Resurrection!

Well my birding has been very patchy of late, in fact it's been non existent to be honest, but I'm working on getting myself out of the hole I find myself in. Meanwhile, there's some resurrection on the horizon in some areas starting with a fledged c.6 week old juvenile Tawny Owl seen in Bowland.

This is the best image available, a phone shot for the record. I've decided to keep my mouth shut about details on this one....Schedule 1 birds and all that!

The Lancaster Orchids.

It was good to find the orchids again this year east of Lancaster.

Southern Marsh Orchid June 2026. Pete Woodruff.

This time I found at least 120 spikes of Southern Marsh Orchid, a slight improvement on last year, when I made a count of up to 100 spikes.

Common Spotted Orchid June 2026. Pete Woodruff.

My count this year, was of 48 Common Spotted Orchid, better than last year when it was 25 spikes.

Garden Birds.

Our birds have had a good breeding season so far this year.

I managed to get some footage of the Blue Tit feeding young, also Great Tit, Goldfinch and Dunnock all have young, and a Blackbird with a juvenile. The House Sparrow has done well with a total figure of at least 40 adult and young.

Who knows how many adult and young Starling have visited us over the past few weeks, it could have been a three figure number, and included this bully juvenile on the apple.

Garden Bees.

The garden bees were busy on Sunday with the weather warming.

Red Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

The Mason Bees were back and forth to the hotel....

The Blue Mason Bees were filling in the holes, with an upstairs neighbour having a nosey!

Blue Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

....this one was resting on the roof. I think these will leave later than their red cousins, but both will have gone by the end of July.

Common Carder Bee. Pete Woodruff.

A Common Carder Bee was nectaring on Viper Bugloss.

Conder Pool.

It's good to see the Common Terns have taken control of the platform, and even better to hear they have started to produce this years chicks. The news from Conder Pool gets better by the day, when two new Common Terns arrived yesterday.

The Avocets are also having a good season, and adults have already succeeded to guide chicks off Conder Pool, to cross the busy B5290 to the River Conder. I have no accurate figures, but I get the impression there are at least 20 Avocet chicks with 5 nests to hatch.

There seems to be no end to the good news from the pool this year, when a new Avocet arrived here to breed. This is a bird ringed at Boulais in France 20 June 2008, according to its history, a much traveled 18 year old Avocet.

I am grateful to Howard Stockdale for this update with news and images from Conder Pool. 

Miscellany.

A few miscellaneous bits of interest....Well, hopefully of interest. 

With the Tawny Owl sighting in Holme Wood last week, I was reminded of the brilliant image featured in the header, which Martin Jump sent me recently.

Cam Brow.

Sand Martin Excavating Cam Brow. Howard Stockdale.

Three pairs of Sand Martin were observed excavating at Cam Brow recently, but an overhang above the bank collapsed, causing the birds to leave the area, to my knowledge have not yet returned. To make matters worse, the bank has since collapsed again before the overhang could be trimmed as planned, taking some nest holes with it. I understand the Sand Martins haven't returned to a regularly used bank elsewhere in Bowland.

Male Stonechat With Begging Young. Howard Stockdale.

This brilliant image accompanied the news, following no sign on 18 May, the Cam Brow Stonechat family were relocated three days later on Friday 21 May, when the parent birds were seen feeding three young.

Pied Flycatchers.

A pair of Pied Flycatcher are nesting in one of the boxes in the Tower Lodge area, and I'm reliably informed of two female seen recently in other 'new' areas here.

Conder Pool.

Great news that 5 pairs of Common Tern are now currently nesting on Conder Pool.

Garden Birds & Bees.

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The footage isn't world class, taken through the patio window, well that's my excuse anyway, but it was pure magic watching the young Dunnock in the garden again today.  

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There was in excess of 50 Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum on the Cotoneaster in our garden yesterday.

I'd sooner be birding!

Quality Birding....Quality Birds.

On a wander through Holme Wood, Grizedale Valley and Harrisend, some quality on offer earlier this week.

