The Wrong Day!

It was the wrong day when I walked the stretch of the canal from Glasson-Galgate in the hope of a dragon or two, cloudy and an unwelcome breeze. After a 3 mile and 3 hour trek, I saw not a single dragonfly, with just two damselflies seen, and one bird of note, it was a walk all about the butterflies. The population of UK butterflies has now reached an 80% decline since the 1970's, but it's not the end of the world yet, and I've had some decent sightings recently regarding them as heartening.

Gatekeeper. Pete Woodruff.

On todays walk I encountered a nice 34 Gatekeeper, 4 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Meadow Brown, 3 Painted Lady, 3 Red Admiral, and a Peacock. The only two damselflies seen were, a Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Common Blue Damselfly. The only bird of note was a Buzzard over the canal junction at Galgate.

Garden Butterflies.

Comma. Pete Woodruff.

A Comma spent a good 15 minutes nectaring on the Elecampane in our garden and was soon followed by a smart Red Admiral.

Picture Gallery.

I got more excellent finds and images in my inbox again, all best viewed enlarged.

Ruddy Darter. Martin Jump.

Martin has is second Ruddy Darter under his belt this week in Preston.

Buff Ermine. Ian Mitchell.

And with the help of a beautiful Buff Ermine, Ian continues to achieve excellent results of moths in flight.

The Odd Couple. Howard Stockdale.

Howards image shows the result of an Embden Goose which paired with a hybrid GreylagxCanada Goose. Having had a hatched chick out on the marsh this year, perhaps a cursory look might have some thinking Conder Pool now has its own Snow Goose!

And Finally....

Cuckoo Juvenile. Marc Heath.

Marc got an excellent image of a Cuckoo. In congratulating him, I confessed to never having previously recognised the juvenile Cuckoo had such brilliant markings on its tail feathers. 

The Brook/Pond/Fell And Bog.

If it's dragons we're talking, my day on the fringe of Bowland was excellent.

Grisedale Brook.

Though this year isn't panning out as good as last year between Grisedale Bridge and Holme Wood, this visit turned up 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, and 2 Common Hawker which, not having settled in the several minutes I watched them, I reluctantly recorded as them 'possible' based on size, behaviour, and upland habitat. The butterflies were in better number than of late, with 6 Meadow Brown, 4 Large White, 3 Large Skipper, and a Gatekeeper. 

Catshaw Pond.

The 'Lone Ranger' male Emperor Dragonfly was again patrolling the pond at Catshaw. This is the second year I have found the species at this small upland pool.

Hawthornthwaite Fell.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Pete Woodruff.

Another Golden-ringed Dragonfly seen here, with a Stonechat pair both alarmed at my presence at both the outward walk, and on the return. Six Meadow Pipit to note, with just 4 Sand Martin seen, and a Kestrel high overhead. Butterflies, 44 Large White and a lone Green-veined White.

Birk Bank Bog.

My visit here today verged towards exceptional, with 10 Keeled Skimmer which were seen as 4 male, 2 pairs in cop, and 2 female egg laying....Looks like the Birk Bank skimmers are here to stay!

I was a little disappointed with the result of my efforts to make a video which is a little fuzzy. But ne'r mind, it's not every day you find a female Keeled Skimmer egg laying whilst the male hovers nearby.

A bonus today came in the form of 4 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, with a Large Red Damselfly keep putting in an appearance. Butterflies, 2 Ringlet and a Red Admiral.

22 dragonflies on the day, and all rated as excellent....That'll do nicely thank you!

Picture Gallery.

Black Darter Birk Bank Bog 30 July. Ian Mitchell.

First past the post for Ian Mitchells male Black Darter. Ian beat me to this early'ish emerging dragonfly on Birk Bank bog, and many thanks for his header image. 

Small Red-eyed Damselfly. Martin Jump.

Martin is getting some excellent results for his project of in flight shots of this dainty damselfly. 

Two For The Price Of One!

Being the summer finally decided to show up again, I managed a couple of trips into Bowland this week.

Wednesday 17 July.

Grisedale Bridge Looking To Harrisend

Well as I saw it, the weatherman said sunny clear skies and humid, but when I arrived at Grisedale Bridge with dragonflies in mind, I thought I'd made the wrong choice and come to the wrong place.

