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.

Twice Around The Estuary.

Thankfully with the summer making a surprise return this week - well it turned up for a few days once before didn't it! - I managed a couple of days around the Lune Estuary, and had an hour to spare to check out the bog at Birk Bank at the end of the second one.

Conder Pool.

Best of the pool was the sight of 2 Whinchat on and around the long grasses at the east end. The male Whinchat obviously a cinch to ID, two days later the female at the distance and not very obliging, not quite so obvious. The Kingfisher delighted the gathering photographers of which I met five over my two visits, staked out and living the dream for a good pik. The Kingfisher obligingly and repeatedly perched either on the goal post or on the water level measuring post. It's a pity the light wasn't at its best for some footage when it caught a large fish for lunch.

There was a decent count of 15 Greenshank and 15 Little Grebe on Friday, with 2 Snipe noted. Also 12 Migrant Hawker recorded past the viewing screen over the two visits.

Migrant Hawker Conder Green 19 September. Howard Stockdale.

Cockersand.

Not for the first time I botched my visit, arriving only 30 minutes before the high tide and barely just a few metres of Plover Scar above water.

No more than 60 Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plover and one or two Turnstone were there to entertain me on what remained of Plover Scar today, but 48 Eider were of note off here.

Up to 150 Wood Pigeon were in and around three Wheat fields, and I don't get to record 65 Rook very often, seen today in a field east of Abbey Farm, though I did see a corvid mix of at least 500 Rook/Carrion Crow/Jackdaw grounded on the mud on the Lune Estuary at Glasson on 17 October 2019, of which I reckoned at the time 50% were Rooks.

Birk Bank.

A pleasant hour spent at the bog showed 12 Black Darter including two pairs in tandem, also a male Common Darter. But the pleasant hour turned even more pleasant and surprising, when I spied towards the eastern end of the bog, 2 Emperor Dragonfly both male....Certainly wasn't expecting that!

Black Darter Male Grit Fell/Ward's Stone 19 September. Ian Mitchell.

On the subject, Ian Mitchell reported to me c.15 Black Darter including ovipositing, found on a pool on the hike midway between Grit Fell and Ward's Stone.

Emperor Dragonfly.

With abdomen measurements being equal to that of the Emperor at 50-59/61mm, there was only one other species the Birk Bank sighting could have been, that of the Common Hawker. Best diagnostic feature being my Emperor Dragonfly at the distance was the abdomen being distinctly blue, not black with blue spotting, also the patrolling flight was leisurely and certainly not strong, fast, and tirelessly as in Common Hawker.

Having searched the Emperor Dragonfly on iRecord, I found 13 records for September 2024, two of which are later records than mine on 19 September. All the records carry the note....'Date is outside known flight period of Anax imperator'.

Much appreciate the excellent images from Martin Jump who saved me the trouble of looking for a header image, and from Howard Stockdale, Ian Mitchell....Thanks to all.

Mainly Dragons....

....and some extraordinary young birds....Well I think so anyway!

When I arrived at the River Conder by Cragg Wood yesterday, my eyes were drawn to the tree tops where I saw at least 20 Migrant Hawker milling around overhead in one view through my binoculars. I've never witnessed a movement of Migrant Hawkers like this before, albeit small in number,  it was another rewarding first for me.

Migrant Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

On the wander back for a return visit to the bog at Birk Bank, I saw another 6 Migrant Hawker, including this immature male hanging on the Mountain Ash. 

It was another disappointing day at the bog, in the two visits three hours apart, I struggled to find 2 Keeled Skimmer male, one seeing the other off, and 2 Keeled Skimmer female hanging on Bog Asphodel, a single Golden-ringed Dragonfly, and a male Common Darter. 

Common Lizard. Pete Woodruff.

The 10 Common Lizard I saw within 20 metres along the boardwalk, gave the impression they are thriving here.

Whinchat.

Whinchat Juvenile. Copyright Paul Slade.

On Monday 7 August, a young Whinchat was found on the Fylde coast. I find it amazing that a Whinchat barely a week fledged and still showing its gape, could fly from its natal site in the uplands of Bowland, to find itself at least 20 miles away at Cockers Dyke.

