All Things Bright And Beautiful!

I've been off the road and side-lined since my last outing on Tuesday 9 September, with tomorrow being my next chance, that's going to be a 12 day break from birding. Over this period and a little before it, our recording area and beyond has produced some impressive records, some of which are first or peak counts taken from the LDBWS and FBC WhatsApp groups....I've not catalogued them in date order.

Glossy Ibis Conder Pool. Paul Ellis.

Conder Pool has claimed two 1st records and peak counts, with 39 Greenshank and 19 Ruff recently on Conder Pool, also 2 Glossy Ibis put in a first time appearance here. The Little Stint previously posted on B2B, is also included in this list of Conder Pool records.

Curlew Sandpiper Conder Green. Gary Coulburn.

Curlew Sandpiper have been appearing in good number - some in double figures - at several locations including Conder Pool and on the Fylde, where a staggering 57 Buzzard were over Preesall in a vis mig watch. Another staggering record, was that of 24 Yellow Wagtail seen in the Bank End area. Even more amazing about this record, was that a Kestrel on a fence post was surrounded by the spectacle of these wagtails. 

Three Black Tern were on Conder Pool, and a Black Tern was reported flying downstream on the Lune Estuary, and multiple sightings of Hobby have been seen at Conder Green and through Conder Pool.

7 of 29 Mediterranean Gulls Conder Pool 26 June. Pete Woodruff.

Away from the Lune Estuary, two spectacular records were made, 216 Little Egret were noted going to roost at an undisclosed site, and 208 Mediterranean Gull were recorded at Heysham where Grey Phalarope was seen, also seen off the Stone Jetty at Morecambe, and two at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve.

Last But Certainly Not Least.

If I'm going to draw up a list of amazing events in and around our area, this one has to be included.

Sabine's Gull Off Star Gate Blackpool. Ashley Cooper.

Along with many other seabirds during the recent stormy weather, this juvenile Sabine's Gull flew through Ashley's viewfinder to give him the perfect opportunity to capture it on film. 

My header image is of the same Sabine's Gull, and for me is the photograph of the year....Thanks Ashley, much appreciated. Thanks also to Paul Ellis and Gary Coulburn for the use of their excellent images, they too are much appreciated.

All Things Birds Bright And Beautiful!

Late Again!

Well you can't call a birding start of 11.30am anything other than late, but that's what time it was when I arrived at Conder Green yesterday to park up the motor and give this area and the Lune Estuary a good four hours....its just godabedun!

On Conder Pool 30 Wigeon were on view, 21 Redshank, and a Little Egret. A combined count of c.180 Teal was of 80 on the pool, and up to 100 in the creeks, another combined count of 9 Little Grebe, was of 3 on the pool, and 6 in the creeks where I found the Common Sandpiper again. The Little Grebe at Conder Green are notorious for being underneath the marsh overhang into the River Conder making them perfectly camouflaged and difficult to locate....you really do have to look for these little buggers.

Greenfinch Ana Minguez

Walking to Glasson Dock along the coastal path, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Great Tit, 2 Robin, and a Blackbird were noted. On the Lune Estuary, I reckon my recent counts of 700 Redshank holds fast, the odd ones out amongst the tight pack being, a Spotted Redshank, 6 Knot, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, and 2 Turnstone, the rarity here and something of a peak count in my book. Other waders estimates here today with no apologies for nice round numbers, 600 Dunlin, 300 Bar-tailed Godwit, 250 Curlew, 100 Golden Plover, and in excess of 2,500 Wigeon. A Great-crested Grebe was of note on the canal basin.

Glossy Ibis David Cookson

On the way back to Lancaster I paid a quick return visit to Thurnham Hall for my second decent view of the Glossy Ibis which was accompanied by 5 Little Egret. 

At least 73 Goldeneye seen in the Conder/Glasson area yesterday....

50 Lune Estuary
16 Glasson Canal Basin
7 Conder Pool

And finally....

Peregrine Falcon Phillip Tomkinson

Here's a case with four ticks in the box supporting the view against the safety record of wind turbines and bird strikes. See an excellent illustrated account about the demise of one of four Peregrine Falcons Here 

The Lune Estuary Rules....OK.

Yet again the Peregrine Falcon revealed an accurate picture of the vast numbers of waders, gulls, and wildfowl on the Lune Estuary as viewed upstream from the bowling green at Glasson Dock, though the wildfowl usually stay put. If this bird passes through flying downstream and out of view beyond the dock, I reckon it can put 20 - 25,000 birds to flight in seconds. 