Undeterred, I set off to look for the quarry with golden rings, to find a male Stonechat as a welcome sight to start with. The only other birds to note were a Meadow Pipit and a Raven over. I saw no more than a dozen butterflies here, seen as a mega count by recent standards, the best of which was a Red Admiral, with Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, and Large White to note.

All was not lost as I got back to the bridge....There's something magical about seeing a Golden-ringed Dragonfly - not in the video - coming into view under the bridge and flying downstream. It's just so disappointing, that on 14 June last year I searched Grisedale Brook to find 12 Golden-ringed Dragonfly in one hour.

On a circuit of the pond at Catshaw, I found no dragons or damsels, but flushed out 2 Snipe in the process. On Hawthornthwaite I found 2 Stonechat, 6 Meadow Pipit, a Kestrel and 2 Sand Martin. I saw just two butterflies, a Red Admiral and Small Heath. The 'best bit' here came in the form of a male Emperor Dragonfly.

With dragonflies in mind, my day ended nicely, with a Golden-ringed Dragonfly on Cam Brook at the foot of Cam Brow. But I'm convinced there's been no Sand Martin colony at Cam Brow this year, nor do I think there's been one at Hawthornthwaite on Catshaw Grieve....Food for thought! 

Friday 19 July.

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank Bog 24 July. Ian Mitchell.

At Birk Bank, 6 Keeled Skimmer was good enough for me, they were seen as three male, a mating pair, and a female egg laying, all seen at close range. Also an Emperor Dragonfly, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, and 4 Large Red Damselfly.

On a wander around the area, a Stonechat pair, a Raven over, 4 Buzzard soaring and mewing together, and a Kestrel in a direct flight with a large gull above it was calling repeatedly 'kee-kee-kee-kee'.

Anting Gulls.

Too many for the camera to pick up on one frame, but a few hundred anting gulls over the house yesterday tea time. 

Emperor Dragonfly.

I have had my Emperor Dragonfly records accepted on iRecord, all with the comment attached....'Coordinate is outside known range for Anax imperator'....Clearly this is incorrect, and in this regard iRecord needs to be updated. I am reliably informed, there are a few records of Emperor Dragonfly on moorland other than Bowland, where I have recorded the species this year and in 2023.

Little Success...Big Disappointments.

In a week with perfect weather, I was off to check out Birk Bank bog and surroundings. But, bearing in mind the successes of recent sorties here and there, five hours later I came away from the area with little success and big disappointments.

Dealing with the disappointments first, given the conditions of calm hot sunny weather, I've not seen Four-spotted Chaser over or on the bog since 15 were seen on 16 June. I've also yet to see Black-tailed Skimmer or Black Darter here this year, and that's three species certain to be found around the bog at Birk Bank*

Dragons2blog....But not that many! 

To lift the visit to the bog out of total disappointment, I did see 4 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 2 Keeled Skimmer male, 8 Common Darter all males, a Common Hawker and a Migrant Hawker. 

The Migrant Hawker was seen as a species that avoids acidic water, but tolerates brackish water. It can be found anywhere on migration which reaches its peak during the first half of September. My records in 2021 show a total of 90 Migrant Hawker seen in two trawls along the canal towpath, 43 Glasson-Conder Green 15 September, 47 Conder Green-Galgate 20 September. Both these records fit in nicely with the peak migration of Migrant Hawker in mid-September.

Keeled Skimmer Ottergear Bridge. Pete Woodruff.

A wander to Ottergear Bridge had me finding 2 Keeled Skimmer male again this year on the west side of the bridge. On the grit track to Cragg Wood, 2 Common Darter female and a Common Blue Damselfly.

Stonechat Birk Bank. Ian Mitchell. 

A pair of Stonechat with a young were east of the car park on Rigg Lane, and a juvenile Robin seen from the footpath as I came away from the bog. Butterflies, 6 Red Admiral, 2 Small Copper, 2 Meadow Brown, and a Speckled Wood.

Sundew Drosera rotundifolia. Pete Woodruff. 

A recent star find goes to the Sundew. A plant which carries the symbol indicating the need for protection, and which Charles Darwen once wrote in a letter in 1860....'at the present moment, I care more about Drosera than the origin of all the species in the world'.