Wheatear.

Wheatear Juvenile. Copyright Paul Ellis.

But then you could say the same about this young Wheatear found on 16 July at Bank End.

I'm grateful to Paul Slade and Paul Ellis for the use of their images of two remarkable young birds.

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It's time to put some excitement and spruce up B2B with some juicy controversy, and for anyone who still wants to pretend that the grouse shooting industry isn’t responsible for the systematic extermination of Hen Harriers on grouse moors across the UK, here’s the latest catalogue of crime that suggests otherwise....READ THIS

Short'list And Sweet!

An afternoon wander around the fringes of Bowland yesterday, mainly to look and see if the Redstarts had returned, but resulted in a no not yet.

The Redstarts were found here the same date of 29 April last year, when I saw them checking out the Ash, and I was able to watch and admire the aerobatic skills of the male. This is also the same date I found a stunning male Whinchat on Harrisend.

Tawny Mining-Bee Andrena fulva. Pete Woodruff.

From the footpath towards Holme Wood, this Tawny Mining-Bee was weighed down with a pollen overload, also seen, a Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. With just a few strides into the woodland, a singing Blackcap, Nuthatch and a Treecreeper. In the air from the road by Harrisend, 4 Buzzard soaring together, and a male Stonechat atop of gorse.  

Calling in at Birk Bank to see if the bog would perhaps show an end of April Large Red Damselfly drew a black, but a Cuckoo compensated, heard calling somewhere to the east. At the top of Stock-A-Bank, I counted 12 Whimbrel, with a peak count of 75 being made earlier in the day, per LDBWS. The fields around this area are an annual stop-off on their spring passage for the Whimbrel.

And Finally.

Can't resist featuring this excellent image of the European Bee-eater with a Humming-bird Hawk-moth in the firm grip of its bill....Thanks to Ana Minguez.

Also, thanks to Howard Stockdale for the header image at Cam Brow, with up to 30 Sand Martin present and excavating there on Thursday.  

Deja Vu.

I had only a couple of hours available for birding on Friday, and decided to give the time to scrutinize Conder Pool and a brief look in on the Lune Estuary....Well what a good idea that was.

These two beauties were on Conder Pool in June 2019, and it was Deja vu when I found 2 Mediterranean Gull there again on Friday, seen as an adult and 2nd summer.

Also on Conder Pool, a similar number of up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit seen on last Tuesday, including a colour ringed bird, the details of which I await from Iceland, these were accompanied by 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, c.50 Knot and a lone Dunlin in their midst, at least one lingering Pink-footed Goose, and I noted a single figure of Avocet.

On the Lune Estuary, c.120 Black-tailed Godwit, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit was bathing then preening with them, 9 Avocet, 8 Eider, a Swallow working its way upstream, and a Willow Warbler briefly singing on the coastal path is the first of the year for me. Interesting, that I found 22 Willow Warbler on a wander around the Birk Bank area 14 April 2022....What a difference a year makes! 

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the image of the stunning Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits currently on Conder Pool.

Early Birds.

Close to home, a male Pied Flycatcher at Stoops Bridge Abbeystead yesterday, was three days later than one in Wray on 12 April 2021, also a Whitethroat yesterday at Wesham Marsh. 

An interesting record at the Portland Obs, was of a Great Skua yesterday, the first this year, a note added to the record read, the Bonxie is usually year ticked on 1 January, making it inconceivable that it has taken three and a half months to see one this year, also a Whinchat was new in there three days ago on 13 April....Eyes down up look in!

March Migrants.

Having had one of my worst weeks for birding in many a year, Birds2blog came close to having a seven day blank, but it was salvaged by an attempt to see a few birds on Wednesday along the coastal path between Aldcliffe and Glasson Dock.

The day turned into a near flop, but I did see my first Wheatear of the year on the flotsam at high tide, a stunning male, though not a Rock Pipit in sight. Also scurrying across the floating flotsam towards me, was what I regarded to be an unmistakable jet black Water Shrew, which unknown to the unfortunate creature, turned out to be heading towards its demise. The shrew disappeared below the bank, but 15 seconds later it reappeared between the teeth of a Weasel to disappear once more below the bank on the other side of the footpath.