Redstart. Pete Woodruff.

I saw 5 Meadow Pipit as I walked towards Holme Wood, where a pair of Redstart stole the show for me, followed by a few tasty warblers to make up a list of 17 bird species, 6 Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Garden Warbler, and 2 Blackcap. Thrushes seen were, a Song Thrush, 3 Mistle Thrush, and 3 Blackbird. A single Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail were on the brook. They came in two's, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, and Long-tailed Tit. Making up the list were, 6 Robin and 3 Wren.

Tawny Owl.

A Tawny Owl flew across Grizedale Brook which runs through the woods, to perch briefly on a branch before promptly flying off, but not before I got a 30 second video of this beautiful bird. In the shadows, but nice....excellent even.

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There are lots of carpets of Bluebells in the woods where I found, 8 Orange Tip, 3 Green-veined White, and a Speckled Wood.

Harrisend.

A couple of hours on Harrisend produced, 5 Stonechat, seen as a pair and three lone birds. I was two Stonechat down compared to my last visit here 30 April, seen 1/4 mile away from these five today, probably six breeding pairs here to date. Also noted, 6 Meadow Pipit, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Wren, and a Reed Bunting. I saw 2 Kestrel in the air together with some interaction, later the Kestrel pair seen again were engaged in an aerial dispute with a Peregrine Falcon. Butterflies seen were 6 Peacock.

Garden Birds.

We were delighted to see our first juvenile Blackbird, and two fledgling Dunnock in the garden this week.

Picture Gallery.

Dandelion Clock. Pete Woodruff. 

Photographed in our garden....Everything has its own beauty.

And Finally. 

A couple of excellent photographs appropriately credited. Featured to show my appreciation for keeping in touch with news and images, and adding more quality to B2B.

Dipper Bowland 19 May. Martin Jump.

Woodcock Bowland 19 May. Howard Stockdale.

The Keeled Skimmer.

Keeled Skimmer populations are found in North Wales and Cumbria, so it is a little surprising that the species wasn't recorded earlier than it was in Lancashire, being a county well-endowed with suitable habitat for the Keeled Skimmer which is a species of bogs and mires in western areas where it is found on moorland heaths and bogs, often in areas frequented by the Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

The first Keeled Skimmer in Lancashire was found and photographed by Allen Holmes 7 years ago at Grindleton Forest Pond on 8 August 2013, unfortunately it was a one day wonder and had disappeared the following day. The second Lancashire record came from Birkdale Dunes, it was a male found by Pete Kinsella on 3 July 2015.

Keeled Skimmer At Birk Bank Bog.

I've found the Keeled Skimmer at Birk Bank, Quernmore, on the outskirts of Lancaster for four years following my first here in 2016, but the first record at Birk Bank, was of two - possibly three - male Keeled Skimmer seen on the bog by Steve Graham on 12 August 2015. 

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank 22 July 2016 Pete Woodruff Clik the piks

The next and fourth Lancashire record of Keeled Skimmer was of a male seen at Birk Bank on 22 July 2016 (PW), followed by the species seen again at Birk Bank by Steve Graham on 6 July 2017, then three males there six days later on 12 July (PW).

Keeled Skimmer Pairing Birk Bank Bog 22 June 2018. Pete Woodruff.

Five Keeled Skimmer were found on 22 June 2018 (PW) and included a pair seen pairing. A pair were seen at Birk Bank Bog on 5 July 2019, with a male seen here on 15 July, followed by a pair 23 July (PW).

 Keeled Skimmer/Large Red Damselfly Birk Bank Bog 17 June 2020. Pete Woodruff.

This year, there was a bit of dragonfly magic for me when I visited Birk Bank on 17 June to find my first Keeled Skimmer of 2020, a male with a female seen later ovipositing. 

Southern Migrant Hawker Female Marc Heath 

Dragonflies In 2015.

More remarkable than the Lancashire Keeled Skimmer records, was that of a female Southern Migrant Hawker, found at Birkdale by Chris Storey on 10 July 2015. 