Black Darter bog boardwalk (Archive Image) Pete Woodruff.

* In relation to my lack of sightings this week at Birk Bank in mid-August, some notes on flight periods of three species in Lancashire which may go some way to explain reasons for the disappointment.

Four-spotted Chaser....The first large dragonfly to appear in spring, and the earliest to disappear in autumn, falling rapidly in early August.

Black-tailed Skimmer....Appears mid-June, rapidly declining in mid-August.

Black Darter....A late emerging species, beginning during August and gradually reaching a peak in September.

Looks like I may have been too late for the top two species, and too early for the last one....My next visit might throw up some answers on that.

Stonechat Records April-June 2022.

Staying home and keeping cool for a couple of days during the heat wave, and since the cooldown no opportunities for any freedom, has given me the opportunity to collate a selection of the second quarter of this years Stonechat records - 100+in total April-June - collected in the main from FBC sightings page. 

The records have shown a surprising number of lowland birds, with the Lancashire Bird Report 2020 claiming Stonechats to be fairly widespread in coastal areas. 

9 April Rossall School possibly late passage?

20 April Blackpool Airport male

20 April St Annes Old Links pair

25 April Blea Tarn 2 birds  

26 May Conder Green male *

12 June Winmarleigh Moss breeding record, adults seen carrying food

17 June Heysham Head female *

25 June St Annes NR 3 birds

25 June Starr Hills 2 birds

25 June Clougha 2 birds

* Stonechats at Conder Green and Heysham Head in May/June are extraordinary, in particular the Conder Green bird. According to my records, there's never been a Stonechat seen here during the breeding season, and almost certainly never at Heysham Head on 17 June.

April-June Records Pete Woodruff.

My Stonechat'ing days and where I go are much restricted now, so nothing comprehensive here, but....

14 April Birk Bank 2xpairs *

29 April Harrisend pair/4 male *

29 April Hawthornthwaite pair/female *

27 May Hawthornthwaite pair/2 male/2 young

16 June Birk Bank juvenile

30 June Birk Bank female/4 young 

* No evidence, but probably breeding

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

Lancaster Canal.

Since the recent pollution incident which had serious consequences for wildlife, including dead otters and fish, it was rewarding to find the canal at Garstang appears to be reaching some normality again. It was pleasing to find 4 Brown Hawker and 2 Emperor Dragonfly as evidence that it seems no harm had come to the Odonata of this affected section of the canal.

Garden Butterflies.

It was good to find two firsts for the garden, when a Small Skipper and Meadow Brown put in an appearance recently, also nice to see Holly Blue and Comma. 

I've used the word paucity a couple of times recently to describe my butterfly records recently. I'm claiming no more than 40 have been seen in our butterfly and bee friendly garden since the beginning of summer. This reflects the disaster that might be around the corner, that half of Britain's butterfly species are listed as Threatened or Near Threatened on a new Red List.

Wall Brown. Pete Woodruff.

It's 5 years since I saw my last Wall Brown, it was seen along the coastal path at Cockers Dyke in August 2017.

Tree Wasp.

The 22cm Tree Wasp Dolichovespula sylvestris was munching at the wood on the boardwalk fencing at Birk Bank to digest as paper for nest building. 

Moths.

Four Spotted Footman. Ian Mitchell.

The Four Spotted Footman featured in my header and above, is thanks to Ian who found it in his trap on Monday. It is a sexually dimorphic moth, only females have the spots which gives the species its name. They are more likely to be found in central and southern Europe, though they are resident along the south-west coast of England and parts of Wales, making Ian's individual a scarce immigrant found in the north of England....I've not yet found out what the disfigurement is on the moth. 

I've seen a couple of moths recently, nothing unusual but worth noting. 

Dark Arches. Pete Woodruff.

The Dark Arches came to rest on the pebbledash on our house....

Purple Bar. Pete Woodruff.

And the Purple Bar was hiding in the undergrowth at Grisedale Bridge.

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. 

Golden Moments.

On Monday, I gave Grisedale Brook 2 hours to find 12 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, the result of staking out for 1/4 mile at three positions to Holme Wood. Of these twelve sightings, I eliminated four as duplicate counts, bringing the count to eight.

