Migrants At Last.

Conder Pool.

I found my first migrants this week, the first being a pair of Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool.

The first bird was seen on the small island to the right of the viewing platform, it soon flew off. The next sighting was of a bird on the island behind the main Common Tern raft, was joined by a second bird. I was soon able to observe display behaviour, with posturing seen. I had seen the same behaviour between a pair last year on Conder Pool 26 March.

Other notes from Conder Pool, numbers of godwit continue to fall, with just 280 Black-tailed Godwit today, they were accompanied by at least 10 Knot. Also 15 Avocet in view, and 5 Tufted Duck noted, the Shoveler have departed.

 Cockersand.

My second migrant species was the 2 Wheatear male, seen off the headland. 

Wheatear. Pete Woodruff.

I'm not seeing the Tree Sparrow at Cockersand in anything like the numbers that used to be, though I did find 40 here last September. this time just 3 Tree Sparrow were around Bank Houses, 2 Stock Dove were in a field. The number of swans are dwindling, with no more than 160 Whooper Swan in fields off Moss Lane. I noted 3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Deceased Gannet Plover Scar 2 April. Pete Woodruff.

Lune Estuary.

The estuary at Glasson Dock was near deserted 3 hours after high tide, but 10 Avocet saved the day. If this number is in addition to the birds seen on Conder Pool 3 hours earlier - I ran out of time to call back and check - the grand total would be 25 Avocet. A pair of Red-breasted Merganser were also to note. I saw not a single Wigeon here today, but a few lingering gulls also added a bit of life to the area. 

Red-tailed Bumblebee.

Bombus lapidarius. Pete Woodruff.

In the garden this week, I found my first Red-tailed Bumblebee of the year. 

But There We Have It!

To be honest I was hoping for my first Wheatear at Cockersand on Monday - last year at Cockersand 1 April - and my first Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool - two last year 26 March with the male displaying - but it was just wishful thinking in the end.

It wouldn't sound to make much sense if I was to call my last visit to the Lune Estuary and surroundings, a little dull and cold like the weather, then go on to record almost 4,000 birds seen, albeit with just 9 species....but there we have it!

Spotted Redshank Conder Creeks. Pete Woodruff. Clik The Pik

Numbers were falling on Conder Pool, today up to 600 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Shoveler, the summer plumage Little Grebe. In the creeks a Spotted Redshank, and 3 Buzzard were soaring together over woodland behind the Stork Hotel. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, I found 23 Avocet, no surprise that non on Conder Pool then. Also noted was a pair of Red-breasted Merganser. 

Wigeon. Martin Jump.

Otherwise the estuary was almost deserted by the winter birds, save the usual gathering of gulls and uncounted Wigeon still. Martin Jump sent me some images yesterday, by coincidence one was the portrait of a smart drake Wigeon with reflection. Thanks Martin....Clik The Pik for a quality result.

At Cockersand, I spent the best part of 3 hours walking, having legged it to Bank End for the Black Redstart, it was the road to nowhere, though AC reported a female along the coastal path at the farm at 11.58am....Mmmm! This was followed by my quest to find a Wheatear, but by the time I got to Plover Scar I'd dipped again 😡 

But a reward for my efforts was up to 2,000 Golden Plover in the field north side of Abbey Farm, some acquiring breeding plumage. Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the excellent header image. 

Unlike my usual experience of seeing them on the ground in tight flocks, the Golden Plover were very thinly spread out through the whole field. 

The Whooper Swan were in two fields today, c.250 north side of Bank End, and as I drove away from Cockersand along Moss Lane, another c.100 were at the east end at Thurnham, making a total of up to 350 Whooper  Swan.

Wood Warbler.

As I searched my records for first dates of past spring migrants, I came across some interesting data regarding the Wood Warbler, it contained the remarkable number of 38 records for the species over the 31 years 1992-2023.

Wood Warbler. Mike Watson.

My first Wood Warbler was found 13 May 1992. I was on a walk around Ingleton Falls in North Yorkshire, by which time I was able to separate a Raven from a Wren! 

The other 37 records followed....

