A Few Dragon Piks And An Interesting Warbler!

There's been some excellent records from Conder Pool recently, and the status of this location just climbs towards the top. For me it's been a case of choosing the wrong trousers day to do a stock take, and the best I could muster was 19 Greenshank and 2 Snipe in the wader camp, with the Gadwall pair, 16 Wigeon, and uncounted Little Grebe noted....Ah well, can't win'em all!

Migrant Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

Whilst viewing the pool as the skies cleared and the sun shone, there was an obvious movement of at least 8 Migrant Hawker passed the screen. So I was enthused to go to Saltcote Pond to find another 4 Migrant Hawker and 4 Common Darter including a pair in tandem.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff. 

On the canal towpath, 2 Migrant Hawker and a male Common Darter.

Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

As the sun continued to shine and the temperature had risen a little, I decided a return visit to Birk Bank was the best bet. I found a little action there, and notched up 14 Common Darter, and 2 Black Darter.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Both species of darter at Birk Bank bog today were all male except one female basking on the limestone. A Buzzard drifted over >west, and a Kestrel overhead was harassed by a Carrion Crow.

Stonechat Birk Bank 24 Sept. Pete Woodruff.

It doesn't matter that I got only a moderate shot of a distant male Stonechat, because it was accompanied by a female and juvenile as evidence of breeding, something that I had claimed previously happening here on 15 July. 

The Chiffchaff Tale.

As I walked up the path from the bog, I heard a bird call which I wasn't too familiar with, it was calling from a Mountain Ash and I could see it flitting along the branches, but my luck soon turned good, as it flew to a nearby small tree giving me brief but good views, it was a Chiffchaff, but my encounters with the Chiffchaff have nearly always been singing.

I was frustrated beyond belief, that I had left my phone in the car, losing me the perfect opportunity to record the birds call which it was giving loud and clear for a few minutes. But one thing soon became very clear to me, it was a single straight note, with a pause between call like the one by P.c.tristis but unlike that of the Phylloscopus collybita 

'Probable' Siberian Chiffchaff. Howard Stockdale.

I found two of the most recent Siberian Chiffchaff records in the LDBWS area, one regarded as 'possible', the other 'looking reasonable for', and since I saw and heard my Chiffchaff this week, I've done some research on it and studied the call I heard on some recordings. 

However, the separation from other races is way outside my comfort zone, but I remain with the feeling that I may well have 'lost' the chance to claim my third scarcity/rarity in a row today....Small red-eyed Damselfly/Willow Emerald Damselfly/Siberian Chiffchaff....Just saying 😉 

Phylloscopus collybita

P.c.tristis

And Finally....

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Martin Jump.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth is still visiting his garden, this one seen on Thursday, whilst ours hasn't been seen for a few days now, but the end result of its visits was an amazing 24 sightings over 5 weeks.

Many thanks to Martin Jump for numerous images of the HBHW, and to Howard Stockdale for the Chiffchaff. 

Edit.

Apparently the links don't work, I'm working on it.

Green For Go Part 2.

As I said in Wednesdays post, the report from Conder Pool will have to wait a few days. This was because of the chance finding of the spectacular Willow Emerald Damselfly on the Glasson Branch of the Lancaster Canal. So here it is....

Conder Pool/Green.

Five species in the creek, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Lapwing, Teal, and Goosander. 

Curlew Sandpiper Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

There was 3 Curlew Sandpiper on this visit, and frustratingly I find in a still from the video, that one bears a ring on its left leg. 

Not viewing the bird through a telescope whilst making a video, and I failed to spot the ring....Shucks!

I achieved a count of 31 Greenshank on Conder Pool as a personal first and best, but this is four under an earlier count of 35 Greenshank by another observer. Also, 4 Spotted Redshank, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Ruff. Also, 2 Gadwall were almost certainly the breeding pair, and the Kingfisher put in an appearance. 

In the creeks at high tide, 2 Mediterranean Gull, a Marsh Harrier was drifting over, and at least 150 Pink-footed Geese >south.

  A Cormorant makes short work of an Eel for lunch on Conder Pool.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Martin Jump.

A Humming bird Hawk-moth has visited our garden 18 times in the past weeks, since I saw the first one in late July.

Salvia. Pete Woodruff.

