....well, only five hours on Monday actually.
The Goosander.
The Goosander.
It was good that I finally caught up with the female Goosander with her 4 ducklings in the creeks at Conder Green, along with a female Mallard and her 5. A combined total of 9 ducklings from an absolute minimum of 17 between these two birds, an amazing 26 if they both had full broods which they probably rarely do, either way, some serious losses here then, 8 minimum loss, 17 maximum loss. I've so far found no breeding records of the Goosander anywhere near this area....a first.
The pair of Common Tern and the Oystercatcher were loafing around - sitting on eggs in the case of the females - on the Conder Pool pontoon, appearing to totally ignore each other barely a half metre apart, also, 17 Tufted Duck, and 5 Greylag noted. A circuit produced, House Martins nest building at River Winds and the Cafe d' Lune, with 3 Swift over, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Song Thrush, an Orange Tip and Speckled Wood butterflies.
The pair of Common Tern and the Oystercatcher were loafing around - sitting on eggs in the case of the females - on the Conder Pool pontoon, appearing to totally ignore each other barely a half metre apart, also, 17 Tufted Duck, and 5 Greylag noted. A circuit produced, House Martins nest building at River Winds and the Cafe d' Lune, with 3 Swift over, 2 Sedge Warbler, a Song Thrush, an Orange Tip and Speckled Wood butterflies.
On Jeremy Lane, a Wheatear was looking lost and alone in a recently ploughed large field, a Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, a Skylark singing it's seemingly endless flight song, and 2 Buzzard together overhead one of which had up to four primaries missing.
Cockersand was hard work for the effort involved, best was a pair of Gadwall in the large ditch through the field, at least 60 Wood Pigeon were in two fields, 5 Stock Dove, 3 Sedge Warbler, and a pair of Dunnock on Slack Lane both had food in their bills, a Peacock was the only butterfly seen. Though I saw several Large White on the day....where are all the butterflies?
Common Tern. Ian Pinkerton.
Ian continues to monitor the Conder Pool Common Tern, and apparently intends to do so to as much and as often as possible to the bitter end....'bitter' being the operative word I imagine.
Keep up the good work Ian.
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Lily Beetle. Pete Woodruff.
These Lily Beetles were in our garden yesterday, appropriately on the Lilies, they are a serious pest, having the habit of chewing Lily leaves and flower buds.
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