....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.

Conder Pool Delivers....And So Does Cockersand.

Of note on Conder Pool Wednesday, a Stonechat flew west past the viewing platform to perch briefly on a fence post below the hedgerow. Given time and patience every visit here, the Kingfisher perched by the sluice, and 7 Little Grebe counted. At the north end of Jeremy Lane, 252 Greylag and 12 Canada Geese.

As I drove towards the shore at Cockersand, a Short-eared Owl was quartering the field on the north side of Bank House Cottage.

Five minutes later as I set off on the circuit, the owl was obligingly perched up on a fence post by the paddock at Bank Houses, as it has been for dozens of photographers according to several websites I've visited over the past few days.

On the circuit, up to 350 Golden Plover were in a field south of Abbey Farm. Numbers of Curlew and Redshank were in coastal fields feeding, and at least 15 Meadow Pipit were in stubble by Lighthouse Cottage. A Snipe lifted out of a field, from where I saw a pair of Greenfinch and a Song Thrush.

The swans have moved on again, with only 7 Whooper Swan including 2 juvenile in the field off Slack Lane. 

On my return from the circuit to the parking area near the caravan park two hours later, 12 cars were parked up and at least 20 birders/photographers were filling their boots with Short-eared/Barn/Little Owl piks, with possible Hen Harrier/Marsh Harrier/Merlin/Sparrowhawk/Kestrel. That's a list of 8 raptors at and around the Cockersand area, all recorded in the past week, and doesn't include Buzzard which can be seen here frequently. 

Picture Gallery. 

I'm in receipt of four excellent images, each one much appreciated and with a little story behind them....All worthy of viewing Full Screen.

Goosander Haslam Park. Martin Jump.

Martin has been getting some great results from a project involving a peak count of 21 Goosander as a first record for Haslam Park....Thank You Martin.

Short-eared Owl Cockersand 20 November. Susan Wilson.

On request Susan sent me this image of the Short-eared Owl currently performing for all comers at Cockersand. But following my request, having processed my own efforts, to discover I achieved some decent stuff worthy of publishing. However, this takes nothing away from my gratitude for sending me this stunning image of the equally stunning owl....Thank You Susan.

Barred Warbler Conder Pool 19 November. Howard Stockdale.

Quite remarkably, Ian Hartley found this smart little 1st year Barred Warbler whilst engaged with a work party erecting a new tern raft on Tuesday. With the same working party, Howard Stockdale took some amazing images of the warbler....Thanks for the find Ian, and thanks for the image Howard.

Merlin Conder Pool 29 October. Howard Stockdale.

It gave me much pleasure when Howard sent this unsolicited image of my most favourite raptor....Thank You Howard.

Conder Pool & Cockersand Deliver Yet Again....NEXT PLEASE! 

Well At Least My Species Count Looked Slightly Healthier This Time!

It was good to find a female Stonechat at the east corner of Conder Pool. In truth the chat added a bit of brightness to an otherwise dull visit, with just two other species present, being 5 Wigeon and 3 Little Grebe.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, at least 2,500 Lapwing were to note, with 350 Wigeon, a Snipe and just 2 Golden Plover looking forlorn, and by way of a change close in on the south shore below the bowling green, it would have been more expected to have seen up to 1,000 Golden Plover across on the north side below Colloway Marsh.

Off Moss Lane, 26 Whooper Swan were the first at Cockersand since I found 13 on 10 October, these were a one day wonder, didn't settle here and moved on. Todays Whooper Swan were accompanied in the field at Clarkson's Farm by up to 200 Greylag.

The Greylag were a bit of a mixed bunch as can be seen in my header image, including an odd one with three juvenile birds.

As I set off for my Cockersand circuit, the Hawthorns are stacked with berries, a larder waiting for the winter thrushes to arrive. 

A few hundred Lapwing, Curlew, and Starling were put to flight by a 'brown' Merlin whizzing over the field, then hedge hopped to disappear from view. Also 25 Black-tailed Godwit flew south, soon followed by 16 Pink-footed Geese over the sea from the west, and inland to soon turn south towards Pilling.

On the way round, I saw 3 Skylark drop into stubble, up to 200 Canada Geese and 125 Wigeon were in and around a flood by Slack Lane, from where 8 Long-tailed Tit were seen. Off Plover Scar, 5 Eider, and when I returned to Bank Houses, 22 House Sparrow were accompanied by 3 Greenfinch.

There are 2 Kestrel to be seen daily at Cockersand this winter, one in the area around Lighthouse Cottage, and one in the Caravan Park area showing its mastery of hovering. 

