A Little Action At The End.

Harrisend Fell.

There was a little action on Harrisend on Thursday, no sooner I went on to the track I found a lone female Stonechat which promptly dropped down into the undergrowth, no doubt to a nest. I moved on to find a pair of Stonechat in the lone Hawthorn, the 24 May pair with two young then, but none seen today. Also in the Hawthorn, 4 Lesser Redpoll, and one of the 2 Willow Warbler I saw here today, just below this tree on the gorse, a pair of Linnet and one of the 4 Reed Bunting seen on the visit, 21 Meadow Pipit noted, 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 Blackbird, and a Kestrel. I was seeing Swallow most of the time spent on Harrisend Fell probably reaching a double figure by the time I left. I also saw a decent count of 19 Small Heath, 3 Small Copper, 2 Painted Lady, and 2 Common Blue Damselflies in a drying out run-off ditch. 

Birk Bank. 

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

I made a detour to Birk Bank on the way back to Lancaster, and spent an hour staring at the bog to find at least some of what I had thought I might see. 

Four-spotted Chaser. Pete Woodruff.

As it happened the timing was perfect, the cloud broke as I reached the car park on Rigg Lane, it was humid as I looked over the bog, and in the hour I spent there the sun brought out up to 10 Four - spotted Chaser including some which repeatedly hovered and dipped the tips of their abdomens into water to release eggs to settle below the surface. Also seen, 6 Small Pearl - bordered Fritillary, and 2 Painted Lady butterflies.

Cotton-grass. Pete woodruff.

So, at least I got a little action to start with on Harrisend, and a little more to end with on the bog at Birk Bank where the Cotton-grass looks splendid this year.

Many thanks to Marc for his excellent header of the stunning in flight White-faced Darter which to see he had to travel the long distance from Kent to Shropshire. I recommend you visit Marc's website to see the brilliant results he achieved from this trip and some of his other recent stunning odonata work Here 

Keeping The Faith In Bowland.

Doing my best to keep the faith in Bowland, I was off up the west side of Hawthornthwaite on Wednesday to find 3 Stonechat which I saw as a pair, further on a juvenile bird which looked completely out of context atop of a lone tall Hawthorn half way up the fell, but this bird had soon developed into a wise one as it was fly-catching with ease off this tree. Also noted, up to 20 Sand Martin were flying up and down the clough, 14 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren, a Mistle Thrush, male Reed Bunting, and a Grey Wagtail. Three Redshank were on a wall by the roadside as I got back to the motor, all calling and probably with young.

Lesser Redpoll Warren Baker

At Marshaw and on to the Hawthornthwaite east side, a Lesser Redpoll, 5 Robin, and 4 Grey Wagtail, were all seen before I reached the fell track. A couple of hours up here produced, 15 Meadow Pipit, and 3 Willow Warbler, a distant single female/juvenile Stonechat was a disappointing result. Butterflies seen, 2 Painted Lady and 3 Small Heath. 

In the Tower Lodge area, from nine species noted, 6 Grey Wagtail, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Blackcap, a Nuthatch, and a Mistle Thrush. 

Lancaster Birds.


According to KT, at least 20 Swift were high over Bowerham on Wednesday morning, and a family party of 2 adult and 5 young Great Tit were in our garden that morning. 

The Grey Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail Simon Hawtin  

From my last two visits to Bowland 3 - 8 June, I found 22 Grey Wagtail at four locations, Langden (5) Hareden (6) Hawthornthwaite (1) Marshaw Wyre (10).

Thanks Warren/Simon, we appreciate your excellent photographs very much.

Birds And Boats.

The Birds.

Last Friday in Bowland as I was approaching Langden, I noticed a good number of House Martin around Sykes Farm, nothing too surprising about that, as the birds are always to be seen here each year, in fact one year I made a decent count of nests at this farm.

I decided to take a closer look at the House Martins today, but first made it my business to see the farmer to ask permission to look round the rear of this property attached to the farm. I had an interesting conversation with the farmer who told me he willingly accommodated the House Martins and Swallows on his farm, and that it was OK for me to take a look round....I suspected his farm may well be holding a record number of nesting House Martins.

I was right, and discovered that Sykes Farm has the biggest House Martin nesting colony I've seen and held up to 50 nests, the majority of which appeared to be active.

The Boats.

A little shipping interest at Cockersands on Monday. 

Passing The Cockersands Light. Pete Woodruff. 

For such a small port, albeit just three vessels, it was a record number to pass the lighthouse in little over thirty minutes, two left Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary and out to sea, whilst one headed in to harbour. First out and past the lighthouse was the large cargo ship Celtic Endeavour, soon followed by the smaller Silver River, which is a coastal vessel plying to and from the Isle of Man on a weekly basis, whilst - as in the pic above - the Magdalena headed up the estuary escorted by the yellow/black pilot boat towards Glasson Dock.