But I started a good seven hours birding on Monday at Conder Green where the pool was a little quiet with 5 Goldeneye, 6 Little Grebe, 28 Wigeon, a Little Egret, and a Dunnock in the hedge by the platform. The only bird of note in the creeks was the Common Sandpiper.

At Glasson Dock, 3 Ruff were with c.350 Redshank. Also noted, up to 3,000 Golden Plover, 550 Dunlin, 150 Knot, 65 Goldeneye, 3 Little Grebe, and a Peregrine Falcon. On the southern end of Colloway Marsh, c.200 Pink-footed Geese and a Little Egret, also notable was the total absence of Bar and Black- tailed Godwit today. The most interesting bird on the estuary at Glasson Dock today was the solitary Turnstone, scarce - if not rare - here. On the canal basin 4 drake Pochard were of note.

A little diversion from the estuary was to indulge in a mini twitch to see the Glossy Ibis which was obligingly within 50 mtrs of the entrance to Thurnham Hall, on its ownsome in a field to the right. At Cockersands, 13 Bewick's Swan included 4 juveniles, and in the same distant inland field as 14 January, at least 250 Whooper Swan were accompanied by a Black Swan.

Snipe Simon Hawtin 

A Snipe flushed off the marsh, c.420 Oystercatcher, c.60 Turnstone, and 4 Ringed Plover were on Plover Scar at high tide, a huge number of Wigeon were on the sea again - uncounted today - with at least 20 Pintail, certainly many more given time to grill the area. Ten Tree Sparrow, 2 Reed Bunting, and a Kestrel seen at Abbey Farm.

The Magpie.

Magpie. Adrian Pingstone.

At Freeman's Pools yesterday I saw a group of 22 Magpie, a number I've never seen together before. I found six different words to describe a group of this species, four of which appear to be American descriptions, the two English ones were....a 'congregation of Magpies', and....a 'tittering of Magpies'. A bird surrounded by superstition and folklore, and unfortunately has the distinction of being hated by lots of people, unjustifiably in my view.

Keep Britain Tidy. 

I had a comment made re the pic above - seen in my post on Monday - from my man in Kent....'Pete, that reed lined road wouldn't last a week here, it would be flailed down to a few millimetres off the ground, courtesy of the tidy brigade'....

The 'tidy brigade' are pretty active here too, though I imagine under orders to leave well alone when it comes to the reeds at Cockersands. I once counted 10 Sedge Warbler singing/breeding in these lines of reeds in the summer months.

The Wigeon.

Wigeon Martin Jump

The winter population of Wigeon in Europe has increased dramatically since the 1970's. Migrating from Iceland, Fennoscandia, and northern Russia, an estimated 1.5 million of them spend the winter in N W Europe, with c.375,000 of them in Britain. 

Nowhere else in Lancashire holds numbers of wintering Wigeon than the enormous flocks of the Ribble Estuary, but in two recent visits to Cockersands I've estimated sightings of up to 8,000 Wigeon, seen between the lighthouse and the Cocker Estuary, on Saturday 11 January, and three days later on Tuesday 14 January when the birds were on a calm sea at high tide, and were spread out over a large area in four separate rafts. According to my records these counts are record high's for the Lune Estuary at this location.

Occasional nesting has been recorded in Lancashire, Oakes noted probable breeding at Leighton Moss in 1942, and followed this by confirmation of breeding there two years later in 1944. Since then there are breeding records from Martin Mere and Stocks Reservoir. Wigeon have summered again at Conder Green in 2013....perhaps this year they may nest!!  

There have been a few recoveries of Lancashire ringed Wigeon, one particular record of interest was that of a bird found in central Russia which had been marked at Banks on the Ribble Estuary in March 1984 and was recovered just under a month later in April almost 5,000 km to the east on the River Ob at Sytomino, having averaged at least 175 km per day. 

I have a sneaky feeling MJ's image of the Wigeon above has been featured on Birds2blog once before, whether or not it has, its a brilliant image of a brilliant bird....Thanks Martin.

The Godwits.

Black-tailed Godwit Brian Rafferty 

There's a build up of both Bar and Black-tailed Godwit on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock. The Bar-tailed Godwit number was at 1,450 on 14 January, and the Black-tailed Godwit count was at 450 on the same date. Last year I counted a record peak of 850 Black-tailed Godwit at Glasson Dock on 19 March.

