Well At Least...

....I took three photographs of butterflies just about reaching my standard, including the well marked female Large White in our garden in the header pik.

But the weather on Friday wasn't quite as good as I had hoped for, and the hunt for dragonflies not a realistic prospect, though the weather did buck up later in the day. 

Ringlet Grisedale Bridge. Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik

At Grisedale Bridge 2 Buzzard soared together overhead, and the Ringlet seen here has proved this year to be excellent for the species. I've had seven so far,  put in the shade with records of 22 and 50 by two observers in our area this month.

 

Stonechat Juvenile. Howard Stockdale. Clik the pik

A visit to Hawthornthwaite to find proof of breeding when I found a pair of Stonechat and at least one juvenile here, a good enough excuse for another picture on B2B thanks to Howard. Also noted, 11 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren, and a Buzzard soaring.

Meadow Brown Female Hawthornthwaite. Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik

Butterflies, a Meadow Brown and Peacock seen.

A lone Sand Martin seen over Catshaw Greave on Hawthornthwaite, appeared to indicate the colony had dispersed as was the case at Cam Brow. This seems an early date for the Sand Martin to desert two colonies, though at the latter site a family party were picnicking with kids in the stream building a dam below the nest holes!

A Meadow Brown in our garden was a first record here. 

Bullseye Around Birk Bank.

An excellent day, when I had the company of Ian in the Birk Bank area on Tuesday, hitting the bullseye with three out of the four targets I had hoped for. A bit of an irony for me, as the one target missed was the Stonechat, but that was mainly because we didn't get on to the top of Birk Bank where they were guaranteed. 

I finally realised on Tuesday, the capacity for the car park at Rigg Lane is 40, and another 6 outside on the lane made 46 cars parked up to pay a visit to Clougha Pike....Lockdown unlocked!

 

We had only been out of the car a few minutes when the day got off to a good start, with the bonus of a Green Woodpecker we hadn't seen on the ground ahead took off to land in a tree, which in turn spooked a Jay that flew off. It's 3 years since my last Green Woodpecker which was at Latterbarrow in Cumbia.

Black-tailed Skimmer Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff. 

                                         

We made two visits to Birk Bank bog, the first showed us a lone male Black-tailed Skimmer, but the second visit at the end of the circuit was rewarded with 3 Keeled Skimmer including a pair coupled.

Purple Hairstreak Ian Stephenson Clik the pik

We set off on the circuit, to soon arrive at a group of Oak's, and eventually found 4 Purple Hairstreak, seen characteristically with wings closed showing the silvery-grey underside. A butterfly easily overlooked as the adult are often in the top of the canopy where they seek honeydew, they can usually be seen more often in the evening of a warm summer's day. 

A stake out by the ford over the stream that is the River Conder flowing out of Cragg Wood, was rewarded by brief views of a Migrant Hawker whizzing upstream, and later by a Golden-ringed Dragonfly flying downstream, both quickly disappearing out of sight. There was a substantial movement of hirundines seen over the fields off Littledale Road, up to 100 Swallow, a few House Martin and single Swift.

Bird sightings were sparse, but a Song Thrush which came to bathe in the ford by Cragg Wood, took top spot behind the woodpecker in my book. Otherwise, singles of Red Grouse, Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit, and Wren.

Butterflies seen, 6 Small Copper were over the bog, and on the circuit, 8 Meadow Brown, 3 Red Admiral, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, and a Speckled Wood.

Common Tern Juvenile Conder Pool 19 July Howard Stockdale Clik the pik  

Thanks to Howard Stockdale who continues to keep me posted re Conder Pool. The Avocet young in the header image are now three weeks old. 

Thin End Of The Wedge!

I'm getting closer by the day to the thin end of the wedge with this lockdown thing. But not wanting to labour that one, onward christian soldiers an'all that....

Imm Female Common Darter. Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik

Lancaster Cemetery on the city outskirts is by far the best and biggest for wildlife, a huge expanse with trees and bushes in its excellent natural layout. KT and myself went off to find 4 Ringlet there again, with the bonus of an immature female Common Darter on a gravestone, and 4 singing male Blackcap heard on the way round.

Soldier Beetle. Martin Jump. Clik the pik 

Returning from the cemetery via the lanes, around 20 Soldier Beetle were seen on Wild Carrot, they were all in pairs apparently doing what they do best. A Buzzard was soaring over Grab Lane and 11 Meadow Brown seen. 

Digging into a bit of recent history, the Ringlet seen on two recent visits to the cemetery, were in the same area that I had found an excellent bonus of 5 Bullfinch on 30 October 2014, a bird more noted for its presence in south-east Cumbria, though it is a regular autumn migrant seen at Heysham. I reckon I'd be hard pushed to find the last previous record of the Bullfinch in Lancaster Cemetery.

