A Few Dragon Piks And An Interesting Warbler!

There's been some excellent records from Conder Pool recently, and the status of this location just climbs towards the top. For me it's been a case of choosing the wrong trousers day to do a stock take, and the best I could muster was 19 Greenshank and 2 Snipe in the wader camp, with the Gadwall pair, 16 Wigeon, and uncounted Little Grebe noted....Ah well, can't win'em all!

Migrant Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

Whilst viewing the pool as the skies cleared and the sun shone, there was an obvious movement of at least 8 Migrant Hawker passed the screen. So I was enthused to go to Saltcote Pond to find another 4 Migrant Hawker and 4 Common Darter including a pair in tandem.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff. 

On the canal towpath, 2 Migrant Hawker and a male Common Darter.

Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

As the sun continued to shine and the temperature had risen a little, I decided a return visit to Birk Bank was the best bet. I found a little action there, and notched up 14 Common Darter, and 2 Black Darter.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Both species of darter at Birk Bank bog today were all male except one female basking on the limestone. A Buzzard drifted over >west, and a Kestrel overhead was harassed by a Carrion Crow.

Stonechat Birk Bank 24 Sept. Pete Woodruff.

It doesn't matter that I got only a moderate shot of a distant male Stonechat, because it was accompanied by a female and juvenile as evidence of breeding, something that I had claimed previously happening here on 15 July. 

The Chiffchaff Tale.

As I walked up the path from the bog, I heard a bird call which I wasn't too familiar with, it was calling from a Mountain Ash and I could see it flitting along the branches, but my luck soon turned good, as it flew to a nearby small tree giving me brief but good views, it was a Chiffchaff, but my encounters with the Chiffchaff have nearly always been singing.

I was frustrated beyond belief, that I had left my phone in the car, losing me the perfect opportunity to record the birds call which it was giving loud and clear for a few minutes. But one thing soon became very clear to me, it was a single straight note, with a pause between call like the one by P.c.tristis but unlike that of the Phylloscopus collybita 

'Probable' Siberian Chiffchaff. Howard Stockdale.

I found two of the most recent Siberian Chiffchaff records in the LDBWS area, one regarded as 'possible', the other 'looking reasonable for', and since I saw and heard my Chiffchaff this week, I've done some research on it and studied the call I heard on some recordings. 

However, the separation from other races is way outside my comfort zone, but I remain with the feeling that I may well have 'lost' the chance to claim my third scarcity/rarity in a row today....Small red-eyed Damselfly/Willow Emerald Damselfly/Siberian Chiffchaff....Just saying 😉 

Phylloscopus collybita

P.c.tristis

And Finally....

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Martin Jump.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth is still visiting his garden, this one seen on Thursday, whilst ours hasn't been seen for a few days now, but the end result of its visits was an amazing 24 sightings over 5 weeks.

Many thanks to Martin Jump for numerous images of the HBHW, and to Howard Stockdale for the Chiffchaff. 

Edit.

Apparently the links don't work, I'm working on it.

B For Bonus.

A bit of life on Conder Pool was represented by something of a rarity in the form of a drake Pintail having a snooze by one of the islands. My other notes were, a female Stonechat in the long grasses east end, 5 Little Grebe, 3 Snipe, 21 Greylag and 12 Canada Geese. A Buzzard flew low over the pool and out of view east over the canal.

At Cockersand, at least 250 Whooper Swan were spread over four fields on this visit, certainly an underestimate with some out of view and distant. From the Caravan Park, 10 Snipe exploded off the marsh, including eight in sync, a Kestrel took off from a barn at Bank House Farm and was immediately attacked in the air by Carrion Crows.

Bewick's Swan. Tom Parkinson.

Up to 3,500 Pink-footed Geese were in the field at the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, also 2 Bewick's Swan same field close by...Thanks to TP who took this excellent image to illustrate our smallest and most elegant of swans. A bird that gives us the privilege of a winter visit from its Arctic tundra breeding ground, and remains in the same field 7 days after it arrived at Cockersand on 20 November.  