Thanks to BR who called his post 'Godwits Galore' following his visit to Marshside recently, from where two of his images on that trip are above and are even more impressive with a 'clik the pik'.

The Glossy Ibis was with 12 Little Egret in a field just east of the A588 between Upper Thurnham and The Launds this afternoon. 

Tuesdays Birds.

Blackbird. Pete Woodruff.

Good numbers of Blackbird around, with 15 seen together at Cockersands last Saturday, and 7 together in our small garden the following day. 

Whooper Swan Astland Photography 

In an inaccessible and distant inland field on Tuesday as seen from Cockersands Abbey, at least 100 Whooper Swan, with 4 Little Egret together in another field. Also at Cockersands, c.250 Redshank off Crook Farm, 55 Turnstone and c.400 Oystercatcher on Plover Scar, with 6 Eider off here, also on a calm sea between the lighthouse and the Cocker Estuary, up to 8,000 Wigeon seen again in four rafts. In Bank Houses horse paddock, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Song Thrush, 5 Blackbird, 12 Meadow Pipit, and 15 Greenfinch.

Bar-tailed Godwit Phillip Tomkinson

At Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary, another good count in excess of 1,000 Bar-tailed Godwit, with 2,000 Golden Plover, 320 Black-tailed Godwit, 6 Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, and a Little Grebe. On the canal basin 22 Goldeneye and a female Pochard of note.

At Conder Green where I had just a few minutes spare, Conder Pool notables were, 6 Goldeneye, 6 Little Grebe, and a Little Egret.

Glossy Ibis Martin Lofgren

Today in a flooded field by Thurnham Hall mid-afternoon, a Glossy Ibis seen in company with 10 Little Egret, with thanks to the birder who phoned in this sighting, and to RBA for putting the news out.

Did you 'clik the pik'....well worth it!

Some good news....

....and yet another excuse for a gap filler between my birding days.

The DEFRA minister and Britain's richest MP Richard Benyon - best remembered for his role in sanctioning a 'Buzzard Management’ trial in 2012 - has been booted out in the Government reshuffle. Wildlife can't be anything other than better off without this guy, question is what's the one taking over from him - George Eustice - like when it comes to wildlife issues. Mr R.B now becomes a back bencher, presumably with more time to pursue his blood sport interests on his grouse moor in Scotland, and his pheasant shoot estate in the south....bye, bye DICK.

Twite. Christer Sundstrom.

The winter Twite have arrived and thanks to RBA twenty were reported yesterday south of Burnley at Cant Clough Reservoir. I'm looking forward to seeing my first Twite of the winter at Cockersands perhaps, I've also seen the first report 17 of Whooper Swan at Martin Mere WWT.                                                                    

Glossy Ibis. Howard Stockdale.

There's been something of an influx of Glossy Ibis recently with birds seen in our area. The image above shows three of the four birds present for almost two weeks at a location near Bolton, and are the result of a visit by Howard who kindly forwarded me a set of four of these brilliant birds.

And finally....

Red Deer Brian Rafferty  

If you'd like to be in on the Red Deer rutting season, your best bet is the Grisedale Hide at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve at Silverdale in Lancashire, homebase for this years filming of the BBC Autumn Watch later this month to be broadcast in November....be there!

Many thanks to BR for one of his excellent set of images of the stag the Red Deer seen last week from the aforementioned hide at LM. 

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!....Hopefully in about a half hour from now.

Not before time!

I managed an escape day on Friday. I've been looking forward to this for far too long now, and the day was a wall to wall sunshine day with zero wind, a delight to be out let alone out and birding.

Glossy Ibis. Marc Heath 

A Glossy Ibis - the one above was darn sarf in Kent - was found at the north end of Aldcliffe Marsh on Saturday 7 January and remained in the area for six days but hasn't been seen since. The bird made it two of a kind in our area with another one at Leighton Moss. Though this is good news on the Ibis scene its not what I'm about and on Friday I managed a full eight hour stint, almost dawn to dusk but not quite.

As I arrived on the viewing platform at Conder Pool the first bird I saw was a Little Egret, also noting 4 Little Grebe on here with 12 Wigeon and a drake Goosander. An hours trawl had me finding the elusive - it seems - Common Sandpiper, and a Spotted Redshank, both lurking in the hidden corners of the creeks.

