Birds, Butterflies, Bees, And Wasps.

Birds And Butterflies.

I took advantage of visiting our daughter in the Caton area, to have a wander around Bull Beck and the banks of the River Lune at Caton. 

This video of the Sand Martins at Bull Beck, I made on a visit here on 15 April 2021, was a pleasant reminder of the day I saw an Osprey flying upstream, and also found the Little Ringed Plover on the shingle bank opposite the Sand Martins.

Little Ringed Plover Bull Beck 2021. Pete Woodruff.

The LRP bred here on the shingle bank in 2021, in the same year 12 pairs bred along the River Lune between Arkholme and downstream to Caton. I didn't get as far to see the sand bank today, but there was a good number of Sand Martin flying up and down the river. It was good to hear a Garden Warbler, with a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest seen.

Although I saw neither of the birds, 2 Blackcap were heard, the one in this bush was in competition with another singing male within 20 metres. Butterflies seen were a Green-veined White and Orange Tip, best was my second of the year Painted Lady.

Bees And Wasps.

It was something special when I found Mason Bees entering the nest holes in our bee hotel last year, and even more special when we saw them in and around the hotel this spring.

Red Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

The Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis are a delight to watch as they arrive on the scene and fly around and enter the holes in the hotel.

Blue Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

They are joined by the Blue Mason Bee Osmia caerulescens....Smart little critters.

But recently things have taken a worrying turn as some parasitic wasps have shown up. 

Greater Pennant Wasp. Pete Woodruff.

First on the scene was the Greater Pennant Wasp with its extra long ovipositor....I initially thought the Martians had landed!

The GPW was showing an unhealthy interest around the bee hotel.

Sapyga quinquepunctata Pete Woodruff

But what came next developed into something very interesting, it was another parasitic wasp with an elaborate scientific name. I did a little research on this one and found it to be only one of two of the Sapygidae family to be found in the UK, of which there are just 80 species globally.

Sapyga quinquepunctata/Osmia caerulescens Pete Woodruff

Until 2016, there were only 4 records of Sapyga quinquepunctata in Lancashire, all in the west of the county. But on iRecords I found 6 records in West Lancashire over the 11 years 2013-2024, the first on 1 June 2013 at an unnamed location in West Lancashire, and the last on 23 June 2024, this one at Crook of Lune in North Lancashire....So a pretty good find in our Lancashire garden.

I'm indebted to Dave Bickerton and Ben Hargreaves for helping me on some issues regarding this wasp.

I'd Sooner Be Birding!

On And Around Conder Pool.

Conder Pool 5 April.

I refuse to make too many negative comments about the current state of play regarding the Black-headed Gulls vs Common Terns, but I was in the company of Howard Stockdale, he gave me his take on what the coming weeks holds for the terns and his predictions that it's a case of 'all's well that ends well'....Time will tell!

The Tern Raft Conder Pool 5 May. Pete Woodruff.

According to my observations on Monday, the Black-headed Gulls have taken over the tern raft on Conder Pool, and the two terns on the rails left in the picture above, are looking pretty much peed-off about it all. 

I would say there are at least 24 pairs of gulls are breeding there this year.

But the positives kicked in when I saw a pair of terns definitely looking like they were intent on moving in on the island behind the raft. One of these birds bears a ring on the left leg, and another tern on the pool was also ringed. Both these Common Terns were bred and ringed by Ian Hartley at Conder Pool.

Mediterranean Gull. Howard Stockdale.

Birds on Conder Pool on Monday, 2 Mediterranean Gull both 2nd winter, and in addition to my estimate of up to 200 Black-headed Gull, I noted 6 Common Tern, and 29 Avocet.

The Little Ringed Plover put in a brief appearance for a photo opportunity for me before disappearing out of the frame.

In the creeks, 2 Greenshank were with 2 Black-tailed Godwit - one of each in the video - and the Spotted Redshank which is now in full black and spotted breeding plumage.  

