Mixed Feelings In Bowland!

For starters, my visit to Bowland wouldn't have happened had I known how strong the wind was going to be, a bit of a howler to be honest, and took the edge of what was otherwise a beautiful sunny day. For whatever reason, it turned out to be the wrong day and the wrong time. N'er mind, in the end, a couple of bird species made my day....End of whinge!

Hawthornthwaite.

On Hawthornthwaite, 4 Stonechat seen as 2 pairs started the day on a positive note, 2 Wheatear helped the day along too. It's always good to find birds on territory as opposed to finding them on passage along the coast. Ian Mitchell accompanied me on this trip and he managed the summit, result was a combined count of 24 Meadow Pipit. Also noted in the little black book, a lone Red Grouse, 2 Wren, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Greylag, and no more than 6 Sand Martin were along Catshaw Grieve.

Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge.

If I go through the negatives first, there were some disappointments about the  trundle from Marshaw through to Trough Bridge. Not a single Common Sandpiper seen, and no Willow Warbler heard let alone seen. On the brighter and more positive side, a Dipper and 4 Grey Wagtail were seen along the Marshaw Wyre.

Pied Flycatcher Bowland 29 April. Ian Mitchell.

The positives reached a peak when 3 Pied Flycatcher were found, always a better experience seeing these birds tree nesting as opposed to purpose built nest boxes, my records read probably two breeding pairs here today....I'm convinced my next visit to this area of Bowland in a couple of weeks, will produce a much better all round result, and certainly more flycatcher species seen.

Birk Bank.

Large Red Damselfly female colour form typica. Ian Mitchell.

 

The hope of some shelter from the wind was wishful thinking, a look in on the bog at Birk Bank, at least gave a Large Red Damselfly. Now we are into May, things will pick up on the dragon front.

I met Steve Ed at Birk Bank, he was photographing some bees I had seen a little earlier. One of the bees was a Lathbury's Nomada Bee.

Nomada lathburiana Steve Ed

This Nomada is a cleptoparasite of the Ashy Mining-Bee, its only host in Britain.

Andrena cineraria Steve Ed

The Ashy Mining-Bee is one of the most robust and distinctive mining bees in Lancashire. I love the ashy-grey appearance and the shiny black abdomen of one of my favourite bees.

Miscellany. 

On the way along the path to the bog at Birk Bank, a Slow Worn seemed to be making little progress on the dry path, until it reached the grass.

Five Greylag goslings were making their way toward us, eventually reaching the boardwalk, then wandered off through a field...No adult birds in sight!

Pond Skater. Ian Mitchell.

Ian got this excellent image of the appropriately named Pond Skater with its ability to skate on water.

The Header.

Martin Jump's header of the Lapwing has no immediate connection with this post, but I love pictures with a difference and this one fits perfectly into that category....Excellent and thanks to Martin.

Third Time Lucky!

With the good company of Steve Graham, I made my third circuit of the surrounding area of Birk Bank in three weeks, with the perspective two pairs of eyes are better than one.

At the top end of the numbers scale and with song in our ears throughout, at least 50 Willow Warbler was impressive, whilst at the bottom of the scale, 3 Meadow Pipit was to say the least unimpressive, but only added to my list of 18 Meadow Pipit seen in 5 visits to Bowland during the month of April.

Two Cuckoo were heard, one sounded to be around Baines Cragg, the other on the top of Birk Bank, an area where the Cuckoo is annual.  

Throughout the walk between Rigg Lane and Cragg Wood, Bullfinch heard in the car Park and the area around Rushy Lea, I've seen Bullfinch before at both these areas. Other birds seen/heard to reaching Cragg Wood, 6 Blackcap were singing males, a Chiffchaff, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Robin, and Wren, a Buzzard overhead was the only raptor of the day.

At Cragg Wood, a Garden Warbler singing on territory - 100% volume needed to hear the bird in the video - was almost certainly the early bird I found here on 9 April. Also noted here, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch and Swallow.

Along the lower path below Birk Bank, just the one Red Grouse, and 3 Stonechat were seen as a pair and male, having my records to read, possibly 2 pairs of Stonechat breeding this year below Birk Bank, future visits might confirm that.