This was another first record for Lancashire and North Merseyside, and at the time believed to be the most northerly British record of the species. Even more remarkable, was that it was a female, made remarkable because it is almost always the male of all species of dragonflies that are prone to wander.

Many thanks to Martin Jump for his excellent header image of the Tawny Owl which was achieved following an invitation to a private photo shoot. Thanks also to Marc Heath for his consistently excellent images. 

A Tit, an Owl, a Grebe.....

....and some runners up.

  

Marsh Tit Jan Larsson

On a tour round Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve with KT on Monday, it was the Marsh Tit which took the prize of 'Bird of the Day' for me. 

As an uncommon localised breeding resident, the only area to have any reasonable chance of seeing the Marsh Tit is in and around Silverdale, records from elsewhere are scant. So I was pleased to have found this bird here today to fill a three and a half year gap in my records, my last being of one seen at Arnside on 29 September 2011. 

Tawny Owl  Martin Jump

From the same path as the Marsh Tit was seen to the Lower Hide from Storrs Lane, we had good views of a roosting Tawny Owl concealed deep within an ivy clad tree. Also from this path good numbers of Chiffchaff and Blackcap, with a few Willow Warbler, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler heard, a Brimstone butterfly was my third one this year.

At the Lower Hide, 2 Marsh Harrier seen with little of anything else of any exception, but a pair of Gadwall and few Pochard were of note, and a Buzzard soaring over the woodlands opposite.

From Lillian's Hide, noted were 2 Avocet, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Gadwall drakes, a pair of Shoveler, and 5 Buzzard soaring together. 

At the Grisedale Hide, almost deserted with just a pair of Gadwall seen. Another Buzzard over the woods where 5 Red Deer were grazing in a field below, and c.8 Swift were high above and were seen as my first sighting of multi Swifts this year.

Thanks to Jan and Martin for their respective images.

Pied-billed Grebe. Barry Dyson.

On entering the Public Hide - which I would estimate holds at least 50 seated people - probably more than 70 were crammed in and all looking in the same direction. A shout of excitement came up when the Pied-billed Grebe put in an appearance having apparently been in a channel out of view for some considerable time, the bird made a couple of dives before promptly disappearing from whence it came. My viewing time lasted no more than 10 seconds, knelt on my knees and seen between shoulders and two large heads. I too then disappeared from whence I came....not my cup of tea!

The Pied-billed Grebe.

Breeds over most of North, Central, and South America. It's hard to believe a bird with such an apparent weak flight could ever possibly cross the Atlantic Ocean. Nevertheless the Pied-billed Grebe is an extremely rare vagrant, and in excess of 40 records have been made of the species in Britain, the one prior to this bird at Leighton Moss was on the Western Isle of North Uist in December 2013 which stayed a massive 391 days.

The first record of Pied-billed Grebe in Britain was only 52 years ago and was of a bird found in Somerset in December 1963. Many of the recorded birds have stayed for long periods, and one in Cornwall did so from 1992 to 1994 when it paired with a Little Grebe to produce three hybrid young.

Thanks to Barry for the excellent image of the Pied-billed Grebe which hadn't come to Britain for him to see, he saw it on a recent trip to the USA at Long Beach Harbour, California. 

The Pilgrimage.

Good sunny, warm calm weather, an excellent location, and hopefully choice birds....it had to be my spring pilgrimage to Barbondale on Tuesday.

Cuckoo Marc Heath 

A few minutes here and my first bird was the Cuckoo which was distant at first but came nearer as the day progressed, though despite my efforts I never did see this bird. 

Whinchat Brian Rafferty 

Only a few minutes later and I could here a singing Whinchat, and a few more minutes after I saw what could have been a second bird, but too little time and distance between the sightings to be sure of two birds....the day was looking like being a good one.

A male and female Pied Flycatcher have returned to Barbondale, though they appeared to be unconnected and some considerable distance apart, the male was in full song. 