Cockersand.

Across The Bay. Pete Woodruff.

Looking to Black Combe on the western edge of Morecambe Bay, I was attracted to the cloud formation and view across the bay. I soon spotted a bird on the left side of the red buoy.

 

It was a Common Tern, it called as two other terns flew towards it and on into the estuary. A few minutes later and close by, I was treated to the spectacle of watching another Common Tern plunge diving.

Over a 500 metre stretch of roadside reeds along Moss Lane, I heard 5 Sedge Warbler. Butterflies seen, my first Painted Lady, a Small Tortoiseshell and Green-veined White.

Mixed Feelings In Bowland!

For starters, my visit to Bowland wouldn't have happened had I known how strong the wind was going to be, a bit of a howler to be honest, and took the edge of what was otherwise a beautiful sunny day. For whatever reason, it turned out to be the wrong day and the wrong time. N'er mind, in the end, a couple of bird species made my day....End of whinge!

Hawthornthwaite.

On Hawthornthwaite, 4 Stonechat seen as 2 pairs started the day on a positive note, 2 Wheatear helped the day along too. It's always good to find birds on territory as opposed to finding them on passage along the coast. Ian Mitchell accompanied me on this trip and he managed the summit, result was a combined count of 24 Meadow Pipit. Also noted in the little black book, a lone Red Grouse, 2 Wren, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Greylag, and no more than 6 Sand Martin were along Catshaw Grieve.

Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge.

If I go through the negatives first, there were some disappointments about the  trundle from Marshaw through to Trough Bridge. Not a single Common Sandpiper seen, and no Willow Warbler heard let alone seen. On the brighter and more positive side, a Dipper and 4 Grey Wagtail were seen along the Marshaw Wyre.

Pied Flycatcher Bowland 29 April. Ian Mitchell.

The positives reached a peak when 3 Pied Flycatcher were found, always a better experience seeing these birds tree nesting as opposed to purpose built nest boxes, my records read probably two breeding pairs here today....I'm convinced my next visit to this area of Bowland in a couple of weeks, will produce a much better all round result, and certainly more flycatcher species seen.

Birk Bank.

Large Red Damselfly female colour form typica. Ian Mitchell.

 

The hope of some shelter from the wind was wishful thinking, a look in on the bog at Birk Bank, at least gave a Large Red Damselfly. Now we are into May, things will pick up on the dragon front.

I met Steve Ed at Birk Bank, he was photographing some bees I had seen a little earlier. One of the bees was a Lathbury's Nomada Bee.

Nomada lathburiana Steve Ed

This Nomada is a cleptoparasite of the Ashy Mining-Bee, its only host in Britain.

Andrena cineraria Steve Ed

The Ashy Mining-Bee is one of the most robust and distinctive mining bees in Lancashire. I love the ashy-grey appearance and the shiny black abdomen of one of my favourite bees.

Miscellany. 

On the way along the path to the bog at Birk Bank, a Slow Worn seemed to be making little progress on the dry path, until it reached the grass.

Five Greylag goslings were making their way toward us, eventually reaching the boardwalk, then wandered off through a field...No adult birds in sight!

Pond Skater. Ian Mitchell.

Ian got this excellent image of the appropriately named Pond Skater with its ability to skate on water.

The Header.

Martin Jump's header of the Lapwing has no immediate connection with this post, but I love pictures with a difference and this one fits perfectly into that category....Excellent and thanks to Martin.

Wednesday 22 April.

Four more first migrants for me on Wednesday all seen at Cockersand, with a trickle of 12 Swallow through, and on one occasion accompanied by a single House Martin. A Sedge Warbler was singing in the hedgerow, and 4 Whimbrel on the shore.

