Bird's, Butter's, And Dragon's.

Some of the most pleasant and rewarding birding I've had for some time yesterday, not least because at Bank End I met and had the good company of Andrew 'Wagtail' Cornall. 

Walking a short stretch along the sea wall towards Cockersand we found 5 Clouded Yellow flighting and pausing briefly on the marsh, a stunning migratory butterfly. Other butterflies seen along the stretch, 6 Painted Lady, 7 Red Admiral, and conveniently round figure estimates of 50 Small Tortoiseshell, 30 Large White, and 10 Common Blue. 

Along with AC, I also enjoyed the sight of 5 Yellow Wagtail on the marsh amongst the sheep, an adult Mediterranean Gull flying inland from the Cocker Estuary, and 3 Buzzard soaring overhead, seen as two together and a single bird.

I then paid a visit to Conder Pool to count 18 Greenshank, just one short of my all time peak count of 19 on 20 August last year, also an adult Mediterranean Gull was with Black-headed Gulls, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, a Common Sandpiper, 10 Little Grebe, and five sightings in as many minutes of 2 - possibly three - Kingfisher. Also seen, 5 Wigeon were on Conder Pool....Is it really that time of year.

A wander to Saltcote Pond to see a Migrant Hawker, Blue-tailed Damselfly, and Common Darter, then along the canal towpath Glasson-Conder Green, a distance of little more than 1/2 mile to count 21 Migrant Hawker in 45 minutes, 6 Brown Hawker, 2 Emperor Dragonfly, and 2 Common Darter. Butterflies, 5 Speckled Wood and a Red Admiral....And a good time was had by all!

The Clouded Yellow.

The Clouded Yellow is a migrant visitor to the UK, it originates from Africa and Southern Europe, and varies in number year to year. In the extreme, in 1947, an estimated 36,000 of this stunning creature appeared in this country, and in fact in more recent years, there has been evidence of the species successfully over-wintering in the south of England, though the majority of Clouded Yellows perish in the UK winters....The individuals I saw yesterday were the most vibrant yellow I've ever seen. 

Dragons....And Some Other Interest.

I was off to Birk Bank on Friday, to find the barrier down and the traditional notice posted to let us know gunslingers were out and about. 

Ignoring the notice, I went under the barrier and on to the track to the bog to try to establish the state of play on the dragonfly front heading towards the end of August. To be honest, I thought perhaps the Four-spotted Chaser and Golden-ringed Dragonfly would be things of the past for another year, though last year I found one of the latter here on the very same date as this visit on 26 August, quite late for this species.

Keeled Skimmer Male. Pete Woodruff.

Today, I was pleased to find 2 Keeled Skimmer male, one of which I noted as a bright pruinose individual, this brought about the comment from a contact, of a feeling we now have a healthy population established at Birk Bank.

Black Darter Male/Female. Pete Woodruff.

The darters don't make accurate counting easy, they were most obliging coming to rest on the boardwalk during the time spent there, so for the several sightings of the species, my records read 'at least', 4 Black Darter male and a female. Also seen, 8 Common Darter male, and a female.

  

Common Darter Male. Pete Woodruff.

Other Interest.

One of the reliably seen Common Lizard was at rest on the boardwalk at Birk Bank, it barely moved for a couple of hours until it eventually disappeared.

Common Lizard. Pete Woodruff.

Mesembrina meridian. Pete Woodruff.

Easily recognised by its black body and yellow wing bases, I thought the Noon Fly was a cool looking creature basking on the boardwalk.

 
Harmonia axyridis. Pete Woodruff.

In the garden yesterday and initially had me guessing, Harlequin Ladybird larva.

Conder Pool 2022.

I'm not at liberty to publish numbers of breeding at Conder Pool, but I'm aware of excellent results for the Common Tern, by far the best year ever. Also successes for waders, Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, and Redshank.

Kittewake. Howard Stockdale.

