Resurrection!

Well my birding has been very patchy of late, in fact it's been non existent to be honest, but I'm working on getting myself out of the hole I find myself in. Meanwhile, there's some resurrection on the horizon in some areas starting with a fledged c.6 week old juvenile Tawny Owl seen in Bowland.

This is the best image available, a phone shot for the record. I've decided to keep my mouth shut about details on this one....Schedule 1 birds and all that!

The Lancaster Orchids.

It was good to find the orchids again this year east of Lancaster.

Southern Marsh Orchid June 2026. Pete Woodruff.

This time I found at least 120 spikes of Southern Marsh Orchid, a slight improvement on last year, when I made a count of up to 100 spikes.

Common Spotted Orchid June 2026. Pete Woodruff.

My count this year, was of 48 Common Spotted Orchid, better than last year when it was 25 spikes.

Garden Birds.

Our birds have had a good breeding season so far this year.

I managed to get some footage of the Blue Tit feeding young, also Great Tit, Goldfinch and Dunnock all have young, and a Blackbird with a juvenile. The House Sparrow has done well with a total figure of at least 40 adult and young.

Who knows how many adult and young Starling have visited us over the past few weeks, it could have been a three figure number, and included this bully juvenile on the apple.

Garden Bees.

The garden bees were busy on Sunday with the weather warming.

Red Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

The Mason Bees were back and forth to the hotel....

The Blue Mason Bees were filling in the holes, with an upstairs neighbour having a nosey!

Blue Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

....this one was resting on the roof. I think these will leave later than their red cousins, but both will have gone by the end of July.

Common Carder Bee. Pete Woodruff.

A Common Carder Bee was nectaring on Viper Bugloss.

Conder Pool.

It's good to see the Common Terns have taken control of the platform, and even better to hear they have started to produce this years chicks. The news from Conder Pool gets better by the day, when two new Common Terns arrived yesterday.

The Avocets are also having a good season, and adults have already succeeded to guide chicks off Conder Pool, to cross the busy B5290 to the River Conder. I have no accurate figures, but I get the impression there are at least 20 Avocet chicks with 5 nests to hatch.

There seems to be no end to the good news from the pool this year, when a new Avocet arrived here to breed. This is a bird ringed at Boulais in France 20 June 2008, according to its history, a much traveled 18 year old Avocet.

I am grateful to Howard Stockdale for this update with news and images from Conder Pool. 

The Disappearing Act.

By necessity this is a little repetitive as a update on the disappearing swans, and it begins with the 'repetitive bit'.

Since I last saw up to 200 Whooper Swan and 2 Bewick's Swan at Cockersand on 24 November which were destined to winter here, they mysteriously disappeared. Well not mysteriously really, as I'm convinced it was because a similar number of sheep - up to 200 - were driven into the same field, and the swans have never been seen since.

By coincidence, at the same time of the disappearing swans, at least 3,500 Pink-footed Geese also vacated a field a short distance away, and are also gone for good it seems. To be honest, this is not such a mystery as with the swans, the geese tend to roam around during the winter, so are now probably settled somewhere on the Fylde.

But good news came to me in the form of a message from AC to tell me of c.160 Whooper Swan he had seen in a field at Cockersand on 8 December, also on the same date, 30 Whooper Swan were at Braides, which sounded to me like the Cockersand herd made a short flight south to Cockerham.

Two days later on 10 December, more good news - excellent news actually - from AC, when he reports 2 Bewick's Swan at Braides with 123 Whooper Swan. But better still, was that 73 Whooper Swan were in a field on the north side of Abbey Farm. So the Cockersand Whooper Swans are back, albeit fragmented and now located at two sites....Wonderful stuff.

Friday 12 December.

I only had a couple of hours of freedom on Friday, but no matter, that was all I needed to get an update on the swan issue at Cockersand.

Whooper Swan Cockersand 12 December. Pete Woodruff.

Not quite as good as hoped for, just 44 Whooper Swan were in the field north side of Abbey Farm....So the Whooper saga goes on!

It was a pleasant sight to see and hear the trumpeting 'yak-ak-ak' of four skeins of up to 3,000 Pink-footed Geese in flight out of the Lune Estuary south and over towards Pilling Marsh. This was a good number probably leaving the Colloway/Aldcliffe Marshes. 