A female Stonechat was at Lighthouse Cottage again, and on Plover Scar, a decent count of 15 Grey Plover, 92 Oystercatcher, with low end double figures of Knot, Dunlin, Golden Plover and Turnstone. As I stood checking the scar, behind me in the field north side of Abbey Farm, 440 Black-tailed Godwit.

B for Bonus.

A bit of a surprise as I came away from Plover Scar walking towards the car park, a Barnacle Goose was on the estuary. This was almost certainly the same individual seen on Jeremy Lane with Greylags last Sunday 23 November. As far as I could see, it was fully feathered, no obvious injuries, no rings, and appeared to be quite healthy. 

Barnacle Goose Conder Pool 12 March 2025. Pete Woodruff.

As in this image, the ringed Barnacle Goose with a Greylag Goose is labeled feral, whilst a Barnacle Goose with Pink-footed Geese get the thumbs up. But you can never tell with Barnacle Geese, there are many feral bird species in the country these days, with Lincolnshire alone having an estimated 2,000 individuals. 

Monday's Mooch.

English Dictionary definition...To walk and do things slowly without much purpose....The latter 'wmp' definitely not true when I'm birding!

Conder Pool lost another place in the 'Hotspot' league table on Monday, with the exception of the nice to see again pair of Stonechat and 6 Goosander, there was an unbelievable nine other birds present, 4 Wigeon, 3 Little Grebe, a Redshank and a Carrion Crow. Nothing spectacular on the Lune Estuary at Glasson either, but a lone Greenshank by the Conder mouth was good.

Whooper Swan 25 October 2024. Pete Woodruff.

In fields at Clarkson's Farm, up to 120 Whooper Swan were early signs that they have returned to winter at Cockersand, where some waders had taken to the fields, with at least 350 Curlew equal to last Wednesdays count, and up to 320 Golden Plover, with 62 Back-tailed Godwit over>south. Six Stock Dove and 2 Skylark seen, with a Sparrowhawk from the CP over the marsh in its 'flap-flap-glide' hunting mode, also seen was last weeks male Stonechat which seems to be alone.

Beauty And The Beast. Pete Woodruff.

Struggling for pictures this time, so filled the gap with one over the fields at Cockersand. The power station at Heysham with the hint of a rainbow overhead.

Mottled Umber. Pete Woodruff.

The female of this moth is wingless and variable, and I was surprised to find the Mottled Umber on the white-washed wall at Lighthouse Cottage. 

Little Grebe.

Perusing through a 2024 annual report, I came across a couple of interesting records, one of which lists several sites where breeding Little Grebe occurred, and includes Conder Green which surely can't possibly include Conder Pool, albeit up to 20+can be seen here during the summer months. A short distance on the River Conder upstream from the A588 road bridge, soon turns right, out of sight and inaccessible. I know of nowhere that Conder Green could support breeding Little Grebe....Mmmm! 

Thanks to Paul Ellis for the Greenshank header, striding out at Conder Green. 

Pleasing Rewards Around The Local!

The best counts I came up with on Conder Pool Thursday was 10 Common Tern, but the peak count here to date has been fifteen. My best count was of 13 Avocet, but I suspect there may be double that number and the breeding stats are encouraging.

Also present 3 Greenshank and 3 Little Ringed Plover, though two pairs are reported breeding, with one pair having already suffered a first brood lost. In the creeks, 42 Black-tailed Godwit seen.

The Cockersand wander was a pleasant and rewarding experience.  

As I set off, no sooner had I passed Bank Houses, a Sedge Warbler was in full song hidden in the hedgerow, a second Sedge Warbler was at Slack Lane, 4 Stock Dove were in a field with up to 70 Carrion Crow and a Buzzard over. 

At the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, I saw a passerine fly out of the field to the vegetation along the ditch, it was soon followed by a second bird to be revealed as a male and female Whinchat. I was reminded of a good year in 2022, when I had records of three Whinchat sightings, two at Cockersand on 26 April and 3 May, and a male at Harrisend on 29 April.

As I arrived at Lighthouse Cottage, 3 Whimbrel were on the shore opposite Crook Cottage, and a pair of Eider were drifting on the tide. At Plover Scar, 2 Sandwich Tern were lingering around the lighthouse, occasionally plunge diving and completely submerged for several seconds.