I aborted my plans and wandered back to Lancaster via the embankment along Aldcliffe Marsh, to see 8 Snipe along the way, exploding into the air ahead of me. As I walked along the path parallel to Freeman's Pools, a stag Roe Deer was resting by the central reeds.

Ring Ouzel Cockers Dyke 23 March. Paul Ellis.

In addition to the early arrivals of Sand Martin, Swallow, and Wheatear in the March Migrants in my last post, a male Ring Ouzel was found on Thursday. This bird was seen one day after the first spring arrival of a Ring Ouzel at the Verne, Portland Bill on Wednesday 22 March, where the first spring Willow Warbler was seen on Tuesday 21 March the day before.

Some other interesting early arrivals and on the waiting list in our area....

28 Feb Little Ringed Plover Hampshire.

1 Mar Osprey Hampshire.

2 Mar Whinchat Isles of Scilly.

12 Mar Yellow Wagtail Norfolk.

12 Mar Hoopoe Cornwall.

18 Mar Sedge Warbler Hampshire.

19 Mar Hobby Dorset.

20 Mar Common Tern Cornwall.

Conder Pool Common Tern.

An interesting record to be noted, the first ever Common Terns on Conder Pool, didn't arrive until the late date of 2 July 2014, they successfully raised two young and were last seen at Cockersand on 14 September.

Conder Pool Avocet.

On Friday *30 Avocet were present on Conder Pool, a record which developed into an interesting discovery. The book of wisdom, and papers written about the age of Avocet before breeding is 2 years. However, last year on Conder Pool two Avocet chicks were colour marked with flag codes in 2021. These birds were both female, and were paired up to breed on their return to Conder Pool as yearling's in 2022, both pairs hatched 4 chicks each....Maybe time to update the literature!

*A report of 39 Avocet on Conder Pool Saturday per FBC.

Stonechat Records 2022 Last Quarter.

I succeeded to collate the Stonechat records for 2022 with the quarter October-December completed and no duplicate counts slipping through the net. This quarter sees an impressive 100 records collected, bringing the total of Stonechat records in 2022, to a count of at least 300 individual records.

This last quarter is broken down to 46 records collected from LDBWS, 49 from Fylde Bird Club, and 5 Pete Woodruff. For the purpose of recording, these figures are as passage Stonechat until we get to November, after which they are wintering, or will move south if weather conditions dictate, commonly referred to as 'cold weather movement'.

Breeding Stonechats totaled records from 10 locations in Bowland. Other than my own records, I am grateful to those who reported them to me.

There have been some quite surprising records, in that birds have turned up in some unexpected locations, the best example of which was, 7 Stonechat at Fairhaven Beach on 10 October including 3 juveniles, the latest I have ever seen. On 15 December, 8 Stonechat at Cockersand was the best ever winter count here. With regard to lowland records seen on the FBC sightings page throughout the breeding season, I have no idea which if any are to be seen as birds at breeding sites. In any case, a good number of summer records are at surprising lowland locations.

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To be honest, the best highlights for me in 2022 have been with dragonflies.... 

36 Golden Ringed Dragonfly 16 June - 8 Aug.

112 Migrant Hawker 30 Aug - 28 Sept.

37 Banded Demoiselle 16 June - 4 Aug.

8 Keeled Skimmer 30 June - 13 July.

2 Emerald Damselfly 4 Aug.

51 Gatekeeper with 130 butterflies counted canal Conder Green - Galgate 1 Aug.

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Selected Bird/s Of The Month....All my birds except *

Barn Owl Fell End Farm Hawthornthwaite 20 Jan.

Bullfinch pair Rushy Lee 11 Feb.

Bullfinch (3) Lancaster Cemetery 27 March.

Whinchat Cockersand 25 April.

Redstart Holme Wood 29 April. 

Whinchat Harrisend 29 April.

Ring Ouzel Hawthornthwaite Fell 27 May.

Common Sandpiper (10) Tower Lodge 13 June.

Redstart Marshaw 13 June.

Redstart with juvenile Holme Wood 21 June.

Greenshank (19) Conder Pool 14 Sept.

