Kwik Fix.

Conder Pool.

This years peak count on Conder Pool thus far, was of 22 Avocet on Friday 6 March. As always, I am grateful for the contact, record, and header image to Howard Stockdale.

My latest visit to Conder Pool was thwarted by a blinding sun turning the pool into a silver river, and the birds into silhouettes.

Back-tailed Godwit Conder Pool 26 February 2024. Pete Woodruff.

This could have been the view if conditions had been better, I reckon there was up to 1,000 Black-tailed Godwit on the island today. I also made no attempt to count the birds, but noted just 2 Avocet and 6 Shoveler. Worth noting, an all time peak count for Conder Pool, was of 25 Shoveler recorded on Saturday 7 March....Paul Ellis FBC 

Lune Estuary.

Time was restricted for me on Wednesday, but a brief visit to the River Lune at Glasson had me find 17 Avocet, probably the same seventeen birds as those seen here Tuesday 3 March, otherwise an amazing coincidence. The c.2,500 Black-tailed Godwit were also probably the same as those seen here Tuesday 3 March.

Although this scene might suggest otherwise, it was relatively quiet about one hour before high tide, the numbers of waders feeding along the shoreline were low, with a few Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, and Black-tailed Godwit all stabbing for their share of invertibrates as the tide flowed in. Also noted at least 650 Wigeon and 3 Red-breasted Merganser. 

Mediterranean Gulls Lune Estuary 11 March Pete Woodruff.

A little distant, but a nice image for the record, 2 Mediterranean Gull adult were drifting upstream on the incoming tide.

It was a Kwik Fix, but as always a pleasant one for me.

Birk Bank Bog.

Palmate Newt June 2024. Maurice Wilby.

Some interest from the bog have included finding a Palmate Newt last year. Thanks to Maurice for his record shot of a creature I've yet to see on the bog at Birk Bank.

Toad 4 March. Ian Mitchell. 

Thanks to Ian for his excellent image of the Toad. Like the Palmate Newt, Toads are another amphibian I have yet to find on the bog at Birk Bank.

Toad Spawn. Ian Mitchell.

A week after 3 Toads were found, Ian saw that they had spawned on 11 March.

News from Conder Pool.

Tern Raft Conder Pool....FBC

Covers were fitted to the rafts yesterday 14 March. As was the case last year, the plan is to remove them when the Common Terns arrive back on Conder Pool, hopefully to breed for their 12th year, which I'm predicting will be within a week commencing 20 April. If they don't arrive during that time frame....the milky bars are on me!

Common Tern Conder Pool 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Early Spring'ers.

Willow Warbler Leighton Moss 14 March....LDBWS WhatsApp. Earlier by 5 days in 2024 on 19 March.

Little Ringed Plover River Wyre Fylde 14 march....FBC WhatsApp. Earlier by 5 days in 2024 on 19 March.

Sand Martin 85 at Pine Lake 15 March....LDBWS WhatsApp. Earliest record in Lancashire 35 years ago on 24 February 1990.

Common Quaker. Ian Mitchell.

Ian had a Common Quaker in his trap 14 March. Common as its name implies, but non the less beautiful for that.  

Too Good To Miss.

There can't have been anything more I wanted to do, than to get myself off to Bowland on Friday morning to spend a pleasant 5 hour wander from Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge-Winfold Fell.

I saw Swallow and House Martin around Marshaw Farm. As the summer progresses, I'll try to get some numbers here.

My first sighting was this Common Toad, seen as the largest and heaviest amphibian in Britain, it was slowly heading toward the stream running off Hawthornthwaite Fell, and looks to have an injury running over it's eye.

  

In this crop, I notice the unfortunate Toad appears to have lost it's left eye to some attack or accident. I guess the dark colour is dried blood. 

The Toad was behind the small plantation at Marshaw, where I also saw 3 Lesser Redpoll. Later, I found 3 Pied Flycatcher, all male, with two in the area around Tower Lodge, and one seen mid-way between there and Trough Bridge, so hopefully a tree nesting pair away from the boxes again this year. I heard at least 8 Willow Warbler and saw 10 Mistle Thrush on the visit. Also noted 3 Meadow Pipit, Blue/Great/Coal Tit, and saw just one butterfly, being a male Orange Tip.

The Negatives....It was disappointing to get some poor results from this area of Bowland today, some expected, some hoped for.

In addition to seeing just the one butterfly, I saw no Grey Wagtail, Dipper, or Common Sandpiper on the Marshaw Wyre. No House Martin at Tower Lodge, and found no Spotted Flycatcher, nor heard the Cuckoo, but perhaps in these latter two cases, I was a couple of days too early.

The plan was to wait until the end of April for this visit to Bowland, but with wall to wall sun, and barely a breeze, it was just too good to miss. 

I was pleased to see for myself, the sign at Cam Brow, where the bank isn't looking all that good at the moment. Thanks to Howard Stockdale for keeping in touch and for the picture.

Conder News.

My suggestion that the Common Tern would possibly make a first ever April appearance this year on Conder Pool has proved correct, when one arrived yesterday morning 24 April. Hard to believe that it is 9 days short of 3 months earlier than the first Common Tern to arrive here 7 years ago on 2 July 2014.

Three Avocet nests all have eggs, with a Little Ringed Plover present, and a Spotted Redshank also gracing Conder Pool.

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This 'rather shaky' Spotted Redshank with Black-tailed Godwits gave me much pleasure on Conder Pool in May 2019.