On Plover Scar at high tide, 220 Dunlin, 15 Oystercatcher, and 4 Ringed Plover. As I approached the abbey, a Wheatear was on the kissing-gate. In the 30 minutes along the coastal path between Lighthouse Cottage and Cockersand CP, I must have seen up to 40 Large White butterflies, with 2 Peacock and Orange Tip.

Picture Gallery.

I'm in receipt of two excellent action photographs from regular visitors to B2B which warrant publicity.

Common Tern. Howard Stockdale.

Howard activated the shutter with split timing to achieve the terns in conflict about who can claim the best corner on which to perch on the raft on Conder Pool.

Mallard vs Avocet. Martin Jump.

Martins image of the Avocet in an attack on the Mallard with ducklings, also needed precision to freeze the action between the wader and the duck.

Scalloped Hazel. Ian Mitchell.

Ian's image is of a variable moth species which can range from brown to almost black, it is fairly common throughout the British Isles.

Giant House Spider. Pete Woodruff.

And I discovered a Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica in the greenhouse.

Stamp Collecting!

Little Ringed Plover at Conder Green, and Wheatear at Cockersand saved a pretty dull birding day yesterday, and being we're closing in on the merry month of May, more birds were missing than seen. Not a single warbler heard let alone seen, save 2 Swallow, not another hirundine. At Conder Green, no Common Tern, no Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, and no Greenshank. 

Ahhhh well, it all brings into play my motto....Not what you will see, but rather what you might, the element of surprise never fails to delight....No surprises today. 

On Conder Pool it was good to make contact with 4 Little Ringed Plover seen as 2 pairs, and good to see at least 20 Avocet, with a good count of nests according to info from the excellent management and monitoring work by the Howard and Ian duo....Sounded to me like Avocet breeding records on Conder Pool were hopefully being made.

At Cockersand, though it was pleasant to hear the Skylark in flight song heralding the summer, the circuit turned out to be the road to nowhere....

Shelduck. Pete Woodruff.

....but 28 Shelduck were settled in the field, and up to 60 Carrion Crow were in a adjacent field, and hey'up, things are looking up, 'cos there are 4 Wheatear on the marsh in front of Lighthouse Cottage. As I left Cockersand, a lone Swallow was around Bank House, and another lone Swallow was on wires at Gardners Farm on Moss Lane.

I'm considering taking up stamp collecting!

Terns and Gulls.

A Common Tern was reported to have been on Conder Pool 14 April and not subsequentially seen again, but Howard Stockdale informs me, a Common Tern was present 6 days later on 20 April and is featured in my header. Howard also tells of a pair of Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool, one of which was marked and was observed mating giving evidence of a male.

The history of this gull is confidential, and I have no permit to publish too many details on B2B, but I do know that it was ringed in the Netherlands as a chick, the bird is 10 years old and has been sighted only 7 times in the 10 years, 4 x in Lancashire, once in Cumbria, and has visited Ireland x 2.

Patient Perseverance.

On Monday, a couple of hours patient perseverance at Grisedale Brook from Grisedale Bridge downstream to Holme Wood, eventually resulted in finding 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Something of a disappointment, as I had seen 12 GRD here on 14 June 2023, and by coincidence the same number of 12 the previous year on 11 July 2022.

Not part of any Odonata strategy that I'm aware of, but this one was well camouflaged as it set down on the stone. 

Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Mike Atkinson.

Not only did Mike Atkinson find the first GRD of the year at Birk Bank on 9 June, he found this one freshly emerged and drying out....Great stuff Mike.

It was another of those days that started off in fine style for me, when I got out of the car to be greeted by a pair of Stonechat on gorse by the side of the road. I've seen Stonechat here last year, and as I recall, also the year before. It was interesting to see a continuous stream of at least 60 Carrion Crow flying north over Harrisend. Also on Grisedale Brook, 2 Grey Wagtail and a Large Red Damselfly, with butterflies represented by  2 Small Heath and a Speckled Wood.

