BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND.......................................................................COMMON TERN CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF
Showing posts with label Peregrine Falcon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peregrine Falcon. Show all posts

Sunday, 7 September 2025

Tuesday 2 Sept - Friday 5 Sept.

Not as much action on Conder Pool as my last visit 28 August, but impressive all the same, and didn't loose any ratings in the Hot Spot League as far as I'm concerned. 

I had been at Conder Pool about an hour, and had got back to the motor to move on, when AC knocked on the windscreen to tell me the Spotted Redshank had flown in and joined the company of 10 Greenshank....Thanks Andrew.

Also to note on the pool, 8 Little Grebe and a lone Black-tailed Godwit. I'm convinced this is the same BTG as seen here in previous years, and always alone. A Common Sandpiper was in the creeks.

Within the space of about 15 minutes, a Marsh Harrier, Peregrine Falcon and Buzzard were overhead, along with a good number of hirundine, high like dots in the sky.

Thirty minutes on the canal towpath at Glasson produced 2 Migrant Hawker and 2 Brown Hawker, and along the coastal path 4 Migrant Hawker, with a 'blue butterfly' seen. This was a disappointing sighting in that it was too distant for ID to species, so I was left with a possible third brood Holly Blue, or second brood Common Blue which can last until early September. Other butterflies seen, Painted Lady, 5 Red Admiral, 5 Speckled Wood, and 3 Small Tortoiseshell.

Migrant Hawker.

Migrant Hawker 2 September. Pete Woodruff.

I find the Migrant Hawker one of the easier dragons to observe, their behaviour is often to be seen hovering frequently, hawking along hedgerows, and regularly basking low down on vegetation as mine was today.

Conder Pool Friday 5 September.

I paid my second visit of the week to Conder Pool where the scenery was much changed and reduced in numbers of birds, though I was delighted to find my highest all time count upgraded by the presence of 32 Greenshank on the pool. The only other records of note were, 10 Little Grebe and a lone Ruff.

Birk Bank Friday 5 September.

My visit the bog at Birk Bank was suitably rewarded by recording 14 dragons in the hour spent here. Pick of the bunch was 2 Emperor Dragonfly which were something of a surprise, though I did find two here last year 19 September 2024....Late! 

Black Darter Birk Bank 5 September. Pete Woodruff.

Also seen, 5 Black Darter were all males, and 7 Common Darter were seen as 5 male/2 female. I had two sightings of Buzzard, both of which were seen as two pairs 10 minutes apart, but to be honest I reckon it was just the one 'mewing' pair seen twice.  

Garden Moth.

Seeing what appeared to be a moth through the kitchen window, I dashed out to find it was the most obliging of its kind, giving good views as it lingered a few minutes nectaring on Soapwort.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth

In the header image, we can see the 'Keep Britain Tidy' man with the strimmer at Saltcote Pond has done the right thing this year, leaving the pond side vegetation to flourish, in which case it seems my conversation last year with Glasson Councilors has paid off. 

Saturday, 9 August 2025

....But First The Bad Bit!

Based on the weather being not as good as forecast, although it was bright, there was cloud most of the day, with an annoying cool breeze which wouldn't bode well for dragon hunting. I was tempted to title this post Another Wrong Day, but decided that would be a little too boring for three posts in a row....So here goes.

Let's get rid of the bad bit first....The only Keeled Skimmer I saw in two 30 minute visits to Birk Bank bog was a deceased male.

Keeled Skimmer Male (Deceased) Pete Woodruff.

OK, everything reaches the end, but there's no way I wanted to see a dead dragonfly today, and certainly not a Keeled Skimmer, a species that has only colonised Birk Bank bog since it was first discovered here 10 years ago in August 2015 by local birder Steve Graham. I've seen them every year since then, but there's no question I was gutted at seeing this one having expired today.

Now here's the good excellent bit....I saw 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, including a 'buy one get one free' moment, when two settled together for a photo-shoot.

Golden-ringed Dragonflies Birk Bank 6 August. Pete Woodruff.

Also, a stunning male Emperor Dragonfly was patrolling close to the boardwalk.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Six Common Darter male were all basking on the boardwalk as they do, and 2 Blue-tailed Damselfly seen.  


Whilst watching the dragonflies I spotted some interaction between two raptors which kept coming in to view over the ridge above Birk Bank. Difficult to keep up to, but managed some brief record footage of 2 Peregrine Falcon. Later in the same area, a soaring Buzzard

Also seen from the boardwalk, a bird flew out from a Mountain Ash, to my great surprise and pleasure, it was a Green Woodpecker. This was my first since I last found one here 4 years ago in April 2021, previously a Green Woodpecker was found here in July 2020....Three in a row at Birk Bank.