In the garden. 

We have visits to the feeding station through the night, but were delighted to see 2 Hedgehog on the lawn at 10.30pm on Thursday, also we now have 2 Frog mostly seen when they have heads above the water in the pond, and we've had a total of six young Blackbird this year, and a stunning male Greenfinch put in an appearance on the feeders yesterday.

Speckled Wood on Elecampane. Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik 

A couple of butterflies seen in the garden this week, a Speckled Wood and Red Admiral.

Conder Pool Summary. 

Avocet Conder Pool 19 July. Howard Stockdale. Clik the pik 

Two young from three Avocet are now both ringed, with the third dead. The Common Tern runt is also confirmed dead.

I'm grateful to Howard for the info and images he sends me, and to Andrew who continues to keep me informed on Conder Pool and Stonechats in Bowland in particular. Also, thanks to Martin for his over-sexed Soldier Beetle image.

In the header image of the Small Tortoiseshell, I hadn't noticed the Mint moth until I got the picture onto my computer. 

Lockdown Miscellany.

I was grateful to David for sending me the Bar-tailed Godwit image as my new header. 

David is a visitor to the area and wouldn't have realised at the time, the significance of the Bar-tailed Godwit at Conder Green, seen as an unprecedented number and a first record summering on Conder Pool. All roosting non-breeders, but one in the centre in breeding plumage adds a little more interest. 

Despite the Bar-tailed Godwit being recorded as a species summering in small numbers around the Lune Estuary, the monthly WeBS counts in 2018 didn't reflect this when, just two birds aside, none were recorded on the Lune Estuary for four months May - September.

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A walk with KT through Williamson Park and on to Lancaster Cemetery wasn't without a little interest. 

Little Grebe.

On the old Moor Hospital reservoir at Fenham Carr, it was good to find 7 Little Grebe, seen as two adult and five young, with one adult and three young being fed 100m apart from the other adult feeding two young on the opposite side. These are almost certainly the nesting pair seen on 31 March.

In a bit of reading up, I found only two ringing recoveries, indicating that the Lancashire Little Grebe might be a regular long-distance migrant. One ringed in Essex in 1956, was found dead in Liverpool 2 years later in 1958, but more interesting was of a bird ringed in Latvia 1983, and was found dead at Pilling on the Fylde coast 2 years later in 1985.

Ringlet.

In Lancaster Cemetery, 6 Ringlet seen in the grasses and feeding at bramble blossom. The Ringlets status is common, but despite increases in distribution and population, not known as abundant in Lancashire. 

Ringlet Aldcliffe 10 July 2017. Pete Woodruff.

I only have 5 Ringlet records to my name, three of which were in Cumbria. The two records found in our recording area are very interesting in that the single one I found at Aldcliffe on 10 July 2017, resulted in my being unsuccessful in tracing the previous record of this butterfly at Aldcliffe. My second record was of 52 Ringlet seen at Heysham NR on 4 July 2019.

News From Conder Pool.

Arctic Tern Conder Pool 10 July. Howard Stockdale.

Howard found this 1st summer Arctic Tern on Conder Pool on Friday, seen as another excellent first record for the site....Did the 2cy Arctic Tern at Heysham since Thursday, have a day-trip to the Lune Estuary on Friday?

Howard also observed the three ringed juvenile Common Tern developing their flying skills on Friday, and the three young week old Avocet are still doing well.

And Finally....

Little Owl. Green Lane 10 July. SD515659    

Grab shot of a Little Owl on Green Lane before flying off.

Thanks to all who contributed to this post, much appreciated. 

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. 

Langden Brook.

The trek up Langden Brook during the week, didn't have the result I was hoping for, if only for the fact I only got to the half way point when I should have then gone on to the upper track via Holdren Castle, but had to do a 'U' turn to return via the same lower track.

Langden Valley From Holdren Castle. Pete Woodruff. 

I noted 19 species including, a Nuthatch in the trees which line the road at the start of the walk, 2 Swallow were hawking over the field here, something wrong with the Swallow this year, I've personally seen little more than a double figure to date over five visits to Bowland. 

Soon out on to the Langden track, 4 Stonechat were seen as a male and three juvenile, also a Common Sandpiper was on the brook with 2 Grey Wagtail seen, 4 singing male Blackcap and good number of Willow Warbler in song. I only managed to see a disappointing 3 Meadow Pipit, and 3 Raven were together soaring high overhead. Butterflies were, 6 Small Heath, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, and a Red Admiral was on a young Oak.