The Magdalena was interesting as it flew a flag on the stern I was unable to identify, so I took a shot as it passed the lighthouse to look it up later.

Antigua and Barbuda

I discovered the ship was flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, the twin islands of the Americas between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, it was registered at the islands capital city of St John's.

Then There Were Four!

An excellent sighting yesterday at Conder Green was of 4 Avocet, two still on Conder Pool, and two in the creeks, seen from between the Stork and hump backed bridge on the A588.

The same number four featured yesterday when I found 4 Painted Lady butterflies, one flew across the car park at the Stork in Conder Green, one at Conder Pool, and two at Cockersands, one of which flew across my path and out south west low over the sea.

Other notes from Conder Green, one of the Common Tern was bathing in the pool before returning to the island nest site, a Kestrel was hovering over the pool, 3 Little Egret were in the creeks, and a Shelduck was with eight young down the Conder Channel. 

Eider. Pete Woodruff. 

At Cockersands, as I arrived 23 Canada Geese took off from around Plover Scar and flew out of sight towards Glasson Dock, 13 Eider were close in. On Plover Scar at high tide little more than 30 waders, with 16 Ringed Plover, 12 Dunlin, and a lone Knot. The predictable Tree Sparrow and Goldfinch were around Bank Houses, 3 Whitethroat and 3 Skylark noted on the circuit, with good numbers of Swallow and Sand Martin in the area, two of which landed on the road and were seen to take insects.

Other butterflies today, all seen at Cockersands, a pair of Common Blue, a Red Admiral and Peacock.  

Magpie. Pete Woodruff. 

This fledged young Magpie was screaming and flapping it's wings on the top of the hedge at Cockersands, for some reason it made no attempt to escape my attentions and was still there when I left.

Avocet and Common Tern at Conder Green. 

By my reckoning, the young Common Terns which swim soon out of the nest, could be seen before the end of next week 18 June, and the Avocet chick should be putting in an appearance similarly by 18 June. 

Another Bowland Safari.

On Friday I was off to Bowland again to walk up the Langden Valley and return via the top track by Holdren Castle.

Langden Valley viewed from Holdren Castle. Pete Woodruff. 

Well worth the effort for me, if only that I found a pair of Stonechat and three young, not the number I was hoping for to be found up here, but thankful for small mercies. A Common Sandpiper was on Langden Brook, as were 5 Grey Wagtail, with Oystercatcher breeding including a pair with a well grown young, House Martins were hawking over and around the brook. Other birds noted, 6 Wren, 5 Meadow Pipit, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Curlew, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Dunnock, and a kestrel the only raptor seen.

Grey Wagtail Brian Rafferty  

Three hours on the Hareden track was equally rewarded, again if only that I found 4 Stonechat up here, seen as a pair with a single young, and a lone male, probably with the female on the nest. The days tally totalled 11 Grey Wagtail seen, with six on Hareden Brook to add to the Langden five. In the Hareden Farm and surrounding area, a few House Martin around the farm, 2 Blackcap, 2 Blackbird, Goldfinch, and Wren. Once on the moor, I found only a total of 7 Meadow Pipit on the day with just two up Hareden, also a stunning male Lesser Redpoll took me by surprise as it landed on a fence post ahead of me. I saw 2 Curlew and later 2 Buzzard soaring overhead as I reached the limit of my walk, on my way back a Dipper seen on the brook. Four Small Heath on Hareden were the only butterflies seen all day. 

Green Tiger Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

The Green Tiger Beetle is a common ground beetle of moorland which I usually find up here in bright sunny conditions during the summer. It's a fast and agile hunter, running across the ground to catch its invertebrate prey, it is well equipped to tackle its prey with a ferocious set of jaws - not visible in my pic - and long legs that give it an impressive turn of speed to be one of our fastest insects, they also have the advantage of being able to fly. 

Thanks to Richard and to Brian for their excellent Yellow and Grey Wagtail images, much appreciated.

The Demoiselle Has It.

The Banded Demoiselle did it for me on Tuesday, albeit seen briefly on the canal SE of Glasson Dock, fluttering behind the bank-side vegetation by the footpath, I hung around a while but unfortunately it made no reappearance. 

Banded Demoiselle Marc Heath

My last Banded Demoiselle was 2 years ago at Conder Green on 29 July 2014, where it afforded me excellent views fluttering like a butterfly, back and forth on the River Conder just upstream from the A588 road-bridge.

The Avocet were seen as one on Conder Pool, the other feeding in the creeks, seen from the A588 between the Stork Hotel and the road bridge. A Common Tern was on guard duty, with the female hidden, no doubt sitting in the tray on Tern Island.