Four Of Six Moorhen. Pete Woodruff.

It was good if unusual for me to see 6 Moorhen in procession through stubble. I'm not acquainted with seeing numbers of these rails, though I did find 22 Moorhen together around the frozen wildfowlers pool at Aldcliffe 11 years ago in December 2014.

One of our resident Blackbird was enjoying a feast of Cotoneaster berries yesterday, whilst our Robin looked on before quickly flying off.

Friday 17 October.

I suspected some kind of recent disturbance had caused me to think, the best one word description for Conder Pool was dire. With the exception of c.120 Black-headed Gull, the best on offer was 7 birds, being a lone Redshank, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Mute Swan, a Robin was singing -  as they do all year round - in the hedgerow, with 3 Little Grebe bringing up the rear. 

The grebes seem to be moving away from Conder Pool earlier this year, according to my records they move to the creeks and on to the Lune Estuary early January, this autumn it seems they are deserting at least 8 weeks earlier. But as I made the move to leave the pool, things certainly took a turn for the better. Looking toward the creeks, I picked up a couple of small waders to see they were Curlew Sandpiper.

At the first cursory glance I prefer to rule out Dunlin, the sandpiper being more elegant and gangly. But on this occasion one bird started to preen, briefly showing its striking white rump and doing the elimination for me.

At Cockersand, I was pleased to find my first pair of wintering Stonechat here, they were in and around the dyke opposite the junction of Moss/Slack Lane. AC had already found two Stonechat last Monday 13 October, his birds were around the Bulrush dyke behind Lighthouse Cottage, I reckon mine were the same pair relocated slightly to the south.

Thanks to Ana for the stunning male 'Spanish' Stonechat

I managed the circuit to find 100+Linnet flighty around the fields off Slack Lane, the same flock here as those seen 22 September. Also a count of 6 Long-tailed Tit, with Song Thrush, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Great Tit, 2 Kestrel, and 38 Curlew were in a field north side of Abbey Farm. Two small skeins totaling 100 Pink-footed Geese were over Plover Scar>south.

Short and sweet again!   

....And Impressive Wintering Stonechat Records.

On this visit to Conder Pool I practiced one of my occasional stock taking exercises the result of which came up with, 19 Wigeon, a Little Grebe, 12 Redshank, 21 Black-headed Gull, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and Common Gull, 3 Mute Swan, 3 Canada Geese, and best till last a female Stonechat.

At Glasson Dock, 12 Goldfinch were accompanied by 2 Greenfinch, and on Jeremy Lane, 7 Whooper Swan were seen as 4 juvenile and 3 adult.

Reed Bunting. Pete Woodruff.

At Cockersand, 14 Goldfinch, 2 Greenfinch, 3 Reed Bunting and 11 Blackbird. In fields, 625 Golden Plover, 12 Fieldfare, and up to 220 Whooper Swan were seen over four fields.

When I arrived back at the motor, I was pleasantly entertained by a pair of Stonechat constantly foraging on and off the marsh, from where I watched a Barn Owl appear but soon lost to view behind Bank Houses.

The Cockersand Stonechat wasn't very obliging and the light was fading too, but I had to get some footage as it was my only opportunity of the day.

Stonechat.

Over these first 12 days of January, I have collected records of 24 Stonechat wintering at 14 sites, mostly on the Fylde. I also now have 7 upland records of wintering birds. 

Great Northern Diver....Continuing the saga of an ill fated bird.

I gleaned the opinion of an experienced angler in an attempt to reach some sort of conclusion about the foreign body the bird had 'picked up' since it arrived on the lake nearly a month ago.

This is a copy of the e-mail.... 

Hi Pete, I have just seen the images, and it looks fairly certain to be a Pike fishing rig. Usually 18 inches of a strong braided metal material with 2 treble hooks to hold the dead fish bait, unfortunately it looked like this was snapped off and the diver has ingested the fish dead bait intended for pike. This wire corrodes very slowly, and in my view isn't good news for this bird. 

The end of this message didn't surprise me at all, but definitely saddened me....The demise of a beautiful bird seems inevitable.

On A Lighter Note!