Over the last 8 sightings, the HBHM has consistently visited the Salvia in our garden, a pattern of behaviour which I mentioned in my last post. Since then I did some research to discover the Hummingbird Hawk-moth is a species known to engage in traplining, this involves traversing a specific route in which the insect checks specified plants that hold nectar, it does so repeatedly and in the same order.....Amazing!

Thanks to Martin for another of his excellent set of images of the Hummingbird Hawk-moth.   

Willow Emerald Damselfly.

Willow Emerald Damselfly. Marc Heath.

I found just 8 records of Willow Emerald Damselfly in West Lancashire 2025/26....

2025

09 Sept Brockholes NR

25 Sept Brockholes NR

31 Aug Hest Bank

2026

15 July Lancaster

24 Aug Brockholes NR

07 Sept Lancaster Canal

14 Sept Lancaster Canal

17 Sept Catforth

Thanks to Marc for his excellent image of the male Willow Emerald Damselfly. 

Green For Go!

Conder Pool produced the goods with some big numbers again on Monday, but that excitement for me was overshadowed later by something even more exciting, and the report from Conder Pool on Birds2blog will have to wait a day or two.

Tales Of The Unexpected.

On ending a most enjoyable and fruitful session at Conder Pool on Monday, I decided to go look in on Saltcote Pond to see if perhaps the Common Hawker was still lingering since I had first found it there on 19 August, and had seen it here previously three times. The Common Hawker wasn't seen this time, but 2 Migrant Hawker and 2 Common Darter were. I also spied a Clouded Yellow butterfly here, but it moved on before I could get out the camera.

By now there was a shift in the weather, some nice blue sky, sunny spells, and a rise in the temperature. And so I changed my plan to retreat and go home, and decided to check the canal for a while, then maybe pay an unexpected return to Birk Bank to end the day.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

As I walked down the path off the bridge and onto the canal, an old female Common Darter posed for me on the handrail.

No sooner had I set foot on the towpath to find 2 Migrant Hawker, than a damselfly came to settle in front of me. Not even time to wonder what it was, it was immediately recognised to be green....emerald green in fact! 

Willow Emerald Dragonfly Lancaster Canal 14 September. Pete Woodruff.

It took me no more than a few seconds to realise I had stumbled upon a Willow Emerald Damselfly. It was a male, complete with pale wing spots and a long abdomen, longer than any other Lestes, and  up to 38mm as notable ID features for me....Thereon, my plan to return to Birk Bank was canceled. 

Willow Emerald Damselfly. Martin Jump.

There's no better way to end a post like this than with another image, this one of a pair in tandem...Thanks for this image and the header to Martin Jump.

Tuned In And Turned On!

A good turn out in the week at and around Conder Pool, when I was joined by Ian Hartley who added an extra pair of eyes and expertise to a mini bird-fest which developed there. 

A Curlew Sandpiper juvenile was the star of the show, it was roosting at high tide in the creeks, off passage and enroute to it's African wintering grounds, it eventually moved on to Conder Pool, where it obliged close in for some footage, and to feed a while.

Ian picked up a Marsh Harrier high over the estuary, then later briefly over fields behind Conder Green Farm. Back on Conder Pool, two soon became 3 Spotted Redshank at the back of the pool, where I found 2 Common Sandpiper, a Snipe, and two eventually became 5 Ruff. I'm convinced there were more than the 12 Little Grebe I recorded, they were scattered all over the pool and diving constantly, 

A Wheatear was briefly on the edge of an island, 6 Wigeon seen, and a pair of Shoveler that I had seen here last week. Away from the pool again, a skein of up to 130 Pink-footed Geese were overhead >south, were the first of the winter, and a flock of c.50 Goldfinch came down on to the marsh thistles. I've seen flocks reaching three figures of Goldfinch here in the past.

I was grateful to Ian Hartley, not only for his company during a good session of birding, but also for passing on the figures that the Conder Pool Common Tern colony had 21 young fledged this year. In addition to that good news, a pair of Gadwall had 6 young to successfully fledge, another first record for Conder Pool .

 

Black-necked Grebe Juvenile. Copy Permitted.

Both these excellent records join a long line for Conder Pool, and brings to remember my own earlier record of a Black-necked Grebe which I found 18 years ago on 1 September 2008, it was a juvenile and hung around for 17 days last seen 18 September. 

