The Nearly Wasn't Day!

It took me a couple of hours to find anything to inspire me to get out the little black book on Thursday. 

Conder Pool.

Whilst in the process of finding just 7 Redshank and a similar number of Wigeon, Conder Pool was otherwise deserted. But I was encouraged by finding in excess of 100 Teal in the creeks, the duck being noticeably absent in decent number here since the onset of autumn into winter.

Plover Scar.

The message via WhatsApp...'male Snow Bunting Plover Scar 13.12pm'....had me donning my twitchers hat and heading of to Cockersand to spend the next 45 minutes searching for the bunting that wasn't.

Snow Bunting Cockersand 30 October. Ian Hartley.

Despite my being told by the finder, that the Snow Bunting was at Plover Scar when I arrived at the car park, I set off on what turned out to be a search with a disappointing 'dip', but Ian Hartley found the bird the following day....Ah'well can't win'em all!

Cockersand. 

At Cockersand CP, things took a turn for the good and lifted me out of what was looking like an afternoon of gloom. On the marsh a pair of Stonechat are always my best fix, also three small flights>south amounted to 120 Golden Plover, and by the time I left Cockersand I had noted 61 Whooper Swan.

Whooper Swan Cockersand. Pete Woodruff.

Six Whooper Swan, 2xadult/4x2nd winter, were in a field at the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, 13 in field behind C'sand CP, and 42 in field by the junction of Moss Lane/A588.

The Nearly Wasn't Day, which in the end, was no less interesting for me than any other day.

Black-headed Gull.

The Black-headed Gull seen on the Lune Estuary 22 October was on Conder Pool a week later. This bird has also seen last week by Ian Hartley who called it an 'interesting bird' when I contacted him about the confusion it has caused me.   

Black-headed Gull Conder Pool 29 October. Pete Woodruff.

What's going on with this bird then, has it ever moulted this year, has it moulted out of summer plumage and into another summer plumage, or has it moulted but not its hood. I am left with no answers as to why in November, a Black-headed Gull is in breeding plumage....Anyone!

Garden Birds.

An excellent result of 17 birds of 9 species from a 30 minute watch from the patio window....

Robin

Blackbird

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Coal Tit

Dunnock

Goldfinch

Wren

Starling

Swallow-tailed Moth.

Ian Mitchell kindly sent me a set of images of the Swallow-tailed Moth found in his trap yesterday.

Swallow-tailed Moth. Ian Mitchell.

This moth is large and spectacular, and in good conditions can have a second brood, this one being clear evidence of that. 

Swallow-tailed Moth. Ian Mitchell.

Thanks for this Ian, I would have been as chuffed to find this one as I know you was....Excellent.

A quite spectacular sunset at 6.00pm Friday 30 October over Morecambe Bay from our west facing bedroom window.

A Short Birding Sortie And A Little Miscellany.

Can't resist the juvenile Black-winged Pratincole for my latest header image. Referred to as a fantastic 'first for the Fylde' find by Adam Hutt, it was seen hawking insects over fields south and east of Cocker's Dyke Houses on 28 September.  It was the 3rd Lancashire record, and 29 years since the last one.

Thanks to Adam for the record and to Paul for the image, excellent on both counts.

Spotted Redshank Conder Creek 7 October. Pete Woodruff.

It was good to find 2 Spotted Redshank were still on Conder Pool, with a Ruff, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Snipe for company. Otherwise the place was deserted, but I note there has been some refurbishment to the screen, and posts have been installed much to the delight of the photographic fraternity.

Kingfisher Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

I'm not sure precisely where the appreciation should go to for the work done on the screen, but I would like to voice mine here on B2B....Thank You. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, it was good to see an increase in wader numbers with c.3,360 in my notes, consisting of at least 2,000 Lapwing and 650 Golden Plover, also 325 Dunlin 250 Curlew, 120 Redshank, 16 Snipe, and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit. Also noted were 255 Greylag and 16 Little Egret. 

 

It was interesting to find the Bar-tailed Godwit close in and feeding on the mud, characteristically more active than the Black-tailed Godwit, and probing for prey whilst walking.

Also interesting was the Black-headed Gull I found, it stood out amongst the few hundred other gulls and was in breeding plumage complete with full hood. 

Black-headed Gull (centre) Lune Estuary 22 October. Pete Woodruff.

