News & Views.

This morning I was in receipt of some excellent news and images regarding some of the management work completed on Conder Pool.

Redshank/Oystercatcher Conder Pool 18 Feb. Howard Stockdale.

From a personal point of view, it was the perfect medicine for my cure of the wind and rain currently battering the country.  The weather has been in the main, the cause of my being off the road for another one of those depressing weeks of no birding. But the header image of the stunning Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool yesterday, instantly killed storm Eunice for me.

 

Sand Martin Bank Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

The new islands and the Sand Martin bank are completed, though the birds probably won't use the bank this year as the ground will need to settle to be suitable for nesting.

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Little Owl. Martin Jump.

Martin sent me a series of Little Owl images which I tried to produce as a slide show, but I failed as the file size was way over the limit of 100mb to publish with blogger. I decided on this as the best individual in the set.

Blackbird. Mike Robinson.

Mike sent me this excellent image of the leucistic Blackbird in his garden recently.

I'm grateful for the info and images from Howard. And for the images from Martin and Mike, they are all very much appreciated.

Early Days!

I was intrigued by the report of a Yellow Wagtail seen at Queens Manor, Lytham St Annes on 14 February. The earliest ever record of Yellow Wagtail in Lancashire, was of a bird seen 26 years ago on 23 March 1996.

Clinch The Finch!

Friday was something of a re-run of my visit to a different location in Bowland on 20 January, in that the day was in the main dire for birds....until the final furlong.

The visit to Harrisend was uneventful save 12 Red Grouse, and 8 Greylag in flight west over the ridge, though a Stonechat caught my eye flying across the road ahead. It was the only one seen all day, though to be honest I wasn't hopeful of seeing any when I next went to do the Birk Bank circuit, via Cragg Wood-Littledale Road-Rigg Lane.

On the circuit, a single Red Grouse seen at Birk Bank, and a couple heard with their barking call. At Cragg Wood, 8 Long-tailed Tit, and along Littledale Road-Rigg Lane produced 7 Blackbird, 6 Goldfinch, 5 Robin, 4 Mistle Thrush, and 2 Redwing.

Bullfinch Pair At Rushy Lee.

For the second time in a few weeks, the glimpse of a red breast had me muttering to myself....Robin. But hey, surprise surprise, when I raised my binos, a stunning male Bullfinch was soon seen to be accompanied by a female, both were feeding on Damson trees along the path to Rushy Lee. 

This was my third 'Bowland Bullfinch' record away from traditional sites, mainly in the south-east of Cumbria, at Arnside and Silverdale, and the Lune Valley. The Rushy Lee record of Bullfinch, follows a pair seen in the plantation up from Tower Lodge on 6 November 2020, which I claimed to have been the first of the species here to my knowledge, though Brian Townson who I was with at the time, claimed whilst we were separated, a pair in the same area at Tower Lodge on 25 June 2010.

Other Bullfinch seen in Bowland in the past have been at Birk Bank in 2004, 4 seen 1 November, and 4 seen 22 November, the 8 seen 18 December were claimed to have been part of an exceptionally high number invasion of 'Northern Bullfinch' in 2004, and were identified by hearing the 'toy horn' call.

My other records away from traditional sites, a female Bullfinch from the coastal path between Conder Green/Glasson Dock 9 January 2017, 5 seen 30 October 2014 Lancaster Cemetery, and a male seen Lancaster Cemetery 17 December 2021.

Inside information tells me the Bullfinch has been around Rushy Lee on the fringe of Bowland for at least ten years, but no evidence has ever been found to prove breeding....Well there's a revelation!  

Conder Pool.

The Common Terns Champion

Ian Pinkerton turned golfer to birder overnight the day he discovered Conder Pool, and soon became The Common Terns Champion, virtually moving in to live at the pool where he spent endless hours at the viewing platform monitoring the birds.

Ian would have been pleased to see the development being currently carried out at Conder Pool, but sadly he isn't around anymore to enjoy this and the terns he loved so much.

I have dedicated this post to Ian who died in August 2019.

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I'm grateful for having had the details forwarded to me about an update on some work to be carried out by the RSPB to further develop Conder Pool and improve this already excellent site for wildlife, in particular the birds.

Conder Works 7 February 2022. Howard Stockdale.

I have no entitlement to put too much detail on B2B into this project, but machinery is already in place and hard at work, including that to be carried out to reduce the height of the breeding islands, and some reshaping of the current layout, as well as remedial work on the inlet sluice.

A Dangerous Combination. Pete Woodruff.

A trio of dedicated individuals - Howard Stockdale, Ian Hartley and Paul Ellis - formed a working party to push for improvements at the site since the livestock disturbance during the 2020 breeding season. In 2021 livestock was prohibited between March - July, the result was immediately seen with 8 pairs of Avocet successfully hatching their broods. The same year also saw the introduction of colour ringing of the Avocet and Common Tern to support the very important research group activity. 

Photographic evidence of Redshanks with 3 chicks at Conder Pool 10 June 2021. Howard Stockdale. This was another excellent breeding record for Conder Pool in 2019.

 

Female Stonechat Conder Pool 6 Feb. Howard Stockdale.

Included in his message, Howard sent me this excellent image of the Stonechat within a few metres out from the viewing platform at Conder Pool. On seeing this picture, a sickly green feeling came over me....Stonechat, Conder Pool....WOW!

Rock On!

A pretty strong howler from the north and cold with it, took the edge off a decent day, but came nowhere close to ruining my enjoyment at the sight of 14 Rock Pipit and a Water Pipit at Cockersand on Friday. 

A female Stonechat was again in the long grasses and marsh by the parking area at high tide, and a male seen again at the far end of the rough field behind Lower Bank Houses, seen twice previously, but always distant and busy.

I didn't linger at Cockersand after a couple of hour of pipit watching, but pulled up as I drove away to count c.130 Pink-footed Geese in the same field by Abbey Farm as found 14 January, also a few uncounted Golden Plover. I didn't pull up on Moss Lane, but as I drove by, at least 300 Whooper Swan presumably accompanied by Bewick's Swans in a field west of Gardener's Farm, and on Jeremy Lane 122 Greylag and a Kestrel hovering overhead.

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On the Canal Basin at Glasson Dock, 12 Goldeneye were ruling the waves, with 18 Tufted Duck, and 2 Goosander noted.

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Conder Pool was hosting a nice 84 Black-tailed Godwit until there was some disturbance and they departed west. A Little Grebe, 2 Goosander, 35 Wigeon, and a Snipe noted.

Rock Pipit at Cockersand.

Fourteen Rock Pipit, probably the best count at Cockersand in recent times, certainly a personal best ever, 10 here 12 years ago LDBWS Annual Report 2010.

A pint of lager and a packet of crisps please....Rock On!