Butterflies.

A small number of uncounted Orange Tip and Small/Large White, 4 Specked Wood, 3 Green-veined White, 3 Green Hairstreak, and 2 Peacock.

Damselfly.

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Seven Large Red Damselfly were all seen on Bilberry from the path to the bog.

On leaving Birk Bank bog, the day ended with the scarce sighting of a Slow Worm as it disappeared in the undergrowth.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for his excellent image of the Large Red Damselfly.

Early Garden Bird!

Four hours on a circuit of the Birk Bank area which had one or two nice surprises, not least of which was a Garden Warbler, the bird sang just once, but briefly obliged close by me in the tree. This is an early bird, the earliest Garden Warbler in Lancashire being 14 years ago on 6 April 2011, three days earlier than this bird on 9 April 2025.

I first went to check out the bog at Birk Bank in the hope perhaps the decent weather we've had the past two weeks, would have encouraged some early Large Red Damselflies out but hadn't.

Looking North Birk Bank Boardwalk. Pete Woodruff.

We will have to wait and see any results the new boardwalk will have had, but in a conversation with someone from the estate, I was encouraged by being told the welfare of the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary had played a major part in the project.

Stonechat Male. Pete Woodruff.

I counted at least 22 Willow Warbler on the circuit today, 2 Buzzard were over the bog soaring together, and 3 Greylag flew north over here. I soon came across 3 Stonechat, seen as a pair and lone male singing atop a distant tree.

More totals were, 4 Robin, with some coming in two's, 2 Red Grouse, 2 Wren, 2 Blackbird, and 2 Chaffinch, a Pied Wagtail, Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, and my first Swallow was overhead.

Meadow Pipit. Pete Woodruff.

A Meadow Pipit seen was surprisingly the only one.

Bee-fly. Pete Woodruff.

Insects seen were 2 Bee-fly, and my first of the year Red-tailed Bumblebee, also at least one Buff-tailed Bumblebee and White-tailed Bumblebee. Butterflies seen....4 Peacock, 3 Small White, 2 Large White, and a Green-veined White.

Coal Tit. Pete Woodruff.

With Pied Flycatchers reported at 4/5 locations in Cumbria, I had a look in at the Tower Lodge area to see if the Pied Flycatchers had arrived there with no success, but I did find a pair of Coal Tit checking out a nest box....Well there's a surprise, I had no idea the Coal Tit ever took to the nest box?

At Hawthornthwaite, 3 Wheatear and 4 Stonechat seen, it's my belief that there are possibly 3 pairs of Stonechat currently on territory here. 

In Cumbria, hatchlings in the nest yesterday 12 April, first egg date estimated at 24 March....John Callion

Ring Ouzel. Ian Mitchell.

Also in Bowland this week, I found a pretty smart male Mountain Blackbird. 

And Finally...

It was good to see a few butterflies around Birk Bank this week, and 3 Speckled Wood in the garden.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for allowing his excellent SEO in Bowland to be my header image.  

A Little Upland Birding.

Bowland Wilderness. Pete Woodruff.

My last visit to Hawthornthwaite was 12 November 2024 when I found two wintering Stonechat. The only other records I have from this location in 2024 are, 2 Stonechat 24 April, and 7 Stonechat 10 May. This is a disappointing result from me, but the truth is, the dragonflies, butterflies and bees take over these days from late April and the chats suffer serious neglect.

In the video, the farmer on his quadbike was ahead of the sheep on the Hawthornthwaite track. It was an amazing sight to see up to 300 bleating sheep running off the fellside from all directions to form an orderly procession and claim their turn for a portion of the cake.

Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It!

The visit produced five sightings of Stonechat, but my records read 4 Stonechat seen as 2 pairs, I regarded one of the females seen alone, to be one from a pair. Other notes made, a Pied Wagtail was on Cam Brook, a Lapwing was on territory and was the only one seen, a Curlew was heard only as was a Red Grouse, 2 Wren seen, and a Raven overhead, 5 Meadow Pipit was a shock result, but I decided as it was only the 2 April, maybe early days.