Female Redstart Simon Hawtin 

I had an excellent seven hours in the area including the brilliant ancient woodland, a walk up the Bull Pot track, and a wander a couple of miles to the east. Twenty two species were noted and included, five Redstart, two of which were females, 7 Wheatear, 2 Tree Pipit, 17 Meadow Pipit, 4 Reed Bunting, and a Grey Wagtail, a Raven and 2 Buzzard were overhead. I also unfortunately flushed a Tawny Owl from its daytime roost in the area I had seen the bird last year.

I also noted only a 'few' Willow Warbler heard/seen in an area I expected to be overrun with them. Of particular note I found no Stonechat, and saw no Dipper or Common Sandpiper, though the latter seems to have been absent from here for a few years now according to my records, it was too early for the Spotted Flycatcher.

The numbers at Barbondale will increase over the coming days/weeks, but from the start on Tuesday I was inspired to think my day was going to be a good day....and it was.

Thanks to Marc/Brian/Simon for the excellent photographs for this post. 

A Decent Bash.

Despite a good - well decent anyhow - 5 hour bash around the OK corral yesterday I didn't find the migrants I had hoped for.

Wheatear Ana Minguez  

But on a Cockersands 2.5 hour circular with diversions, I found at least 28 Wheatear, a few of which were in the Abbey Farm stubble field, in which the farmer had done them and 5 White Wagtail a favour with a recent muck and fly spreading exercise. Two Grey Partridge were a couple of rarities seen, with 6 Linnet, 4 Skylark, 3 Tree Sparrow, and a female Reed Bunting. Off Plover Scar 28 Eider, and I noted 7 Brown Hare during the visit.

There are still at least 150 Black-tailed Godwit in the Conder/Glasson area with 55 on Conder Pool. In the creeks, 7 Common Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, and a Greenshank. I saw my first Whitethroat on the coastal path along with a Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterfly.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, 95 Black-tailed Godwit, and 65 Bar-tailed Godwit. Fourteen Eider here was a bit of an irony as not too long ago on this very blog I claimed the Eider to be at least unusual on this section of the Lune Estuary as viewed upstream from the bowling green according to my observations, but I have recently been seeing them regular here, obviously no longer 'unusual'.

Otter and Tawny Owl.  

A visitor to the area stopped to talk and told me of an Otter he'd seen on the canal somewhere around the second lock was the best info he offered. Also a Tawny Owl he'd seen along the coastal path by a culvert was the best he offered me on this.

And finally....

Chrysolina Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

An interesting little creature which I found at Cockersands, but confusion has set in on this one. I think Chrysolina menthastri - or Mint Beetle - can be ruled out, not necessarily, but this is scarce in Britain. So the confusion then is between C. hyperici and C. varians, I'm going for the latter. Help....anyone!

Birdbrain....

....and six hours coastal stuff!

KT called me 'birdbrain' the other day and it wasn't meant as a compliment either I assure you, I was told I don't listen and that my brain is full of feathers....but I don't care about any of this! 

At Conder Green yesterday I counted the falling number of 6 Little Grebe on Conder Pool, also 3 Goldeneye again, 9 Snipe, 12 Wigeon, and 47 Mallard. The Scaup was on the canal basin again at Glasson Dock with uncounted Tufted Duck and a female Pochard, I failed to find the drake.

On the Lune Estuary, although Golden Plover and Black-tailed Godwit numbers were much fewer than my count here on Tuesday 12 November, there was a least the same number as then of 7,500 Lapwing, 6,000 Knot, and 450 Bar-tailed Godwit viewable from the bowling green. But I'd put money on it being a Peregrine Falcon which put the entire River Lune upstream population of waders to flight and I witnessed probably in excess of 25,000 birds in the air as far as the eye could see....an amazing spectacle, a build up of 35 Goldeneye here today too. On Jeremy Lane at least one Bewick's Swan identified in a mid-distance field hidden behind reeds.