A Shoveler pair were in the wide ditch at the junction of Moss/Slack Lane. I've seen the Shoveler here in previous years. Three Skylark seen, one in flight song, two flew off a fence post in front of me, A Linnet was in song by the caravan park, and 72 Black-tailed Godwit were feeding on the tideline. I saw just two butterflies, a Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.

Up to 12 Lapwing were on territory in the stubble field behind Lighthouse Cottage, one bird drew my attention alarm calling, and as I looked over the gate it soon became apparent why....

On Conder Pool, I made a peak count of 28 Avocet including two in the creeks, where the near summer plumage Spotted Redshank was with a Greenshank. Also of note, 2 Little Ringed Plover, with 54 Black-tailed Godwit and a similar number of Knot still here.

I was more than grateful to receive a message to tell me of the arrival of the Common Tern on Conder Pool Thursday 23 April. This date is 3 days later than last year 20 April 2025....Thanks to Pete Crooks for the info and for adding that John Wood had found 2 Common Tern before he had seen one later in the afternoon. 

River Lune At Glasson. Pete Woodruff. 

At low tide, the estuary resembled a desert save the channel, where 14 Eider were diving, a decent count for the location.

Friday 24 April.

Cuckoo. Marc Heath.

The highlight of a circuit of Birk Bank has to be the 2 Cuckoo heard, one in the Birk Bank area east of the bog, the second to the east of Cragg Wood. Thanks to Marc Heath who found a Cuckoo at Bishopstone on 11 April, seen as an early bird and scarce too in this area of Kent.

There was some excellent birds to run a close second to the Cuckoos, with a good count of 42 Willow Warbler, then marked as seen in the little black book, Blackcap pair, 2 Treecreeper including one sunbathing at the base of a tree, a Wren and Robin, 6 Redpoll, 2 Chiffchaff, 6 Swallow, a Coal Tit, 2 Garden Warbler, Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Linnet, 2 Meadow Pipit, and 3 Stonechat which were seen as a pair and a male which was probably standing guard over a nest site, and so almost certainly making 2 pairs of Stonechat. Raptors seen were, a Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.

Green Tiger Beetle. Pete Woodruff.

Other than the birds....A quite surprising number of 14 Green Tiger Beetle, 2 Common Lizard, neither of which were associated with Birk Bank bog, in fact one was at Ottergear Bridge. Butterflies seen, 12 Orange Tip, 4 Green Hairstreak, 2 Peacock, a Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell.

Target of the day was to find some early damsels, 3 Large Red Damselfly were seen as a male and 2 teneral.

Garden Bees.

The bees in our garden started to emerge from the Bee House this week. 

Red Mason Bees. Pete Woodruff.

It's a joy to watch the antics of the Red&Blue Mason Bees in and out of the holes in good number. 

Blue Mason Bees. Pete Woodruff.

The Warbler....The Wader....And The Terns.

Following the discovery of a 'puzzling' Siskin in the garden on 30 March. Remarkably, our garden has produced another bit of magic, which at first glance had me thinking I had found an appropriately named Willow Warbler on the Willow tree!

I had to take a good look through the video and several images, to arrive at the ID of a Chiffchaff having made a stopover in our garden on 13 April, 2 weeks after the Siskin on 30 March.

Chiffchaff 13 April. Pete Woodruff.

Some plumage detail would have you think the bird was a Willow Warbler, but the legs were dark, primary projection is short, and the tail was persistently dipping which is another ID feature for separation from the Willow Warbler. 

Chiffchaff 13 April. Pete Woodruff.

But to be honest I've never been settled by the yellowish tints about this bird.

The Conder Green Spotted Redshank.

To view the collage at its best it is essential to....Click the pik 

Howard Stockdales images are an excellent example of monitoring the Spotted Redshank during the process of its amazing transformation toward summer plumage over a four week period in 2025.

Spotted Redshank Conder Green 14 April. Kevin Eaves.

Kevin Eaves took the image of this years Spotted Redshank edging towards near full breeding plumage. Thanks to Howard and Kevin for allowing the images on to B2B. 