Two hours on the east side of Hawthornthwaite from Marshaw, had me find 2 Stonechat, seen as a pair in a area of Bowland that my records have never highlighted to be a Stonechat mecca. The only other sightings were, 8 Meadow Pipit and a Jay was seen as I arrived back off the fell.

That's a total of 9 species in a 5 hour period....Well that's upland birding in'it!

Wilfred The Cuckoo

    

There had been no signal from Wilfred's transmitter since 20 March when he was in south-east Guinea, but good news eventually came through in the past few days, that he had made remarkable progress and was in fact now in Spain. Currently just north of Guadalupe, having covered at least 2,174 miles since leaving Guinea, and in excess of 4,350 miles since he departed his wintering grounds in Angola. 

It's worthy of note, that of all the tagged Cuckoos, Wilfrid was the one that wintered the furthest south, and that he is now by far the most northerly of all the satellite tagged Cuckoos.

Rock on Wilfred....I think you are one truly amazing bird!

More Therapeutic Than Birds...

....and notes about moorland burns, the bog, the cemetery, and the diver.

Another beautiful calm sunny early February day on Thursday, had me pleasantly sauntering around the Birk Bank area. As I left then car behind me on Rigg Lane, I had been thinking this was going to be a therapeutic day rather than a day for birds, and so it was.

I'm known on B2B to often say, upland birding can produce quality, but not a bag full of birds, today that is something of an understatement. In the 3 hours here I saw just four birds - yes just four birds - 2 Blue Tit and 2 Wren, heard Raven calling high and distant, six times I heard the 'bouncing bark' of Red Grouse, and not a raptor in sight.

Moorland Burns.

I haven't been in the area since last September, and was surprised and puzzled by several small areas with patches of burnt heather....I have no idea what that was about!

Birk Bank Bog.

The old boardwalk has been replaced by a new one running straight out and across the bog. 

With machinery used in erecting the new boardwalk, there has been the inevitable damage to the bog, and there is now a wide ditch on the left side. In the image above, the bottom right hand is the corner of the old boardwalk.

This image was taken from what was the corner of the old boardwalk. It shows a ditch where the walk was, but the wall remains in place. So maybe not all bad news for the Common Lizards, which I suspect are currently in hibernation perhaps somewhere in the wall, they could often be seen basking in the sun on the old walk.....It remains to be seen where they will bask this summer.

It is my understanding that consultations where made during the planning for work undertaken to retain the water level at the far end of the bog, dragonflies and butterflies were taken into consideration. My informant concludes by telling me....'the site will have room for everything'.

Lancaster Cemetery.

An hour in the cemetery was well rewarded with excellent views of at least 8 Siskin flighty but briefly feeding on Alders, also equally excellent views of a Goldcrest.

Treecreeper. Pete Woodruff.

But the best bird was a Treecreeper, initially picked up flying from one tree to the foot of another, then creeping spirally up before moving to the next tree, soon to disappear from view on the backside. I stalked the bird to get views again and observed some interesting behaviour, it was motionless for a few minutes, then slowly looked to the left, then to the right, its eyes blinking slowly. 

Great Northern Diver.

The Great Northern Diver remains at Pine Lake, having been present there since it was first recorded last year on 15 December 2024.

Great Northern Diver Pine Lake. John Wallace.

This is the diver I predicted was doomed to die after seeing a line with a Pike fishing rig hanging out of the side of its bill, and a hole the size of a 10 pence piece in the left side of its neck. One birder I spoke with had a genuine suspicion the line was wrapped around the underside of the bird, and thought it was probably unable to fly, and that could well be the case today. Not good for a seabird trapped on an inland lake for 7 weeks unable to return to the sea.

I'm grateful to John Wallace for allowing me to use his excellent image of this bird dated 25 January, showing it to be in pristine and healthy condition.   

Great Northern Diver Pine Lake December 2024 (Facebook)

Hard to believe this Great Northern Diver appears to have fully recovered from the terrible injury inflicted upon it obviously since it's arrival on Pine Lake in December last year.

Here & There!

I took advantage of the high pressure sitting over us recently, with a few sunny spells, and lot of murky damp days thrown in, for a little birding here and there.