I looked in on Catshaw Pond to find a male Emperor Dragonfly, and saw a Broad-bodied Chaser too brief and distant to sex. With Ian Mitchell's Emperor Dragonfly at Birk Bank 6 June, this is the second one found in Bowland and is a species regarded as 'remaining absent in the uplands', though this reference is 9 years out of date!

On to Hawthornthwaite, where in little more than an hour I found 8 Stonechat, having my records to read possibly 4 breeding pairs here in 2024, though this lacks evidence of young.

 
                 

But having seen a female leaving the ground nest whilst its mate was close by, I took the opportunity to record the male which, having perceived danger at my presence, was alarm calling whilst on guard duty.                     

I found 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly here, and made a count of only 8 Sand Martin and 3 Meadow Pipit, with another 4 Small Heath making my total of seven butterflies on the day.

Swifts.

We had the pleasure of up to 30 Swift over our house in Bowerham yesterday evening at 9.00pm, also c.20 Swift in the Fairfield colony on Monday evening.

Bombus monticola.

Bilberry Bumblebee Harrisend 25 June. Ian Mitchell.  

A visit to Harrisend yesterday paid off handsomely with Bilberry Bumblebee seen, also Stonechat as in my header image. Thanks Ian, your records and pictures are much appreciated.

Dragons In The Night!

Drawing the curtains on the patio, I was amazed to see a dragonfly patrolling the garden in the near dark of 10.15pm. It spent several minutes here, but the best I could get on the creature as it darted around the garden, was that it was dark in colour. In the end I was convinced we had a visit by a male Common Darter....Impressed! 

....And A Raptor To Boot!!

My visit started at Conder Pool....well where else.

There were 87 Wigeon present, with 9 Little Grebe, and a lone Snipe. A Roe Deer in the long grasses at the east end of the pool represents a first record for me on Conder Pool. 

The good number of 345 geese on Conder Pool 1 December had relocated, in fact a record of precisely 499 were reported, being 409 Greylag and 90 Canada Geese on Glasson Marsh 5 December. All was revealed about the absence of geese from Conder Pool, when I found a similarly large number of Greylag and a lesser number of Canada Geese on Jeremy Lane.

Fieldfare Moss Lane. Howard Stockdale.

Driving along Moss Lane, a flock of around 50 Fieldfare were the second flock I've seen from a moving vehicle in the past week. I have yet to have good views of any winter thrush this winter.

 Stonechat Cockersand. Martin Jump.

At Cockersand, a pair of Stonechat were working their way along the marsh towards Crook Cottage. My best encounter by far this year was at least 2,500 Pink-footed Geese in fields between Lighthouse Cottage and Abbey Farm, but with binoculars only I found nothing 'odd' amongst them. Also in the field by Abbey Farm, up to 150 Black-tailed Godwit seen, and on a wander around, 14 Snipe took to flight out of ditches and damp areas.

As I arrived back at the Caravan Park from the circuit, things progressively got better and more exciting. First a Stonechat was on the marsh edge, then a Barn Owl flew through the gate by Lower Bank House and promptly flew back and out of sight. But best of the day - after the Stonechat - was yet to come.

Flight of Dunlin off Plover Scar. Martin Jump.

I spied a Merlin perched distant on a post in the middle of the marsh, the raptor soon took off to take out a Dunlin which it immediately dropped, at which point 2 Carrion Crow on the shore and having witnessed this, seized the opportunity to pounce and started to pluck the unfortunate Dunlin.

Thanks to Howard and Martin for their excellent images, they are much appreciated.

Golden Moments....Part 2.

It was time this week, for another wander around the area and to check around the bog at Birk Bank, where I have found odonata having a lack of variety over the past couple of visits....But mustn't grumble.

Golden Ringed Dragonfly July 13. Pete Woodruff.

I managed to lift this years sightings to five locations to date, when I notched up 5 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, seen as two on the bog at Birk Bank, one of which was seen briefly ovipositing, two over the River Conder at Cragg Wood, and one on Ottergear Bridge. A few minutes after I had found the GRD on the bridge, a Common Hawker flew east - west below the bridge.

Keeled Skimmer 13 July. Pete Woodruff.