Also seen in the area, 14 Meadow Brown, 4 Small Heath, 4 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Ringlet, and a Small Skipper.

Fast forward to Hawthornthwaite, where I found just one female Stonechat, which promptly flew off some distance to disappear from view on the east side of Catshaw. A Painted Lady was nice here, also 4 Large White and 2 Small Heath seemed to continue the paucity of butterfly records for me.

White-tailed Bumblebee. Pete Woodruff.

A few White-tailed Bumblebee seen on Hawthornthwaite are regarded as probably Bombus cryptarum, being the species that occupies upland habitats. In July last year, I found at least 60 here, this visit produced less in number.

A heads-up a couple of weeks ago from AC, had me finding 5 Golden-ringed Dragonfly on Cam Brook, to give me the total of an impressive seventeen sightings on the day.

Human Remains.

There's never any shortage of examples of human remains to be found in the Forest of Bowland.

This person - that's me being polite - leaving his dogs crap in a bag at Grisedale Bridge, obviously has a sick sense of humour, with a university degree in ignorance to go with it.

This litter was left behind in the stream below Hawthornthwaite Fell, by some lout who wouldn't have the care to realise they were leaving their empty cans of lager in an AONB....Sad i'nit!

A late record....On Sunday, a walk along the canal to Deep Cutting, was rewarded by 6 Emperor Dragonfly all male.

Canal Delight & Disaster.

Having made my plans, I scrounged a lift to Galgate and walked the canal towpath back to Lancaster. At my usual dawdle and search speed, the walk took me 4 hours to get back to the city centre, then took me another 1.5 hours to get home on a bus ride which should have taken just 10 minutes. Roadworks causing traffic chaos....but never mind all that.

Delight On The Canal.

I had only been on the path 15 minutes north of Galgate, when I saw up to a three figure estimate of House Martin in the skies above, hawking and thinking about the start of their journey south. Swallow were over, feeding and occasionally scooping water from the canal. I counted 10 Moorhen along the way, including two nests with young seen. Other notes, 8 Blackbird, 2 Blackcap, 2 Wren, a Chiffchaff, and a Cormorant seen fishing then took off and flew west.

There was a disappointing paucity of butterflies, pick of the bunch was a Large Skipper, with a Ringlet, Large White, 4 Meadow Brown, and a Silver Y moth.

Large Skipper. Pete Woodruff.

The only Odonata seen, came as 4 Emperor Dragonfly including an obliging male, to be seen more often than not patrolling.

View Full Screen

Along this 4 mile stretch of the Lancaster Canal, the Blue-tailed Damselfly probably numbered a few hundred if I'd have really tried. 

Blue-tailed Damselfly f.rufescens Pete Woodruff

Disaster On The Canal.

On Saturday 11 June, I was witness to the results of a serious pollution incident on the Lancaster Canal at Garstang, which caused the water in the canal to become black with a sickening stench. 

Making enquiries to the authorities, I received a comprehensive response giving some details about the incident. In terms of actions to manage the impact of this significant pollution event which has sadly effected wildlife along this length of the canal through Garstang, aeration equipment was deployed to improve oxygen levels within the water. This action is continuing until the water chemistry is back to its normal level, and I'm told the results to date appear to be promising.

The result of this incident caused many fish and other aquatic life to perish, and worse still, I was informed with photographic evidence seen, of two Otters dead. In my enquiries, I was told of no evidence found on the effect of Odonata caused by the incident, and to add something much more positive to all this, it was pleasing that I found 2 Banded Demoiselle just beyond the affected area last Saturday 2 July. 

I'm told the source of this pollution incident has been identified. I hope a case for prosecution is being built, and let's hope it's a successful one with a hefty price to pay for this act of wildlife crime and environmental damage. 

Conder Pool.

Can't think of a better Conder Pool update from the ever reliable Howard Stockdale, than his footage of the recently hatched Little Ringed Plover chicks. 

View Full Screen

Around The Lune Estuary.

A look in on Conder Pool yesterday produced the kind of interest you come to expect here. Thirteen Common Tern seen, heading toward the climax of their breeding season, with eight adult and five young seen, four of which have yet to fledge, though I'd be surprised if they didn't do so soon after I left, with wing flapping lifting the birds a metre off the pontoon at times. 

