Fledged And Flown.

Juvenile Common Tern Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

Many thanks to Howard for what is probably the last image of this juvenile before it's obvious departure from Conder Pool by the time I arrived there on Monday. Who could have imagined this bird would survive, let alone look so good, after what had happened to it a little more than two weeks ago. 

With no sightings in two visits to Conder Pool, the Common Tern have departed 18 days after the two young birds had escaped death by Black-headed Gulls, and fledged two days later. The 5 Avocet family were seen at the east end of the creeks, the young are now fledged, first reported to have done so on Sunday.

On Conder Pool, another peak of 12 Greenshank, with 11 Little Grebe and a Goosander of note. A Kingfisher was hiding below the hedgerow at the west end of the pool before flying off across the pool and on to the canal. Eight Common Sandpiper were seen as five in the creeks and three down the channel. I watched a House Martin enter a nest at Cafe d' Lune, the breeding season prolonged into autumn, with double sometimes trebled-brooded.

Two Mediterranean Gull with Black-headed Gull. Pete Woodruff.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, after a spell of hard labour, 2 Mediterranean Gull found were both adult, and 3 Ringed Plover were seen as at best irregular here. A few Sand Martin were with Swallows over the canal basin. I saw 12 Painted Lady in my time around the area.

Another brief visit to Aldcliffe was made all the worth while with 5 Green Sandpiper on the flood, and a Little Grebe on the Wildfowler's Pool with 32 Mallard and little if anything else  on there. Butterflies seen, 19 Painted Lady, 4 Gatekeeper, a Peacock, and Meadow Brown. I also came across 3 Common Darter and a Blue-tailed Damselfly.