Saltcote Pond.

The Common Hawker I found here on 24 August was probably the same one I saw again today, also 5 Common Darter including a pair egg laying, and a Speckled Wood butterfly. On the canal towpath, 5 Migrant Hawker seen.

Birk Bank.

Birk Bank Bog 9 September. Pete Woodruff.

The bog is looking good again after the drought, with water draining out and into the ditch.

Black Darter Birk Bank 9 September. Pete Woodruff.

A little activity today, with 6 Black Darter including a pair egg laying.

I had no idea they had separated until I processed the film....

Seven Common Darter, were all male, and I was pleased to have seen another Common Lizard again today. A Buzzard was overhead, and 2 Speckled Wood seen.

Jump To It!

Hot on the heels of his finding a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, and actually achieving an amazing image of the moth egg laying, Martin Jump struck gold again - green actually but doesn't sound as good as gold - when he discovered a first for Haslam Park in Preston on 5 September.

Willow Emerald Damselfly. Copyright Martin Jump.

Thanks for keeping me up to date on this one, and for the image for publication on B2B....Much appreciated and congratulations Martin.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth.

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth visited the garden again this morning, it is the 10th moth to do so in the past few weeks. Todays moth visited the Salvia in our garden for the third consecutive day, clearly showing evidence of traplining.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Martin Jump.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth is a species that is known to engage in traplining, this involves traversing a specific route in which the insect checks specified plants that hold nectar, it does so repeatedly and in the same order. This behaviour by the moth is also shared by bees and butterflies. 

Think It's Called Twitching!

My latest visit to Conder Pool was rewarded by another first, when at least 2,500 Redshank were  present, including up to 100 in the creeks. This record puts an end to the 2,000 Redshank seen here on 7 August. 

Also, 14 Ruff, 6 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Dunlin, 2 Snipe. and 15 Little Grebe. A pair of Shoveler always create some interest on Conder Pool for their scarcity, and 4 Wigeon are the early winter returners.

Saltcote Pond. Pete Woodruff.

At Saltcote Pond, it was a surprise to find a Common Hawker again, it was patrolling in a cool, windy and gloomy 18 °C    flying low and investigating the pool. The male is known to be very active, even in overcast conditions.

The Cockersand Dip!

At Cockersand, I failed to find a couple of target species - I think it's called twitching - but noted up to 450 Dunlin and 12o Ringed Plover, also 4 Turnstone one of which retained some of its smart breeding plumage.

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 25 June 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Checking a group of 12 Black-headed Gull off Lighthouse Cottage, I found 4 Mediterranean Gull with them, they were all males in winter garb, and nothing like as smart as the black-hooded ones I saw on Conder Pool 25 June 2025. Also off here, 4 Eider.

Interest In The Garden.

There was interest in the garden yesterday, when I found a Garden Spider with prey. 

I think what we see is a Sphaerophoria sp of hoverfly, of which there are 11 confirmed species in Britain, and not easy to ID. 

Todays unfortunate find was in the jaws of a Garden Spider.

Garden Spider With Prey. Pete Woodruff.

Eventually the head was separated from its body which hung from a thread of the spiders web.

Another interest was in the form of the 8th Hummingbird-hawkmoth in as many weeks in the garden.

The moth performed perfectly for several minutes, nectaring on Salvia in the garden.

Green Shieldbug. Pete Woodruff.

And finally another first for me, an appropriately named nymph Green Shieldbug. 

Before The Break.

The title of this post should have been 'Good Afternoon Part 3', but I thought that would have been too boring and repetitive, and perhaps would have lost me some visitors to B2B....Just saying!

But before the break in the weather, it was in fact my third good afternoon session, and although Conder Pool was a little underwhelming, the day was no less rewarding than the first two.

Conder Pool.

First to note, was that the Common Terns have deserted Conder Pool. I understand the last sighting was Friday 21 August, void of checking my records, this sounds like an average date for their departure.

Just four species of birds noted today, a Spotted Redshank, 8 Ruff, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and 13 Little Grebe.

Speckled Wood. Pete Woodruff.

A Speckled Wood seen through the viewing screen.

Saltcote Pond.