One of the adult Common Tern has a metal ring on the lower right leg, it is one of three around at the moment, and one having been read was ringed as a chick at Shotton, Flintshire in 2017.

Common Tern 10 Aug 2021

 

I'm grateful to Ian Hartley for his help regarding info about ringed Common Terns at Conder Green.

Conder Pool held a decent count of 11 Greenshank, with 3 Avocet seen as an adult with two juvenile. Also 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, 8 Little Grebe, and a Swift seen as it zoomed over the old iron railway bridge, might well be my last of the year. On a circuit to Glasson, an Emperor Dragonfly was on Saltcote Pond, with 2 Common Darter and Blue-tailed Damselfly, also a Sparrowhawk over. 

Common Blue Male & Female

On a walk along the marsh edge to Glasson Dock, the butterflies put on a bit of a show for me at last, all nectaring on Sea Lavender, with 12 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Common Blue, 2 Green-veined White, a Gatekeeper, Comma, and Meadow Brown. 

In the last 15 minutes of exposed mud on the Lune Estuary as the tide flowed in, c.400 Redshank and 48 Dunlin, 18 Little Egret were on the southern tip of Colloway Marsh. Up to 30 Swallow and 2 Sand Martin were hawking over the canal basin.

Thanks to Howard for the Knot header image. Howard has news of up to 3,000 Knot arriving in the Netherlands, and is looking forward to a similar arrival here in the UK soon.     

Another Good Idea....

 ....but where does it all end! 

To be honest it was too hot to be lingering at a bog and wandering around Birk Bank looking for dragonflies, but it's what I like to do, and luvit.

I found 8 Keeled Skimmer, seen as three male and two female all at the bog, and three male as I approached Ottergear Bridge from the west. These three - 2-1 - were around boggy areas on the track, obviously seen as runnels, that are regarded to be part of their known habitat, but I still find it an odd place to find these dragonflies, here for three weeks now, and showing expansion of the species in our area.

There was interesting behavior at the bog, when a male Keeled Skimmer 'picked' a dragonfly off the bog, much as a bird of prey would take prey in its talons, I couldn't ID the victim to be a female KS, it being a darker individual. The dragonfly soon broke free, but the male approached it again and actually came to land broadside across the 'female' wing tip to wing tip. I picked up the female again, now it was ovipositing....All very bizarre!

Also on the bog, another female Keeled Skimmer seen middle-distance, 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 2 Black-tailed Skimmer, and 5 Large Red Damselfly. On a wander to Cragg Wood, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly was patrolling the River Conder either side of the ford, and making the effort for me to get there well worth the trundle. 

Butterflies numbers as I see it continue to be sparse, though 15 species in a couple of hours at a managed local hotspot would appear to contradict this, but doesn't succeed in doing so in my experience in the wider countryside this year so far.

Meadow Brown Female. Pete Woodruff.

My records for this visit, 14 Large White, 6 Meadow Brown, a Small Heath and Large Skipper.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

This GRD on the fence by the boardwalk at Birk Bank bog, was feeding on an insect. Watch closely for the small 'beetle blue wing case?' then something falling from the mouth....View Full Screen.

     

A Really Good Idea In The End!

On what may be my last visit of the summer to the area, I was well pleased with the results of a saunter Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge on Friday. It was a toss up which event won the prize, but the flycatchers and sandpipers were in a neck and neck finish, and I reckon it was a dead heat!

Spotted Flycatchers.

Spotted Flycatcher. Howard Stockdale.

In the trees behind Tower Lodge, over a 15 minute watch, I got my second helping of 4 Spotted Flycatcher, including excellent views of a young bird begging with flickering wings. Equally rewarding was the sight of another Spotted Flycatcher, found in the mid-distance on the opposite side of the Marshaw Wyre. I've drawn the conclusion, probably three pairs of Spotted Flycatcher have bred in the area, despite my previous claim that just one pair have bred here this year, with one also found around the plantation at Marshaw on 22 June and subsequently seen again as recently as 13 July by Andrew Cornall.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for his Spotted Flycatcher young in the nest. Howard had to apply for and was granted a permit to photograph these birds.