The photograph has no value other than evidence of a Black-headed Gull in full breeding plumage on the Lune Estuary nearing the end of October. At the distance, similar to and recalling adult Bonaparte's Gull, from which separation is difficult....Dream on😉

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Pete Woodruff.

The HBHM was back in the garden again, in fading light at 6.10pm Monday 19 October. I reckon this was the last we see of this moth, it having returned to our garden 32 times since it first appeared here a little over 4 months ago 0n 17 June....I was surprised to find in my records, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen in our garden 4 years ago in October 2022.

And Finally.

A pair of Greenfinch appeared in the garden yesterday, a major event for our little urban garden in South East Lancaster. 

The Greenfinch was added to the UK Red List 5 years ago in 2021. Perhaps the birds in our garden were migrant winter visitors from Fennoscandia!

The First Swans-The Last Dragons....Perhaps!

There were one or two visitors to Conder Pool whilst I was there on Wednesday, and with a cursory look would have regarded the place as 'dead', and that's because they failed to picked up eight of the nine Spotted Redshanks, being an all time record for Conder Pool and the species.

Conder Pool & Area.

The 8 Spotted Redshank were lined up along the waterline at the back of the pool, the reality being that Conder Pool was in fact otherwise deserted. 

Curlew Sandpiper/Redshank Conder Creeks. Pete Woodruff.

A Curlew Sandpiper was in the creeks with a Redshank for company, also a Snipe was to note. The call of the Spotted Redshanks was an indication they had been disturbed from Conder Pool, and all eight flew to the creeks.

I went off in pursuit of the Spotted Redshanks, and caught up with five of them downstream towards the old railway bridge, and later all eight were beyond the bridge and towards the Conder Estuary.

Lune Estuary.

On the estuary viewed from the bowling green, I was pleased to find my first 15 Whooper Swan hauled out just beyond the Conder Estuary. Also of note, at least 250 Greylag, 190 Curlew again, 18 Canada Geese, and 12 Snipe.

Whooper Swans Conder Pool 8 October 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Last years first Whooper Swans were on Conder Pool 8 October when they were seen as 9 adult and 9 juvenile.

Saltcote Pond.

I called in at Saltcote Pond and found a Migrant Hawker and 4 Common Darter including a pair in cop. 

Birk Bank.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

By the time I arrived at Birk Bank, the weather was threatening to turn wet and not conducive with dragonfly hunting.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

But at least I found a lone male Common Darter making the most of any suitable weather conditions remaining for a rest on the boardwalk....More proof that I hadn't yet seen my last dragons of the year. 

As I walked the path from the bog, I heard a Chiffchaff calling, and having walked little more than 50 metres I had heard and seen 4 Chiffchaff. Given 24 Chiffchaff were ringed at Heysham in an early morning fall this sighting seems significant. 

Hawk-moths.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth was in our garden yet again on Friday 9 October, making this its 40th visit here since it was first seen 17 June. It behaved impeccably, lingering for periods on the Salvia.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth was first found in Crosby 1857, it has been annual in Lancashire since 1998, often in double figures with occasional large influxes occurring, 309 were recorded in 2006.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth. Ian Mitchell.

Ian Mitchell has shared with me an image of a stunning large Convolvulus Hawk-moth at rest on his garden wall. 

As a migrant visitor to the UK, the Convolvulus Hawk-moth was first found at Chat Moss in 1841. Since then up to 150 records of the moth have been in Lancashire.

Pleasantly Quiet.

There were 9 Spotted Redshank with Greenshank on Conder Pool 27 September, and the header image is perfect as my introduction to this weeks post on B2B. Thanks to Paul Ellis for this amazing image of record numbers for Conder Pool. 

I missed the good stuff again on Conder Pool, with recent records being, 35 Greenshank, and 9 Spotted Redshank, both all time peak counts.

Conder Pool.

When I arrived at Conder Pool on Thursday, I was pleased to be able to count 22 Greenshank and 4 Spotted Redshank.

Although there was just the 26 waders to note, it was good that a lone Bar-tailed Godwit was feeding in front of the screen, at best an irregular visitor to Conder Pool, and not a bird I have ever seen here beyond single figures.

Lune Estuary.

At the estuary on the rising tide, 8 Golden Plover were seen as the vanguards of returning winter birds. Also 190 Curlew was a decent count for the end of September, 550 Lapwing, 220 Redshank, 85 Greylag, and 45 Wigeon completed the picture.