The or another Common Hawker seen again, also an Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, and 6 Common Darter. 

Painted Lady. Pete Woodruff.

Butterflies, a Painted Lady and Common Blue. 

Birk Bank.

Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

On and over the bog,  a Common Hawker seen again, one here 7 August. Also 4 Black Darter and 4 Common Darter were all male. 

Roe Deer. Pete Woodruff.

As I came away from the bog I saw a Roe Deer, it was staring me in the face within 15 metres through the branches, but a pity it decided to move off as I fired the shutter. Also seen, was a male Stonechat in the same area I found a breeding pair on 15 July.

Garden First.

A little something of interest in the garden recently. 

Scorpionfly. Pete Woodruff.

When I first clapped eyes on this one I thought I'd found a dragonfly in the garden, it was a Scorpionfly.

 

The Header.

I was struggling again for a decent header image of my own, but Marc Heath came to the rescue with some stunning Red-veined Darters which have had a good season and bred for the first time on his local patch in Kent this year....Thanks Marc much appreciated.

Good Afternoon....The Sequel.

Not only did Paul West find 45+ Little Egret on Conder Pool 13 August, but he also achieved an excellent image of this all time highest record of the species for this amazing location....Paul West Photography

Conder Pool. 

Conder Pool 19 August. Pete Woodruff.

I think it's possible the water level at Conder Pool is lower than I have ever seen before, but it took nothing away from the enjoyment of seeing a decent number of eight species of birds.

Although they seem to have favoured the backside of one of the islands on my last two visits, I counted 18 Common Tern on view, seen as 14 adult and 4 juvenile. Up to 450 Redshank were present this visit, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ruff and 4 Dunlin made a total of 463 waders today. Also 18 Little Grebe was my best count so far this period heading into winter, and 25 Greylag. Two female Wigeon were the vanguard of winter visitors I reckon. A Small Tortoiseshell put in an appearance.

Saltcote Pond.

Common Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

A Common Hawker was obliging and settled for pictures. Also an Emperor Dragonfly, a Brown Hawker, 5 Common Darter, and 2 Speckled Wood seen.

Glasson Canal Towpath.

A brief visit to the canal towpath was rewarded by a Clouded Yellow butterfly.

Clouded Yellow. Pete Woodruff.

Though the butterfly was in pristine condition, it wasn't at all obliging.

The minute I got close for pictures....we have lift off! 

Bank End.

A return to Bank End to meet AC and find 5 Yellow Wagtail was well worth the effort. Thanks for the Stonechat record at Cockers Dyke on Friday, I always love to find a Stonechat, and I know you do too Andrew.

Birk Bank.

Common Lizard Birk Bank Bog August 19. Pete Woodruff.

Best reward for the visit to the bog at Birk Bank was a Common Lizard. I have seen few reports from here since the new boardwalk was installed, and I've previously only had brief views of one. Only 4 Common Darter seen today was a bit disappointing.

Sundew Birk Bank 19 August. Pete Woodruff.

In seeing the tracks through the bog left by the heavy machinery during the erection of the new boardwalk, I had thought it was goodbye to the Sundew, so it was great to find several clusters of it today. 

Over the hour spent here, I saw 9 Buzzard, including a family of five soaring and mewing together, and a Peregrine Falcon picked up high and drifting, went into a stoop to disappear below Birk Bank ridge....A good afternoon Part 2

Lady In The Garden.

A stunning Painted Lady paid a visit to our garden yesterday, in pristine condition, it spent a long period on the Alium coming and going throughout the afternoon.

Painted Lady. Pete Woodruff.

Good Afternoon!

I spent a few hours at two of my favourite locations during our fifth heatwave of the summer, and not without rewards.

Grisedale Brook. 

Stonechat (honestly) Pete Woodruff.

Too far off for much detail in my image above, this one was the third Stonechat on the gatepost by the newly installed bridge over the brook. 

An excellent start to my afternoon, was a pair of Stonechat to welcome me as I got out of the motor at Grisedale Bridge.  Also seen, 6 Goldfinch were atop of the gorse bushes, a Willow Warbler and Meadow Pipit were the only other birds.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly male. Pete Woodruff.

I managed to find 5 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, an obliging species away from water, were they can often be found settled and posing for photographs.