A couple of hours on the lower slopes of Hawthornthwaite had me find 2 Stonechat, seen as a pair chasing flying insects, my first recorded wintering chats on the fells. Also, 8 Red Grouse were seen as an indication of a healthy stock, and fodder for the shooting industry with their sick Victorian attitudes towards game birds and wildlife as a whole....No apologies for my brief two-liner rant.

On my customary wander around the Lune Estuary on Thursday, notes from Conder Pool included 12 Wigeon, 6 Little Grebe, 2 Goosander, 2 Snipe, and a Little Egret. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, up to 1,750 Golden Plover were a sight for sore eyes, they were lined up below Colloway Marsh and put the comment in my last post in to context, when I saw two forlorn plovers on the north side below the bowling green, 'it would have been more expected to have seen at least 1,000 Golden Plover across on the north side below Colloway Marsh'.

At Cockersand, 136 Whooper Swan in the field off Slack Lane were 110 more than my last count of 26 here, and with 110 seen at Braides (AC) the same day, brings the total in the area to 246 Whooper Swan looking more like the expected for mid-November.

Flying south, 25 Pink-footed Geese, and later as I joined the coastal path at Lighthouse Cottage in brilliant sunshine, up to 250 Pink-footed Geese were flying north over the estuary.

Just 15 minutes after I saw the geese flying north in the sunshine, this was the scene at Cockersand which got progressively worse as I trundled along the headland, and remained so until I arrived back in Lancaster an hour later.

Cockersand Mystery.

This photo was featured in my last post, it was taken on 29 October and depicts the Hawthorn hedge laden with berries waiting for the winter thrushes to arrive.

This photo was taken 16 days later, and shows the same hedge void of berries. Perhaps a few hundred undetected thrushes have visited in the space of 16 days, and striped the entire length of fruit!

And Finally. 

I found this impressive looking Fungus in Bowland last week.

The Blusher Amanita rubescens Pete Woodruff

Common throughout much of Europe and Asia, and not quite the status I was hoping for....

Autumn Beech Tree. Pete Woodruff.

....but made a pretty picture on the carpet of autumn leaves below a stunning Beech near Tower Lodge.

Grey Start....Golden Finish.

With the weather we are having recently, it wasn't the start I had hoped for at Birk Bank on Monday. Nothing had changed at the bog, and to be honest I'd refer to it as being grim, and with a dark grey cloud hanging overhead didn't have things looking like they were going to change anytime soon. But sightings from the path to the bog cheered things up, with a Garden Warbler, a male Blackcap, and Song Thrush seen as I set off for a wander to Cragg Wood.

The Willow Warbler seems to have gone silent, but I did get good views of one, along with a juvenile Robin, 3 Wren, and a Red Grouse. A male Stonechat was alarmed at my presence, but I've yet to find evidence of breeding anywhere I have been this year so far, though there are a few 'probable's' according to pairs and behaviour I've observed.

Stonechat. Ian Mitchell.

Ian Mitchell is one up one me regarding Stonechat breeding records, with two juvenile seen on Hawthornthwaite on Monday.

When I arrived at Cragg Wood, a Spotted Flycatcher was seen again as it had been on 26 June, but I saw no Golden-ringed Dragonfly on the River Conder in the brief time I spent here.

Bilberry Bumblebee. Pete Woodruff.

On the return leg I came across this smart little Bilberry Bumblebee which gave me no opportunity for a decent picture, but it was my eighth this year, all seen around Birk Bank.

Sexton Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

Another smart little critter I came across, was the Sexton Beetle complete with phoretic mites which travel with the carrion beetle to scavenge on leftovers, and help keep the beetle clean.

The Golden Finish.

I was in the good company of MJ/AC/MP at Birk Bank bog during my two visits here on Monday, when I had given the best part of an hour on the first to connect with nothing.

Keeled Skimmer. Martin Jump.

But there was life on the bog on the second visit when 3 Keeled Skimmer were seen, including a mating pair. Things really took off when AC called Golden-ringed Dragonfly close in and coming closer, until the female came within touching distance and decided to start egg laying giving us the chance in a million opportunity of close scrutiny.