Saltcote Pond.

At the pond, 4 Migrant Hawker, a pair of Common Darter in cop, and a Clouded Yellow butterfly.

Hawker Down.

Whilst at Saltcote Pond, I observed some interesting behavior by three of the Migrant Hawkers, an incident which ended badly for one of the males. I watched a pair in cop for several minutes, they were flying around erratically until they eventually separated, at which point a second male started an attack on the other. I have no idea which of the males ended up in the drink, but it started to swim frantically, then stopped before swimming again.

 

I watched this desperate attempt to reach some vegetation to emerge from the pond which was impeded by the fact that it kept changing direction.

Migrant Hawker Saltcote Pond 1 October. Pete Woodruff.

I left the site feeling helpless, having had to watch this unfortunate creatures desperate attempt to escape from drowning....an experience I hope to never witness ever again. 

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. 

The regular HBHM to our garden broke its own record on Saturday 3 October, paying its 28th visit in the past 2 months, this time it was around the Honeysuckle when I spotted it....Truly amazing stuff! 

Hummingbird Hawk-moth on Salvia 20 September

I reckon any HBHM seen into October, is outside its flight period by the end of September, but interestingly, it is recorded to have occasionally survived mild winters in southern Britain. 

Error.

I'm working on the size of my header image which is in the wrong resolution.

Think It's Called Twitching!

My latest visit to Conder Pool was rewarded by another first, when at least 2,500 Redshank were  present, including up to 100 in the creeks. This record puts an end to the 2,000 Redshank seen here on 7 August. 

Also, 14 Ruff, 6 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Dunlin, 2 Snipe. and 15 Little Grebe. A pair of Shoveler always create some interest on Conder Pool for their scarcity, and 4 Wigeon are the early winter returners.

Saltcote Pond. Pete Woodruff.

At Saltcote Pond, it was a surprise to find a Common Hawker again, it was patrolling in a cool, windy and gloomy 18 °C    flying low and investigating the pool. The male is known to be very active, even in overcast conditions.

The Cockersand Dip!

At Cockersand, I failed to find a couple of target species - I think it's called twitching - but noted up to 450 Dunlin and 12o Ringed Plover, also 4 Turnstone one of which retained some of its smart breeding plumage.

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 25 June 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Checking a group of 12 Black-headed Gull off Lighthouse Cottage, I found 4 Mediterranean Gull with them, they were all males in winter garb, and nothing like as smart as the black-hooded ones I saw on Conder Pool 25 June 2025. Also off here, 4 Eider.

Interest In The Garden.

There was interest in the garden yesterday, when I found a Garden Spider with prey. 

I think what we see is a Sphaerophoria sp of hoverfly, of which there are 11 confirmed species in Britain, and not easy to ID. 

Todays unfortunate find was in the jaws of a Garden Spider.

Garden Spider With Prey. Pete Woodruff.

Eventually the head was separated from its body which hung from a thread of the spiders web.

Another interest was in the form of the 8th Hummingbird-hawkmoth in as many weeks in the garden.

The moth performed perfectly for several minutes, nectaring on Salvia in the garden.

Green Shieldbug. Pete Woodruff.

And finally another first for me, an appropriately named nymph Green Shieldbug. 

Pool, Pond, and Bog.

Conder Pool.

Conder Pool never fails on the interest front, and didn't fail me again on Friday. I'm never involved in survey work and todays counts are estimates, though never too far from accurate. 

At least 2,100 Redshank was by far the best count ever for Conder Pool. Other waders here today, a Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Ruff, 12 Dunlin and 8 Black-tailed Godwit, and after six attempts, I arrived at a count of 10 Little Grebe.

The terns were busy and all over the place, but eventually my count was of 31 Common Tern, seen as 24 adult, and 7 young including one near fledging. Also a new one for the pool, was a colour marked Common Tern, with a dark bill and white forehead, it was a juvenile moulting to 1st winter plumage.

Butterflies seen, a Gatekeeper and Painted Lady. 

Saltcote Pond.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

A great little pond but a bit quiet today, an Emperor Dragonfly persistently attacked 2 Brown Hawker every time they came close, also 3 Common Darter, 5 Common Blue Damselfly, and a Blue-tailed Damselfly. Quite busy with butterflies, 6 Painted Lady, 5 Common Blue, and a Meadow Brown.