Spotted Redshank Conder Green 16 April. Susan Dooney.

This Spotted Redshank was seen and photographed by Susan, and is the perfect example of how the weather conditions, light, and photography, can deceive into thinking this is a different bird than the one seen by Kevin Eaves 2 days earlier.

The Conder Green Common Tern.

The Common Terns have not yet returned to Conder Pool, and if they still haven't done by tomorrow Monday, they will be later than last years arrival on 20 April....Just saying!

Common Tern Conder Pool 30 May 2019. Ian Pinkerton.

Let's hope we can all see plenty of action with the Common Tern on Conder Pool again in 2026....Photograph courtesy of Ian Pinkerton RIP....For old time sake Ian, Thank You.

02 July 2014

22 May 2015 

06 May 2016 

08 May 2017

07 May 2018 

05 May 2019 

02 May 2020 

24 April 2021 

24 April 2022 

22 April 2023 

28 April 2024 

20 April 2025

Miscellany!

In order to bring my second passion back to life, I've recently had to make a few diversions away from the birds.

Being one of the many thousands affected by the terrible Dr Beeching who wielded his axe on the  railways in the mid 1960's, in my case the footplate firemen. On Wednesday I found myself at Hest Bank for the purpose of trying for some footage of a train enroute to the renowned scenic Settle to Carlisle railway. 

The video turned out OK, and for the benefit of anyone not solely hooked on birds, and perhaps with a liking for steam locomotives and railway preservation....here it is.

When the train had passed I decided to check the channels off the shore at Hest Bank, and found up to 140 Eider here.

Conder Pool.

Numbers of waders continue to dwindle with just 86 Iceland bound Black-tailed Godwit seen, also a similar number of 80+Knot a good count for Conder Pool. Another good count, was of 25 Avocet, this is the same combined number of 25 Avocet seen at Conder Pool and the Lune Estuary at Glasson 2 April. Also seen Spotted Redshank, 2 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Snipe, and a pair of Shoveler. One birder at the pool, told me he had seen 4 Little Ringed Plover but I found no evidence of his claim.

Lune Estuary.

At Glasson, 450 Black-tailed Godwit the majority being on the north side below Colloway Marsh, also  a pair of Red-breasted Merganser were to note. 

The Conder Spotted Redshank.

Image Courtesy of Howard Stockdale

The two images of the Conder Green Spotted Redshank were taken a year and one day apart, and a three way consensus including myself, is that this could be one and the same bird. Last years bird completed a full moult in 5 weeks. Howard Stockdale intends to monitor this years bird to see if there is a repeat of this amazing transformation....This will be interesting.

Chocolate Tip.

Ian Mitchell had quite a smart little moth in is trap on Thursday morning 9 April.

Chocolate Tip Moth. Ian Mitchell.

The Chocolate Tip has a disjointed distribution, mainly to be found in the south but expanding northwards. 

The first record away from the south was found at Astley Moss in 2010, followed by sightings at seven locations including one at Heysham in 2021 and at Longridge in 2022. I have no knowledge of records in our area of the Chocolate Tip moth beyond 2022, until Ian Mitchell's on 9 April 2026.

Garden Birds.

Summertime and the living is easy....Well that's how the song goes, but I reckon the Blue Tit collecting nest material on the Plum Tree in our garden, was thinking life is anything but easy! 

Setting The Record Straight.

On Monday 30 March, by chance I spotted a bird through the patio window, in an instant I identified it as a fully feathered and fledged Siskin.

I decided to make a dash for my tripod to make a video of this quite remarkable sight. I was eventually able to combine two videos of the bird in the Willow and then on the feeder.

After I had processed the video's and got to grips with the date and data regarding the Siskin, I quickly realised the significance of a young bird seen on the 30 March, which was at best highly unlikely.

