Bowland Birds.

 Birdwatchers Code of Conduct.

I'm well aware of this code, it includes requests to refrain from posting information about breeding locations of rare or locally uncommon species. So for once I have decided it best to do the right thing for the sake of a single bird I found on Friday. Hence, the rather bland title....

Bowland Birds.

Friday continued the theme of being the worst May that I can recall in recent years, the weather being best described as crap throughout. I was in Bowland on a day more reminiscent of 27 March than May, cloudy with a cold northerly wind.

I'm getting closer to being convinced the Redstarts are not breeding in the Ash I found them at on 29 April, having returned there on 19 May, and again on Friday with no sign of activity over a 30 minute watch. Another 30 minutes in the woodland, 4 Grey Wagtail, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Warbler, 2 Robin and a Wren.

My visit to one of the many moorland sites I favour, actually put an end to the gloom of the cloudy cold day, when a brilliant male Ring Ouzel with its white half-moon across the breast, took to the wing, to soon go to ground out of sight....For me, it was like a ray of sunshine!

Also seen here, running a close second to the Mountain Blackbird, 6 Stonechat, seen as a pair with at least two young, and two male. A Curlew was circling me in flight alarm calling, obviously with a nest/young in the area. Up to 18 Sand Martin seen, 14 Meadow Pipit, and a Kestrel was, not for the first time, the only raptor seen in Bowland in 5 hours.

On my way back to Lancaster, a pair of Pied Flycatcher feeding young at the nest, 3 Treecreeper, Chiffchaff and Blackcap heard.

As I turned off the camera after filming from the road bridge, a Kingfisher flew past me upstream.

Stonechat.

I note the interesting report of a male Stonechat at Conder Green on Thursday 27 May. The record prompts the question, what's a Stonechat doing at Conder Green at the end of May? One thing for sure, it's another first for the location....Unless someone would like to correct me!    

Woodland Therapy.

I have given over my header to Geraldine Stockdale, to feature the excellent image of the Skylark....Thank you Geraldine, this is much appreciated. 

I was in the good company of Ian on Thursday, and gained a couple of hours therapy in Holme Wood, albeit from a birding point of view, the theme of the day seemed to be 'that's another one that got away', with lots of movement seen in and around the fully leaved canopy, but ended in birds disappearing from view.

But the air was full of woodland birdsong, including multiple Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, and Blackcap a male of which gave good if brief views.

Willow Warbler Grisedale Brook. Pete Woodruff.

I reckon this Willow Warbler escaped the talons of a Sparrowhawk, which flew like a rocket within a few metres of me at waist level, and disappeared into the depths of the gorse bush. I took this photo of the Willow Warbler about 10 seconds later, when it went to perch atop of the gorse.  

A Cuckoo called unseen, but sounded to come from the moorland edge east of Grisedale Bridge.

  

On the way back to Lancaster, we called in to Birk Bank, to find Red Grouse with at least 9 chicks. And at the bog, with the weather being reasonable, there was a mass emergence and 12 Large Red Damselflies were seen as six pairs coupled, also a Green Hairstreak and Holly Blue seen.

Birding....Never fails to produce at least a little interest and lots of therapy.

A Summary Of Conder News.

The latest on Conder Pool, is that the Little Ringed Plovers are a chick down from four to three. There have also been Avocet losses, but the site has been very productive so far, with 11 chicks on Conder Pool, and at least 7 on the River Conder, making a healthy number of 18 chicks in total so far to date.

Upland Birding.

A positively excellent 5 hours plus in the area Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge, during which time I noted 21 species, being an average count here....This is upland birding.

Spotted Flycatcher.

It was the perfect start for me, when just five minutes out of the motor at Marshaw, I saw the first of 5 Spotted Flycatcher on the day, it was followed by two in the Tower Lodge area, and one - possibly two - east of Trough Bridge. 

Just a few minutes later, I saw the first of only 2 Common Sandpiper to be seen on the Marshaw Wyre. Last year I found 7 Common Sandpiper including young, but this was a month on from today on 15 June, so watch this space.

A few Sand Martin seen, including interest being shown at this bank by the Marshaw Wyre just east of Marshaw. I counted no more than 6 House Martin around Tower Lodge.

 

Grey Wagtail 17 May. Pete Woodruff.