Little Stint Plover Scar 11 Oct.

Curlew Sandpiper (3) Braides 28 Oct *

Bullfinch (3) Lancaster Cemetery 13 Nov.

Wheatear/Snow Bunting Cockersand 25 Nov.

Purple Sandpiper (2) Morecambe 13 December *

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Take a look at This

Deterrents are in place to stop 270 Kittiwake pairs breeding on Spa Bridge in Scarborough....Please consider contacting North York's County Council and make your voice heard via the link Scarborough Bridge Kittiwakes

Stonechat Data July - September.

The status of the Stonechat in our recording area, is that of 'a breeding bird on the lower slopes of the Bowland Fells'....The Birds of Lancaster & District 2020, and 'a fairly common, increasing breeding bird in upland and coastal areas....Lancashire Bird Report 2021.

In 2022 I have continued to collect Stonechat records as a personal interest. The data through the third quarter July - September is sourced in the main from the Fylde Bird Club (13) LDBWS (6) Andrew Cornall (4), and to a lesser extent these days my own (4), and amounts to 27 records.

The records excluding two, are from breeding territories, some of which I find to be lowland breeders, the most interesting of which was a male and female Stonechat carrying food on Winmarleigh Moss in June, and an adult Stonechat with 2 juvenile at Blackpool Airport in July. 

But two records in the breeding season to intrigue me the most were....

A male at Conder Green 26 May. 

A female at Heysham Head 17 June.

I've never seen Stonechat at Conder Green or Heysham Head in the summer months, neither have I ever seen records from these two sites. 

I've been off the road this past 11 days and had more time to study the history of the Stonechat in our recording area and be reminded of some startling facts about this and some other birds in our area between 1959 - 1998 LDBWS Annual Reports, and to note some dramatic changes and losses over the years.

Although these records start 63 years ago, by todays standards, I find some of them verging on the unbelievable, in particular the Stonechat records just 25 years ago up to 1997. 

Stonechat.

1959. A rare visitor, no evidence of breeding.

1964. No birds seen during the summer months.

1970/72/73. Bred successfully at Heysham.

1975. Pair at Halton Park, 5 pairs Clougha, pair at Marshaw, male at Sizergh Castle, female at Bailrigg.

1978. Four males and females with four juveniles at Heysham Harbour appeared to be migrants.

1979. No breeding records, a few winter period records.

1987. No reports from anywhere in the region.

1988. Irregular breeder at one site.

1989. Pair bred at Heysham.

1990/91/96/97. No breeding pairs discovered.

1998. Males in the Trough of Bowland and at Langden suggest breeding.

It is hard to believe, this last record above reads, these two males were the only Stonechats recorded, and that no other records were received in 1998. The following year in 1999, saw the beginning of a dramatic upturn in the fortunes of the Stonechat, which I started to monitor in that year, and which continued for up to 12 years, until the Stonechats endured two severe winters, which sent them back to the kind of depressing numbers of 1998.  

Some other bird species from the archives make interesting reading, and if you are a local birder, three of them again verge on the unbelievable* 

Nightjar. 

*15/20 pairs on Warton Crag 1959. Breeds at Quernmore, Warton, Yealand, Silverdale, Bentham, several Arnside Knot 1960. After 1991 the Nightjar was never mention again in the reports.

Yellow Wagtail.

*With 32 Yellow Wagtail per hour passing Arkholme Viaduct and 30 at Heversham sewage works in 1978....Sounds like a printing error by todays status of a 'scarce and declining breeding bird' in the 2020 report, which reads 'yet again no breeding pairs in our area'.

Whinchat.

*In 1989 a large concentration of up to 40 Whinchat, seen as 20 pairs in the Langden area of Bowland.

Ortolan Bunting.

In 1965 a pair of Ortolan Bunting at Conder Green was not verified. 

Cirl Bunting.

In 1968 up to 4 Cirl Bunting seen at Conder Green was not verified.

Little Egret.

An adult Little Egret on 25 May 1970 was the first record for the area.

And Finally.

Comma. Pete Woodruff.