So I was in touch and made enquiries with BTO - British Trust for Ornithology - and received a very comprehensive and much appreciated reply, a few important bits about the issue I have highlighted here.

'It was completely understood why you had thought this bird to have been a 'youngster', being puffed up and downy, and looking lethargic. But several members of the BTO team having viewed the video, the general consensus was that this bird being void of a gape was a adult female Siskin which had probably contracted trichomonosis'. 

The author of this reply told me of a conversation with a another member of BTO involved in Terrestrial Ecology, has given three dates of earliest records of Siskin, one being, '4 live eggs 25 March 2010'.

Conclusion.

The best conclusion I can offer on this issue of a young Siskin in late March in our Lancaster urban garden is....With data I have, the earliest I could expect to see fledged Siskin is the end of April, obviously at least 4 weeks later than I thought one was in our garden on 30 March.

Taking into account, none of the footage could be rated as quality, I fail to understand how it could ever be labeled by anyone as an adult female Siskin, and it's my conclusion that the bird I found in the garden on 30 March was a stunted juvenile Siskin.

I welcome comments that contradict this claim.

Migrants At Last.

Conder Pool.

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

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

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

 Cockersand.

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

Wheatear. Pete Woodruff.

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

Deceased Gannet Plover Scar 2 April. Pete Woodruff.

Lune Estuary.

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

Red-tailed Bumblebee.

Bombus lapidarius. Pete Woodruff.

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

Pleasantly Surprised.

I've had two sightings this week which have had my birding motto ring true once again....

Not what you will find but rather what you might

The element of surprise never fails to delight

The Siskin.

Siskin Young. Pete Woodruff.

The first pleasant surprise came in our garden on Monday 30 March in the form of a young fledged and fully feathered Siskin. Right place at the right time had me find the bird looking a little tired in the Willow by the pond. But it was my lucky day, as later it was seen again, this time on the feeder with proof it had already mastered the art of flying.

My enquiries about the significance of this sighting are ongoing, but one thing for sure, I wouldn't have expected to see this bird until around the end of April, the breeding season of the Siskin not starting until early this month....Global warming!

The Black-tailed Godwit.

My second pleasant surprise came the following day Tuesday 31 March, when I had good cause to pay a visit to the Lune floodplain viewed from Bull Beck. Last year I had two excellent sightings here in early April, resulting with my records reading....I found a Little Ringed Plover on the shingle bar, and distant in the sky, there's this large lumbering bird flying upstream, then dropping down out of view....Yep, it was an Osprey.

Black-tailed Godwit. Pete Woodruff. Clik The Pik

No LRP or Osprey today, but an excellent compensation came with at least 400 Black-tailed Godwit distant with 'large gulls' around a flood with Burrow Wood in the background. 

But There We Have It!

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

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

Spotted Redshank Conder Creeks. Pete Woodruff. Clik The Pik

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

Wigeon. Martin Jump.

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

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

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

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

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

Wood Warbler.

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

Wood Warbler. Mike Watson.

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

The other 37 records followed....

1996

Littledale May/June 6 sightings  

Gibson Wood 8 June 2 birds

Gibson Wood 14/15 June feeding young at the nest

1997 

10 May Gibson Wood 

19/20 May Botton 

23 May Claife Heights Cumbria 

26/31 May Botton 

17 June Botton possible breeding

1998

3 May Gibson Wood 

12 May Botton 

13 May Gibson Wood 

15/23 May Botton 

23 May Barbondale 

1999 

16 May Gibson Wood 

12 June Rusland Cumbria 

18 June Barbondale

26 June Ellterwater Cumbria 2 birds

2000

21 May Gibson Wood

22 May Barbondale

27 May Botton

29 May Bolton Abbey 4 birds

7 June Barbondale

2003

19 May Dunsop Bridge

2006

13 June Barbondale

2007

22/31 May Tower Lodge

2008/09

30 May/11 May Barbondale

2023

3 May Gibson Wood

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