There has also recently been some excellent goodies on and around the pool, with this Kittewake juvenile in the creeks 21 August, to follow 3 Black Tern juvenile 19 August, all preceded by the Temminck's Stint just sneaking in at the end of July to keep birders from near and far very happy for a few days during early August....Conder Pool Rules OK!     

Little Success...Big Disappointments.

In a week with perfect weather, I was off to check out Birk Bank bog and surroundings. But, bearing in mind the successes of recent sorties here and there, five hours later I came away from the area with little success and big disappointments.

Dealing with the disappointments first, given the conditions of calm hot sunny weather, I've not seen Four-spotted Chaser over or on the bog since 15 were seen on 16 June. I've also yet to see Black-tailed Skimmer or Black Darter here this year, and that's three species certain to be found around the bog at Birk Bank*

Dragons2blog....But not that many! 

To lift the visit to the bog out of total disappointment, I did see 4 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 2 Keeled Skimmer male, 8 Common Darter all males, a Common Hawker and a Migrant Hawker. 

The Migrant Hawker was seen as a species that avoids acidic water, but tolerates brackish water. It can be found anywhere on migration which reaches its peak during the first half of September. My records in 2021 show a total of 90 Migrant Hawker seen in two trawls along the canal towpath, 43 Glasson-Conder Green 15 September, 47 Conder Green-Galgate 20 September. Both these records fit in nicely with the peak migration of Migrant Hawker in mid-September.

Keeled Skimmer Ottergear Bridge. Pete Woodruff.

A wander to Ottergear Bridge had me finding 2 Keeled Skimmer male again this year on the west side of the bridge. On the grit track to Cragg Wood, 2 Common Darter female and a Common Blue Damselfly.

Stonechat Birk Bank. Ian Mitchell. 

A pair of Stonechat with a young were east of the car park on Rigg Lane, and a juvenile Robin seen from the footpath as I came away from the bog. Butterflies, 6 Red Admiral, 2 Small Copper, 2 Meadow Brown, and a Speckled Wood.

Sundew Drosera rotundifolia. Pete Woodruff. 

A recent star find goes to the Sundew. A plant which carries the symbol indicating the need for protection, and which Charles Darwen once wrote in a letter in 1860....'at the present moment, I care more about Drosera than the origin of all the species in the world'.

Black Darter bog boardwalk (Archive Image) Pete Woodruff.

* In relation to my lack of sightings this week at Birk Bank in mid-August, some notes on flight periods of three species in Lancashire which may go some way to explain reasons for the disappointment.

Four-spotted Chaser....The first large dragonfly to appear in spring, and the earliest to disappear in autumn, falling rapidly in early August.

Black-tailed Skimmer....Appears mid-June, rapidly declining in mid-August.

Black Darter....A late emerging species, beginning during August and gradually reaching a peak in September.

Looks like I may have been too late for the top two species, and too early for the last one....My next visit might throw up some answers on that.

A Little Nostalgia....With Big Surprises.

A walk east along the route known as Millennium Park, a footpath along the old railway line running alongside the River Lune to Caton, brought about some memories for me, and a surprise....Well three actually! 

Mediterranean Gull. Pete Woodruff. 

At the start of my walk by Sainsbury's, an adult Mediterranean Gull was roosting in the muddy shingle on the River Lune. The store stands on the land where the old Green Ayre railway station and locomotive shed stood, where at the tender age of 16 - not long after T.rex became extinct - I stepped onto the ladder taking me towards the dream of becoming an engine driver when the traction was steam powered....Halcyon days. 

Banded Demoiselle. Pete Woodruff.

About a mile further along the path, a surprise came as a Banded Demoiselle on a Sycamore, the sighting came as my second of the species by the River Lune, the first equally surprising was at Bull Beck 16 June. 

Leucozona glaucia Pete Woodruff.

Lots of insects on the path side vegetation, included this hoverfly, which I noted for its blue'ish bands. I also counted 25 Large White, 3 Small White, 3 Green-veined White, 2 Red Admiral, and a Holly Blue.