Sundew Birk Bank. Pete Woodruff.

It was good to find the Sundew still thriving here, with several clusters found below the north end of the boardwalk.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Sightings on a wander from the bog to Ottergear Bridge. A Common Darter female seen from the path up the bank on bracken was difficult for an image for ID. 

Did you know, bracken is thought to be the most common plant in the world and is found on all continents except Antarctica. 


A Roe Deer was seen in a field off Rigg Lane, and it was great to find the breeding record of a family party of 4 Stonechat. A male Common Darter was on Ottergear Bridge, and butterflies noted along the way, a Painted Lady, 2 Small Copper, a Holly Blue, and Meadow Brown.

Another Wrong Day....Definitely not, quite the opposite actually, it developed into more like an excellent day in my book.

Conder Pool.

An update from Conder Pool has me gutted once again, when I learn that just the one young from three Little Ringed Plover has survived. Just the one piece of good news out of this is, all being well the bird should fledge in the coming week....Here's hoping!

Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool 30 July. Howard Stockdale.

Assuming this young bird is the sole survivor from the same pair, it is the result of 5 attempts to breed, and that's from a species which usually lays 4 eggs in the breeding season, which although not likely this year - though she did lay 3 eggs this last attempt - would make it a pitiful 20 eggs laid from this female.

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for regularly keeping me up to date with matters relating to Conder Pool. 

Sunday, 1 June 2025

Two Weeks Later.

A decent days birding two weeks after my last. 

Conder Green.

My count of 23 Common Tern didn't reflect the full and accurate picture, with 17 and the possibility of 19 nests currently. My count of 18 Avocet didn't reflect the full picture here either, with just 5 seen on Conder Pool, and 13 seen in the creeks where I saw just one of the only four surviving chicks. 

I saw 2 Little Ringed Plover which have also suffered predation on two earlier attempts to breed. Interestingly, I observed one LRP creating a scrape, then promptly sitting to give the impression there was going to be a third attempt to breed.

Not the best of news from Conder Pool....Obviously a serial predator at large on Conder Pool this year, seeing just a handful of Black-headed Gull chicks, and in excess of an unbelievable 100 Black-headed Gull nests lost.

I am grateful to Howard Stockdale for giving me an insight into the disaster at Conder Green this summer.


But excellent for me, was that two of the four 2nd summer Little Gull found last Sunday, had decided to linger here until I could get to see them....Alleluia!

From the viewing platform, through binoculars I could count at least 7 House Martin nests at River Winds.

Saltcote Pond.

I was pleased to find 12 Common Blue Damselfly, and 2 Blue-tailed Damselfly, also 3 Broad-bodied Chaser, seen as two male, one trying to see the other off, zipping around the pond at lightning speed.

Broad-bodied Chaser Male. Pete Woodruff.


Later a female Broad-bodied Chaser seen ovipositing....

Blue-tailed Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

....and a second rate image of a Blue-tailed Damselfly of the form Rufescens obsoleta

Glasson Canal Towpath.

A 1/4 mile wander along the canal towpath for dragons was a blank, but I noted a Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, and Song Thrush. Up to 12 House Martin were over the canal and fields....Don't know what that was about, perhaps late arrivals?

Picture Gallery.

I was pleased to receive three images recently, all duly credited, and welcomed to hopefully keep B2B interesting....Please view Full Screen for best result. 

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 1 June. Howard Stockdale.

Not all doom and gloom, as a 2nd summer and adult Mediterranean Gull were on Conder Pool this morning.

Macro Ant'ics. Martin Jump.

Martin Jump said he's been 'playing around with the macro lens'. I told him this is impressive macro work, and I reckon the ant is nothing less than razor sharp here.

White Ermine. Ian Mitchell.

The spectacular White Ermine moth, perfectly posed on the flower bud.

Garden News.

Leaf Cutter Bee Megachile centuncularis Pete Woodruff

A couple of nice bees in the garden recently, as yet not verified.

Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum Pete Woodruff 

Monday, 28 October 2024

Brief With A Little Quality.

By usual standards it was a bit of a whizz around the estuary surroundings on Friday, but at least there was a little quality about the findings, not least because the sight of up to 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit on the Lune Estuary at Glasson was a delight, also a Mediterranean Gull was amongst the gulls, and a Peregrine Falcon was on the south end of Colloway Marsh, recommended if you'd like to see one regularly there, or on the hunt and putting a few thousand waders to flight.