A pair of Common Darter in tandem, seen egg laying on Grisedale Brook as it entered Holme Wood, 2 Common Darter male were also seen. As I moved to leave the area, a Brown Hawker flew by me.

Hawthornthwaite Fell.

I called at Catshaw Pond on my way, to find a lone Emperor Dragonfly. Void of a search in my records, I think this is the fourth year I found one present here in Bowland. 

In Lancashire today, the Emperor Dragonfly is recorded as established in the Fylde, and in parts of central and east Lancashire, Heysham and Silverdale. I can find the Emperor Dragonfly at all sections of the Lancaster Canal that I visit, but historically it was regarded as absent in the uplands of north Lancashire. Until recently it was noted on the record website as a species outside the known area, a comment that has now been removed.

Hawthornthwaite Fell. Pete Woodruff.

I have a passion for Hawthornthwaite, born from the fact that it's as good for the Stonechat as anywhere else in Bowland, though I did only find a pair here today, but that brought the total to five Stonechat on the day, almost certainly 3 breeding pairs. 

A Golden-ringed Dragonfly flew by me heading towards Catshaw Grieve, which I found to have a steady flow considering the lack of rain this summer.

The only other bird was a Buzzard soaring overhead, but I did hear the single 'screech' call of a hidden Snipe, with every sheep close by, frozen and staring at the area. Butterflies seen were, 5 Painted Lady, a Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell. Thereby ending....A Good Afternoon.

Garden Goodies.

The heat has played its part in having our garden having a good spell of summer insects.

We had our fifth Hummingbird Hawk Moth visit this week and in the past month up to 120 Large/Small White butterflies have visited, also an impressive c.60 Holly Blue have come through the garden over a similar period. My header is one of this number.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

On Thursday, a female Common Darter put in an appearance, it kept disappearing, then returned to the same perch a few times for several minutes. An excellent record which was preceded by a male Common Darter a few days earlier. 

Pool, Pond, and Bog.

Conder Pool.

Conder Pool never fails on the interest front, and didn't fail me again on Friday. I'm never involved in survey work and todays counts are estimates, though never too far from accurate. 

At least 2,100 Redshank was by far the best count ever for Conder Pool. Other waders here today, a Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, 2 Ruff, 12 Dunlin and 8 Black-tailed Godwit, and after six attempts, I arrived at a count of 10 Little Grebe.

The terns were busy and all over the place, but eventually my count was of 31 Common Tern, seen as 24 adult, and 7 young including one near fledging. Also a new one for the pool, was a colour marked Common Tern, with a dark bill and white forehead, it was a juvenile moulting to 1st winter plumage.

Butterflies seen, a Gatekeeper and Painted Lady. 

Saltcote Pond.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

A great little pond but a bit quiet today, an Emperor Dragonfly persistently attacked 2 Brown Hawker every time they came close, also 3 Common Darter, 5 Common Blue Damselfly, and a Blue-tailed Damselfly. Quite busy with butterflies, 6 Painted Lady, 5 Common Blue, and a Meadow Brown.

Birk Bank.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

When I arrived at the bog, the sight of it slowly drying out was a bit concerning.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

Though the ditch were the old boardwalk was, and the haunt favoured by the Golden Ringed Dragonfly, is still looking good.

Keeled Skimmer. Pete Woodruff.

My visit here today was an all male day with two exceptions, and it was good to find 5 Keeled Skimmer, they were seeing off anything that came close.

Keeled Skimmer Female. Pete Woodruff. 

With the two exceptions, one of which was an old female Keeled Skimmer which was obliging and basking in the sun on the boardwalk.

Common Darter Female. Pete Woodruff.

The other exception was an old female Common Darter, which was also basking on the boardwalk.

An Emperor Dragonfly was patrolling the edges of the bog during all my time here, while a Common Hawker was behaving in the same manner, flying low over the water and investigating the edges of the acidic bog, but without showing the aggression of the Emperor.

Common/Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Also seen, 5 Common Darter and 3 Black Darter were all male. I saw just three butterfly, 2 Speckled Wood and a Painted Lady.

Erratum....Dictionary definition, done quickly with little attention to detail.

The Keeled Skimmer female featured above, is in fact a Black-tailed Skimmer of the same sex and age....Whoooops!