In On The Action.

Plenty of action to entertain on Conder Pool yesterday.

Oystercatcher with young Conder Pool. Ian Pinkerton.

The three young Oystercatcher are now up and running, though not running very far, imprisoned in the confines of the pontoon for five more weeks and dependant on their parents to deliver the much needed food supply, unless they can jump up on to the frame, to dive off and swim to freedom. Oystercatcher chicks normally remain in the nest for only a couple of days after hatching, when they leave to follow the parent birds and collect their own food like the ones are able to do on the island in IP's pik above.

Grey Heron Conder Pool 4 June. Pete Woodruff.

Meanwhile the Common Tern is sitting tight in the pontoon, with much dive bombing at every thing that moves around them, the tern on the island was also sitting tight, that is until the dreaded Grey Heron turned up on the scene to get attacked by 2 Common Tern and a couple of Black headed Gull.

So the records on Conder Pool yesterday read....4 Common Tern, a Bar-tailed Godwit, two pair of Oystercatcher with young, 17 Tufted Duck, a Mallard female and six ducklings, the sick/injured Whooper Swan, and the result of an extended search was of 3 Little Ringed Plover adult, with much flying around and some display by one individual at the back of the pool. A Reed Bunting seen, a hovering Kestrel over the creeks, and an Orange Tip butterfly was the only one seen.

Banded Demoiselle Conder Green 4 June. Pete Woodruff.

Seven male Banded Demoiselle were upstream at on the quiet flowing river. This was my third sighting of this brilliant 'riverside butterfly', my first was one at this very spot on 28 July 2014, the second on the canal at Glasson Dock on 31 May. 

As Britain's commonest riverine species, it nevertheless excited me no end to see this creature on the River Conder again SD460588 UK Grid Ref Finder.

Six adult Common Tern reported at Conder Green yesterday per LDBWS.