Tree Sparrow.

It's over 12 months since I last saw Tree Sparrow at Cockersand where they could been seen regularly, 16 were at Bank Houses on 10 October 2023. Before this, it was 12 months since my previous record of one Tree Sparrow on 1 December 2022, and before this it was another 12 months since my last record of 3 Tree Sparrow on 14 December 2021....The Tree Sparrow is absent from Cockersand!

Whooper Swan.

The species is slow to be seen at Cockersand this winter, 26 Whooper Swan is my best of two counts to date. Last year I recorded 245 Whooper Swan here on 24 November 2023.    

The Birk Bank Circuit.

Tuesday was the anniversary when Steve Graham accompanied me on a circuit of Birk Bank in May 2023. Primarily the reason that day, was to locate a Wood Warbler which had been found a few days earlier in a private woodland. But the hopes of visually finding this locally rare warbler soon died a death, though we did here the distinctive call which is often likened to a spinning coin on a marble slab.

Todays circuit with Steve was a 4 hour experience of some excellent birding which produced 7 Garden Warbler, one up on last years tally of six. Also enjoyed was 5 Cuckoo records which were represented by two audible and three visual, one of which was a female heard to call, then viewed atop of a tree with a Meadow Pipit in attendance and mobbing at times. Six Mistle Thrush seen, including one in flight carrying food into Cragg Wood.

I reckon the odds against the sighting of a Song Thrush singing in the branch below a Mistle Thrush, is a million to one chance....Pump up the volume. Two singing Blackcap, Linnet, Greenfinch, and Redpoll over, and Kestrel.

Common Heath. Ian Mitchell.

To say butterflies and bees were sparse would be an understatement, with only singles of Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, and Small White, but the Common Heath moth was out in force.

I found my first Large Red Damselflies of the year, when a f. melanotum was basking on the boardwalk at Birk Bank bog, and at least 12 teneral drying out and warming up amongst the bilberries along the path and away from the bog....interesting.   

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.   

....And More Spectacular Numbers!

Following my disappointing last visit to Conder Green on 30 January. Conder Pool reclaimed its first place in the title race for best local birding site of its kind on Wednesday when I found the 1st winter Russian White-fronted Goose there with 82 Greylag.

The Conder Pool grebes are dispersing, with just 3 Little Grebe seen today. They usually start to move off the pool and into the creeks in January, then on to the River Lune before disappearing for the summer. Also to note, 17 Wigeon, and 12 Tufted Duck. As a note of interest, the hedge along the canal towpath between The Mill and Glasson, which in part runs along the back of Conder Pool, is being laid. 

Notes from the Lune Estuary at Glasson, at least 3,250 Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, a relatively low count of 120 Golden Plover, 5 Goldeneye, and a drake Goosander. 

From a moving car along Moss Lane, c.25 Fieldfare. At Cockersand, everything I found today was seen at the caravan park end, and included just one female Stonechat seen on the marsh, but Ian Mitchell reported a pair by Lighthouse Cottage.

Together with excellent views of a Barn Owl, I had the pleasure of a Merlin rocketing over the marsh, and later a Hen Harrier ring-tail. A flighty flock of c.50 Linnet, 4 Reed Bunting, and a lone Greenfinch. My best ever count of at least 700 Curlew were seen, with 250 in the field behind Lower Bank House, and at least 450 on the mud south side of the Cocker Estuary. 

I have repeatedly said, this is by far the best area to find large numbers of Curlew, and doesn't reflect the Red Listed status of the species around the Cockersand/Cocker Estuary area. My other best ever count of the day, was of the 3,250 Black-tailed Godwit on the Lune Estuary....Seen as another magical moment for me. 

Garden Siskin.

Siskin. Mike Atkinson.

It was a pleasure for the Woodruff's to see a female Siskin on a feeder in the garden on Thursday. Only the fourth such sighting in 14 years living here....Yes it's a bit scarce in Lancaster!

Thanks for Mike Atkinson for the image, which added some interest and colour to B2B.

Disturbance.

A site of SSSI is a formal conservation designation. Usually it describes an area that is of particular interest to science due to the rare species of fauna and flora it contains.

I initially decided not to publish this picture of a man out on Plover Scar, complete with camera and mutt. But following conversations I've had about unnecessary disturbance, including the Barn Owl/s at Cockersand which have attracted much attention from people who should know better. I'm prompted to publish it now to give some publicity to bird disturbance. 