On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, a Little Grebe and 2 Goldeneye were of note. On the Lune Estuary 5 Bewick's Swans two of which were juveniles and are rarities in my book. I also noted c.250 Bar-tailed Godwit, up to 800 Golden Plover, and at least 60 Goldeneye with 103 reported yesterday along with a rather interesting record of a pair of Gadwall at Cockersands off Plover Scar, both of these are HERE the latter never in my note book here. On Colloway Marsh a distant raptor was almost certainly Peregrine Falcon.  

Pulling off the road opposite Sand Villa I found 2 Whooper Swans in a field with Mute Swans, and of Pilling Lane Ends another 2 Whooper Swans seen, also a relatively small number of c.2,000 Pink-footed Geese. At Fluke Hall a Bewick's Swan was with 9 Whooper Swans in stubble. Regarding numbers seen together, 13 Meadow Pipit, at least 30 Skylark, 5 Reed Bunting, and 11 Great-crested Grebe offshore all had an element of surprise about them for me.

Stoat. Phillip Tomkinson.

Unlike the one above, a Stoat was good - if brief - in its winter ermine coat along the coastal path. I think this creature is about the twelfth stoat in ermine ever seen by me but I don't seem to be able to put my hands on the records. 

Unfortunately I left my planned visit to Cockersands too late in the day and light was fading but I managed to note on a quiet Plover Scar estimates of 380 Oystercatcher, 25 Knot, and 12 Turnstone, a Cormorant off the scar was tussling with a 'flattie' almost the size of a dinner plate.

And finally, well not quite....

Otters. Phillip Tomkinson.

The Otters at Leighton Moss are showing themselves quite regularly it seems....so if its Otters you're after get on down there!

Thanks to Marc for the Glossy Ibis. And for the Stoat in its summer coat, and the Otters of Mull....thanks to Phillip 

And finally....

Smew. Copy Permitted. 

I had word via a text from a birder I know well that a 'redhead' Smew - not the one in the pic with the Wigeon for size comparison - was on the Lune Estuary with Goldeneye this afternoon. Thanks to the 'birder I know well' much appreciated. I found 3 Spotted Redshank and a Common Sandpiper at Conder Green whilst driving past on the return from a mission.

I'll need to do this birding business all over again and soon....I just can't cope otherwise!

With Best Wishes.

By way of a change from the birds, I've been looking back on 2011 with regard to butterflies and have discovered how the hot dry spring and the warmest autumn on record had many species appearing much earlier and much later than in a typical year with some on the wing from early March to December.

Black Hairstreak. Steven Cheshire. 

The endangered Black Hairstreak was recorded this spring in May, a month ahead of the norm for the species.... 

Lulworth Skipper. Copyright Steven Cheshire.

....and the Lulworth Skipper - which is restricted to the south in Dorset - was also seen on the wing several weeks earlier than is usual, as was the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

Grizzled Skipper. Copyright Steven Cheshire.

And my personal favourite of the three is the Grizzled Skipper - a little beauty - also emerged weeks ahead of the normal date in the warm spring weather. Red Admirals were still being recorded on the wing in the mid-December run-up to Christmas, and a rare Marsh Fritillary was seen in mid-September almost two months after the butterfly should have disappeared for the year.

The warm autumn weather also saw a large influx of migrant moths from Southern Europe with species such as the Crimson Speckled and the Vestal being seen into October. Other moths - including one with the bizarre name for December of Spring Usher - have been recorded regularly since November, months earlier than you would expect to have them appear, and the Humming-bird Hawk Moth is thought to have had its best ever year in the UK with in excess of 9,000 records submitted beating the previous one of 6,500 in 2006....intriguing stuff! 

Painted Lady. Copyright Steven Cheshire.

On a personal note void of a records search I rate my self lucky to recall finding one Painted Lady this summer on 7 July at Cockersands and don't remember seeing more than a couple of records from other observers in our area in the entire year. Thanks to Steven Cheshire for four excellent butterfly images.

Well....I still can't get to see these views of Conder Green. These were taken at high tide one day during the freeze of last year as seen from the viewing platform at Conder Pool, a couple of photo efforts by yours truly. But don't worry, I know all about the influx of large numbers of White-Fronted Geese into the UK and a good many more Bean Geese than is the norm, and the comings and goings of all the rare and scarce birds both nationally and locally like the....

