Birds, Butterflies, Bees, And Wasps.

Birds And Butterflies.

I took advantage of visiting our daughter in the Caton area, to have a wander around Bull Beck and the banks of the River Lune at Caton. 

This video of the Sand Martins at Bull Beck, I made on a visit here on 15 April 2021, was a pleasant reminder of the day I saw an Osprey flying upstream, and also found the Little Ringed Plover on the shingle bank opposite the Sand Martins.

Little Ringed Plover Bull Beck 2021. Pete Woodruff.

The LRP bred here on the shingle bank in 2021, in the same year 12 pairs bred along the River Lune between Arkholme and downstream to Caton. I didn't get as far to see the sand bank today, but there was a good number of Sand Martin flying up and down the river. It was good to hear a Garden Warbler, with a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest seen.

Although I saw neither of the birds, 2 Blackcap were heard, the one in this bush was in competition with another singing male within 20 metres. Butterflies seen were a Green-veined White and Orange Tip, best was my second of the year Painted Lady.

Bees And Wasps.

It was something special when I found Mason Bees entering the nest holes in our bee hotel last year, and even more special when we saw them in and around the hotel this spring.

Red Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

The Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis are a delight to watch as they arrive on the scene and fly around and enter the holes in the hotel.

Blue Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

They are joined by the Blue Mason Bee Osmia caerulescens....Smart little critters.

But recently things have taken a worrying turn as some parasitic wasps have shown up. 

Greater Pennant Wasp. Pete Woodruff.

First on the scene was the Greater Pennant Wasp with its extra long ovipositor....I initially thought the Martians had landed!

The GPW was showing an unhealthy interest around the bee hotel.

Sapyga quinquepunctata Pete Woodruff

But what came next developed into something very interesting, it was another parasitic wasp with an elaborate scientific name. I did a little research on this one and found it to be only one of two of the Sapygidae family to be found in the UK, of which there are just 80 species globally.

Sapyga quinquepunctata/Osmia caerulescens Pete Woodruff

Until 2016, there were only 4 records of Sapyga quinquepunctata in Lancashire, all in the west of the county. But on iRecords I found 6 records in West Lancashire over the 11 years 2013-2024, the first on 1 June 2013 at an unnamed location in West Lancashire, and the last on 23 June 2024, this one at Crook of Lune in North Lancashire....So a pretty good find in our Lancashire garden.

I'm indebted to Dave Bickerton and Ben Hargreaves for helping me on some issues regarding this wasp.

I'd Sooner Be Birding!

On And Around Conder Pool.

Conder Pool 5 April.

I refuse to make too many negative comments about the current state of play regarding the Black-headed Gulls vs Common Terns, but I was in the company of Howard Stockdale, he gave me his take on what the coming weeks holds for the terns and his predictions that it's a case of 'all's well that ends well'....Time will tell!

The Tern Raft Conder Pool 5 May. Pete Woodruff.

According to my observations on Monday, the Black-headed Gulls have taken over the tern raft on Conder Pool, and the two terns on the rails left in the picture above, are looking pretty much peed-off about it all. 

I would say there are at least 24 pairs of gulls are breeding there this year.

But the positives kicked in when I saw a pair of terns definitely looking like they were intent on moving in on the island behind the raft. One of these birds bears a ring on the left leg, and another tern on the pool was also ringed. Both these Common Terns were bred and ringed by Ian Hartley at Conder Pool.

Mediterranean Gull. Howard Stockdale.

Birds on Conder Pool on Monday, 2 Mediterranean Gull both 2nd winter, and in addition to my estimate of up to 200 Black-headed Gull, I noted 6 Common Tern, and 29 Avocet.

The Little Ringed Plover put in a brief appearance for a photo opportunity for me before disappearing out of the frame.

In the creeks, 2 Greenshank were with 2 Black-tailed Godwit - one of each in the video - and the Spotted Redshank which is now in full black and spotted breeding plumage.  

Cockersand.

Across The Bay. Pete Woodruff.

Looking to Black Combe on the western edge of Morecambe Bay, I was attracted to the cloud formation and view across the bay. I soon spotted a bird on the left side of the red buoy.

 

It was a Common Tern, it called as two other terns flew towards it and on into the estuary. A few minutes later and close by, I was treated to the spectacle of watching another Common Tern plunge diving.

Over a 500 metre stretch of roadside reeds along Moss Lane, I heard 5 Sedge Warbler. Butterflies seen, my first Painted Lady, a Small Tortoiseshell and Green-veined White.

Mixed Feelings In Bowland!

For starters, my visit to Bowland wouldn't have happened had I known how strong the wind was going to be, a bit of a howler to be honest, and took the edge of what was otherwise a beautiful sunny day. For whatever reason, it turned out to be the wrong day and the wrong time. N'er mind, in the end, a couple of bird species made my day....End of whinge!

Hawthornthwaite.

On Hawthornthwaite, 4 Stonechat seen as 2 pairs started the day on a positive note, 2 Wheatear helped the day along too. It's always good to find birds on territory as opposed to finding them on passage along the coast. Ian Mitchell accompanied me on this trip and he managed the summit, result was a combined count of 24 Meadow Pipit. Also noted in the little black book, a lone Red Grouse, 2 Wren, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Greylag, and no more than 6 Sand Martin were along Catshaw Grieve.

Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge.

If I go through the negatives first, there were some disappointments about the  trundle from Marshaw through to Trough Bridge. Not a single Common Sandpiper seen, and no Willow Warbler heard let alone seen. On the brighter and more positive side, a Dipper and 4 Grey Wagtail were seen along the Marshaw Wyre.

Pied Flycatcher Bowland 29 April. Ian Mitchell.

The positives reached a peak when 3 Pied Flycatcher were found, always a better experience seeing these birds tree nesting as opposed to purpose built nest boxes, my records read probably two breeding pairs here today....I'm convinced my next visit to this area of Bowland in a couple of weeks, will produce a much better all round result, and certainly more flycatcher species seen.

Birk Bank.

Large Red Damselfly female colour form typica. Ian Mitchell.

 

The hope of some shelter from the wind was wishful thinking, a look in on the bog at Birk Bank, at least gave a Large Red Damselfly. Now we are into May, things will pick up on the dragon front.

I met Steve Ed at Birk Bank, he was photographing some bees I had seen a little earlier. One of the bees was a Lathbury's Nomada Bee.

Nomada lathburiana Steve Ed

This Nomada is a cleptoparasite of the Ashy Mining-Bee, its only host in Britain.

Andrena cineraria Steve Ed

The Ashy Mining-Bee is one of the most robust and distinctive mining bees in Lancashire. I love the ashy-grey appearance and the shiny black abdomen of one of my favourite bees.

Miscellany. 

On the way along the path to the bog at Birk Bank, a Slow Worn seemed to be making little progress on the dry path, until it reached the grass.

Five Greylag goslings were making their way toward us, eventually reaching the boardwalk, then wandered off through a field...No adult birds in sight!

Pond Skater. Ian Mitchell.

Ian got this excellent image of the appropriately named Pond Skater with its ability to skate on water.

The Header.

Martin Jump's header of the Lapwing has no immediate connection with this post, but I love pictures with a difference and this one fits perfectly into that category....Excellent and thanks to Martin.