As I was leaving, 6 Whooper Swan flew upstream by me, before swinging south towards Conder Pool or Jeremy Lane I thought.

Thirty minutes later, it was my second guess the swans had chosen and settled on a flood on Jeremy Lane.

Little Owl At Cockersand.

On 28 November 2023, a visiting birder I met opposite Cockersand Abbey, was searching for a Snow Bunting. In a conversation he pointed towards Bank Houses and told me of a Little Owl he had seen on an out building there. In amazement, I told him this was the first Little Owl for Cockersand in 9 years when I had found one at Abbey Farm on 28 November 2014.

I never did find the owl the birder reported to me, but 9 years later on 25 October 2024, I connected with a Little Owl in the very same area he talked of 11 months ago.


Historically, the Little Owl could be seen regularly for many years on the derelict barn, now converted and called Bank House Cottage.

Action In The Garden.


Our resident Robin is friendly, bold, and very entertaining, following anyone digging in the garden. Also on Friday, a flock of 12 Long-tailed Tit worked their way through the garden, and our first Coal Tit in 11 months paid a visit. 

Thanks to Martin Jump for the excellent header of Little Owl.

News From The Bog!


Odonata enthusiasts in particular, may be interested in the news that the boardwalk along the perimeter of the bog at Birk Bank, has been removed and relocated from the corner of the old one, straight across to the east side.



On the positive side, this may be good news for the dragonflies and insects, in particular the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary with its partiality to Marsh Thistle.

Sunday, 29 September 2024

Short List High Counts....Well Two Counts!

I managed a couple of decent estuary counts this week in an area I'm slowly becoming familiar with.

Conder Pool.

With the usual difficulty of counting birds on the surface one minute and diving the next, after several attempts I eventually arrived at 20 Little Grebe. This is not an all time personal highest count, last year I had 22 Little Grebe here 24 September. But both my records pale into insignificance, with 32 reported at Conder Green 3 years ago on 25 September 2021, a record I'm not holding my breath to be beaten by anyone any time soon.

Other notes from Conder Pool, 8 Greenshank, 2 Snipe, and 2 Wigeon were my first of the winter, also c.50 Swallow flew through with some taking on water.


Not many opportunities for piks today, so I grabbed the chance of 6 Greenshank with one of the vanguard Wigeon putting in an appearance.

Lune Estuary.

From the bowling green at Glasson Dock, I picked out 11 Mediterranean Gull in reasonably close proximity. This was certainly a personal best ever count here on the Lune Estuary and was followed by the decent count of up to 550 Golden Plover which can be compared to the Morecambe Bay WeBS count of just 205 Golden Plover in September 2023....Lancashire Bird Report 2023

Also in my notes from the Lune Estuary, 2 Greenshank, 12 Wigeon, and 2 Goosander.


Two Peregrine Falcon were at the south end of Colloway Marsh - two distant dots in the video - one of which took to the wing to fail miserably at taking out one of two Lapwing as an easy choice for a meal, before returning to the spot in the video where I first found it.

A short walk along the canal to Saltcote Pond and return to Glasson, had me see a surprise Migrant Hawker on the coastal path, it was patrolling trees at a height of 6 metres in 14°c and dull, cloudy, and breezy conditions, probably my last of the year.

Mystery bird in my kitchen?

On Tuesday afternoon, Lynn Woodruff walked into her kitchen at Brookhouse to be confronted by the surprise of a lifetime. I subsequently received an e-mail with a phone photo attached, the title being 'Mystery bird in my kitchen?'....No mystery to me as it was instantly recognisable as a Wheatear.

Wheatear. Lynn Woodruff.

In Lynn's absence, the bird had flown in through the open kitchen door. In a panic Lynn also opened the windows, but the bird eventually escaped flying back out through the door to freedom. But the bad news about this little tale, the bird appears to have a length of string attached to its leg. How come you ask yourself, and why on earth did a Wheatear find itself trapped in a house and perched on a pressure cooker on a shelf in Brookhouse?

Sunday, 7 July 2024

Sterna paradisaea At Conder Pool.

It was good news this week from Conder Pool, when I hear of a 60% increase in the number of nesting Common Tern on the platform compared to last year, but the sad news is it has been the worst season for the Avocet and Black-headed Gulls since 2020 due to predation by Fox.

