Birds, Butterflies, & Banded.

A Conder Green - Glasson Dock circuit proved eventful, and started at Conder Pool where 7 Common Tern were seen as two adult on Tern Island, two adult on the pontoon which now have two chicks, and a loose bird departing the pool toward the estuary. 

Image. Ian Pinkerton.

The Oystercatcher pontoon pair having had three young, are now down to two, one has 'disappeared'. IP's image shows the continuing hostilities, with the Common Tern attacking the unguarded Oystercatcher young, 'clik the pik' for a blow up of the picture to better see the unfortunate chick through the now heavily soiled perspex. A pair of Avocet seem to have settled in on the backside of Tern Island, and 15 Tufted Duck were also noted on the pool.

Update.

The latest news re Conder Pool, is that both adult terns left the two chicks unattended in the pontoon yesterday....now there's a surprise, and no young Oystercatcher were seen by IP in the pontoon on his brief visit before leaving the area for a couple of days.

Banded Demoiselle Marc Heath

Staking out by the now quiet and gentle flowing River Conder upstream from the A588 road bridge, perfect habitat for finding 5 Banded Demoiselle including a stunning metallic green bodied female. I then went on to the canal tow-path and headed for Glasson Dock, a Sedge Warbler was in song along the way, a male Emperor Dragonfly was patrolling a well vegetated section of the canal side, and a male Blackcap was at Christ Church.

Painted Lady. Pete Woodruff.

A record shot of my first Painted Lady on Buddleja globosa by the bowling green at Glasson Dock. I had a decent year in 2017 for this butterfly, seeing 13 in total at 9 locations, the first on 31 May at Langden Brook, Bowland, the last at Heysham NR were I found two on 27 August. As a migrant from N.Africa, the Painted Lady feeds on many sources of nectar, and can be found at a variety of habitats, it is a rapid flyer, and can be seen and breeds anywhere in Europe.

Along the coastal path to Conder Green, 15 Small Skipper, and 3 Speckled Wood counted, a lone Tree Sparrow was my first ever along here. I made a request to take a look around River Winds at Conder Green, to find the best ever count here of an impressive 22 House Martin nests, another seven are at Cafe d' Lune.

A Red Admiral in our garden yesterday was my first this year. 

Thanks to Marc Heath for his stunning female Banded Demoiselle, and to Ian Pinkerton for his dedicated watch of Conder Pool, and for the excellent illustrations and daily updates he sends me. Ian is also keeping his eyes on the current Starling roost at Glasson Dock, to look for a possible Rose-coloured Starling with the murmuration around Glasson Marina....can't keep a good man down.