The Golden-ringed Dragonfly is the only Cordulegaster species in a large part of western and northern Europe including the British Isles. The female has a long needle-like ovipositor which can be seen in the video as it characteristically jabs repeatedly down into the bed of shallow water, as if on a pogo stick! It typically breeds in acidic waters which makes Birk Bank bog the perfect habitat for this brilliant dragonfly.

Claver Hill.

On Sunday I decided to check out Claver Hill which has a nature trail and is an area I have never heard of until I saw a piece in the local newspaper about an open day there at the end of July. There is a pond which I was keen to see, and found 6 Emperor Dragonfly including a mating pair.

Thanks to Martin Jump and to Ian Mitchell for their images, they are much appreciated. My header of Heather on Clougha I chose at random. 

The Up's And Down's of Bowland.

A fairly good day in Bowland on Tuesday, which produced some notable positives and a few negatives, including I have yet to find my first Spotted Flycatcher here.

The most positive news being, as I found 4 Pied Flycatcher in the Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge area - one of which was at a natural nest hole - my records now read, there is a distinct possibility that there are currently 10 breeding pairs of Pied Flycatcher at two Bowland sites, both of which I have visited twice....To be continued.

Dipper Marshaw 21 May

Having kept the Marshaw Wyre in my sights for most of the walk, other breeders here today were a Dipper up and down the stream with food in its bill.

Grey Wagtail Female Marshaw Wyre 21 May

I had a better result than my last visit on 9 May, when I found 9 Grey Wagtail today with food collecting individuals seen. On the downside, I connected with just one Common Sandpiper, but I'm convinced two pairs here this year. A Siskin was in the same view as the sandpiper on the Wyre at Marshaw, from where I heard a distant Cuckoo, probably the Tower Lodge bird which I never heard again throughout my 4 hours here.

More evidence was Curlew individuals calling, an indication of probably 6 breeding pairs. A singing male Blackcap was around the Tower Lodge area, with 2 Mistle Thrush as opposed to nine on my last visit, also 2 Treecreeper seen.

Stonechat Hawthornthwaite 21 May 

A relatively brief visit to Hawthorthwaite was rewarded by a nice pair of Stonechat, with at  least 14 Meadow Pipit and 3 Red Grouse to note.

Sand/House Martin.

My records were going to read none over and around Catshaw Greave on Hawthornthwaite today, but I did eventually see 3 Sand Martin as I arrived back at the car. But I've yet to see them this year at the Cam Brow site.

After two visits, the House Martin remains absent from Tower Lodge, and I note just one bird seen 25 May last year. I have seen none to date at River Winds and the Railway Crossing Cottage at Conder Green. 

More Probable/Possible in Bowland!

Ring Ouzel Bowland. Ian Mitchell.

A bit of double checking in Bowland again this week, when amongst other things, I managed a trek half way up Hawthornthwaite Fell with scant reward, to assemble a bit more of a comprehensive list to exceed what is usually the norm for me.

The number of waders presumably there to breed was pitiful, with no more than six birds seen in 2 hours, 4 Lapwing, a single Curlew and an Oystercatcher. There was a build up of 6 Sand Martin around the bank on Catshaw Greave, and 8 Wheatear were seen, one of which was taking a wash and brush up in Cam Brook.

There was a better count of 18 Meadow Pipit compared to eight on my last visit 24 April, 2 Wren, a pair of Mistle Thrush were something of a surprise, 3 Red Grouse, male Reed Bunting, and a Wood Pigeon, 2 Kestrel and a Buzzard. I saw just one male Stonechat, almost certainly one of the two 24 April birds, and I never really expect my first House Martin of the year was going to be seen flying east over a fell in Bowland. 

Grey Wagtail Bowland. Howard Stockdale.

A Grey Wagtail on Cam Brook, and at Cam Brow I heard a Cuckoo to the east which soon flew over the road to the woodlands west of here, also a Willow Warbler in song, and a Red Admiral.

Dipper Bowland. Martin Jump.

Calling in at Abbeystead, a Dipper was seen flying upstream on the Marshaw Wyre, and 2 Orange Tip butterflies seen. But the excellent news is, that I gathered more evidence to add to my previous claim which now reads, the probability of 5 Pied Flycatcher breeding pairs. 

