This time my header image is that of the first Common Tern to fledge on Conder Pool this breeding season, it took to the wing on 2 July. I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the excellent image of this bird, and for some of the stats in the post that follows regarding the Common Terns on Conder Pool.
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Common Tern With Young Conder Pool Raft 1 July. Pete Woodruff.
I can't pretend not to be disappointed that the juvenile Common Tern decided to wait until the following day of my visit to Conder Pool to fledge. I had seen four young Common Tern on the raft on Wednesday, one was wing exercising, no doubt this was the one that fledged the following day, hence my disappointment.
On the morning of 28 July, there was 25 Common Tern nests, 22 pairs were incubating, with 3 nests and 6 chicks.
Up to 30 Common Tern were on the raft on Wednesday, adults and 4 young. I made no count of any terns that may have been off the raft, though I'm told birds breeding on the islands had failed due to predation and had relocated to the raft.
The outlook for the future of this years breeding Common Terns on Conder Pool is looking good and positive....Alleluia!
I made no counts of adult Avocet, but noted 2 young and a well grown juvenile which was rewarding. There was a good count of 12 Mediterranean Gull, including two 1st summer, and three 2nd summer birds. A lone adult Little Ringed Plover gave good views, and at the back of the pool, 11 Black-tailed Godwit and 7 Bar-tailed Godwit were lined up along with 5 Greenshank. A Little Grebe and 9 Canada Geese were noted at the west end of the pool.
Over in the creeks and on return passage, 2 Common Sandpiper, and a Ruff seen high tide roosting with Redshank.
Saltcote Pond.
Saltcote Pond was near deserted by the dragonflies, but a pair of Blue-tailed Damselfly in cop are being recorded as an immature male and a female of the rufescens-obseleta form, also 3 Common Blue Damselfly. A Swift was over, with 2 Chiffchaff and a singing Sedge Warbler.
Canal Glasson - Conder Green.
In search of dragons on the canal, hardly July 1 weather. The view looking east towards the Forest of Bowland was grim, and pleased I hadn't decided to go on to Hawthornthwaite Fell today, it's under a cloud of drizzle in this view.
Common Blue Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.
Garden Activity.
There was a first for me in the garden on Friday, when I found 6 Long Tailed Tit, four of which I had the chance to view before they moved on, they were young...A moment of birding magic for me.
It is also good that the list of young in the garden continues to grow, with Dunnock, Blackbird, Great Tit, and good numbers of House Sparrow over the past weeks, all having had a good breeding season it seems.