1996

Littledale May/June 6 sightings  

Gibson Wood 8 June 2 birds

Gibson Wood 14/15 June feeding young at the nest

1997 

10 May Gibson Wood 

19/20 May Botton 

23 May Claife Heights Cumbria 

26/31 May Botton 

17 June Botton possible breeding

1998

3 May Gibson Wood 

12 May Botton 

13 May Gibson Wood 

15/23 May Botton 

23 May Barbondale 

1999 

16 May Gibson Wood 

12 June Rusland Cumbria 

18 June Barbondale

26 June Ellterwater Cumbria 2 birds

2000

21 May Gibson Wood

22 May Barbondale

27 May Botton

29 May Bolton Abbey 4 birds

7 June Barbondale

2003

19 May Dunsop Bridge

2006

13 June Barbondale

2007

22/31 May Tower Lodge

2008/09

30 May/11 May Barbondale

2023

3 May Gibson Wood

Worth noting, I found Wood Warbler in Gibson Wood for 5 years consecutive 1996-2000 including breeding. On a negative note, I've not seen a Wood Warbler anywhere since May 2023, and the truth is....not many other Lancashire birders have either. I found no more than 20 records in Lancashire over the 3 years.

More Decent Numbers!

There was at least a couple of decent counts again on my latest visit around the Lune Estuary, at least 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit were present and correct on Conder Pool, some acquiring their stunning breeding plumage.

Avocet Conder Pool Summer 2019. Ian Pinkerton....In Memory Of

There was a decent count of 17 Avocet and 14 Shoveler in view on the pool, also a Greenshank and Snipe noted, and a lone Little Grebe was advancing into breeding plumage. I don't see Little Grebe during the summer months, and they certainly do not breed on Conder Pool.

At Cockersand, between the time leaving the motor at Lighthouse Cottage and walking to Plover Scar, I had seen at least 1,250 Golden Plover, they were in wheeling flocks of 650/400/200, all eventually disappearing from view....Quite a spectacle. 

Despite a couple of hours around Cockersand, I failed to find my own first Wheatear, and with the exception of just 3 Meadow Pipit, saw no other early migrants, but probably passed other unseen MP's in fields on the circuit. The c.250 Whooper Swan here today, were distant and spread over three fields south of Moss lane towards Bank End Farm.

Bombus terrestris 11 March. Pete Woodruff.

Eight Linnet few off the shore, and the Skylark could be heard in its endless flight song. I saw 3 Small Tortoiseshell and a huge queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, up to 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit were probably the same birds seen 4 hours earlier on Conder Pool, and to be honest, the same could be said about the 15 Avocet seen here, otherwise the record would have been 32 Avocet. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, 2 Goosander and a Great-crested Grebe seen.

Another short list today, much enjoyed by me on a beautiful sunny and warm mid-March day.

Coal Tit.

There was a record of 84 Coal Tit heading south over the Fylde on Thursday morning, and 4 Coal Tit were in our garden later in the day. All this and more, is the result of an irruption of the species currently in place. 

The Coal Tit is regarded as sedentary in the south and west of its range, but eruptive over much of the remainder. During eruptions, birds from the continent regularly reach Britain during March, and on this occasion I'm seeing expressions like, 'amazing' and 'unprecedented spring numbers'.

Oak Beauty.

Ian's trap produced the goods again, with another stunning moth worth featuring....Clik the pix they're even better.

Oak Beauty. Ian Mitchell.

A large bodied and attractive moth, fairly common in England and Wales. Being referred to as common, belies its name as a beauty....Thanks Ian.

Hooded Crow/Stonechat.

Hooded Crow Walney. Howard Stockdale.

Howard Stockdale sent me some results of a trip to Walney, they included a splendid looking Hooded Crow....

Stonechat Walney. Howard Stockdale.

....and an even more splendid record of 22 Stonechat, seen as 11 pairs....Many thanks Howard.

Michael & Fiona.

Good to see you at Conder Pool in the week and hope you find my latest post a good and interesting read. Thank you for the kind words and your support for B2B, and see I did remember your names!

Kind Regards....Pete.

A Couple Of Hours Escapism.

My couple of hours of escapism on Thursday started at Conder Pool - well where else! - which was pretty much deserted, save up to three visits by the Kingfisher, quite fidgety and moving from it's perch, to the sluice, then to the pontoon where it spent a while before moving on again. 

I didn't even get around to counting the Little Grebe on Conder Pool today, and moved on to Glasson to view the estuary, where the returning vanguard of waders to note were, 220 Curlew, 65 Black-tailed Godwit, and 34 Golden Plover, also a contingent of up to 450 Greylag. Amongst c.400 Black-headed Gull, I found 9 Mediterranean Gull, all were adult save one 2nd winter. 

On Jeremy Lane, the farmer was in a field with his tractor spreading slurry, he was attended by at least 3,000 Black-headed Gull, amongst which I found another 7 Mediterranean Gull. At Cockersand I had only the time to walk from the Lighthouse Cottage to Plover Scar, but was rewarded by finding 2 Wheatear.  

Crossbills.