Wigeon Noushka Dufort

A smart drake Wigeon was also on the pool, a new bird for me on here this summer, but where's the female disappeared to. A Kestrel was hovering over the pool, and 2 Swift were also overhead. A wander along the coastal path to Glasson Dock to return to Conder Green via the canal was uninspiring, with a Whitethroat and Blackcap both in song, and an Orange Tip noted.

I decided on a visit to Aldcliffe - Stodday to count 20 species....What's wrong with me these days, I've taken to counting species!....But out of the twenty only 9 Blackbird, 2 Chiffchaff, a Little Egret, and a Coot with two red-headed young on 'Darter Pool' are the only one's to have found their way on to Birds2blog, but at least I saw a first this year in a Common Blue, with a Speckled Wood, another Orange Tip and Small Tortoiseshell seen.

Thanks to Marc and Noushka for their excellent images.

The Conder Green House Martins. 

From a post - 'Spring Is In The Air' - on Birds2blog 4 May....

House Martins were not surprisingly nest building at a property in Conder Green yesterday. I approached the owner/s to see if they were aware of this and had good reason to ask if they were prepared to accommodate these breeding birds. Our conversation was in confidence and I'm not prepared to detail it on a blog on the internet, but I was made confident the House Martins would be OK this year. I once called on a property elsewhere in this area on the same subject, on that ocassion they told me they would be doing all they could to deter the House Martins from nesting on their property, 'they make a mess and are a nuisance'....nice one!!

On Tuesday I noted four House Martin nests were being/had been built at River Winds with birds seen entering and leaving the nests. I know the owner of this house and speak to him often as I pass by, it's a well established fact that he willingly accommodates the birds on an annual basis. However, the House Martins at Cafe d' Lune were nowhere to be seen on Tuesday, I get the feeling they have for some reason deserted the property, I wonder why....watch this space! 

Three Years Later.

It's 3 years since my last visit to Newby Moor on the North Yorkshire border when I found no Stonechats on 3 June 2013. This was another upland location once a stronghold for the species, but the last time I saw Stonechat here was 6 years ago on 9 April 2010 when I found two birds.

On my visit to Newby Moor on Friday, 2 Stonechat, seen as a female and a not obviously connected young bird a half mile away, but at least it's a breeding record here again at last. Also noted on a two mile walk to Clapham railway station and the River Wenning, good numbers of Lapwing breed here and I saw at least 12 birds in one field, 9 Meadow Pipit, coincidently all the two's, Willow Warbler, Reed Bunting, Linnet, and Skylark, 6 Curlew are hopefully breeding up here, House Martin were around Nutta Farm and a cottage by the River Wenning at Clapham station were I heard a singing male Blackcap, a Grey Wagtail on the river, and a Buzzard soaring overhead. 

Small Heath Warren Baker 

Three butterflies seen, a Small Heath and 2 Orange Tip. Thanks for the butterfly Warren.

I made a repeat visit to Barbondale to find a 'no expenses spared' new footbridge in place over Barbon Beck. I found 4 Pied Flycatcher, being one down on my visit 12 May, a Spotted Flycatcher, a female Redstart was the only one seen, 5 Willow Warbler, 3 Wren and 2 Robin.

It was good to see Swifts from a moving vehicle around the village store in Barbon, also from the motor, nice to hear a Blackcap singing close by as I pulled up at a roadworks traffic control in Melling. 

Barbondale/Newby Moor No-No's.      

It's important to note birds at best not seen, at worst missing from these two locations. On two visits to Barbondale I've seen/heard no Stonechat, Whinchat, Tree Pipit, Wheatear, Cuckoo, Woodpecker sp, seen only 2 Redstart, one Spotted Flycatcher, and notably at least 10 years since my last Common Sandpiper on Barbon Beck.

On the Newby Moor area visit, it was notable no Sedge Warbler here, in the past I could record often close to double figures on many summer visits just as I could the Stonechat, and I found no Spotted Flycatcher on/around the River Wenning at Clapham station.

Conder Pool Strikes Again!

Thanks to Simon Hawtin for the brilliant in flight Avocet on Conder Pool. Another excellent record to add to the already impressive list for this relatively small brackish lagoon, with the Avocet nesting on the same small island next to the nesting Common Tern, and excellent past records.... 

White-winged Black Tern
Black-necked Grebe
Temminck's Stint
Pectoral Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper

Last And Best!

On Tuesday I walked from the car park on Rigg Lane, up Birk Bank, went across the top, back down to cross Ottergear Bridge, past Cragg Cottage, down Littledale Road, on past Gibson Wood with it's excellent past record for Wood Warbler, and arrived back at the car park on Rigg Lane 3 hours later to hear and chase around until I eventually found and had excellent views of my last and best bird of the day, a Garden Warbler.