The 6 Grey Wagtail seen included this pair nesting in a vent at the lodge. The kindly and understanding estate employee I spoke to told me the plan was to seal the vent, but it was on hold until the birds had left, he had no idea they were Grey Wagtail until I told him.

My other notes included the surprise find of a female Goosander on the Marshaw Wyre, at least 12 Willow Warbler mainly heard, 9 Mistle Thrush, 8 Curlew behaving like breeders, 6 Robin, 5 Wren, 2 Nuthatch, and 2 Meadow Pipit.

Pied Flycatcher.

Pied Flycatcher 17 May. Pete Woodruff.

My search resulted in finding 8 Pied Flycatcher, a male was at Marshaw, a pair and a male at Tower Lodge, a male east of the lodge, and a pair and a male east of Trough Bridge. These sightings had confirmation of breeding at two sites, and with lone males seen without females being on the nest, I concluded that there are probably six pairs of Pied Flycatcher in this area of Bowland. 

The day came to an interesting end as it had started, when I spotted from a moving car, a stunning male Stonechat on a fencepost near Jubilee Tower. And calling in to the bog at Birk Bank, in the hope I might find my first Large Red Damselfly on the boardwalk.

Large Red Damselfly 17 May. Pete Woodruff.

Whilst looking for the damselfly, I saw the Tree Wasp digesting wood for nest construction.

Tree Wasp Birk Bank 17 May. Pete Woodruff.

Conder News.

On Conder Pool, 4 Little Ringed Plover chicks this morning 18 May.

Godwits Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the image of the Bar-tailed Godwits with Black-tailed Godwits.  A first for Conder Pool, with one bird in advanced breeding plumage.

Also thanks to Martin Jump for his Dipper at the nest feeding young. The bird in my header, but disappointingly saw none on my visit to Bowland yesterday. 

Weather Permitting!

I've not had a days birding since Thursday 5 May, and it hurts for me to have to say that I'm in danger of suffering from a bout of depression. 

But hey....Wildlife always has something to interest, and one of a few events this week for me, was a couple of visits to check out the cemetery Nuthatch nesting in the Cypress tree. The video shows, first the female enters the nest hole, and doesn't emerge, the male then visits the hole, it doesn't appear to have food to offer the female, but something white shows at the nest hole, there's no exchange, and the object in the females bill disappears back into the hole with what appears to be a fecal sac....See for yourself. 

View videos Full Screen

Lancaster Swifts.

I saw my first 2 Swift yesterday 14 May high over our Bowerham garden. At least 8 Swift were in the Fairfield area where they breed annually, and I spotted 2 Swift from a moving car over Ashton Road.

Garstang House Martins.

To follow finding Tree Sparrows nesting on 9 April, there was another pleasant surprise for me at Garstang yesterday, when I found 6 House Martins with nests and one under construction, under the eaves of business property behind Booths in the town centre. 

Garden Bees.

Common Carder Bee in the garden performing acrobatic skills on Water Avens.

White-Tailed Bumblebee performing and briefly dangling from Aquilegia in the garden.

The next few days may see me avoiding any depression from lack of birding....Weather permitting.

Edit.

Not wanting to hide behind my errors....I was grateful to an admin at BWARS for the correction to the bottom video in the post, which I claimed to be White-Tailed Bumblebee Bombus lucorum which is how I have decided to leave it in the title above. It is in fact a Small Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum.

The Birds And Bee.

Four healthy Avocet chicks emerged from the nest on Conder Pool Thursday morning, they were surviving into their third day on Saturday. 

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the excellent footage he sent me....View the videos Full Screen.

I made no total counts on this visit, but note there are several Avocet on nests. Also noted, 4 Common Tern, 2 Little Ringed Plover, and a Common Sandpiper which obliged and came feeding close by.

At least 250 Knot and 52 Black-tailed Godwit were in the creeks with 2 Greenshank. On a wander round the circuit, singing Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting upstream from the road bridge, 4 Greenfinch in trees by the Stork Inn. Hirundine numbers generally appear low to date, but 8 Swallow were around Conder Green Farm, and 2 House Martin had arrived back at River Winds, with 2 Chiffchaff at the picnic area. In the field by Saltcote Brow at the north end of Jeremy Lane, 3 Wheatear.