Common Green Grasshopper. Pete Woodruff.

Both insects were green, a Common Green Grasshopper....

Green Tiger Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

....and a Green Tiger Beetle, a vicious little winged predator which can move at a speed of up to 60cm per second on bare ground, they build a burrow and ambush ground-living insects such as ants.

The Sykes Farm House Martins.

I called at Sykes Farm on my way to Langden Brook, to confirm if I still had previously granted permission to look around the buildings to check the House Martins if I called back later in the afternoon. I learned that some of the property is now privately occupied and so was out of bounds for close scrutiny.

As things turned out I wasn't able to call back, but the last time I was in the area was on 31 May 2017, when I had noted up to 45 nests around the farm complex, and established c.15 nests occupied, most of the other nests were from previous years and I saw no activity during a stake out at the rear of the property. but I did see birds flying to nest holes as I drove past on Wednesday.

Hawthornthwaite Fell.

Noted on a brief visit, a male Stonechat was accompanied by a female close by, and up to 20 Sand Martin appear to have taken to a new colony, but I need to return at a later date for more detail. The Sand Martin were in pursuit of a female Merlin which took off from the ground as I made my return off the fell. 

Swallowtail Moth

Ian was pleased to find a Swallowtail Moth in his garden where he got this record shot in the half light. Not a major find, but a moth quite unlike any other British species with a 'tail' on each hindwing.

Third Time Lucky.

Bee Orchid 22 June. Pete Woodruff. 'Clik the piks'

It was third time lucky when KT and myself visited the site on the outskirts of Lancaster again, where we found three spikes of Bee Orchid, not that all that easy to find in the long grass on the bank. Other Orchids in the area have gone through the roof, when 378 Common Spotted were counted. Thanks to AC for his contribution here.

Garden Pond Frog. Pete Woodruff.

Everyone was chuffed to find a Frog in our garden pond recently, it has been seen three times since in various parts of the garden.

Conder Update.

I had an excellent update from Howard Stockdale, with all the news from Conder Pool.

No Vacancies. Howard Stockdale.

The news included this image of a full house, with two Common Tern, two Avocet, and a Black-headed Gull all sitting on the island.

A Common Tern appeared to be an immature on the marker at Conder Pool two days ago on 22 June. 

Common Tern Conder Pool 22 June. Howard Stockdale.

It was an older bird with stunted growth related to it's injury, having lost most of it's lower left leg contributing to poor health. 

The header image is of the first breeding Common Terns of Conder Pool 2014, and shows an adult with two young including one of the runts I mentioned in my last post as being a tradition with the terns here.

Armchair Birding. Episode 2.

Common Tern Chicks Conder Pool Pontoon 16 June. Howard Stockdale.

Some excellent updated news from Conder Pool. The Common Tern have three chicks on the pontoon, all ringed and one being a runt which is becoming a tradition with the Conder Terns....

Conder Cattle 16 June 2020. Howard Stockdale.

....and the farmer has replaced the sheep with coo's!

Bee Orchid. Pete Woodruff.

I made my third visit to a local site to count at least 147 Common Spotted Orchid, whilst finding no Bee Orchid, moving a step closer towards 2020 being a blank year. Although, unless my camera date was incorrect at the time, this image was taken at the location on 22 August last year, so perhaps plenty of time yet.

Large Skipper. Pete Woodruff.

Also seen this week on a pleasant couple of hours on an equally pleasant evening, a Large Skipper and Common Blue Damselfly.

Hedge Woundwort. Pete Woodruff. 

The Hedge Woundwort is common throughout most of Europe, but nevertheless a beautiful flower, adding some welcome colour to the roadside verge where I found it. A close relative of Marsh Woundwort, and are both members of the Mint family. 

Thanks to Bryan Yorke for this and previous requests to Bryan for help with ID. Please 'clik the piks' hopefully they may look better.

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During my conversation with the gamekeeper at Cragg Cottage on Wednesday, I asked if he had noted any Stonechats on his daily trips up Clougha and beyond. His reply echoed mine, that the Stonechat was only just beginning the return to Clougha in any number since their departure 10 years ago during the severe winter weather of 2009 - 11. 

Although I had given up on the Clougha/Birk Bank Stonechats when I realised they had abandoned the area following the two consecutive severe winters, on my occasional visits, I was encouraged by finding 9 Stonechat wintering at Birk Bank on 5 January 2017. That said, annual reports for 2018 claimed breeding at 14 locations in Bowland, but I saw no evidence that Clougha was included in the fourteen, and on the few summer visits that I have made there since 2011, I had no reason to think the gamekeepers comment was anything but correct, and that the Stonechat was only just beginning to return to Clougha in anything like the numbers I collected for 10 years 1999 - 2009. 