Also, 7 Keeled Skimmer all male, five seen on the bog, and two on the west side of Ottergear Bridge, where I was surprised to find them here again as last year. Also on the bog, 2 Large Red Damselfly.

My butterfly counts remain low, though to contradict I did see 18 Meadow Brown, also 6 Large White, 5 Ringlet, 5 Small Skipper, and 3 Small Tortoiseshell.

Birds noted, a Buzzard and Raven were overhead, and a murder of up to 100 Carrion Crow came over the ridge.

The Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

Being unique in its breeding habitat of acidic upland streams and patrolling lengthy sections, the Golden-ringed Dragonfly also feed over nearby areas of moorland, with occasionally wanderings. 

'The species appears to have been lost from parts of North Lancashire. However, due to the often remoteness of its habitat it is not clear whether this might simply be 'an absence of records' rather than 'a record of absence'. It is likely that Golden-ringed Dragonflies are present throughout much of the northern uplands, breeding on the numerous streams, most of which are rarely surveyed'....Ref:The Dragonflies of Lancashire and North Merseyside. Steve White and Philip H. Smith.

Having achieved a total of 18 Golden-ringed Dragonflies in seven days at five sites. Too late this year, but I think maybe next I should make a plan, and change the 'rarely surveyed' to make a contribution to something more positive. 

Cockersand....Best & Brilliant.

On a lovely sunny, cold, and calm day, Cockersand was at its best and brilliant on Monday, and produced a nice little trio to add to some other good things.

But I first called in at Conder Green to note 2 Kingfisher in flight down the creeks, one in pursuit of the other, before doing a U turn to fly back upstream and out of sight. On Conder Pool I counted 46 Wigeon, 7 Snipe, and a lone Little Grebe. Interesting, that the Conder Pool winter population has rapidly fallen in number this year, since the all time peak count of 32 Little Grebe recorded here 25 September, and numbers usually remain in decent double figures here until after the turn of the year.

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A circuit of Cockersand is always on the cards as a traditional thing for me, as is the case for most other locations I visit on my birding sorties. Today was no exception, and with the conditions, Cockersand was perfect for some birding.

In fields north behind the caravan park, up to 180 Whooper Swan including 28 off Slack Lane. As I wandered along the road, 13 Blackbird counted, 3 Greenfinch, and a Reed Bunting, and as I rounded the corner at Lighthouse Cottage to head south back to the Caravan Park, a male Merlin shot across my path and flew along the shoreline to Crook Cottage before turning inland and out of view. Almost certainly the same male Merlin I found here 8 October.

I counted 135 Wigeon drifting on the sea, in a line from Plover Scar upstream and out of view towards Glasson. 

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I got this clip of the Whooper Swans south of the abbey, looking east with the Bowland Fells and Hawthornthwaite in the background, whilst c.300 Golden Plover shot over my head to the shore, and from here I saw the only Brown Hare of the day, seen racing through the field.

When I got back to the caravan park it was to my delight I found a pair of Stonechat amongst the tall grasses above the shingle. Whilst stalking the chats to try for a pik, a visiting birder from Skipton - who I had met earlier along the headland - called that he had seen an owl that had gone to ground distant over the fields behind Lower Bank Houses. A Buzzard and Carrion Crow had gone down in the same area seemingly curious as to what was going on with the owl. We had to wait a while for the bird to reappear and take to the wing flying towards us, it was a Barn Owl....Thanks Duncan, nice one.

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I was at Cockersand until 4.00pm as the sun was setting, a pair of Stonechat and a Barn Owl was the prefect end for me. If it's a little therapeutic birding you're after, I recommend Cockersand....Be there.  

At 8°C a Small Tortoiseshell was in our garden briefly yesterday. 

September Chats.

Having found 18 Stonechat on Caton Moor on 26 August, I was determined to carry out a plan to visit four more of the best Stonechat hotspots in the area during September, to find if Caton Moor was a precursor to something good about the Stonechats in 2020.

So I was off up the east side of Clougha during the week, only the third time I've ever been on this side of Clougha. Truly chuffed once more as I was able to add to the tally which now stands at 65 Stonechat in four weeks.