My visit to Cockersand was never going to be called eventful today, but a healthy number of Lapwing on territory, look set to have a good year here. For the first time in my records, I've seen no agricultural activity recently, and not a tractor in sight....yet! 

My only other notes were, a White Wagtail with Pied Wagtail on the spoil heap by Lighthouse Cottage, with a pair of Reed Bunting seen, and the lone Whimbrel in my header and the video below, on the ebbing tide at Plover Scar.

Satellite Doves.

The Collared Doves decided to nest on the bracket behind the satellite dish on our neighbours house, the two young were roosting there last evening.

And Finally....The Bee.

Bombus pascuorum. Pete Woodruff.

This queen Common Carder-Bee spent a little time on Water Avens by the pond in our garden. 

The Hat Trick!

Waders continue to give a good show at Conder Green, with up to 250 Knot hanging on there, and 80 Black-tailed Godwit in the creeks.

 

At one point on Conder Pool, 7 Common Tern were present in the morning, and my best of several counts was 17 Avocet. A Little Grebe was in breeding plumage, 2 Greenshank, a Little Ringed Plover, and a Tree Sparrow was in the hedge by the viewing platform. The lone Pink-footed Goose remains here. New blood was in the form of Greylags with 7 goslings still surviving, a pair of Mallard have 11 chicks, and the Canada Goose has at least one chick in the nest on the small island.

In a recently ploughed field at the north end of Jeremy Lane, 8 White Wagtail and 6 Wheatear. 

There was an obvious fall of Whinchat yesterday, birds have been seen at several locations recently, with 11 and 8 reported on two websites, and including my third stunning male Whinchat in eight days, this one at Bank Houses....Not an Oscar Best Film nominee, but good enough for my records.

Around Bank Houses and Abbey Farm, a few more Swallow than of late, also plenty of Skylark with their incessant rolling whistling song-flight. Listening carefully, you might hear the occasional imitations of Swallow and even Green Sandpiper in the variation of the Skylarks song. A lone Tree Sparrow was the first I've seen at Cockersand in 5 months. Butterflies of note, 3 Green-veined White.

Good 'Start' To A Good Day!

Friday got off to a good start for me, when, enroute to Harrisend for end of April chats. I found a pair of Redstart, obviously breeding in the trunk of an Ash....Watch this space.

In the tree next to the Ash, a pair of Lesser Redpoll, with a Mistle Thrush close by. 

Andrena cineraria Pete Woodruff.

A small aggregation of Ashy Mining Bee were on the dry sandy path, from where I found them emerged from their burrows. A robust and distinctive mining-bee, unlike any other species in Lancashire with its ashy-grey appearance.

On to Harrisend where I found 6 Stonechat, seen as a pair and four male. Whilst I gave all the male birds a few minutes to see any females, I can't record as such, but I reckon there are five breeding pairs on Harrisend to date.

But better was to come, following one at Cockersand last Tuesday, I came across another stunning male Whinchat which was still around the same fence post on my return two hours later....A bit of Harrisend magic this time.

A Cuckoo was calling frequently whilst I was on Harrisend, it was in the Nicky Nook area, from where I hear the bird near annually. Also noted here, 34 Meadow Pipit, 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Wren, a pair of Linnet, a single Red Grouse, and 2 Buzzard soaring overhead with periods of interaction. Butterflies seen, 3 Peacock and 2 Green Hairstreak. 

On Hawthornthwaite, I found 3 Stonechat, a pair and a lone female. Also, at least 20 Sand Martin flighting around Catshaw Grieve, 16 Greylag flew low and east, 12 Meadow Pipit, 2 Wren, 2 Red Grouse, and 2 Buzzard. Butterflies, 4 Peacock, and a Brown Hare seen.

Garden Siskins.

A pair of Siskin enjoying the offerings of our feeder.

No aplogise for the repeat in my header, at least a slightly better pik than the Cockersand Whinchat.

News From The Pool.

Avocet colour flagged 6V, is one of last years back on Conder Pool. 

   

This Sunday morning, 5 Common Tern were on Conder Pool, with this pair displaying. If I was this female tern, I would be well pleased with this excellent offering.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for images and updates on this excellent news for Conder Pool.