Sunday, 19 June 2016

This, That, And The Other.

With a little time on my hands on Friday I shot off to Conder Green, keen to get my eyes on any offspring's out of the nest on Conder Pool.

The pair of Avocet were still in situ, as were the Common Tern, with one sitting, and the other on guard duty with not a youngster in sight. Also noted, 12 Redshank, a Great-crested Grebe, and the local Kestrel overhead.

A wander around took me on a short stretch of the canal tow-path again, west of Thurnham Mill, where I found at least 20 Large Skipper, 7 Small Tortoiseshell, and 5 Speckled Wood, with a Whitethroat, a male Reed Bunting, and a Common Tern patrolling the canal was presumably a Conder Pool bird....But still no sighting for me of Tuesday's reported juvenile Common Tern on Conder Pool.

The Cockersands Cuckoo.

I was grateful for a text on Wednesday afternoon telling me of a Cuckoo showing well by the entrance track to Tomlinson's Farm at Cockersands. This is obviously a bird starting it's journey south to join another Cuckoo which was tagged in Wales in 2015 which has also left it's breeding grounds earlier than it did last year and is now west of Winchester in Hampshire....I wonder where the Cockersands Cuckoo is now.

The Bowland Grey Wagtail. 


I had an interesting conversation with Martin Jump when he telephoned me on Friday evening to tell me he had seen at least 20 Grey Wagtail on the Marshaw Wyre between Tower Lodge and Trough Bridge. This brings Martins figure added to mine made on two recent visits to Bowland to a combined total of 42 Grey Wagtail from five locations on three birding days.

The Conder Pool Avocet.


Avocet Brian Rafferty  

Three Avocet chicks were out of the nest on Saturday morning Here....Seen as Conder Pool's equally excellent and best record to date with the Common Terns.

Thanks to Martin for the brilliant header image of the Starlings, and to Brian for his excellent Avocet and chick.

3 comments:

  1. Pete.Great news re the Conder Avocets.Lets hope they are not predated.and that the parents fend off any threats.

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  2. Lets hope that the Avocets and Common Terns can work as a team to see off any predators from the Conder Pool area.

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  3. Brian/Martin....Yes, amazing these two species have decided to nest within feet of each other, and the Common Terns are certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with if the likes of the regular LBBG pair have a go at the Avocet's when the CT young are around too.

    These are the LDBWS breeding record's of the year we're looking at on Conder Pool.

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