My news from Conder Pool on Friday was a little slim because of a major distraction, but 5 Mediterranean Gull were seen today, with 4 Greenshank and 4 Common Sandpiper. A Peregrine Falcon came over, it did a circuit of Conder Green before returning to take out a Starling and departing to the Lune Estuary.

A Major Distraction.

Howard Stockdale saw the arrival of an Arctic Tern on Conder Pool on Thursday, and in message to me he referred to....'Conder just keeps giving'....well comments like that can't be more appropriate now can they!

I became the twitcher on Friday, in the hope of a connection with this little beauty, but a birder was leaving as I arrived at Conder Green. I asked if the bird was still around to receive a negative reply as he left. Disappointed I turned the camera on to get some footage of three terns, it  wasn't until I played back the footage that I realised it was my lucky day, as one of the birds was indeed a 1st summer Arctic Tern apparently playing nursemaid to the immature Common Tern.


The Arctic Tern.

1st Summer Arctic Tern Conder Pool 4 July. Pete Woodruff.

The bird on Conder Pool is the second 1st summer Arctic Tern in recent years to visit our area, one was at Heysham on 9 July 2020. The same bird paid a visit to Conder Pool the following day 10 July, this is only 6 days later from being the same day, same location again in July 2024. 

1st Summer Arctic Tern Conder Pool 10 July 2020. Howard Stockdale.

The Arctic Tern moves on a global scale, breeding in the northern hemisphere and migrating south to the Antarctic, making the most extensive and remarkable migratory journeys of any other bird, literally crossing the world in travelling between the polar regions, the consequence of which this small bird experiences more daylight than any other living organism on the planet.

The distribution of the Arctic Tern is such that neither ring-recoveries nor observations will ever reveal the full extent of this birds movements in which there are major gaps in understanding them. It's breeding grounds are sparsely populated in the high Arctic, wintering grounds are largely uninhabited, and much of its movements occur in small groups at high altitude across open oceans. In the north they breed at a higher latitude than any other tern species, whilst populations breeding in Britain are at the southern edge of their breeding range where strongholds are in Orkney and Shetland, with a small number breeding in northern  England and on Anglesey.

Heading south to the Antarctic Seas in the non-breeding season involves a return journey for a far north breeder of a truly staggering 20,000 km at least.

I need to do some detailed research on movement of the Arctic Tern. As I see it, this bird shouldn't be in the Northern Hemisphere, let alone on a pool in Lancashire.

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the info re Conder Pool breeding data, also his image of the 1st summer Arctic Tern.

Swift. Paul Ellis.

Also I would like to point readers to an excellent set of six images worth viewing of Swift Here

Sunday, 4 February 2024

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, 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.

Wednesday, 4 August 2021

Olympic Gold!....

....No, this is Bowland Gold.

Grizedale Bridge-Holme Wood

I stood by Grizedale Brook for almost two hours yesterday, relocating four times between Grizedale Bridge and Holme Wood, during which I had sightings of 13 Golden-ringed Dragonfly. The sight of these brilliant creatures flying past me up and downstream, was a magical and relaxing experience.

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I think it was maybe a little over zealous of me to regard five of the sightings as duplicated, but the record now has to read8 Golden-ringed Dragonflies seen. This record brings the total to fourteen at four locations, found in our recording area in one month

Common Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

A Common Hawker came to rest on the opposite side of the stream. Four Raven were overhead, and a Peregrine Falcon was in hunting mode. Butterflies of note, 4 Green-veined White, with numbers of Large White on the day.

Harrisend Fell.

A couple of hours on Harrisend resulted in my finding 18 Stonechat, including 9 young seen, with one female feeding a begging young. This record has evidence of at least three breeding pairs, but I reckon I failed to find more young, with skulking and a lot of movement evident. 

With the exception of one recent major surprise in 2020*, todays record represents the highest count of Stonechat at any one location in our recording area since the status of the species declined following the two severe winters of 2009/10/11. 

Some records I traced to back up this claim....

2006 June: 27 Stonechat Cross of Greet 

2006 Aug: 19 Stonechat Barbondale

2008 June: 19 Stonechat Harrisend

2008 Oct: 22 Stonechat Harrisend

2020 Aug: 18 Stonechat Caton Moor *

Also seen, a Kestrel and Buzzard showing off its hanging on the wing capabilities to the full, also 6 Meadow Pipit and 2 Willow Warbler noted.

Small Copper Harrisend 2 August. Pete Woodruff.