A brief look in on the bog at Birk Bank hopefully for a Large Red Damselfly was fruitless despite the warm sunny May day, but a single Green Hairstreak and a small colony of Ashy Mining Bee were of note. A Cuckoo heard distant was probably around the Ottergear Bridge area.

My take on these two Ashy Mining Bees, is that they were a mating pair until the male dislodged!....Other theories welcome.

I'm grateful to Ian, Howard, and Martin, who by coincidence sent me images on the same day, and all taken in Bowland....They are much appreciated.  

Probably/Possibly In Bowland!

Grisedale Bridge.

Birds in and around Holme Wood, Willow Warbler atop of gorse by Grisedale Brook, Treecreeper seen in the woods, with Nuthatch and Song Thrush in good voice, Grey Wagtail on the stream, and Sparrowhawk and Raven over Barnacre Reservoir. As I arrived back at the car, a pair of Stonechat on the roadside wall.

Harrisend.

Stonechat Harrisend 24 April. Martin Jump.

With some of my birding - especially in the uplands - seriously curtailed, it was my first visit this year on to Harrisend Fell. So it was particularly pleasing that I found 6 Stonechat here, which has my records to read, three breeding pairs highly probable. Otherwise not particularly riveting here with just 9 Meadow Pipit seen as a low count, but maybe I should note this is only the end of April, 6 Linnet and a Buzzard was over the ridge.

Bombus lapidarius Pete Woodruff.

A Red-tailed Bumblebee queen was looking rather lethargic on Harrisend, and an Orange Tip was my first of the year, and the only butterfly seen on the day.

Hawthornthwaite.

On to Hawthornthwaite Fell, where 2 Stonechat seen were both male, but with females likely on the nest, again my records read two breeding pairs highly probable. 

I have to say, otherwise not particularly riveting here, although up to 10 Willow Warbler were all unseen and singing, 8 Meadow Pipit was another low count, a single Red Grouse and male Reed Bunting seen, with 2 Wheatear and just 3 Sand Martin indicating the colony has not yet arrived, which appeared to be the case in a drive-by at Cam Brow.

There was a little disappointment at Hawthornthwaite, when a female Emperor Moth passed in a rapid fly-by.

The decision to call in to Stoops Bridge at Abbeystead on my way back to Lancaster was an excellent idea as I found 5 Pied Flycatcher there. So according to these observations, a distinct possibility in my book, of four pairs of Pied Flycatcher here this year. A male Blackcap also gave me excellent views.

Avocet.

Avocet Newton Marsh 24 April. Martin Jump.

Martin found and photographed the marked Avocet. Hopefully I may soon get some details about this sighting.

Common Tern.

A Common Tern arrived at Conder Pool this early a.m. Sunday 28 April, 6 days later than 2023. I am grateful to Howard Stockdale for this excellent news. Also good to hear from a contact, a double figure of Common Tern are now present at Preston Dock this morning. 

Spring Is Sprung!

With a good weather forecast for Friday, the plan was that I got into Bowland on a sunny early April day, and it was good to get out of the motor and on to Harrisend again for the first time since 26 January.

Harrisend produced my first record of 6 Stonechats on territory on 24 March 2022, with the same number seen again 5 days later on 29 April. But in large areas here today, hopes of any birds were dashed by the sight of grazing sheep. But all hope wasn't lost, although a bit of a struggle I did eventually find 3 Stonechat in sheep free areas, so there is a realistic possibility of 2 pairs here this year so far, hopefully with more to come, but I'm hoping the sheep are going to be driven off here soon....wishful thinking!

It was a nice surprise to find a smart male Wheatear, which I took to be the same individual seen 3 hours later on the return leg. At least 21 Meadow Pipit (34 seen on 29 April 2022) noted as a common breeder. Also noted as a common bird in the uplands of Bowland were 6 Wren all heard only. I heard just one Curlew here, and noted a Reed Bunting and 2 Red Grouse, with just one raptor seen, being a Kestrel over the ridge.