I monitored Clougha and its surroundings, all seasons every month primarily for Stonechat for in excess of 10 years 1999-2010. For the record, that's at least 120 visits, lasting on average 5 hours, making a total of up to 600 hours spent on Clougha/Birk Bank.

Who would have thought, that 2 years after my observations drew to an end, I would move into a house that had a brilliant view - albeit between the rooftops - of the place I loved the best, looking for the bird I loved best.

I recently took this shot of Clougha from our bedroom window, looking splendid in a nice coating of snow. I took another 2 minutes later, and heavily cropping it during processing....

....I discovered a bird had appeared on the scene over Clougha. It's obviously a bird of prey, but not too obvious a Buzzard perhaps, maybe a Harrier or Kite.

Thanks to Martin Jump for the header image of a male Sparrowhawk that thought it could hover like a Kestrel.

Of Geese And Swans....And A Skipper.

A bit depressing when I stepped onto the viewing platform at Conder Pool on Thursday, there was precisely five birds to be seen on the pool, and more noticeably not a Little Grebe in sight. Three Mute Swan were accompanied by a pure white farmyard goose and a Goosander, 2 Blackbird and a Robin were along the hedgerow. But a female Stonechat around the long grasses at the east end, pulled the experience out of the gloom for me.

Goldeneye January 2024. Pete Woodruff.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, it was good that I found my first 2 Goldeneye drake of the winter. Waders to note were, at least 2,500 Lapwing, 1,550 Golden Plover, 450 Dunlin, and 4 Black-tailed Godwit. Miscellany, 560 Wigeon, a Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, a drake Goosander, and a small flighty flock of 18 Goldfinch.

Geese And Swans.

Up to 900 geese in the field off Jeremy Lane by Saltcote Bridge pumping station, they were seen as 750 Greylag, 116 Canada Geese, and 34 Pink-footed Geese. At Cockersand, 425 Whooper Swan was the best count this winter, the bulk of which was in the field behind Crook Cottage, and they were in company with 2 Bewick's Swan.

Bewick's Swan Cockersand 12 December. Pete Woodruff. 

A sight we should relish and appreciate as a bird seen today as an uncommon and declining winter visitor in Lancashire. This bird seemed determined not to face me for a portrait, the other one was asleep to its left.

And A Skipper.

This is a copy from The Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside Butterfly Report 2023....I have highlighted the relevant section. 

In some parts of the UK there has been a significant decline in the distribution of the Dingy Skipper and a moderate decline in its abundance, although recently this trend has in some cases been reversed. In Lancashire its distribution seems stable although the species is almost confined to the limestone pavement around Silverdale where it favours open patches of sparse vegetation and bare ground. It also continues in low numbers at Birk Bank and at its sole known site in Greater Manchester, a location unfortunately without public access, on a former coalfield. There have been no further reports from the location near Burnley where a single example was seen in 2018.

Dingy Skipper Janice Sutton (Butterfly Conservation Lanc's Branch)

With a mutual interest in Birk Bank and the surrounding area, Steve Graham and myself had a conversation about this report in 2023 and thought it was doubtful.

Below is a copy from the Lancashire Butterfly Conservation latest magazine, which carries proof that our doubts were well founded....Again I have highlighted the relevant section at the end.

Erratum.

The Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside Butterfly Report 2023 reported the presence of Dingy Skipper at Birk Bank. However, concerns were raised over the validity of these records, and following a number of visits to the site and an appraisal of the habitat it has not been possible to verify the records of Dingy Skipper at this site and the records have been deleted.

Mainly Godwits & Gulls.

Well mainly godwits and gulls on Conder Pool on Monday, because I'm still waiting to find my first migrant despite a couple of hours spent at one of the best locations for the first Wheatear in our area at Cockersand, though I note just a few miles south down the coast, AC found his first two Wheatear at Fluke Hall....wrong place wrong time for me it seems!

I was pleased to see the godwits still hanging on at Conder Pool, though reduced in number, with at least 2,500 Black-tailed Godwit, they were accompanied by a lone Bar-tailed Godwit and up to 200 Knot, a sight not to be ignored, and one not surpassed by me, as a wader not regularly featured and rarely in a three figure number on the Lune Estuary let alone on Conder Pool. Another bird seen hanging on at Conder Pool and the estuary, was a Greenshank. 