Crossbill Male. Simon Hawtin.

Following my fortune to find Crossbill at Birk Bank 25 September, I dug out my list of sightings to find I have had just eight over the years. With the exception of one all have been in Bowland, this was 28 years ago in Cumbria and was the most interesting encounter with Crossbills of them all. Below is an account of what created the interest....  

In the late-spring to mid-summer period of 1997 there was an exceptional influx of Crossbills into the North West Regions of Wales/Cheshire/Lancashire/Cumbria and including the Isle of Man, and a total of 1,340 birds were seen at 43 different sites. During this period some long staying Crossbills were at Helsington Barrows near Kendal in Cumbria where John Leedal and I visited on a few occasions, one of which held up to a spectacular 50 Crossbills. John took several photographs over the visits and some of the results developed into something of much interest to us.

Crossbill Female. Ana Minguez.

Eventually I was in touch with an expert in the field and made some comments in an initial letter which read something like...'Through his photographs John Leedal and I have realised the presence of a male individual which displays it's odd distinctly yellowish feathers. In one picture this bird is perched next to a female Crossbill which gives the opportunity to compare and appreciate the greyish-green upperparts of this male, but the main features noted were the distinct yellow crown and mantle, the vent was also distinctly yellow and notably lacking in notches'....

Although 1st winter males are variable in plumage detail, this Crossbill was in due course featured in an annual report in which it was referred to as a possible xanthachroistic male seen on five visits to Helsington Barrows showing yellow feathering around the body, with some hint of red, with the exception of the mantle, back and upperwings which are coloured as female.  

Over the years I've come to appreciate some adult males can resemble females as opposed to being mainly reddish, whilst others appear distinctly orange in tone. Even 14 years on in 2011, this Crossbill at Helsington Barrows in 1997 remains intriguing to me.

Thanks to Simon and Ana for their much appreciated images.

Around The Estuary And A Trip Down The A6.

For starters, there was some bird behaviour to be see on my latest visit to Cockersand, nothing too surprising, but interesting just the same.

This silo is situated at Bank House Farm at Cockersand, and as I set off on the circuit, it came into view to reveal up to 60 Swallow. These birds took me by surprise, in that they were obviously feeding on the wing inside the silo, they kept appearing over the rim before dropping back inside. Something of a spectacle when 60 birds were up and down like a yoyos in and out of the silo.

When I returned 2 hours later, having walked along the headland to reach the spot again, in a similar number, Swallows were in the field behind the silo, this time they were feeding low and over Yarrow.

 

For a bird with a mammoth task ahead of it, opportunism at its best I thought, and a flight of c.8,000 to reach the continent of Africa after 6 weeks of virtually non-stop flying....Knocks y'er socks off dun'it!

The Cockersand Circuit.

Truth is, I'd been plodding along for an hour and had seen nothing of note, then all of a sudden 2 Wheatear dropped onto the kissing gate by the abbey. This was followed by another spell of nothingness, until I reached Bank House Farm again to make another check of the area. Well blow me over, there are 2 Yellow Wagtail on the rim of the 'Swallow Silo'.

Painted Lady Cockersand 20 August. Pete Woodruff.

A personally poor year for butterflies continues, though today I raised it to 'moderate', seeing up to 100 'whites' including 3 Green-veined White, 12 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Red Admiral, a Painted Lady, Speckled Wood, and a Silver Y moth.

Conder Pool.

I was rewarded with my best - and probably everyone elses - all time count of 27 Greenshank on Conder Pool, with 13 Little Grebe counted.

Little Ringed Plover Juvenile Conder Pool 20 August. Pete Woodruff.

Also a juvenile Little Ringed Plover present, and 2 Wigeon were both female and the vanguards of things to come.

Also present, 2 Ruff and 4 Snipe....Not all in the video.

A Trip Down The A6.

Nine years ago on 13 September 2016, I made the same trip down the A6 to Heversham Moss, to see the same two species of birds at the same place as I did this time. That day I saw 2 Wood Sandpiper a Pectoral Sandpiper, a Green Sandpiper, and 22 Ruff.

Wood Sandpiper. Antonio Puigg.

On Fridays visit, I saw a Wood Sandpiper, 20 Ruff, up to 12 Pied Wagtail, and at one point a Sparrowhawk put up all and sundry from the flood, and eventually made one attack at Swallows before being lost to view.

With time on my hands and whilst in the area, I called at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve and went to the Eric Morecambe Hide. Not the best time of day for birding from this hide if the sun is shining brightly in your face.

