A Short Birding Sortie And A Little Miscellany.

Can't resist the juvenile Black-winged Pratincole for my latest header image. Referred to as a fantastic 'first for the Fylde' find by Adam Hutt, it was seen hawking insects over fields south and east of Cocker's Dyke Houses on 28 September.  It was the 3rd Lancashire record, and 29 years since the last one.

Thanks to Adam for the record and to Paul for the image, excellent on both counts.

Spotted Redshank Conder Creek 7 October. Pete Woodruff.

It was good to find 2 Spotted Redshank were still on Conder Pool, with a Ruff, 2 Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Snipe for company. Otherwise the place was deserted, but I note there has been some refurbishment to the screen, and posts have been installed much to the delight of the photographic fraternity.

Kingfisher Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

I'm not sure precisely where the appreciation should go to for the work done on the screen, but I would like to voice mine here on B2B....Thank You. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, it was good to see an increase in wader numbers with c.3,360 in my notes, consisting of at least 2,000 Lapwing and 650 Golden Plover, also 325 Dunlin 250 Curlew, 120 Redshank, 16 Snipe, and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit. Also noted were 255 Greylag and 16 Little Egret. 

 

It was interesting to find the Bar-tailed Godwit close in and feeding on the mud, characteristically more active than the Black-tailed Godwit, and probing for prey whilst walking.

Also interesting was the Black-headed Gull I found, it stood out amongst the few hundred other gulls and was in breeding plumage complete with full hood. 

Black-headed Gull (centre) Lune Estuary 22 October. Pete Woodruff.

The photograph has no value other than evidence of a Black-headed Gull in full breeding plumage on the Lune Estuary nearing the end of October. At the distance, similar to and recalling adult Bonaparte's Gull, from which separation is difficult....Dream on😉

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Pete Woodruff.

The HBHM was back in the garden again, in fading light at 6.10pm Monday 19 October. I reckon this was the last we see of this moth, it having returned to our garden 32 times since it first appeared here a little over 4 months ago 0n 17 June....I was surprised to find in my records, a Hummingbird Hawk-moth was seen in our garden 4 years ago in October 2022.

And Finally.

A pair of Greenfinch appeared in the garden yesterday, a major event for our little urban garden in South East Lancaster. 

The Greenfinch was added to the UK Red List 5 years ago in 2021. Perhaps the birds in our garden were migrant winter visitors from Fennoscandia!

The First Swans-The Last Dragons....Perhaps!

There were one or two visitors to Conder Pool whilst I was there on Wednesday, and with a cursory look would have regarded the place as 'dead', and that's because they failed to picked up eight of the nine Spotted Redshanks, being an all time record for Conder Pool and the species.

Conder Pool & Area.

The 8 Spotted Redshank were lined up along the waterline at the back of the pool, the reality being that Conder Pool was in fact otherwise deserted. 

Curlew Sandpiper/Redshank Conder Creeks. Pete Woodruff.

A Curlew Sandpiper was in the creeks with a Redshank for company, also a Snipe was to note. The call of the Spotted Redshanks was an indication they had been disturbed from Conder Pool, and all eight flew to the creeks.

I went off in pursuit of the Spotted Redshanks, and caught up with five of them downstream towards the old railway bridge, and later all eight were beyond the bridge and towards the Conder Estuary.

Lune Estuary.

On the estuary viewed from the bowling green, I was pleased to find my first 15 Whooper Swan hauled out just beyond the Conder Estuary. Also of note, at least 250 Greylag, 190 Curlew again, 18 Canada Geese, and 12 Snipe.

Whooper Swans Conder Pool 8 October 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Last years first Whooper Swans were on Conder Pool 8 October when they were seen as 9 adult and 9 juvenile.

Saltcote Pond.

I called in at Saltcote Pond and found a Migrant Hawker and 4 Common Darter including a pair in cop. 

Birk Bank.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

By the time I arrived at Birk Bank, the weather was threatening to turn wet and not conducive with dragonfly hunting.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

But at least I found a lone male Common Darter making the most of any suitable weather conditions remaining for a rest on the boardwalk....More proof that I hadn't yet seen my last dragons of the year. 

As I walked the path from the bog, I heard a Chiffchaff calling, and having walked little more than 50 metres I had heard and seen 4 Chiffchaff. Given 24 Chiffchaff were ringed at Heysham in an early morning fall this sighting seems significant. 

Hawk-moths.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth was in our garden yet again on Friday 9 October, making this its 40th visit here since it was first seen 17 June. It behaved impeccably, lingering for periods on the Salvia.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth was first found in Crosby 1857, it has been annual in Lancashire since 1998, often in double figures with occasional large influxes occurring, 309 were recorded in 2006.

Convolvulus Hawk-moth. Ian Mitchell.

Ian Mitchell has shared with me an image of a stunning large Convolvulus Hawk-moth at rest on his garden wall. 

As a migrant visitor to the UK, the Convolvulus Hawk-moth was first found at Chat Moss in 1841. Since then up to 150 records of the moth have been in Lancashire.

Pleasantly Quiet.

There were 9 Spotted Redshank with Greenshank on Conder Pool 27 September, and the header image is perfect as my introduction to this weeks post on B2B. Thanks to Paul Ellis for this amazing image of record numbers for Conder Pool. 

I missed the good stuff again on Conder Pool, with recent records being, 35 Greenshank, and 9 Spotted Redshank, both all time peak counts.

Conder Pool.

When I arrived at Conder Pool on Thursday, I was pleased to be able to count 22 Greenshank and 4 Spotted Redshank.

Although there was just the 26 waders to note, it was good that a lone Bar-tailed Godwit was feeding in front of the screen, at best an irregular visitor to Conder Pool, and not a bird I have ever seen here beyond single figures.

Lune Estuary.

At the estuary on the rising tide, 8 Golden Plover were seen as the vanguards of returning winter birds. Also 190 Curlew was a decent count for the end of September, 550 Lapwing, 220 Redshank, 85 Greylag, and 45 Wigeon completed the picture.

Saltcote Pond.

At the pond, 4 Migrant Hawker, a pair of Common Darter in cop, and a Clouded Yellow butterfly.

Hawker Down.

Whilst at Saltcote Pond, I observed some interesting behavior by three of the Migrant Hawkers, an incident which ended badly for one of the males. I watched a pair in cop for several minutes, they were flying around erratically until they eventually separated, at which point a second male started an attack on the other. I have no idea which of the males ended up in the drink, but it started to swim frantically, then stopped before swimming again.

 

I watched this desperate attempt to reach some vegetation to emerge from the pond which was impeded by the fact that it kept changing direction.

Migrant Hawker Saltcote Pond 1 October. Pete Woodruff.

I left the site feeling helpless, having had to watch this unfortunate creatures desperate attempt to escape from drowning....an experience I hope to never witness ever again. 

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. 

The regular HBHM to our garden broke its own record on Saturday 3 October, paying its 28th visit in the past 2 months, this time it was around the Honeysuckle when I spotted it....Truly amazing stuff! 

Hummingbird Hawk-moth on Salvia 20 September

I reckon any HBHM seen into October, is outside its flight period by the end of September, but interestingly, it is recorded to have occasionally survived mild winters in southern Britain. 

Error.

I'm working on the size of my header image which is in the wrong resolution.

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.