As for the gulls in the title....Up to 150 Black-headed Gull on Conder Pool as a noisy screeching colony, probably 75 pairs looking to nest here. 

At Glasson, I never tire of finding 5 Shoveler here, seen as three drake and two duck. Eight Avocet seen again and still not seen by myself on Conder Pool. At the south end of Colloway Marsh and spreading north in the distance were c.3,500 Pink-footed Geese.

On Jeremy Lane a chance meeting with J.C.W was a stroke of luck, when a female Merlin was seen mid-distance....Nice.

At Cockersand there was little to surprise despite spending two hours and doing the circuit there, and from this experience no wintering or passage Stonechat here today. But the milder sunny weather, coupled with the Lapwing showing off its spectacular alternating flight of rising and diving, twisting and turning with territorial song, and the accompanying flight song of the Skylark, gave the feeling of spring turning to early summer. Otherwise, numbers were at around 350 Whooper Swan spread over three fields, 35 Linnet were flighty over fields.

Sunday 17 March.

A pleasant walk along the promenade, was rewarded with 33 Brent Geese seen off the children's play area at Heysham. And a female Siskin pays regular visits to our garden feeders. Our resident female Blackbird is nest building, and spent several minutes yesterday collecting material, then spent another several minutes frozen.... 

I was a little puzzled by this behaviour.

Sparrowhawk.

The images are credited to Mike Atkinson who sent me these two seen in his garden recently.

An interesting note, I'm not sure there is any connection with the sex of the bird, but as perfectly illustrated here, the Sparrowhawk's eyes change colour with age from yellow in younger birds to red with maturity....Thanks Mike, much appreciated.

A Little Subdued On The Estuary.

To say the 4,000+Black-tailed Godwit were still on Conder Pool on Monday, is the obvious contradiction to the title of this post. But although on a nice sunny early March day albeit too windy for my liking, around the Lune Estuary was generally quiet on the sightings scene, with little possibility of finding any early migrants.

*Three Sand Martin reported yesterday Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve....LDBWS 

As I started to make a video, the godwits were spooked by something eyes right, necks stretched and flew off. 

The only other notable thing about the visit to Conder Pool, was a lone Bar-tailed Godwit in the midst of the godwit mass. That said, 4 Buzzard were together over the woods to the NE of Conder Green, seen as a group probably from nearby territories, a common social pattern and behavior by the Buzzard soaring in spring. 

Off Moss Lane, a Cattle Egret was with 75 Whooper Swan, and at Cockersand, a Merlin took off from the footbridge over a ditch on the north side of Bank House, and flew over the field behind the caravan park. I saw just the one female Stonechat, a lingering wintering bird along the bulrush ditch off Slack Lane.

Garden Birds.

Excellent news for the Woodruff's when 2 Robin were seen in the garden, one collecting moss with thoughts of breeding, the other taking a bath. Also, a Siskin continues to make occasional visits to the feeders.

And our resident Blackbird was serenading in the moonlight at dusk yesterday, not quite in full voice, but pleasant all the same.

Stonechat Passage.

With some excellent Stonechat data, AC was in touch to report 20 Stonechat he has seen since mid-February, and points out the difference of 40 seen this time last year....Thanks Andrew, much appreciate your enthusiasm.

The Header.

Flying the kite on the beach at Sandylands on Sunday with his kids. A friendly man who agreed with me, Lancaster City Council has pulled the plug on this years Catch The Wind Festival. The festival is the highlight of the summer season in Morecambe attracting up to 20,000 visitors....Dumped by a bunch of muppets.

Thanks to the friendly man for his brilliant Owl Kite in my header image.  

The Conder Godwits....Again!

The plan on Thursday, was to visit the Lune Estuary at Glasson to see if anything was going to be pushed close in by the incoming tide, then go to Conder Green to see if anything had been displaced by the tide and on to Conder Pool.

The Lune Estuary.

Numbers on the estuary were comparatively disappointing, but I was eventually rewarded by mid-distance views of the Spotted Redshank, it was on the tideline with up to 250 Dunlin and 175 Redshank downstream from the Conder mouth.

Drake Goldeneye. Pete Woodruff. 

Also to note, 6 Goldeneye, c.450 Wigeon, and a lone Greenfinch singing atop of a tree by the bowling green.

