The Demoiselle Has It.

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

Banded Demoiselle Marc Heath

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

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

Wigeon Noushka Dufort

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

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

Thanks to Marc and Noushka for their excellent images.

The Conder Green House Martins. 

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

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

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