This 'photographer' was joined on Wednesday by someone with two more mutts, all trampling across the recent Snow Bunting territory on Plover Scar, and much worse was followed by 'two people' with a 4 wheel drive and trailer with a Punt Gun almost at the foot of the lighthouse, a positively vile weapon capable of killing large numbers of wildfowl with a single shot....This area is in one such SSSI.

Better Late Than Never!

On a nice bright if cold sunny day, Conder Pool was as dull as it gets, with just 2 Little Grebe, a Goosander, and a few Mallard making the total of no more than 20 birds present. Conder Pool rules....but not this time.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, at least 2,500 Black-tailed Godwit, a couple of hundred Redshank and Dunlin were hanging on to the shoreline as the tide rushed in, with 3 Goosander noted, and then the Peregrine Falcon flew onto the scene.

The Peregrine Falcon caused a mass dread for a few thousand waders, including the Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, and Dunlin, and created a spectacle that lasted several minutes.

At Cockersand, 5 Stonechat seen, a pair in the rough field behind Bank House, a pair at Lighthouse Cottage, and a female along Moss Lane. Seeing 32 Stock Dove come down into a field was a first for me in our recording area, where birds seen in single figures is the norm in my experience. Whilst watching the doves, a Merlin rocketed over towards the estuary, and in the area around Bank House, 45 Linnet was a decent count, with 5 Greenfinch and 5 Reed Bunting seen, 13 Eider were off Plover Scar.

Sandylands Geese.

On Sunday, I'm quietly confident the geese flying silent and in silhouette north>south towards the harbour, were 20 Brent Geese. Earlier a Peregrine Falcon was seen unsuccessfully chasing a small wader, before doing a U turn to fly off inland.

Stonechat At Cockersand.

My header image is of one of the Lighthouse Cottage birds sent to me by Ian Mitchell....Thanks Ian, much appreciated.

This cropped image from Ian Mitchell, is of the same female Stonechat in the header, showing something best described as thin white plastic wire wrapped around both left and right lower leg.

I was in touch with and forwarded this image to a front line ringer in Cumbria, who notes they are both identical in dimension and position, otherwise is as baffled as me....Are we missing something here I ask myself!

Barn Owl.

Ian Mitchell finds a fair share of interesting stuff....Bilberry Bumblebee at Birk Bank in June 2023, including an amazing video of it burrowing on Clougha. The Merlin at Cockersand in October 2023 with some excellent photo and video footage of the bird taking a bath on a flooded stubble field. Two Otter in the Lune Valley in January, and the Stonechats at Cockersand this week, one of which has what appears to be thin white plastic rings on both legs.

Then up to date, a Barn Owl at Cockersand on Thursday 1 February bearing a metal ring on its right leg....What next Ian!

Movements of Barn Owl.

The West Palearctic population is basically resident, though young birds are known to make occasional dispersals, with no clear overall directional trend within Europe.

As a result of Ian Mitchell's discovery of the Cockersand Barn Owl bearing a metal ring. I made enquiries to another front line ringer, this one in Lancashire, about any known movements of Barn Owl, to be told they are usually only over fairly short distances. However, in the conversation I learn of one bird recovered in Lancashire having been marked in Nottingham.

And Finally.

At this point I'm not sure of the significance of the record, but I'd suggest it is a first for Lancashire and beyond. What I do know, is that this bird should have been more likely to be seen in West Africa.

Curlew Sandpiper Record Shots. Ian Walker.

An amazing record of a Curlew Sandpiper on Warton Marsh yesterday 3 February....Ian Walker FBC.

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. 

A Window Of Opportunity.

Some decent weather gave me a chance to get out on Wednesday, with another special day at Cockersand and around the Lune Estuary.

It was good to find a female Pochard on Conder Pool, seen as a declining winter visitor, and very irregular anywhere in our recording area. Other notes of interest were, the wintering pair of Stonechat, 2 Kingfisher which paid a visit to the perching post a few minutes apart from opposite directions. I saw just 5 Little Grebe and 2 Tufted Duck, and made some comfortably round figure estimates of 50 Mallard and 40 Wigeon. Also up to 150 Teal were seen between Conder Pool and the River Conder, and a Sparrowhawk flew into the hedgerow by the viewing platform, and few back out again 2 minutes later.

At Cockersand, there was just 85 Pink-footed Geese left from the 2,500 on 5 December, there was a notable count of 250 Curlew in a field off Slack Lane, 12 Goldfinch and 9 Greenfinch were around Bank Houses.

Hen Harrier. Simon Hawtin.

As I rounded the Lighthouse Cottage, a ringtail Hen Harrier appeared over the stubble field and eventually disappeared over Cockersand Abbey, almost certainly the same bird of 24 November over the marsh at the Caravan Park. As I left Cockersand, 2 Cattle Egret were off Moss Lane by Tomlinson's Farm.