Putting in a bit of effort, I estimated the silhouettes to be at least 260 Black-tailed Godwit, 60 Redshank, 8 Knot, 5 Avocet, 5 Snipe, 3 Ruff, and 2 Dunlin. On the inner marsh, 2 Great White Egret and 18 Little Egret.

Migrant Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

Along the path to the hide, a male Migrant Hawker and 5 Speckled Wood, 2 Red Admiral, and a Small Tortoiseshell. 

And Finally.

With favourable weather, there have been opportunities to find and photograph some insects in the garden, particularly on the Alium.

Hoverfly Syrphus sp and Honey Bee. Pete Woodruff.

Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius Pete Woodruff.

Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum Pete Woodruff.

Pleasing Rewards Around The Local!

The best counts I came up with on Conder Pool Thursday was 10 Common Tern, but the peak count here to date has been fifteen. My best count was of 13 Avocet, but I suspect there may be double that number and the breeding stats are encouraging.

Also present 3 Greenshank and 3 Little Ringed Plover, though two pairs are reported breeding, with one pair having already suffered a first brood lost. In the creeks, 42 Black-tailed Godwit seen.

The Cockersand wander was a pleasant and rewarding experience.  

As I set off, no sooner had I passed Bank Houses, a Sedge Warbler was in full song hidden in the hedgerow, a second Sedge Warbler was at Slack Lane, 4 Stock Dove were in a field with up to 70 Carrion Crow and a Buzzard over. 

At the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, I saw a passerine fly out of the field to the vegetation along the ditch, it was soon followed by a second bird to be revealed as a male and female Whinchat. I was reminded of a good year in 2022, when I had records of three Whinchat sightings, two at Cockersand on 26 April and 3 May, and a male at Harrisend on 29 April.

As I arrived at Lighthouse Cottage, 3 Whimbrel were on the shore opposite Crook Cottage, and a pair of Eider were drifting on the tide. At Plover Scar, 2 Sandwich Tern were lingering around the lighthouse, occasionally plunge diving and completely submerged for several seconds.

On Plover Scar at high tide, 220 Dunlin, 15 Oystercatcher, and 4 Ringed Plover. As I approached the abbey, a Wheatear was on the kissing-gate. In the 30 minutes along the coastal path between Lighthouse Cottage and Cockersand CP, I must have seen up to 40 Large White butterflies, with 2 Peacock and Orange Tip.

Picture Gallery.

I'm in receipt of two excellent action photographs from regular visitors to B2B which warrant publicity.

Common Tern. Howard Stockdale.

Howard activated the shutter with split timing to achieve the terns in conflict about who can claim the best corner on which to perch on the raft on Conder Pool.

Mallard vs Avocet. Martin Jump.

Martins image of the Avocet in an attack on the Mallard with ducklings, also needed precision to freeze the action between the wader and the duck.

Scalloped Hazel. Ian Mitchell.

Ian's image is of a variable moth species which can range from brown to almost black, it is fairly common throughout the British Isles.

Giant House Spider. Pete Woodruff.

And I discovered a Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica in the greenhouse.

Stamp Collecting!

Little Ringed Plover at Conder Green, and Wheatear at Cockersand saved a pretty dull birding day yesterday, and being we're closing in on the merry month of May, more birds were missing than seen. Not a single warbler heard let alone seen, save 2 Swallow, not another hirundine. At Conder Green, no Common Tern, no Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, and no Greenshank. 

Ahhhh well, it all brings into play my motto....Not what you will see, but rather what you might, the element of surprise never fails to delight....No surprises today. 

On Conder Pool it was good to make contact with 4 Little Ringed Plover seen as 2 pairs, and good to see at least 20 Avocet, with a good count of nests according to info from the excellent management and monitoring work by the Howard and Ian duo....Sounded to me like Avocet breeding records on Conder Pool were hopefully being made.

At Cockersand, though it was pleasant to hear the Skylark in flight song heralding the summer, the circuit turned out to be the road to nowhere....

Shelduck. Pete Woodruff.

....but 28 Shelduck were settled in the field, and up to 60 Carrion Crow were in a adjacent field, and hey'up, things are looking up, 'cos there are 4 Wheatear on the marsh in front of Lighthouse Cottage. As I left Cockersand, a lone Swallow was around Bank House, and another lone Swallow was on wires at Gardners Farm on Moss Lane.

I'm considering taking up stamp collecting!

Terns and Gulls.

A Common Tern was reported to have been on Conder Pool 14 April and not subsequentially seen again, but Howard Stockdale informs me, a Common Tern was present 6 days later on 20 April and is featured in my header. Howard also tells of a pair of Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool, one of which was marked and was observed mating giving evidence of a male.