At Cockersands, Plover Scar at high tide held c.320 Oystercatcher and 40 Turnstone, 12 Black-tailed Godwit were in a field feeding with predominantly Curlew, with Lapwing and Redshank, 5 Meadow Pipit, 2 Kestrel, and 3 Little Egret seen may have only been two birds, today I noted 2 Brown Hare. 

Cockersands.

Just in case anyone wonders why Cockersands rates as one of my favourite birding destinations - birds aside - here's just one reason....

 Looking West. Pete Woodruff.

The scene was ablaze with one of Morecambe Bay's renowned sunsets at around 4.00pm, this one looking west....

Looking North West. Pete Woodruff. 

....and this one looking north west.

And finally....can't have a post on Birds2blog without the photograph of a bird.

Tawny Owl. Howard Stockdale.

Not just a photograph of a Tawny Owl, but a brilliant photograph of one, 'clik the piks' they just might blow your socks off!....Thanks Howard.

The Bigger Picture.

Though I only gave Barbondale four hours yesterday on my fourth visit of the year, to get the bigger picture of Barbondale I spread out a little more and did some standing around ending up with 24 species in the little black book, notable of which follow....

Pied Flycatcher Ana Minguez

A disappointing day/year for the Pied Flycatcher at Barbondale of which I saw just one female, the bird was feeding young, the only breeding record there this year. Also a Spotted Flycatcher, three male Redstart, 4 Wheatear included a young being fed, four sightings of Great-spotted Woodpecker I reckon were two individuals seen twice, a Green Woodpecker 'yaffled' once in the four hours, at least 4 Grey Wagtail, a Dipper, 3 Tree Pipit, 2 Kestrel, and a Buzzard.

Nuthatch Ana Minguez

Three Nuthatch all gave excellent views, as did a Tawny Owl after it revealed itself by changing its roost from one tree to the next. Apart from several 'white' butterflies I saw just two other species, an Orange Tip and a Small Heath. 

With an hour on my hands I took a look upstream on the River Lune from Bull Beck and found 5 Little Ringed Plover of which two are sitting, 5 Common Sandpiper one of which was agitated at my presence presumably with young. I made no attempt to count Sand Martin but found a bank with around ten nest holes, and heard a Song Thrush in good voice. Six adult Greylag were accompanied by 14 goslings.

Little Ringed Plover Behaviour.

It was a little worrying when I saw the 6 Greylag and 14 young resting up on a shingle bank at precisely the same spot I had seen a Little Ringed Plover obviously sitting on two recent visits I've made here, with the LRP nowhere to be seen. But in a few minutes it came into view, looking anxiously at the Greylag whilst slowly approaching them, it began to fain injury and spread its wings with body horizontal, its expression appeared to be vocal but I was too distant to hear it. The Greylag all got up and moved off, I think they got the message that they were on the LRP's territory.

Thank you for the excellent photographs Ana, they are much appreciated.

Land Of No Return.

Although mere speculation, it is now generally accepted that warming of the climate will allow the sedentary population of the European Stonechat in the future to increase to such an extent that they become entirely resident in the UK. I have surveyed at least six upland locations this spring/early summer and see no signs of this happening any time soon, and have found no evidence of the migrant population increasing numbers based on my observations....quite the opposite in fact. 

I was up to Newby Moor yesterday morning - another former stronghold of the Stonechat - and back in 1999 the very place I first began to notice sightings were becoming more regular of this species than ever before, and Newby Moor was to become the holder of one of the best winter records - from numerous upland locations I cover - when I found 11 Stonechat there on 12 February 2008, though the Cross Of Greet area beat that record when I found 12 Stonechat there later the same day. Hard to believe I could find 23 Stonechat on the same cold winters day whilst this year I struggled to find just 2 birds from six upland locations visited so far in much better weather conditions this spring than in February 2008. This was my first visit to Newby Moor since 12 May 2011 when I got the same nil result as I did yesterday. The last breeding record I have from here was on 28 May 2009.