Interesting and worrying, I saw not a single Whooper Swan today at Cockersand after recording up to 300 there 1 December.

Fifteen Black-tailed Godwit segregated from 3,000 Lune Estuary 13 December. A pity the light was fading for the video. 

Most notable on the Lune Estuary at Glasson, the count of at least 3,000 Black-tailed Godwit in three groups, 2,000 being at the mouth of the River Conder and upstream, and others on the shore below Colloway Marsh. Also of note, c.500 Dunlin and 80 Golden Plover.

I had the opportunity to call in at Teal Bay yesterday, where there was a nice variety of waders roosting on the groyne at high tide. Predominantly Oystercatcher with 9 Bar-tailed Godwit and Redshank. Also single figures of Turnstone, Knot and Dunlin, with Wigeon and 2 female Pintail. I had to mute the video to take out the annoying wind.

The Pintail.

The status of the Pintail in our recording area, is that of a common passage migrant and winter visitor. The Pintail I saw yesterday at Teal Bay, were the first I've seen in 4 years, when I noted them in 'large number' off Pilling Lane Ends on 15 October 2019....I have obviously not been to Cockersand on the right date. I was truly amazed when I found the record of 550 Pintail seen off Plover Scar 1 October 2023....LDBWS 

There is an interesting breeding record, that of a female Pintail with 7 ducklings at Alston Wetland on 27 May 2022, with still two young on 11 July, only the third breeding record for Lancashire since 49 years ago in 1973....Lancashire Bird Report 

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for the excellent header image of a pair of Pintail at Morecambe....In my book one of the smartest of ducks.  

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.

Chats On The Starter Menu....

....and a raptor to finish with on the sweet menu!

What a lovely sunny if cold day on Friday to find 7 Stonechat, with two found on Conder Pool, two foraging along the marsh by Cockersand Caravan Park, one on roadside fence posts Moss Lane, and two along the bulrushes behind Lighthouse Cottage. AC found the mate of my loner on Moss Lane, so proof of four pairs wintering in the Lune Estuary area.

Stonechat Moss Lane 24 November

Also noted on Conder Pool, 20 Tufted Duck, 5 Goosander, and 9 Little Grebe.

Little Grebe Conder Pool. Ian Mitchell.

Ian Mitchell caught on camera conclusive proof the Little Grebe catch Sticklebacks like there's no tomorrow, and play with them until they can swallow head first so the spines don't snag on the throat.

On the Lune at Glasson, up to 650 Golden Plover and 620 Black-tailed Godwit which was up to half the number seen on my last visit here last Tuesday. A Raven was overhead at close range.

As I approached Cockersand along Moss Lane, a Buzzard was close by in a tree, but took offence to me and flew off as I pulled up to grab a pik. My records read, the circuit was a huge success, if only because I found 5 Stonechat here. Otherwise, just 3 Wren, 2 Meadow Pipit, and a lone Greenfinch got into my little black book.

But hey, the visit ended with a bang....As I watched a Stonechat pair foraging the marsh edge, a Hen Harrier ringtail burst onto the scene, it quartered low over the marsh 50 metres out for several minutes before I eventually lost it to view heading to Cockerham Marsh....Heck!

Thanks to Simon Hawtin for his stunning Hen Harrier header image.

Anniversary.

Wheatear Cockersand 25 November 2022. Pete Woodruff.

Twelve months yesterday since I found this little beauty on detritus at Cockersand. 

Geese And Chats.

Thursdays birding was a day that started just about as bad as gets, but soon took off to be as good as it gets as far as geese and to a lesser degree chats were concerned. 

Conder Pool, was virtually void of birds save 4 Wigeon, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant and a Little Grebe, and to make matters worse the wintering Stonechats appear to have moved on. But there was a little interest on the coastal path, with the sight of a Greenfinch being no better than an occasional bird here, in fact I'm struggling to recall the last one I saw at Conder Green. Something more positive from Conder Pool, 6 Avocet had moved in on Friday with news published by AC@FBC....But not reported since.

Along with Pete Crooks and J.C.Wood who joined me on Moss Lane, and later in the day Barrie Cooper at Cockersand, to quote Pete Crooks we enjoyed....'the best birding experience currently on offer in North Lancashire'.

Over the 3 hours spent at Cockersand, at one point I estimated a total of up to 5,000 Pink-footed Geese in the air, with 8 Barnacle Geese, and 3 White-fronted Geese seen earlier in fields opposite Lambs Farm on the south side of Moss Lane. 