The Conder Pool Godwits.

There have been two recent reports involving all-time high counts of Black-tailed Godwits on the Lune Estuary, those of 4,500 and 4,600, both seen 18 February....LDBWS

It was immediately apparent why the numbers of waders was low on the Lune Estuary today, and also apparent that the number of Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool today was higher than I have previously seen which was 3,500 here on Monday 26 February. 

Black-tailed Godwit Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

My records for Thursday 29 February read, at least 4,000 Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool....Definitely the most spectacular show ever witnessed on Conder Pool, and all for free!

Williamson's Park.

I decided to give the park and cemetery in Lancaster a couple of hours, primarily in the hope of Bullfinch, but that part of the plan failed, but it was good that I found a Song Thrush which was accompanied by 5 Blackbird close by....Note the Blackbird mugging the Song Thrush and stealing its lunch!

A male and female Siskin showed on the feeders at Fenham Carr, a Treecreeper was in the cemetery, and up to 6 Robin and as many Nuthatch were heard in song.

Crocus Lancaster Cemetery. Pete Woodruff.

Stonechats.

I have collected 26 Stonechat records throughout February, but so far spring passage has been nothing like that of 2023, and only 12 Stonechat in these records can safely be regarded as passage birds.

And Finally.

Off Knowleys Road at Heysham last Sunday, a count of 75 Wood Pigeon in the field by the children's play area. And how about this one, a Yellow Wagtail seen at Grange in Cumbria Friday 29 February....A Cumbrian birder agrees with me, the first ever Yellow Wagtail in Britain in February, or more probably a Grey Wagtail!

Leucism.

Organising my images, I came across these two leucistic waders from the archives, the Knot and the Oystercatcher. Probably taken 30 years ago and buried beneath several hundred other images.   

Seventeen Days Later!

When I finally got out on Friday, it had been 17 days since my last wander around the ranch....That's depressing. What started as a snail trail, slowly built into a bit of a crescendo which culminated in another one of my successful return visits to a site covered earlier in the day.

If I was going to get the ball rolling five days late into the New Year, I had to note the routine stuff on Conder Pool to get something in the book. There was a up to 90 Mallard, 42 Teal, 9 Tufted Duck, 8 Little Grebe, a lone drake Wigeon, a Snipe and a Little Egret....Stock taking complete.

It was a day of large numbers of waders on the Lune Estuary, and in what was essentially a brief visit for me, I noted at least 1,500 Black-tailed Godwit, up to 100 Dunlin, and 120 Golden Plover. A male and female Wigeon hauled out together were marked with a green ring right leg, and metal left. Frustratingly too distant to read, they were my first ever ringed Wigeon.

I drove past Clarkson's Farm fields to see 4 Cattle Egret, almost certainly the same four I found along Slack Lane over two months ago on 25 October. As I set out on the circuit, a pair of Stonechat were on the marsh opposite the Caravan Park, they were the only two I saw on the day. In the hedge at Bank House, 15 House Sparrow, to be honest I don't recall the last time I saw this number of House Sparrow at Cockersand. Noted along Moss Lane, 9 Blackbird were within 20 metres of each other, 4 Goldfinch, a Reed Bunting and a Song Thrush.

In a field off Slack Lane, 138 Whooper Swan, were the only ones seen at or from Cockersand today.

On Plover Scar, I finally caught up with the Snow Bunting, amazingly camouflaged on the tidewrack. Arriving back at the Caravan Park, I briefly saw the Barn Owl in fields behind Bank House.

When I made what turned out to be a successful return to the Lune Estuary at Glasson, the tide was in flow and was pushing a good number of waders on to the shore. I eventually picked out a mid-distance bird with unmarked white underparts and clear cut white fore-supercilium. It was the Spotted Redshank ending my day nicely thank you very much!

The Russian Down The Lane!

The female Pochard remains faithful to Conder Pool, and thinks it is one of the 46 Wigeon I counted with which it mingled. Also noted were 22 Tufted Duck and 6 Little Grebe, with single figure Fieldfare, Redwing, Blackbird, and 2 Song Thrush taking berries along the hedgerow, but the male Stonechat wasn't deposed from its top spot on Conder Pool....AC had seen the pair of Stonechat here earlier in the day.

Hen Harrier. Simon Hawtin.