Glossy Ibis. Colin Bushell 

Glossy Ibis at Leighton Moss above - thanks for the image CB, much appreciated - and the Glaucous Gull, Snow Geese, Snow Buntings, Shore Larks, and Great White Egret to mention but a few.

Greater Yellowlegs. Gary Jenkinson

And the Greater Yellowlegs which GJ saw in Northhumberland last month is almost certainly the very same bird now present in the Highlands of Scotland, its wintering grounds being in the southern coastal areas of the USA. It's interesting that given both the Lesser Yellowlegs and Greater Yellowlegs  are long distance migrants the number of records in the UK are something in the order of up to 300 of the LY yet little more than c.30 of the GY. Incidentally, the first record for the Greater Yellowlegs in Britain was of a bird at Tresco on the Isles of Scilly in September 1906, and the Lesser Yellowlegs 52 years earlier in Nottinghamshire in 1854. Thanks for the image Gary, much appreciated.

Thanks for the comments in 'At it again!' they are much appreciated, and....I'd like to wish everyone who supports/visits Birds2blog and reads this post despite the continuing attempts to keep it afloat until normal service is resumed....A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS and many hours of excellent birding in 2012....I'm sure I will....eventually!

And finally....I'd like to pass on another Christmas Wish sent to me by one of my ardent supporters and good friend who - like so many others - obviously knows me well....

First the good news.

Whether or not you live in the same area of Lancashire as me - but especially if you do - you'll love this. Maybe you'll also see the mention of someones name you know/recognise. It's excellent news and you will welcome what you read about HERE

Now the bad news....

....which is something you won't enjoy reading - I didn't either - but you must. This country is a member of the EU and for this reason alone something could/should be done to at least try to halt THIS appalling 'sport' once and for all. The EU Birds Directive has created a far-reaching protection framework for all of Europe's wild birds. There are a number of components to this scheme which Member States have to transpose and enforce through their national system.
Having seen for yourself yet again, as one example from hundreds of them year in year out, Malta appears to make little if any progress in halting this terrible business of blasting birds from out the sky. This is the 21st century we live in and it's time the hunters of Malta - and elsewhere - moved into it too and to hell with what their 'dads and grandads' did....but they obviously love it anyway and the traditions live on and thrive in 2011.

Hitting the Headlines.

This is certainly worth viewing.

I did a bit of digging into my records again today and found some of interest hitting the headlines from the past which I either found or observed, but first....

Ringed Plover. Cliff Raby

A brilliant photograph of the Ringed Plover coming in to land....great stuff.

1996.

Ferruginous Duck. Skerton Weir 23 April.

Wood Warbler. Gibson Wood 1 May. *

Dotterel. (13) Ward Stone 6 May.

Wood Sandpiper. Conder Green 5 August.

Painted Lady. Path to Eric Morecambe Hide at Leighton Moss 11 August. A three figure number in excess of 100.

Black-winged Pratincole. Carnforth Marsh 25 August.

Little Stint. (70) Eric Morecambe Complex 21 September. 130 here during Sept 24-28, an all time record.
Black Brant. Pilling Marsh 21 December. **

1997.  

American Wigeon. Heysham Harbour 25 January.

Rough-legged Buzzard. Whitendale 12 April.***

Glossy Ibis. (2) Pilling Marsh 23 April.

Sanderling. (10,000) Ainsdale Beach 24 May.****

Crossbill. (30) Langden Brook 28 June.

Lesser Yellowlegs. Eric Morecambe Complex 18 October 1995 and 13 September 1997.*****

Crossbill. (50) Helsington Barrows.

* The Wood Warbler returned to Gibson Wood for five consecutive years, but not since to my knowledge.

** The Black Brant - Eastern Siberian/North American - on Pilling Marsh from 17 December 1996 until 22 February 1997 at least, is the only Lancashire record for the species.

*** This - or another - Rough-legged Buzzard at Whitendale was observed on several occasions by many birders here between February 1996 until March 1998 at least, albeit with long periods of absence. 

**** I think it may be some time - if ever - before I see the amazing sight of 10,000 Sanderling on Ainsdale Beach - or anywhere else - again.

***** The Lesser Yellowlegs were both found on the Eric Morecambe Pool at Leighton Moss and is my best 'double' to date. 

And finally....

Red Kite. Chris Raby

Another of CR's brilliant photographs, this one of the Red Kite....Appreciate these Chris.