A good example from my past records would be, 20 Stonechat seen on 15 June 2009. My hopes are that it will soon become what was once our areas stronghold of this brilliant little gem. 

A Good Day On The Bog....What!

Keeled Skimmer/Large Red Damselfly Pete Woodruff Clik The Pik

It was excellent that I found a pair of Keeled Skimmer on the bog at Birk Bank yesterday, with the/a female ovipositing. I was also pleased to see a pair of Large Red Damselflies coupled, a male Broad-bodied Chaser was being seen off by the male skimmer every time it came close.

Over the bog and on a circuit via Cragg Wood and back down Littledale Road to return along Rigg Lane, 8 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary seen. When I arrived at the stream which is the young River Conder flowing over the ford by Cragg Cottage, I sat a while to eventually spot a dragonfly shooting over the surface, it turned out to be a Golden-ringed Dragonfly which was the main reason for my heading that way....Brilliant.

Birds on the day were as much to be heard than seen. Sightings started of with a surge of excitement when I came across a smart male Stonechat just a few minutes after leaving the car park on Rigg Lane, but it was disappointingly the only one seen in the 5 hours spent there. Up to 5 Garden Warbler and similar Blackcap heard, uncounted but probably 10 Willow Warbler, 4 Mistle Thrush and very few Meadow Pipit, a crouching female Red Grouse probably had young with it, up to 4 Wren singing, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Robin, and a Spotted Flycatcher on the woodland edge at Cragg Wood, with House Martin seen entering nests at Cragg Cottage. 

Butterflies were a bit thin, but noted 6 Small Tortoiseshell, a Red Admiral and Meadow Brown seen.

I had an interesting conversation with the gamekeeper at Cragg Cottage, during which I secured his permission to enter Cragg Wood with the proviso that I did so before the end of August.

Armchair Birding.

Around and about, and goings on in the garden....The photographs will look even better if you clik the piks.

Conder Pool.

The Sheep Problem Conder Pool 2019. Pete Woodruff

It wasn't good news to hear a pair of Common Tern have suffered a nest failure on Conder Pool, but  good to hear the sheep have now been removed. Last year I had on good authority in a letter....'the sheep were not supposed to go on the surrounds of Conder Pool until late July to reduce disturbance to breeding birds'.

On a more positive note, a pair of Common Tern have taken up on the pontoon now, hopefully a pair of Black-headed Gull already breeding on there, will have fledged young before the terns have hatched, hopefully avoiding a repeat of last years horrific attack by the adult gulls, when the young terns were lucky to have escaped with their lives....just. 

Interesting to note, the Common Terns had two chicks hatched on the pontoon a year ago yesterday on 13 June 2019. Despite the excellent spring weather, and May being the sunniest month on record, things are running late with the Conder Pool terns, but not as late as their first ever visit to Conder Pool, when they didn't arrive here until 2 July 2014.

Bowland. 

 
Woodcock Howard Stockdale 

More good news received from a favourite haunt of mine was a Woodcock at Marshaw. I had two Woodcock here on 21 February 2018, and previously saw two more in the plantation behind Tower Lodge on 18 March 2015. 

Dipper Juvenile Howard Stockdale 

A juvenile Dipper and Common Sandpiper were seen on the Marshaw Wyre.

The Orchid Wander.

Common Spotted Orchid. Pete Woodruff.

The wander with KT for an update on the local orchids was rewarded by up to 44 spikes of Common Spotted Orchid including this variant white. No sign of any Bee Orchid yet, flowering from early June. I'm beginning to wonder if 2020 isn't going to be a year for them here. A couple of butterflies were braving the not too perfect weather, a Red Admiral and the Meadow Brown was my first of the year.

From The Garden.

View Full Screen

Our now resident Carrion Crow was joined by relatives this week, with six being on the rooftops opposite one day. I can't work out what's going on with these birds hanging around a residential area, particularly the resident bird been here two months now.

Three pairs of Blackbird visit our garden daily, and we've had two new young in the garden this week, so four to date is a good result this year, also a young Dunnock was a welcome sight, the adults have been around all year. The Coal Tit still continue to entertain, collecting seed from the feeder and burying them all over the garden and beyond with their amazing behaviour, the pair emptied the sunflower feeder in a day. I watched them this morning whilst having my 'snap, crackle, and pop', one of them flew from the feeder to the same area of the garden twenty times in ten minutes non-stop. 

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the much appreciated e-mail this week, with news and images attached.