At Cockersand, my third recent sighting of the ringtail Hen Harrier in flight over the stubble field behind Lighthouse Cottage before lost to view over Crook Cottage, almost but not quite knocking 4 Stonechat seen off their throne....Well if I'm going to keep seeing this spectacular ringtail, I'm going to keep posting the spectacular images from Simon Hawtin. 

The c.240 Whooper Swan seen had made return appearance, with 120 in the field at Clarkson's Farm where I only found one of the four Cattle Egret seen there earlier per AC, another similar number of Whooper Swan were distant around Thursland Hill.

The bunting currently reported around Plover Scar, gave me a bit of a run-around. I saw 2 Twite foraging the detritus on the scar, and gave up on the bunting, but as I went through the kissing gate, I saw a bird flying around, by the time I reached the abbey I saw it was a Snow Bunting flying off towards Plover Scar and calling, but I made a fruitless chase after the bird. My other Cockersand notes were of at least 200 Curlew in the field north of Abbey Farm, 9 Greenfinch, and 92 Pink-footed Geese over >south.

As I headed to Cockersand earlier in the afternoon, the field off Jeremy Lane, which had held large numbers of geese for a fortnight, was deserted. But when I drove back down the lane 3 hours later returning to Lancaster, there was up to 80 Greylag back in the field....is this my lucky day?

The 1st winter Russian White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons with a white facial blaze and pink bill and breeds in western Russia, had recently latched on to the large gaggle of Greylag Geese which - though noticeably smaller - it resembles. 

Winners And Losers.

After the first hand report about Snow Bunting and Little Owl at Cockersand on Tuesday, I ended the week having made two follow up visits there to draw a blank on the bunting and the owl. On all three visits the weather was excellent, but Tuesday was exceptional though cold, and with a flat calm sea I reckon it was the best day ever at Cockersand, to be there with the wind speed at nil verges on unique. 

Though I was hoping the fly-past of swans where going to have yellow bills, but the Mute Swans skimming inches over the flat calm sea was brilliant.

I only clocked 2 Stonechat at Cockersand, being the busy pair foraging along the marsh edge. Also of note, 15 Blackbird seen on the circuit and 2 Song Thrush.

Up to 100 Golden Plover were scattered through four fields with 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 9 Snipe took flight out of a ditch along Moss Lane. Passerines seen, 11 Greenfinch, 7 Goldfinch, 5 Reed Bunting, and 4 Wren, 11 Eider were off Plover Scar. The count of swans at Cockersand in two fields now stands at in excess of 300 Whooper Swan. 

Up to 345 geese dominated Conder Pool on Friday, with up to 235 Greylag and 110 Canada Geese, also 85 Wigeon and 9 Little Grebe seen. The Stonechat pair also put on a show for me. On the Lune Estuary following a tip off, I made haste there to count an impressive at least 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit.

Some you win, some you loose!

Stonechat.

Simon Hawtin sent me two excellent upland records of 10 Stonechat, seen as 7 on a circuit of Tarnbrook 28 November, and 3 below Ward Stone 2 December. 

Stonechat 2 December. Simon Hawtin

Lowland Stonechat records to also qualify as excellent, are those of 9 Stonechat at four locations 30 November AC, and 10 Stonechat at two locations 1 December FB....Fylde Bird Club 

Stonechat. Helen Hawtin.
 

Simon Hawtin sent me an image of a male Stonechat at Grisedale Bridge earlier in the year, it was taken by his daughter with a phone camera. I particularly like the picture as it has the quality of a painting as opposed to a photograph.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for the header image of the female Kestrel at Cockersand. Ian says....'not a very good picture because looking into the sun'....I don't readily agree with Ian's criticism.

Red Turns Gold!

Handsomely rewarded for a visit to a couple of my Bowland hot spots, namely Grisedale Bridge where mutt-minders abound, and Cam Brow, where at this time of year, sun worshipers flock....there's the pun!

The nicest surprise was, despite drawing a blank on two previous visits to Grisedale Bridge 29 April and 13 May, this time I found a male Redstart exactly one month later on 13 June, in precisely the same location it had been the two previous years.

But the Redstart which previously prospected the Ash, and the Nuthatch previously nested, haven't chosen to do so in  this year.