Linnet Richard Pegler

I don't usually do birding in halves, today was no exception and I gave the area a good four hours looking over to note at least 18 Meadow Pipit, 6 Willow Warbler, 3 Sedge Warbler, 2 Sand Martin, a Linnet, and a Brown Hare. In the Clapham Station area and the River Wenning, a Spotted Flycatcher, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, and 2 House Martin.

A meeting at 2.00pm had been arranged at Barbondale so off I went. It was established that two pairs of Pied Flycatcher are breeding here this year, though sightings were only one male and a female, something of a disappointment compared to the excellent records of 2012 here.

Tawny Owl Richard Pegler

Also of note at Barbondale, 5 Redstart, 2 Tree Pipit, 2 Wheatear, a Spotted Flycatcher, Nuthatch, and a Tawny Owl calling.

Thanks Richard for the Linnet and the Tawny Owl which is particularly brilliant with a 'clik on the pik' ....Excellent.   

Birdfair.

The RSPB in Scotland is hosting its popular Scottish Birdfair next month at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh. There are strong connections between Hopetoun House and a large grouse-shooting estate in Lanarkshire which has repeatedly been linked to wildlife crimes, and estate gamekeepers have been convicted for laying poisoned bait and shooting an Owl, last year a Golden Eagle was found shot close to the estates border. The estate has a long term lease to a 'sporting company' registered in the USA....surprise, surprise! If I was in a more suitable position I'd be calling for a boycott of this RSPB fair who seem to have a blatant disregard for their members....of whom I am one. This shooting estate is a black hole for birds of prey which has been well documented over the years. How truly amazing that the RSPB - which is supposed to campaign to end the slaughter of our birds of prey - should choose a location like this one for a Birdfair. I would advocate that potential visitors to this fair should make an informed decision as to whether or not to attend, and whilst I'm on the subject of informed decisions....are you planning a holiday in Malta this year?     Here are a trio of brilliant images to cheer us all up, all from Richard Pegler  as it happens.... Little Owl. Richard Pegler. A brilliant shot of the Little Owl hiding away in its tree hole. Tawny Owl. Richard Pegler. And the Tawny Owl, another brilliant image from Richard showing the bird to good effect in its natural environment.  Cormorant. Richard Pegler. I've been saving this one of the Cormorant for a while now I think its superb. Thanks for these Richard I really do appreciate them.

And The Winner Is!

Avocet David Cookson

Today's winner was the Avocet in the Cocker channel at Cockersands, it got a few more votes than the Barn Owl in fields behind Ridge Farm and the Tawny Owl roosting in a tree on the edge of the same field, followed by another Barn Owl briefly as I drove past Braides south west of Cockerham, these four birds were just ahead on points of the Merlin squat on the biggest boulder on Plover Scar waiting to pounce and put sheer panic into everything around....I was looking for waders!

 

Barn Owl Brian Rafferty

But the day as always when I'm in this area started at Conder Green which was pretty quiet and it was noticeable that I saw not a single Little Grebe here today, but a Spotted Redshank put in an appearance and I noted 4 Cormorant - a bit irregular on Conder Pool - 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and 3 Snipe, 2 Long-tailed Tit were the only birds of note on the circuit. 

Cormorant Ana Minguez

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock an unprecedented c.850 Black-tailed Godwit surpassed the recent number of the species here by 200, these birds have been/are almost certainly the ones from the Eric Morecambe complex at Leighton Moss, c.25 Goldeneye were the only other birds of note here today.

Turnstone Noushka Dufort

At Cockersands the 'Moss Lane' swans have dwindled to c.95 Whooper Swan today, still distant and still holding a 'few' uncounted and hard to assess Bewick's Swan. On Plover Scar, at least 80 Turnstone, 4 Eider were off here, and c.550 Golden Plover on shingle towards the Caravan Park end. Three Little Egret were also noted in a field opposite Braides as I drove by.

Many thanks to DC/BR/AM/ND....not just photographs, brilliant photographs. Did you 'clik the pik'.