Birk Bank.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

When I arrived at the bog, the sight of it slowly drying out was a bit concerning.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

Though the ditch were the old boardwalk was, and the haunt favoured by the Golden Ringed Dragonfly, is still looking good.

Keeled Skimmer. Pete Woodruff.

My visit here today was an all male day with two exceptions, and it was good to find 5 Keeled Skimmer, they were seeing off anything that came close.

Keeled Skimmer Female. Pete Woodruff. 

With the two exceptions, one of which was an old female Keeled Skimmer which was obliging and basking in the sun on the boardwalk.

Common Darter Female. Pete Woodruff.

The other exception was an old female Common Darter, which was also basking on the boardwalk.

An Emperor Dragonfly was patrolling the edges of the bog during all my time here, while a Common Hawker was behaving in the same manner, flying low over the water and investigating the edges of the acidic bog, but without showing the aggression of the Emperor.

Common/Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Also seen, 5 Common Darter and 3 Black Darter were all male. I saw just three butterfly, 2 Speckled Wood and a Painted Lady.

Erratum....Dictionary definition, done quickly with little attention to detail.

The Keeled Skimmer female featured above, is in fact a Black-tailed Skimmer of the same sex and age....Whoooops!

Waders And Wagtails.

But first some news about the Conder Pool Common Terns, including some behaviour by an adult Common Tern towards a chick, and some other behavioral traits I've never observed before.

In the video below, the adult tern perched at the far left hand of the raft, suddenly pounces on the chick and appears to stab at it with its bill before it escapes and runs off. 

 

 

I made the following trimmed video at half speed where the aggression by the adult is more obvious.

This attack by the adult tern isn't the only odd behavior surrounding these birds. I met Ian Hartley who gave me some news about young chicks gone missing and some dead which he had removed from the raft earlier. This prompts the suspected cause to be starvation, or in the case of those missing from the raft, a Barn Owl which daily hunts Conder Pool, and has done for some time now.

There has been a lot of mayhem in the colony recently, with chicks fighting each other and various adults over fish. In one incident, the 'wrong' chick grabbed a fish and the adult snatched it back and flew off before the chick could spit it out. There's been some chick mortality recently, perhaps because of all the competition over food coming in. Some good news to follow all this, is that 16 Common Tern chicks were still alive as at Friday, so we can hopefully expect they can all make it from here on.

For providing me with the news about the state of play and the update regarding the Common Terns, I'm very grateful to Ian Hartley. 

Conder Pool.

  

I'm recording 34 Common Tern on Conder Pool Wednesday 29 July, seen as 24 adult and 16 chicks/young. Also here, in excess of 1,000 Redshank, 21 Greenshank, 14 Common Sandpiper, 7 Avocet, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Egret, and I made a count of 12 Little Grebe, this seems to be an early build up in winter numbers so early at the end of July. 

Bank End.

I had messaged Andrew (Wagtail) Cornell earlier to ask if he was at Bank End, and arranged to meet up with him around 1.00pm. It was a pleasant meeting with Andrew, and resulted in my seeing 6 Yellow Wagtail off Bank End Farm.

And Finally....

Some lovely bees, butterflies, moths and hovers in the garden recently, and an uninvited and unwanted gate crasher....All images Pete Woodruff.

Common Carder Bee

Comma

Silver Y

Volucella zonaria

The Volucella zonaria is a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, migratory from the Mediterranean, and is the largest hoverfly to be found in the UK. 

NOT TODAY THANK YOU!

Kwik Fix.

Conder Pool.

This years peak count on Conder Pool thus far, was of 22 Avocet on Friday 6 March. As always, I am grateful for the contact, record, and header image to Howard Stockdale.

My latest visit to Conder Pool was thwarted by a blinding sun turning the pool into a silver river, and the birds into silhouettes.

Back-tailed Godwit Conder Pool 26 February 2024. Pete Woodruff.

This could have been the view if conditions had been better, I reckon there was up to 1,000 Black-tailed Godwit on the island today. I also made no attempt to count the birds, but noted just 2 Avocet and 6 Shoveler. Worth noting, an all time peak count for Conder Pool, was of 25 Shoveler recorded on Saturday 7 March....Paul Ellis FBC 

Lune Estuary.

Time was restricted for me on Wednesday, but a brief visit to the River Lune at Glasson had me find 17 Avocet, probably the same seventeen birds as those seen here Tuesday 3 March, otherwise an amazing coincidence. The c.2,500 Black-tailed Godwit were also probably the same as those seen here Tuesday 3 March.