The bigger surprise was, in one hour downstream from Grisedale Bridge to Holme Wood, I counted 12 Golden Ringed Dragonfly which included accounting for duplication. This record equaled my count of 12 on 11 July 2022. I also noted 3 Small Heath, and as I arrived back at the motor, a male Stonechat greeted me atop of Gorse.

Young Sand Martin can be seen in the video at the left hand nest.

A wander along the side of Cam Brook from Cam Brow to the Hawthornthwaite Fell track, Sand Martin were at the colony, where no more than four nest holes were active, 2 Golden Ringed Dragonfly and a Common Hawker were seen over Cam Brook.

Hawthornthwaite Fell. Pete Woodruff.

An hour on the fell track drew a blank for Stonechat, but definitely not the sheep. The c.14 Sand Martin colony were in the air up and down the brook, with 4 Meadow Pipit one carrying food, and 2 Small Heath noted. A Kestrel here was the only Bowland raptor seen all day.

Garden & Fairfield.

It was good to see our resident Blackbird had introduced an offspring into the garden yesterday, and was showing the Starlings some aggression. Also a young Dunnock seen and being fed by the parent....There is a colony of up to 30 Swift present and breeding in the Fairfield area of Lancaster.

Birk Bank.

Keeled Skimmer Pair. Ian Mitchell.

From the ever reliable Andrew Cornall. On Friday, 12 Keeled Skimmer, 8 male/4 female, including pairing and egg laying. This is an all time highest count on Birk Bank Bog. Well done Andrew....Rock On!

Conder Pool.

Mediterranean Gull 17 June. Howard Stockdale.

An adult and 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull were present yesterday morning on Conder Pool with thoughts of breeding....apparently not, they soon departed, but four were present at one point.

Thanks to Martin Jump for the Golden Ringed Dragonfly header image. 

Fill Your Boots!

Rigg Lane - Littledale Road - Birk Bank - Rigg Lane.

A good day for a wander on the circuit. I was looking forward to the visit, and would have been even more so had I have know what was in store.

In little more than one hour, and having walked just 1.5 miles I clocked up 6 Garden Warbler, four being along Rigg Lane, the other two either side of the track by Cragg Wood and Cragg Cottage. When I arrived back at the car park on Rigg Lane, one was singing in sixth gear as I enjoyed a butty and a cuppa. Well, what more could a birder wish for, lunch and serenaded by a Garden Warbler....Don't look for it in the video, 'cos it ain't in there.

A Blackbird with two young on Littledale Road was excellent, 3 Stonechat were along the track towards Ottergear Bridge, seen as a pair and a female seen after crossing the bridge. A Cuckoo, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler all heard, and a Song Thrush in the car park.

Butterflies seen were only just into double figures, the best of which was 3 Green Hairstreak, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Green-veined White, Large White and Orange Tip.

Oak Eggar Caterpillar. Pete Woodruff. 

The Oak Egger caterpillar found, will hopefully become one of our largest and fastest-flying moths....but not if the Cuckoo finds it first. 

Bees noted, Red-tailed Bumblebee, White-tailed Bumblebee, and a Common Carder-Bee. From the path towards the bog, 3 Large Red Damselfly appeared to be freshly emerged, and were my first of the year.

Conder Pool.

Uncounted, but probably a double figure number of Avocet with some sitting. I saw just one Common Tern and Common Sandpiper, a Little Ringed Plover sitting, 2 Greenshank, best bird was a 1st summer Little Gull in and patrolling the creeks.

Cockersand.

I reckon the Lapwing are having the best breeding season ever at Cockersand, with no farming activity seen for several weeks to my knowledge, and not a tractor in sight. With little effort on my part, in just a couple of fields I saw at least 20 chicks and probably missed seeing double that figure. Pick of the rest was, 6 Wheatear, 3 Sedge Warbler, and a pair of Reed Bunting.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the header image of the brilliant Little Gull.

..................................................................

I appreciate being given the news of a male Ring Ouzel seen in Bowland yesterday, also 3 Stonechat and a 'few' Green Hairstreak. Another piece of info I found on the Butterfly Conservation Lancashire Branch Sightings, was of 5 Dingy Skipper on the top of Birk Bank on Tuesday 2 May....Interesting!