I don't recall ever seeing a Comma butterfly in October, but this one was initially found in the house on Wednesday. I suspect it arrived in a bunch of garden flowers brought for KT. Having captured it in cupped hands, it remained on her finger by the kitchen door for a few minutes before flying off.   

The Hat Trick!

Waders continue to give a good show at Conder Green, with up to 250 Knot hanging on there, and 80 Black-tailed Godwit in the creeks.

 

At one point on Conder Pool, 7 Common Tern were present in the morning, and my best of several counts was 17 Avocet. A Little Grebe was in breeding plumage, 2 Greenshank, a Little Ringed Plover, and a Tree Sparrow was in the hedge by the viewing platform. The lone Pink-footed Goose remains here. New blood was in the form of Greylags with 7 goslings still surviving, a pair of Mallard have 11 chicks, and the Canada Goose has at least one chick in the nest on the small island.

In a recently ploughed field at the north end of Jeremy Lane, 8 White Wagtail and 6 Wheatear. 

There was an obvious fall of Whinchat yesterday, birds have been seen at several locations recently, with 11 and 8 reported on two websites, and including my third stunning male Whinchat in eight days, this one at Bank Houses....Not an Oscar Best Film nominee, but good enough for my records.

Around Bank Houses and Abbey Farm, a few more Swallow than of late, also plenty of Skylark with their incessant rolling whistling song-flight. Listening carefully, you might hear the occasional imitations of Swallow and even Green Sandpiper in the variation of the Skylarks song. A lone Tree Sparrow was the first I've seen at Cockersand in 5 months. Butterflies of note, 3 Green-veined White.

Good 'Start' To A Good Day!

Friday got off to a good start for me, when, enroute to Harrisend for end of April chats. I found a pair of Redstart, obviously breeding in the trunk of an Ash....Watch this space.

In the tree next to the Ash, a pair of Lesser Redpoll, with a Mistle Thrush close by. 

Andrena cineraria Pete Woodruff.

A small aggregation of Ashy Mining Bee were on the dry sandy path, from where I found them emerged from their burrows. A robust and distinctive mining-bee, unlike any other species in Lancashire with its ashy-grey appearance.

On to Harrisend where I found 6 Stonechat, seen as a pair and four male. Whilst I gave all the male birds a few minutes to see any females, I can't record as such, but I reckon there are five breeding pairs on Harrisend to date.

But better was to come, following one at Cockersand last Tuesday, I came across another stunning male Whinchat which was still around the same fence post on my return two hours later....A bit of Harrisend magic this time.

A Cuckoo was calling frequently whilst I was on Harrisend, it was in the Nicky Nook area, from where I hear the bird near annually. Also noted here, 34 Meadow Pipit, 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Wren, a pair of Linnet, a single Red Grouse, and 2 Buzzard soaring overhead with periods of interaction. Butterflies seen, 3 Peacock and 2 Green Hairstreak. 

On Hawthornthwaite, I found 3 Stonechat, a pair and a lone female. Also, at least 20 Sand Martin flighting around Catshaw Grieve, 16 Greylag flew low and east, 12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren, 2 Red Grouse, and 2 Buzzard. Butterflies, 4 Peacock, and a Brown Hare seen.

Garden Siskins.

A pair of Siskin enjoying the offerings of our feeder.

No aplogise for the repeat in my header, at least a slightly better pik than the Cockersand Whinchat.

News From The Pool.

Avocet colour flagged 6V, is one of last years back on Conder Pool. 

   

This Sunday morning, 5 Common Tern were on Conder Pool, with this pair displaying. If I was this female tern, I would be well pleased with this excellent offering.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for images and updates on this excellent news for Conder Pool.

Conder & Cocker.

Conder Pool continues to oblige when Sundays single became a double with 2 Common Tern present. Other interest was, the high concentration of Avocet which continues to increase, and the season getting off to a good start.

Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

I saw just one Little Ringed Plover. The Black-tailed Godwit remain in decent number, some of which are well advanced into stunning breeding plumage. The Greylags now have seven goslings in tow.

Knot Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

The Knot also remain in numbers not seen on Conder Pool before, their status here is at best an occasional visitor in single figures, some of these birds are attaining their breeding pale brick-red plumage.

