Mainly Dragons And Other Bits.

 The Heather at Birk Bank at its best 12 August. Pete Woodruff. 

I performed a couple of Houdini acts this past week, one was an escape to the fringes of Bowland where I managed an update on the dragonflies of Birk Bank bog.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

Never in abundance, I found a male and female Keeled Skimmer, a Black-tailed Skimmer, Black Darter, Common Darter, and a Large Red Damselfly. A wander in the area, came up with 9 Peacock, a Small Copper, and Small Tortoiseshell.

My second escape was along the towpath of the canal between Glasson Dock and Galgate, which is one of the most aesthetically pleasing sections of the Lancaster Canal. Along this length of the walk I found 28 Brown Hawker, including three seen ovipositing towards the end of the route at Galgate. Also seen, 2 Emperor Dragonfly and a Migrant Hawker. I think I need to return here again, to find 54 Migrant Hawkers like I did 20 September 2019 on the short stretch of the same canal Glasson Dock - Conder Green. 

Birds noted, a Kingfisher, with Buzzard and Raven over. Butterflies, 12 Small White, 6 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Peacock and a Meadow Brown. That's not many butterflies in 4 hours, as wasn't the 11 butterflies seen at Birk Bank earlier in the week, leaving me muttering to myself....where are all the butterflies.

News From The Pool.

I was grateful once again to Howard for keeping in touch with news from Conder Pool, where the Avocet and two juveniles remain, and 2 Green Sandpiper with the bonus of one ringed in my new header image.

Garden Happenings.

We've had 9 juvenile Blackbird in our garden this year, and 12 Speckled Wood visited during the day, and a Holly Blue was a scarcity for us on Wednesday.

Wood Warbler.

My memory was jogged as I drove past Gibson Wood last Wednesday, to recall an excellent record of a Wood Warbler that I found in a woodland wedged between Littledale Road and Rigg Lane. I had found this Wood Warbler on 1 May 1996, it was the first of four more consecutive sightings in Gibson Wood that I found on, 10 May '97, 3 May '98, 16 May '99, and 21 May 2000.

I've been looking through the Lancashire Bird Report 2019 which came through the letterbox on Friday, to see the Wood Warbler recorded as a scarce and declining breeder and passage migrant. Despite this excellent record at Gibson Wood 24 years ago, little seems to have changed with this species.