To note in addition to the 10 Stonechat seen, it was good to hear the Chiffchaff in song by Ottergear Bridge. In the trees leading down to the boardwalk, at least 20 Long-tailed Tit, a Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Blackbird, Robin, and Wren. Enroute to the Clougha track, a few Swallow south, a lone Meadow Pipit, 4 Red Grouse, and a Kestrel.

Dragonflies over and around the bog, 3 Common Darter and 2 Black Darter, the only butterflies seen were singles of Red Admiral and Peacock.

Where have all the butterflies been this year?

Big Butterfly Count.

One theory for a disappointing result, perhaps an unusually warm spring brought species of butterfly to emerge earlier than is usual. This would lead to have only caught the tail-end of the flight period for many species during this years count.

But the truth is, the Big Butterfly Count saw a reduction in the average number of butterflies logged per count of -34% in comparison with 2019, and the lowest average number of butterflies logged overall since the counts began 11 years ago in 2009. One example of percentage of change from 2019 was -99% for Painted Lady, a butterfly I regarded myself as being one of a lucky few to record in our area this year.

Garden Scarcity. 

In our garden on Friday, it was good to see a male Siskin on the feeders. The last two sightings here was, a juvenile 31 July and three days later a male 3 August in 2018. Also our garden Robin (Bob) gave good photo opportunities in the header, and the resident Carrion Crow most of the year, is still around and calling persistently 'krrah krrah krrah' all day long.

Armchair Birding.

Around and about, and goings on in the garden....The photographs will look even better if you clik the piks.

Conder Pool.

The Sheep Problem Conder Pool 2019. Pete Woodruff

It wasn't good news to hear a pair of Common Tern have suffered a nest failure on Conder Pool, but  good to hear the sheep have now been removed. Last year I had on good authority in a letter....'the sheep were not supposed to go on the surrounds of Conder Pool until late July to reduce disturbance to breeding birds'.

On a more positive note, a pair of Common Tern have taken up on the pontoon now, hopefully a pair of Black-headed Gull already breeding on there, will have fledged young before the terns have hatched, hopefully avoiding a repeat of last years horrific attack by the adult gulls, when the young terns were lucky to have escaped with their lives....just. 

Interesting to note, the Common Terns had two chicks hatched on the pontoon a year ago yesterday on 13 June 2019. Despite the excellent spring weather, and May being the sunniest month on record, things are running late with the Conder Pool terns, but not as late as their first ever visit to Conder Pool, when they didn't arrive here until 2 July 2014.

Bowland. 

 
Woodcock Howard Stockdale 

More good news received from a favourite haunt of mine was a Woodcock at Marshaw. I had two Woodcock here on 21 February 2018, and previously saw two more in the plantation behind Tower Lodge on 18 March 2015. 

Dipper Juvenile Howard Stockdale 

A juvenile Dipper and Common Sandpiper were seen on the Marshaw Wyre.

The Orchid Wander.

Common Spotted Orchid. Pete Woodruff.

The wander with KT for an update on the local orchids was rewarded by up to 44 spikes of Common Spotted Orchid including this variant white. No sign of any Bee Orchid yet, flowering from early June. I'm beginning to wonder if 2020 isn't going to be a year for them here. A couple of butterflies were braving the not too perfect weather, a Red Admiral and the Meadow Brown was my first of the year.

From The Garden.

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Our now resident Carrion Crow was joined by relatives this week, with six being on the rooftops opposite one day. I can't work out what's going on with these birds hanging around a residential area, particularly the resident bird been here two months now.

Three pairs of Blackbird visit our garden daily, and we've had two new young in the garden this week, so four to date is a good result this year, also a young Dunnock was a welcome sight, the adults have been around all year. The Coal Tit still continue to entertain, collecting seed from the feeder and burying them all over the garden and beyond with their amazing behaviour, the pair emptied the sunflower feeder in a day. I watched them this morning whilst having my 'snap, crackle, and pop', one of them flew from the feeder to the same area of the garden twenty times in ten minutes non-stop. 

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the much appreciated e-mail this week, with news and images attached.

The Brockholes Osprey.