In the creeks, a 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull was with Black-headed Gulls, 4 Greenshank, and a Common Sandpiper, and a wander around the circuit had a Cetti's Warbler briefly heard, a Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, and Reed Bunting.

At Cockersand, the star of the show was seen, when a Reed Bunting caught my eye coming out of a reed lined ditch, I saw another bird distant perched upright, and looked a bigger bird than the one I was hoping it would be, but climbing over the gate and walking through the field to get closer, I found it was a bit of Cockersand magic to make my day, it was a brilliant male Whinchat.

This was my first Whinchat at Cockersand since the last one 4 years ago on 23 April 2018.

Other notes include, 2 Raven, and after seeing small flighty groups several times, 10 Linnet were seen along the headland, from where I saw 2 Wheatear, a White Wagtail, and up to 40 Eider which were off Sunderland Point. In the 3 hours at Cockersand, I saw only 3 Swallow north.

Picture Gallery.

The header image is a 22 year old from my file labeled 'Golden Oldie Birds'. The Long-billed Dowitcher at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve in October 1998, courtesy of the late John Leedal. 

Whilst I plan my next bid for freedom, I selected a few piks taken over the years, but don't expect any world beating images, they only just got past quality control.

1.   Snow Bunting Plover Scar

2.   Whinchat Newby Moor N.York's

3.   Spotted Flycatcher Bowland

4.   Wheatear Bowland

5.   Black Redstart Fluke Hall

6.   Eastern Black Eared Wheatear Fluke Hall

7.   Skylark Fluke Hall

8.   Blackbird Home Garden

9.   Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool

10. Turnstone Plover Scar

11. Snipe Conder Pool

12. Brent Geese Heysham

13. Little Owl Roeburndale

14. Purple Heron Eagland Hill

    

View Full Screen

Stonechats.

My records to date now stands at 95 Stonechat since I found 18 on Caton Moor 2 months ago on 26 August, mostly in Bowland, with some records taken from local websites. This is a good indication that the species has had a good breeding season in 2020, though I tried twice without success to contact the RSPB, to find out what their records - if any - showed to get a handle on numbers in Bowland.

Black-tailed Godwits. 

View Full Screen

I was grateful to Howard Stockdale for the video of the Black-tailed Godwits, including this one ringed OL-RZ, Arnessysla, Austurey, Iceland, 4 July 2012. The bird has collected 58 sightings, none of which were in our area until this one at Cockersand Wednesday 20 October. Otherwise it favoured Essex and Merseyside, and was seen twice back in Iceland in June 2013 and August 2018.

Conservation.

Below is an excellent post I copied from a website which touched on one of my favourite subjects on conservation and farming practices. I'm also aware of some ongoing local and bigger conservation issues which I intend to follow. 

'34 Fieldfare were a welcome sight this morning, these Scandinavian travelers on their annual visit to forage on the winter berries, however the dreaded hedge munching machine had other ideas and has now destroyed all the food that was lying in wait to keep our visiting Fieldfare well fed along with many others that would have foraged on same, no need to look very hard for the demise of wildlife when this goes on country wide, modern farming practices indeed' 

The Cuckoo & The Garden.

Dug out a notebook on bird behaviour I started 20 years ago in 2000. The first entry in the book was of a Common Cuckoo seen at Barbondale, it was published in the British Birds issue in January 2002.

The Call of the Common Cuckoo.

I watched a male Common Cuckoo through a telescope at Barbondale in Cumbria. The bird was calling continuously for several minutes before flying off. During my observations, I realised that the call was produced through the nasal, and that the bill appeared to remain closed throughout. Further observations of the Common Cuckoo 2 years later at the same location, confirmed to me, that the birds bill did indeed appear to remain closed, and this behaviour was new to me.

British Birds Editorial Comment.

The first syllable of the familiar advertising call of the male Common Cuckoo is delivered with the bill opened, whereas the second syllable is uttered with the bill closed. As demonstrated by the observations reported here, there appears to be some variation in the manner in which the call is delivered. BWP Vol.4

There was an interesting follow-on by Dr T.J.Roberts to the notes on 'Call of the Common Cuckoo' in the issue of British Birds November 2002.