With the first count made in fields, geese were in the air several times following human disturbance, and up to 4,000 were in this field immediately north of Bank House Cottage.

Worth a mention, over the past few days during these pre-migration gatherings of geese, a peak count was made of 12 White-fronted Geese, with 3 Bean Geese and a Lesser White-fronted Goose per FBC. 

A little wandering had me find 5 Stonechat, seen as two male and a female on roadside fence posts east of Abbey Farm, and a pair on the spoil heaps in the field south of Lighthouse Cottage.

Disturbance.

Throughout my observations of 'the best birding experience currently on offer in North Lancashire' on Thursday, I witnessed or was reliably informed of several incidents of wilful disturbance of geese and swans in recent days.

In addition to my personal experiences, there was disturbance being seen as deliberate a few times in a field south of Moss Lane. Add to this, earlier on Thursday and on two occasions earlier in the week, Whooper Swans had been disturbed more than once in fields west of Jeremy Lane, and on 23 February south of Cockerham, up to 3,000 geese including Bean Geese, White-fronted Geese and Pink-footed Geese were disturbed by 'someone' on a quad bike.

This incident isn't directly related to the current post about geese and swans disturbed in fields, but....Wildlife is a low priority to some, you can educate a minority, but definitely not the ignorant majority! 

Edit.

The 5,000 Pink-footed Geese were flushed this p.m. again today by a farm vehicle deliberately driving through the birds in the same area as Thursday. We have collectively to somehow try to stop this wildlife persecution, but an uphill struggle will ensue. Like I have said....it's nigh on impossible to educate the ignorant!     

Better Late Than Never....Part 3.

Apologies for the title, I know it's becoming a little boring and repetitive, but apart from the fact it has been another week since I got some birding done, it saves me scratching my head for another one, and in any case, if I'd have known what was in store for me when I finally did get out again on Friday, I'd never have coped with the excitement....after all I always was easily pleased!

Even if the footage is a bit of jelly on a plate stuff, the Chiffchaff at Conder Pool - although busy and difficult to keep up to - was a delight out in the open and at close range. 

Kingfisher Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

Also on the pool, a Kingfisher came on to the outlet for around 5 secs, looked at me behind the viewing screen and promptly flew off, also a lone Little Grebe to note. A drake Pochard is only the second one I have seen on Conder Pool, and seen as nothing better than a rare breeder and declining winter visitor in the Leighton Moss area and Pine Lake, scarce anywhere else. Todays drake Pochard was probably the canal basin individual of late having a trip out.

Lune Estuary Looking To Clougha And The Bowland Fells. Pete Woodruff.

With too much water at near high tide, I collect just a few notes on the Lune Estuary at Glasson. At least 700 Dunlin is a best and low personal count here this winter, 2 drake Goldeneye, 4 Goosander and 3 Little Grebe, 50 Pink-footed Geese were on Colloway Marsh, almost certainly more out of view.

At Cockersand, up to 220 Curlew and a even mix of up to 100 Redwing and Fieldfare in the same field, 14 Greenfinch, 5 Wren and a Song Thrush. Three small groups totaling 12 Snipe, up off the marsh and calling in flight sounding like a muffled sneeze.

Six Stonechat seen today at Cockersand, these two were on the spoil heaps, a pair on Slack Lane by Lighthouse Cottage, and a pair in the rough field by Bank Houses, from where I saw a ringtail Hen Harrier, and later saw it on a return flight but was obstructed by the hedgerow for good views.

As I rounded the path at Lighthouse Cottage, a female Merlin shot by me a little more than a foot above the marsh. AC who I met later confirmed he had seen the bird 15 minutes after me, and had excellent views as it perched on a telegraph pole along Slack Lane.

I had good views of the Black Redstart along the shore south of the abbey, a stunning little bird in some excellent sunlight, and from where up to 300 Whooper Swan could be seen mainly inaccessible at Thursland Hill, but including c.50 on a drive past at the Thurnham end of Moss Lane.

Garden Birds.

The birds served us well yesterday when a male Blackcap spent a little time on the feeders, then one hour later a Chiffchaff made the day by searching the plants for insects a metre outside the patio window. This bird/another visited us on 20 September 2022.

And Finally.

I received some excellent images of an Otter seen this week for which I was truly grateful, it was seen in the east of our area. I also had a good count of 15 Brown Hare during the week at an undisclosed location.

Otter 19 January. Copy Permitted.

With six Stonechat at Cockersand and much more, a bit of birding magic for me on Friday....What next I ask myself!