Not for the first time an Osprey visited Brockholes NR this spring, in fact it these days it is regular for them to do so during the migration period, but this bird had decided to linger and had the reserve staff and birders alike, hoping that the stay was a hopeful sign that the Osprey might find a mate and breed at the site, not having done so in the county of Lancashire since the mid 18th century.

Brockholes Osprey Copyright Darren Lean.

The Osprey developed a pattern in it's feeding habit, whereby it hunted daily from the bridge over the river at the interchange on the M6 motorway near the Brockholes NR. But the birds confiding nature appears to have been it's downfall, and eight days after it's arrival, on the morning of 23 April when it was seen to be healthy, but later in the day it was flushed by a man walking with a bike along the hard shoulder of the M6, when the bird was flushed and took to flight, and was struck by a lorry.

The bird was a male and bore a darvic ring identifying it to have been marked at Bassenthwaite, Cumbria in 2006, but relocated to Esthwaite in later years. The demise of this bird is nothing less than a terrible tragedy, apparently caused by someone breaking the law by being on foot on a motorway.

Brockholes Osprey. Brian Rafferty.

Brian Rafferty's surreal photograph clearly illustrates the dangerous behavior by this bird, this lorry driver has obviously seen and is looking at the bird as he sped along the M6 motorway. 

I continue to strive to make the best of my total lockdown and 'computer birding' keeps me ticking over. The garden provides me with some interest, and yesterday I took note of 3 Speckled Wood and a couple of Large White. With some lovely blooms to be enjoyed and photographed....Clik the piks

Cherry Blossom

Peony

And the resident Carrion Crow in the neighbourhood and visits to our garden, continues to confuse. The bird appears to be alone in this urban habitat, but was calling from the television aerial in it's hoarse and croaking 'krrah krrah krrah'.

 

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Whinging Through The Lockdown....

....but maybe more like a bit of self-pity coming through in today's post.

I've sort of enjoyed the self-isolation thing up to now, including recording the garden birds and butterflies, and finding the Carrion Crow having taken up residency in the area of our neighbourhood for the past few weeks - all a bit odd - and visiting our garden regularly for the odd slice of bread thrown out by KT, for who feeding the birds is a religion.

I'm also enjoying seeing the reports - though sickened by them for obvious reasons - of summer visitors to our area. I've seen good numbers of Wheatear reports, also Whinchat in decent number which is encouraging, and the warblers seem well represented too.

Hybrid Blue-headed Wagtail. Aldcliffe 21 April Dan Haywood. 

Over the past few days I've been impressed by the reports from Aldcliffe which have included a smart hybrid Blue-headed Wagtail on the flood, found and photographed by DH for whom I'm grateful to for sending me a copy of his record shot. Also here, a peak count of 5 Little Ringed Plover, a few Yellow Wagtail, and good numbers of White Wagtail. 

I've been equally impressed by coverage of the passage through Heysham which is in full swing, the count yesterday when I Iast looked at Heysham Obs was of 1,447 Arctic Tern past Heysham, with many going overland to the NE within the observers view....Great stuff. 

Not so much garden birding, but more computer birding me thinks, and I'm not convinced this personal enjoyment of self isolation and no birding can last. One thing for sure, the enjoyment will deteriorate as time goes on, and I'll develop an unbearable itch for freedom birding.

Meanwhile, the motto of the day is....Take Care Keep Safe.

The Wader, The Crow....And Margery!

The Dotterel is variably referred to in Annual Reports, including no spring reports at all, but is generally noted as a regular spring migrant in single figure numbers.

Another one of three April records from the archive that I have found from 2013, must be or was a good month for me. Found 7 years ago 16 April at Cockersand. At the time it was the first record for 13 years for the Fylde Bird Club....The Cockersand Dotterel 

The Carrion Crow is know to be a clever and adaptable bird, often quite fearless, though it can be wary of humans. They are fairly solitary, found alone or in pairs, but as a group are referred to in a collective noun as a Murder of Crows.

This smart Carrion Crow is a first for us, it invaded our garden to have the place to itself for a few minutes, to pick up a few bread pieces, take them to the bird bath, and dunk them for afternoon tea. 

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We're all in this together....STAY SAFE....STAY HOME....SAVE LIVES.