The note by Pete Woodruff in British Birds January 2002, prompts me to add the following observations, based on 34 years living in Pakistan. In the Himalayan foothills, I was able to observe at close quarters the Common Cuckoo, the Oriental Cuckoo, and the much less common Lesser Cuckoo, at times calling from the same area. I noted that all three species of Cuckoo kept their bills closed when calling, while the gular pouch, or throat, ballooned out visibly with each call. I recorded these observations in detail in The Birds of Pakistan.

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Gardenwatch.

Red Admiral. Pete Woodruff.

A Red Admiral was the first this year to our garden, and as an occasional visitor, it was good to see a Coal Tit in the garden this morning.

Iris. Pete Woodruff.

The Iris is looking good too.

Whinchat Newby Moor N.York's Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik

One small example from the archives of what I'm missing....I'm becoming increasingly unhappy.

Whinging Through The Lockdown....

....but maybe more like a bit of self-pity coming through in today's post.

I've sort of enjoyed the self-isolation thing up to now, including recording the garden birds and butterflies, and finding the Carrion Crow having taken up residency in the area of our neighbourhood for the past few weeks - all a bit odd - and visiting our garden regularly for the odd slice of bread thrown out by KT, for who feeding the birds is a religion.

I'm also enjoying seeing the reports - though sickened by them for obvious reasons - of summer visitors to our area. I've seen good numbers of Wheatear reports, also Whinchat in decent number which is encouraging, and the warblers seem well represented too.

Hybrid Blue-headed Wagtail. Aldcliffe 21 April Dan Haywood. 

Over the past few days I've been impressed by the reports from Aldcliffe which have included a smart hybrid Blue-headed Wagtail on the flood, found and photographed by DH for whom I'm grateful to for sending me a copy of his record shot. Also here, a peak count of 5 Little Ringed Plover, a few Yellow Wagtail, and good numbers of White Wagtail. 

I've been equally impressed by coverage of the passage through Heysham which is in full swing, the count yesterday when I Iast looked at Heysham Obs was of 1,447 Arctic Tern past Heysham, with many going overland to the NE within the observers view....Great stuff. 

Not so much garden birding, but more computer birding me thinks, and I'm not convinced this personal enjoyment of self isolation and no birding can last. One thing for sure, the enjoyment will deteriorate as time goes on, and I'll develop an unbearable itch for freedom birding.

Meanwhile, the motto of the day is....Take Care Keep Safe.

The Bakers Dozen....

....and a few dozen others.

Whinchat. Jan Larsson @ Vingspann 

Always a good idea for some footwork to take a closer look in the fields and on the fence posts along Jeremy Lane around this time of the year, and yesterday was definitely a good idea, and didn't take long for one bird to develop into 12 Wheatear in one field - the bakers dozen was made up with one at Cockersand later - but wait a minute, the bird further into the field isn't a Wheatear, it's a female Whinchat.

A Goldeneye is lingering on at Conder Pool, it thinks it's one of the 14 Tufted Duck it was diving with, a Greenshank was in company with 38 Redshank. The Common Sandpiper I saw again today is almost certainly the wintering bird, it was again in the very same area I found it in virtually every time I visited throughout the winter months and rarely on Conder Pool or even elsewhere in the creeks. Two House Martin were around the River Winds/Cafe d' Lune, and 4 Little Egret had the otherwise deserted Conder channel to themselves.

Mistle Thrush @ Pegler Birding

I found a breeding Mistle Thrush on my rounds yesterday, but the bird is living dangerously and has built the nest no more than 2 metres off the ground in the fork of a Silver Birch.

The Lune Estuary at Glasson was virtually deserted, but 9 Eider and 2 Great-crested Grebe were of note. At Cockersand, a Wheatear on Plover Scar, 3 Eider were off here, and close by, c.170 Dunlin and up to 30 Ringed Plover were feeding on the shore. The circuit produced little, but 2 Stock Dove, the drake Shoveler on the flood, and a flock of c.60 Linnet were flighty.

No sign of any Yellow Wagtail at Braides, but at least 15 White Wagtail picked out in the long grass. I saw no more than a dozen Swallow on the day again.