Although this scene might suggest otherwise, it was relatively quiet about one hour before high tide, the numbers of waders feeding along the shoreline were low, with a few Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, and Black-tailed Godwit all stabbing for their share of invertibrates as the tide flowed in. Also noted at least 650 Wigeon and 3 Red-breasted Merganser. 

Mediterranean Gulls Lune Estuary 11 March Pete Woodruff.

A little distant, but a nice image for the record, 2 Mediterranean Gull adult were drifting upstream on the incoming tide.

It was a Kwik Fix, but as always a pleasant one for me.

Birk Bank Bog.

Palmate Newt June 2024. Maurice Wilby.

Some interest from the bog have included finding a Palmate Newt last year. Thanks to Maurice for his record shot of a creature I've yet to see on the bog at Birk Bank.

Toad 4 March. Ian Mitchell. 

Thanks to Ian for his excellent image of the Toad. Like the Palmate Newt, Toads are another amphibian I have yet to find on the bog at Birk Bank.

Toad Spawn. Ian Mitchell.

A week after 3 Toads were found, Ian saw that they had spawned on 11 March.

News from Conder Pool.

Tern Raft Conder Pool....FBC

Covers were fitted to the rafts yesterday 14 March. As was the case last year, the plan is to remove them when the Common Terns arrive back on Conder Pool, hopefully to breed for their 12th year, which I'm predicting will be within a week commencing 20 April. If they don't arrive during that time frame....the milky bars are on me!

Common Tern Conder Pool 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Early Spring'ers.

Willow Warbler Leighton Moss 14 March....LDBWS WhatsApp. Earlier by 5 days in 2024 on 19 March.

Little Ringed Plover River Wyre Fylde 14 march....FBC WhatsApp. Earlier by 5 days in 2024 on 19 March.

Sand Martin 85 at Pine Lake 15 March....LDBWS WhatsApp. Earliest record in Lancashire 35 years ago on 24 February 1990.

Common Quaker. Ian Mitchell.

Ian had a Common Quaker in his trap 14 March. Common as its name implies, but non the less beautiful for that.  

We Have Lift Off!

It was 17 days since my last spell of birding, and my first session for 2026....Lift Off!

I suppose lots of visitors to Conder Pool, wouldn't know the drake Shoveler and Pintail present today, were both at best only occasional here, but I note 5 Shoveler were recorded here last Thursday, and I reckon this is an all time best count of the species on Conder Pool. My last Shoveler here, was a pair last year on 23 February 2025, and my last Pintail was a drake 24 November 2025. Also noted today, 9 Redshank, 8 Tufted Duck, and 2 Little Grebe.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, I found my first Goldeneye of the winter and was a drake. I've seen no previous records of Goldeneye this winter around the Lune Estuary, but low end double figures at Aldcliffe.

 

A smart drake Goosander was close in with the Wigeon, and thinking I may not get any more opportunities for piks today, I grabbed a video. A pair of Red-breasted Merganser were diving by the Conder mouth, seen as a species at best irregular here, my last were a pair seen on the estuary 3 years ago on 13 January 2023. Also of note, 550 Black-tailed Godwit, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit, and 52 Knot.

At the south end of Jeremy Lane, a splendid 2,500 Black-tailed Godwit, with single figures of Curlew and Dunlin, and up to 60 Redshank in the field opposite.

Stonechat Cockersand 14 January. Pete Woodruff.

At Cockersand, a pair of Stonechat were on the spoil heaps, presumably the same pair seen on my last visit here 29 December. Off Slack Lane, 8 Whooper Swan were the only ones at Cockersand. I think the bulk of swans seem to have pitched up in fields at Cockerham/Braides where the 2 Bewick's Swans also seem to be currently residing.

Breaking News.

Bewick's Swans Cockersand 21 December. Ian Walker.

It was great to see the news that 4 Bewick's Swans were found this morning at Lower Thurnham, begging the question....are there 6 Bewick's Swans in the recording area now?

Thanks to Ian Walker for his excellent image of the stunning Bewick's Swans. 

The Header.

Couldn't resist this one....Long time no see a Stonechat header image on B2B, but Dave Mudd delivered the goods when he got this excellent shot of the pair at Cockersand recently. Not unique, but I reckon Dave or anyone else will achieve an image of two Stonechat so close together in the frame any time soon.