At Hawthornthwaite, 5 Stonechat seen, so probably three pairs here to date, at least 14 Sand Martin in flight up and down Catshaw Grieve, 13 Meadow Pipit was one less for my count in April 2022, 3 Wren, 2 Red Grouse. As at Harrisend, just one Curlew seen, in flight and singing its evocative and distinctive rippling trill. A Buzzard and Kestrel were the only raptors seen.

Spring is sprung!  

Now we are into the second week of April and Stonechat migration is at an end, upland records are of birds on territory. But whilst mine on Harrisend and Hawthornthwaite are obvious breeders, three lowland sites on the Fylde and North Merseyside this April are unknowns to me as breeding sites. But whilst I wait to see updates of annual reports, I read a pair bred at Freshfield Dune Heath, three pairs at Cabin Hill, and five pairs at Marton Mere WWT in 2022. So does that mean two birds seen yesterday at Wesham Marsh on the Fylde are likely to be a pair of this years lowland breeders?

And Finally.

I have info regarding Common Sandpiper and 2 pairs of Grey Wagtail on the Marshaw Wyre at Marshaw on Friday, and it was great to see 3 Raven high over our urban Lancaster garden on Saturday.

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

Todays Rant.

I'd like to use B2B as a platform for publicity about some vandalism obviously caused by the few who like to get that little bit closer to the action, with better views of birds and photographs on Conder Pool.

Investigations about this vandalism on the south side of the pool, showed there had been an opening cut in the Elder tree, and fencing was broken to gain access. The damage has since been repaired and blocked, but you do wonder whether or not the protection of Schedule 1 species - of which Conder Pool does have and has had many in the past - really matters to these people....Here's hoping it does.

Fringillidae's Ring My Bell!

It was good to get back up to Birk Bank again on Monday, though I found no Stonechat, but didn't feel any guarantee to do so to be honest. I only managed to chalk up 9 species in the 3 hours spent there doing the circuit, Rigg Lane - Ottergear Bridge - Crag Wood - Littledale Road -  Rigg Lane, but like I have said many times before....this is upland birding, and this is mid-winter.

The first of my pick of the day birds were, 8 Siskin, seen briefly in Alders around the car park, they were soon followed by a mix of around 50 Redwing and Fieldfare in a field with c.500 Starling off Rigg Lane, nearby a Jay seen. Birds noted on the circuit were, 5 Blackbird, 5 Robin, 2 Wren and a female Chaffinch.

At least 14 Red Grouse seen, included probably my tenth encounter over three years, of a rogue individual. I've not yet worked out this behaviour by all these grouse which, given they are game birds subject to being shot out of the sky, they don't take kindly to humans and take to flight on sight.

Like every other encounter I have had with these birds, this one either went ahead of me, or followed behind with its loud bouncing barks and 'go back' calls. This one flew three times at me from behind....I remain puzzled!

Calling in at Lancaster Cemetery on my way home was a good idea as I made my second 'pick of the day' and sixth contact with a pair of Bullfinch, the male calling/singing to a female in the tree opposite before both flying off....Must keep my eyes on these two for possible breeding evidence in May.

Stonechat Records January 2023.

Stonechat Cockersand. Ian Mitchell.

Having collected 33 wintering Stonechat records during the month of January, I'm supposing they had a good breeding season in 2022. There have been a couple of January records which surprise me, in that I either haven't seen records from the location before, or don't know the site, examples are....

9 Jan Milnthorpe Sewage Works, female.

9 Jan Haweswater Moss, bird.

15 Jan Longridge Fell, 4 pairs.

21 Jan Light Ash, pair.

Two birders have been in touch with me, and passed on records from two locations which they claim haven't had wintering birds, both have suggested spring migration of the Stonechat is already underway in the first week of February.

Ring Ouzel.

Known to winter mainly in southern Spain and N.W. Africa, I was surprised to see one reported 3 days ago on 5 February at Tarn Crag, Langdale, Cumbria. I was further surprised to learn this sighting isn't the first winter record of Ring Ouzel in Cumbria, that being of a bird reported 27 years ago on 2 February 1996.

Absolutely no apologies for two stunning images of Stonechat at Cockersand. With many thanks to Howard Stockdale and Ian Mitchell.