The history of this gull is confidential, and I have no permit to publish too many details on B2B, but I do know that it was ringed in the Netherlands as a chick, the bird is 10 years old and has been sighted only 7 times in the 10 years, 4 x in Lancashire, once in Cumbria, and has visited Ireland x 2.

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.  

Geese At Last!

It's been the poorest winter I can recall for Pink-footed Geese in our recording area, of no more than 3 sightings, it took me until 18 February to see 1,250 Pink-footed Geese in the air over Hillam Lane.

On Thursday up to 5,000 Pink-footed Geese where in a field at Cockersand with a Tundra Bean Goose. Also up to 1,800 Golden Plover in two fields south and north side of Abbey Farm, with 8 Meadow Pipit and 4 Skylark noted. Six Eider were off Crook Farm, with Sparrowhawk and Kestrel seen.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson low tide, 22 Avocet were feeding at the mouth of Conder Estuary, 320 Golden Plover, 124 Black-tailed Godwit, and 425 Wigeon which were mostly hauled out on the mud.

Viewing Conder Pool was hopeless in the afternoon sun, but I managed to find a Greenshank which was my first on Conder Pool since 29 October, also 8 Snipe were hunkered down, and 9 Black-tailed Godwit dropped in on the creeks.

Disturbance Of Pink-footed Geese.

This is my post Geese and Chats 2 years ago on 2 March 2023 and is relevant to the event below.... 

Pink-footed Geese 2 March 2023

Off Moss Lane on Thursday, along with two other birders, I was observing up to 5,000 Pink-footed Geese from the gate into a field. Two 'farmers' came on the scene and claimed sheep would soon be coming down the road, a third person then arrived on a quad bike, went through the gate and promptly drove towards the geese putting them to flight en-masse....When I left Cockersand 3 hours later, driving past the field again which was void of sheep and geese!

Wheatear.

The first Wheatear for our recording area was at Fluke Hall yesterday 8 March, a male found by A.C. The earliest spring Wheatear in Lancashire was recorded on 26 February 2003, and an interesting record of a late Wheatear at the other end of the season, was one seen at Cockersand on 25 November 2022.

Wheatear Cockersand 25 November 2022. Pete Woodruff.

The Cuckoos Are Coming!

This is Wilfred the Cuckoo, he was satellite tagged as an adult in June 2024 at Worlingham Marshes, Suffolk. Here is the BTO update on his progress back to the UK and hopefully Suffolk.

Of the 14 tagged Cuckoos that successfully departed the UK in 2024, the biggest mover on the return journey has been Suffolk Cuckoo Wilfred. Having spent the last few months deep in the forests of north-west Angola - furthest south of all the tagged Cuckoos - and largely in radio silence, we feared the worst for him. But, over the past week he has made a massive leap, covering multiple African countries, passing through Gabon and western Cameroon before arriving in Nigeria a few days ago. From here, he has continued his journey, sweeping past a further four countries until arriving at his current location in south-eastern Guinea. He has already covered approximately 3,700 km (2,300 miles) since leaving his wintering quarters in Angola.

Wheatears Depart....Whoopers Arrive.

A most rewarding sight on Conder Pool Thursday, was that of a Wheatear which behaved obligingly, feeding then preening giving opportunity for a pik, but unfortunately too far off for my digital camera. Also, 3 Meadow Pipit with presumably a few others flighting around the east corner of the pool. I managed to count 12 Little Grebe, with at east 8 Long-tailed Tit working their way through the hedgerow, and the Kingfisher put in an appearance on the purposely placed perch by the sluice.

Short on time, I didn't give justice the Lune Estuary deserved on the visit here at low tide, and despite a large gathering of gulls, I found just the one Mediterranean Gull, but it was good to see up to 450 Golden Plover, with 220 Black-tailed Godwit also to note. 

Two more Wheatear were seen at Cockersand, in a poor year for me. I have only 5 Wheatear records to my name in 2024, the first being 2 Wheatear at Cockersand on 29 March, and what will probably be my last on Thursday 10 October. 

Also at Cockersand, the first 13 Whooper Swan have returned to winter, they had settled in the field at the Moss Lane/Slack Lane junction. These swans arrived here 15 days earlier than the first 120 Whooper Swan I found last year on 25 October in the Thursland Hill area.

Mottled Grasshopper. Pete Woodruff.

I found another Mottled Grasshopper at Cockersand, perhaps not as uncommon in the north as I had thought. Butterflies seen, it was good to find another 2 Small Tortoiseshell here again, also a Red Admiral, and 8 Large White.

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?

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.