Garden Warbler. Jan Larsson @ Vingspann 

I noted 16 bird species in the 3 hours on this circuit, including at least 10 Meadow Pipit, 4 Wren, 2 Willow Warbler, a Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush, 3 Curlew were over, two west and one east, 25 Jackdaw off Rigg Lane, some of which were harassing Lapwing with young, a Brown Hare was in the same field. The big surprise on the top of Birk Bank was when nine young Red Grouse little more than a fortnight old, exploded out of the undergrowth almost from under my feet, they flew off a short distance all calling noisily followed by the female. Never seen anything like it before, a first for me, and didn't know the Red Grouse could have a clutch of up to nine. 

Thanks to Jan for the Garden Warbler, the views of my bird were as good as this one.  

The visit to Birk Bank was to get an update on the two pairs of Stonechat seen here on 5 May, but disappointingly I made contact with none. However, a much better result was on Harrisend, when I found a pair of Stonechat with two - possibly three - young but never saw them together....an excellent record.

Also of note on Harrisend, 13 Meadow Pipit, 3 Linnet, 2 Willow Warbler, a Reed Bunting male, and a Mistle Thrush which came up off the moorland with food in it's bill, to fly towards trees in excess of a mile away from me and out of sight....had this Mistle Thrush really flown over two miles for a morsel of food presumably for young.

Small Copper. Warren Baker @ Pittswood Birds

It was good to see the first Small Copper of the summer on Harrisend. Thanks for the butterfly Warren. 

Birk Bank Dragonflies.

I saw a - too distant for my liking - Dragonfly over the bog, but colouration and the fact it was small and looked like a giant wasp in flight leads me to suggest it was a female Broad-bodied Chaser.

Keeled Skimmer (male) Marc Heath 

In 2015 two - possibly three - male Keeled Skimmer were found (Steve Graham) in August at the bog on Birk Bank which appears to be suitable habitat and brings the hope that colonisation may now take place here, hopefully I may see for myself this summer. Thanks to Marc for the Keeled Skimmer at Hothfield Common in Kent.  

Breeders?

....but little else to write home about.

The Conder Pool Avocets.

As I see it, the Avocets - which were on Conder Pool last Friday morning when I arrived there - look set to attempt to breed here, today is their fifth day on the pool.

Avocet. Conder Pool. May 23.

The Avocet is a bird generally silent outside the breeding season, but I watched them for twenty minutes yesterday during which time they called persistently....'kluit, kluit, kluit....'in response to anything that moved and appeared as an intruder entering or flying over a nesting area. When I returned later in the day, the bird on the right prodded and poked at the ground then eventually appeared to settle down there....Mmmmm!

It's difficult to know exactly what the 2 Common Tern on Conder Pool are up to, but a suspicion I have is that the female is now sat in a tray hidden behind vegetation on Tern Island which is where she's sat the past two years, the male just loafs around....Mmmmm! 

Also seen was the lone Black-tailed Godwit in the creeks, a Whitethroat and male Reed Bunting were the only rewards for my efforts at Conder Green.

High Tide Roosters. Ringed Plover/Dunlin.

Ringed Plover.

I visited only Plover Scar at Cockersands around the high tide to find waders in fewer number than my visit last Friday, today c.500 Dunlin and c.150 Ringed Plover were grilled a few times to find nought 'odd' amongst them.

An hour along the top track and return via the lower one at Aldcliffe had a lone Little Ringed Plover with the flood entirely to itself, with 3 Chiffchaff seen/heard.

Considering I was on the roam for six hours yesterday, I ended up with little to write home about....Birding can be hard work y'know!!

Today's pictures, your's truly.

Avocet On The Starter Menu.

Avocet. Brian Rafferty.

I arrived at Conder Green yesterday morning to see 2 Common Tern evicting 2 Avocet - an excellent record for Conder Pool - from Tern Island, the Avocet disappeared behind the back side of the pool, but when I returned 5 hours later I found them in the creeks. 

Other action on the pool, the solitary Black-tailed Godwit, a Great-crested Grebe, 2 Greylag, a Grey Heron, and Little Egret, a Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat were heard, and a few Sand Martin and 2 Swift were over the pool. On the Lune Estuary, 8 Eider and a drake Red-breasted Merganser hauled out were my only notes save several Shelduck sifting the mud on an otherwise deserted estuary, 4 Orange Tip butterflies seen in the area.

Dunlin (and a Ringed Plover) Brian Rafferty.

Probably up to 2,000 waders on Plover Scar at high tide, with my best estimates being, 1,650 Dunlin, 355 Ringed Plover, 2 Sanderling, 2 Turnstone, and 3 Little Egret. Walking along the headland, at least another 1,000 Dunlin flew by in five groups from Cockerham Sands towards Plover Scar, 4 Skylark and 3 Whitethroat noted.

Many thanks to Brian Rafferty for the images in this post, and to Antonio Puigg for the new header, all much appreciated.