Common Sandpiper.

I was very pleased to find 8 Common Sandpiper today on the Marshaw Wyre. Hearing the call presumably to young out of sight, I soon had views of a bird flying off downstream, eventually followed by four more, seen as a family of 5 Common Sandpiper, the other three were seen later enroute to Trough Bridge.

Finding 6 Grey Wagtail has continued the poor show in the area this year, and I've yet to find a Dipper here. A Great-spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch seen whilst watching the flycatchers, and later a Kestrel were the only other birds in the book. Butterflies were sparse, 4 Meadow Brown, 3 Small Heath, 3 Large White, and a Small Tortoiseshell.

On my way back to Lancaster, I decided to look in on the bog at Birk Bank, where I had a few sightings of a male Keeled Skimmer, but was never able to say more than one seen. I also had a Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser, and a Large Red Damselfly. After about 45 minutes and was about to leave, another dragonfly came into view, it was soon joined by another to give me excellent views of 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly in an aerial confrontation. 

So 8 Golden-ringed Dragonflies in 17 days at 4 locations....That'll do nicely!

Garden Notes.

We had a first ever Small Skipper in the garden, and 2 Buzzard soared together  yesterday.

Thanks to Paul who tells me this is a mirid bug, and given the poor image quality, might be Deraeocoris flaviliea in the garden recently.

Beside The Seaside.

A lovely day to chill out and sit on the sea wall at Heysham and check out a decent gull roost up to high tide. 

I panned through the c.200 gulls half a dozen times, the best count that came up was 16 Mediterranean Gull, many - but not all - hunkered down in the distance on Red Nab and identified only by the magnificent full black hood, and just one seen as a sub-adult bird with small black primary markings. But some showed their unmistakable all-white flight-feathers, large black hood, and scarlet bill, including the green ringed bird, probably the one ringed ANLT in Germany as a nestling 9 years ago in June 2012 and a visitor to Heysham every year since 2017....Beautiful creatures.

Ringlet Heysham NR. Pete Woodruff.

At Heysham NR, birds heard, 2 Chiffchaff and a Blackcap. Butterflies noted, 18 Ringlet, 14 Small Skipper, 8 Meadow Brown, 4 Large White, and 2 Gatekeeper. The large and conspicuous male Emperor Dragonfly patrolled the pool which it had to itself.

Small Skipper Heysham NR. Pete Woodruff.

Six Spot Burnet Heysham NR. Pete Woodruff.

The Burnets appeared to be joined at the hip.

Udea lutealis Heysham NR. Pete Woodruff.

If I keep at it, one day I'll find a moth with a bit of class!

Better The Dragons Than The Birds.

Wednesday was a dragonfly day for me, which was the real purpose of my visit to Birk Bank and the surrounding area. 

It's difficult to say Birk Bank bog was disappointing, but despite two visits I saw just 2 Keeled Skimmer males briefly, and 4 Large Red Damselflies. Birds of note to and returning from Cragg Wood, 3 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Jay, a Kestrel showing off its hovering skills, and a Buzzard mewing as it soared overhead, at least one pair of House Martin have a nest at Cragg Cottage.

River Conder Looking West. Pete Woodruff.

At the River Conder by Cragg Wood, as I sat munching cheese biscuits and a swig of orange juice, the first of what turned out to be my sixth Golden-ringed Dragonfly in a week flew downstream and over the ford.

 River Conder Looking East. Pete Woodruff.

It was soon followed by three more individuals downstream, to add to one seen on the east side of Ottergear Bridge 29 July, and one on Grizedale Brook 1 July.

Ottergear Bridge West Side. Pete Woodruff.

As I returned from Cragg Wood, just off the west side of Ottergear Bridge I saw 2 Keeled Skimmer males over the boggy area as I had on 29 June. 

In four hours around Birk Bank, I saw just five butterflies, 3 Meadow Brown, a Red Admiral and Small Heath.

Lizard & Moth.

Common Lizard. Pete Woodruff.

The Common Lizard was on the boardwalk at Birk Bank bog. 

Northern Spinach. Pete Woodruff.

Also seen, a Northern Spinach which had a damaged left wing tip.