critter I came across, was the Sexton Beetle complete with phoretic mites which travel with the carrion beetle to scavenge on leftovers, and help keep the beetle clean.

The Golden Finish.

I was in the good company of MJ/AC/MP at Birk Bank bog during my two visits here on Monday, when I had given the best part of an hour on the first to connect with nothing.

Keeled Skimmer. Martin Jump.

But there was life on the bog on the second visit when 3 Keeled Skimmer were seen, including a mating pair. Things really took off when AC called Golden-ringed Dragonfly close in and coming closer, until the female came within touching distance and decided to start egg laying giving us the chance in a million opportunity of close scrutiny.

The Golden-ringed Dragonfly is the only Cordulegaster species in a large part of western and northern Europe including the British Isles. The female has a long needle-like ovipositor which can be seen in the video as it characteristically jabs repeatedly down into the bed of shallow water, as if on a pogo stick! It typically breeds in acidic waters which makes Birk Bank bog the perfect habitat for this brilliant dragonfly.

Claver Hill.

On Sunday I decided to check out Claver Hill which has a nature trail and is an area I have never heard of until I saw a piece in the local newspaper about an open day there at the end of July. There is a pond which I was keen to see, and found 6 Emperor Dragonfly including a mating pair.

Thanks to Martin Jump and to Ian Mitchell for their images, they are much appreciated. My header of Heather on Clougha I chose at random. 

Sterna paradisaea At Conder Pool.

It was good news this week from Conder Pool, when I hear of a 60% increase in the number of nesting Common Tern on the platform compared to last year, but the sad news is it has been the worst season for the Avocet and Black-headed Gulls since 2020 due to predation by Fox.

My news from Conder Pool on Friday was a little slim because of a major distraction, but 5 Mediterranean Gull were seen today, with 4 Greenshank and 4 Common Sandpiper. A Peregrine Falcon came over, it did a circuit of Conder Green before returning to take out a Starling and departing to the Lune Estuary.

A Major Distraction.

Howard Stockdale saw the arrival of an Arctic Tern on Conder Pool on Thursday, and in message to me he referred to....'Conder just keeps giving'....well comments like that can't be more appropriate now can they!

I became the twitcher on Friday, in the hope of a connection with this little beauty, but a birder was leaving as I arrived at Conder Green. I asked if the bird was still around to receive a negative reply as he left. Disappointed I turned the camera on to get some footage of three terns, it  wasn't until I played back the footage that I realised it was my lucky day, as one of the birds was indeed a 1st summer Arctic Tern apparently playing nursemaid to the immature Common Tern.

The Arctic Tern.

1st Summer Arctic Tern Conder Pool 4 July. Pete Woodruff.

The bird on Conder Pool is the second 1st summer Arctic Tern in recent years to visit our area, one was at Heysham on 9 July 2020. The same bird paid a visit to Conder Pool the following day 10 July, this is only 6 days later from being the same day, same location again in July 2024. 

1st Summer Arctic Tern Conder Pool 10 July 2020. Howard Stockdale.

The Arctic Tern moves on a global scale, breeding in the northern hemisphere and migrating south to the Antarctic, making the most extensive and remarkable migratory journeys of any other bird, literally crossing the world in travelling between the polar regions, the consequence of which this small bird experiences more daylight than any other living organism on the planet.

The distribution of the Arctic Tern is such that neither ring-recoveries nor observations will ever reveal the full extent of this birds movements in which there are major gaps in understanding them. It's breeding grounds are sparsely populated in the high Arctic, wintering grounds are largely uninhabited, and much of its movements occur in small groups at high altitude across open oceans. In the north they breed at a higher latitude than any other tern species, whilst populations breeding in Britain are at the southern edge of their breeding range where strongholds are in Orkney and Shetland, with a small number breeding in northern  England and on Anglesey.

Heading south to the Antarctic Seas in the non-breeding season involves a return journey for a far north breeder of a truly staggering 20,000 km at least.

I need to do some detailed research on movement of the Arctic Tern. As I see it, this bird shouldn't be in the Northern Hemisphere, let alone on a pool in Lancashire.

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the info re Conder Pool breeding data, also his image of the 1st summer Arctic Tern.

Swift. Paul Ellis.

Also I would like to point readers to an excellent set of six images worth viewing of Swift Here

A Good Day At The Office!

I was a little surprised to note the last visit made to Conder Pool was 15 May. I was overdue because my focus on wildlife had shifted elsewhere, but I was off to make that right and chose a good day to do so.  

Common Tern Conder Pool 2 July

With little attempt at accuracy my records read, at least 38 Common Tern adult and up to 20 chicks with three fledged and out on the island close to the nesting platform. There are some colour ringed adults, including one thought to have been marked in South Africa according to a source who was viewing with me. I found it both educational and entertaining watching the young running up and down the platform in anticipation of the bird coming in being the parent bird with fish.

Mediterranean Gulls Conder Pool 2 July

There was some added interest in the 4 Mediterranean Gull, seen as two adult and two 2nd summer birds. One of the 2nd summer birds was ringed in France and bearing a Green Darvic R9UJ....There are only three of the four gulls in the video in which there's some commentary by MP.

It's difficult in this murderous crop of the 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull, but it can be seen bearing the left leg Green Darvic ring.

Uncounted, so not the faintest idea of the Avocet number currently on Conder Pool, but some advanced juveniles noted with a good number of adults....An Emperor Dragonfly flew past the viewing screen.

Ruff Conder Green. Paul Ellis.

It was good to see the black male Ruff in the creeks, with up to 220 Redshank seen as a large number returning early on 2 July, also 6 Common Sandpiper and 2 Greenshank seen.

Ruff Male Conder Creeks 2 July

There was good news at River Winds when I counted ten House Martin nests with three seen attended by adults....There wasn't a bird in sight when I visited here six weeks ago in mid-May. 

Ringlet. Pete Woodruff.

Along the coastal path to Glasson Dock, I saw the only butterfly of the day, but it was a good one in my book, a Ringlet. At Saltcote Pond, an Emperor Dragonfly and probably 20 Common Blue Damselfly with a few Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Common Blue Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

There was good numbers of damselflies along the canal towpath, including this Common Blue Damselfly paired with a dull green female.

Dunnock In The Garden.

The Woodruff's were delighted to see a young Dunnock in the garden recently.