Butterfly records continue to be sparse with today being no exception, but it was pleasing to find my first Painted Lady, being just one of a handful of reports I've seen this year. Also, 3 Small Copper, 2 Small Heath, 2 Meadow Brown, and a Peacock

Sunday, 27 June 2021

Hareden/Tarnbrook & Garden.

On the ELOC website last year, I found records of an impressive 25 Stonechat seen on and around Hareden Fell on 28 May 2020. 

Like anywhere with Bowland included in its place name, I have a particular liking for Hareden, and lets face it, when you take in the panoramic view of this bracken carpeted valley and moorland, it's the perfect habitat for the Stonechat. In reality you should be able to find dozens of breeding pairs of Stonechat at places like Hareden in the Forest of Bowland.

As I walked up the road towards the start of the route up Hareden, I had good views of 2 Blackcap, and a Dipper and Grey Wagtail on Hareden Brook. I had no sooner got on to the grit track, when a Merlin flew out of the undergrowth and out of view over the ridge, seconds later, a dread of c.20 Meadow Pipit joined 2 Swallow in the air over the ridge. 

On this visit, it took me 2 hours to find the first of 6 Stonechat eventually seen, including a pair with two young. Whilst watching this family group, the female with one young was joined by a Willow Warbler, soon followed by a stunning male Redpoll, all in the same small tree, a good three species pik but too far away. Other notes were made of 3 Wren, 2 Reed Bunting, and a Dunnock.

A Peregrine Falcon was heard harsh and persistent, alarm or contact calling to another one heard, a kestrel was also seen later. Butterflies, 16 Small Heath, and a lone Red Admiral.

On my way home, I called in above Trough Bridge, to find the 15 June Pied Flycatcher pair busy as ever again, and another female further down the road and still feeding young in a nest box. Later, I caught the glimpse of a Jay flying off, and a Grey Wagtail was on the Marshaw Wyre. At the plantation at Marshaw, I finally found a Spotted Flycatcher, if this bird has a mate, they would be only the second of two pairs in the area this year. I also heard a singing male Blackcap here, and 3 Song Thrush seen. 



And got another pik of the metal ringed Common Sandpiper at Marshaw.

Tarnbrook Stonechats.


I was grateful for the news and map of 6 Stonechat seen on a circuit on Tarnbrook yesterday. This is an area I've yet to explore, but I reckon this is about to change soon.
 
Garden Events.


This Tree Bumblebee initially appeared to be on its last legs, but as seen in the pik to be taking a drink of honey we offered it, it eventually flew off.


The Tree Bumblebee and Red-tailed Bumblebee, were found dead on the front lawn. The Red-tailed had what appears to be a sticky shiny substance on its side and leg. On a forum I was asked....'are there are any Lime trees in the area? as some non-native Tilias can be toxic to bumblebees'....There are Lime trees at the University of Cumbria, but whether they are non-native toxic I wouldn't know. 







The Nettle-tap micro-moth above left in our garden, can only be regarded as 'similar' to the one on the right which I saw recently elsewhere....Why the variation?

A stunning male Greenfinch was in the garden yesterday, but a Jay was even more remarkable here the day before. We also have two 'new' juvenile Blackbirds.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the image of the Spotted Flycatcher, only one of three this year to my knowledge, a look through my records revealed 12 Spotted Flycatcher in this area in June 2018.

Sunday, 13 December 2020

Diversion Ahead!

So there's going to have to be some diversions on B2B, 'cos I ain't getting out as much as I can and would like to. Monday's visit to Heysham was on a brilliant day weather-wise, wall to wall sunshine and a flat calm sea, but didn't bear much fruit. 


Great Tit. Martin Jump.

But I was thankful for small mercies, with a wander along the seawall and foreshore to Ocean Edge salt marsh. Bird of the day in my book was a Song Thrush, not seen daily by any means, and a bird the conservation status of which is in the Red. Other birds to note, DunnockWren, and Great Tit.

Peregrine Falcon showed perched high on the power station, which prompts a word of caution to birders tempted to poke a camera through the fence at anything within the grounds....DON'T!

Robin. Pete Woodruff.

By the time I got back to the car I'd seen 6 Robin, including this one that kept returning to see me by the car as I drank my coffee and biscuits.

The sunset at Heysham was stunning, as seen by the children's play area off Knowleys Road, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.

Full Screen Full Volume 

Gold & Green.

A treat recently in our urban garden, was one of our regular Goldfinch feeding opposite a Greenfinch which is at best scarce and irregular. 

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Thanks to Martin for helping to salvage B2B with his header and Great Tit image.