Emerald Damselfly Pair. Pete Woodruff.

Now came the biggest and best surprise....Primarily, the purpose of the walk was to find the Emerald Damselfly which I succeeded in doing. Terrible image, but an excellent record of a pair in tandem. Then to follow as a close second best, a female Southern Hawker, followed later by a female Emperor Dragonfly oviposting on three ocassions.

Blue-tailed Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

 

Also seen, a female Blue-tailed Damselfly form rufescens-obsoleta, 3 Brown Hawker, 6 Common Blue Damselfly, and 4 Common Darter including a pair in tandem.

Returning to Lancaster via the canal, 6 Emperor Dragonfly included a female ovipositing on the opposite side of the canal. Not the most glamorous section of the canal with debris floating, but a good record video. Also 2 Common Darter seen.

Emerald Damselfly.

Emerald Damselfly Male. Marc Heath.

With the exception of the rare Red-eyed Damselfly, the Emerald Damselfly is the least widespread of Lancashire's breeding damselflies, where it is strictly a still and shallow-water species, with extensive emergent and marginal vegetation. 

The Emerald Damselfly is absent from much of the Fylde and North Lancashire, and essentially absent from the whole of Bowland. When you can find the report of a peak count like 310 Emerald Damselflies on in-bye field ponds near Belmont in August 2012, I feel blessed to have seen one at all in our area....The Damselflies of Lancashire and North Merseyside. Steve White and Philip Smith 2015 

Thanks to Howard for his header image of the current local star bird at Conder Green.  

Butterfly Bonanza....

But first....Steve Graham and myself entered the world of twitchers at Conder Green where we went on the circuit and relocated the Temminck's Stint in the creeks below River Winds. A smart little adult stint still wearing some brown, buff and grey mottled breeding plumage.

Med Gulls Conder Pool 1 August. Silent Video

Some other casual records included, at least 8 Mediterranean Gull on Conder Pool, also uncounted Avocet including 4 young seen in the creeks, 12 Greenshank was a good count, as was 11 Little Grebe , both seen as current peak counts. It was also good to see 2 Common Tern juvenile with uncounted adults, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Common Sandpiper, and up to 40 House Martin seen lingering around River Winds.

Butterfly Bonanza.

The butterfly bonanza soon took off when we came to the canal towpath at The Mill at Conder Green to walk the section of the canal to Galgate. The results from the walk, was to log an impressive 51 Gatekeeper, followed at the top of the list by 40 Meadow Brown. Runners up consisted of 13 Green-veined White, the 7 Red Admiral and 5 Painted Lady seen, were all noted to be very fresh. Also 5 Small Tortoiseshell, 4 Small White, 3 Holly Blue, and 2 Peacock.

Large Skipper. Pete Woodruff.

I didn't ask Steve for comments, but personally thought just one Large Skipper, a Large White and Speckled Wood, came as surprising and disappointing low numbers, and included no Ringlet or Small Skipper seen.

Odonata sightings came in fine style, when we stepped on to the towpath at the lock by The Mill we found our first five of 13 Banded Demoiselle at four locations, they were seen as 9 male and 4 female. An excellent count of 13 Emperor Dragonfly and 10 Brown Hawker.

Shaded Broad-bar. Pete Woodruff.

Moths seen, 3 Shaded Broad-bar and 6 Silver Y, also up to 40 Red-tailed Bumblebee were seen along the way. A Buzzard and 2 Raven were all seen a little distance to the north, and a Kingfisher seen briefly as it rounded the corner and lost to view on the canal at Galgate.

Thanks to Ian once again, for the excellent header shot of the equally excellent Small Copper, as one of the species not seen at Mondays Butterfly Bonanza.

Postscript.

Gatekeeper on Regale Lily. Pete Woodruff.

After finding 51 Gatekeeper on Monday, our first one ever in the garden paid a visit this afternoon.