Bring On The Hawkers.

By way of a change, a ride on the bus to Conder Green, and a quick look over the creeks had me find an Avocet still there, with a Common Sandpiper and 2 Black-tailed Godwit. Then on to the canal towpath at The Mill to walk about 3 miles to Galgate to find 58 Migrant Hawker, an excellent count which exceeded the one I made on this stretch of the canal around the same date of 20 September 2021 when I found 47.

Migrant Hawkers. Pete Woodruff.

I had close encounters with some of these dragonflies including this pair, with 4 pairs in aerial mating circles, and a female seen ovipositing in the canal side vegetation. I also observed some interesting behaviour not picked up by me before, when a Migrant Hawker was seen continuously drooping and raising its abdomen in flight. 

Also seen, 10 Common Darter all males, and a stunning black/blue male Common Hawker. Bird notes were, 5 Grey Wagtail seen as two pairs and a singleton, also a mewing Buzzard overhead. Butterflies seen where just 3 Large White and a Green-veined White.

When I got to the canal junction at Galgate, a Grey Heron was preening on the railings....King of the castle lock!

Caddisfly. Pete Woodruff.

With 199 species of Caddisfly in the UK, some difficult to ID. Closely related to Lepidoptera, this individual doesn't go beyond Limnephilus sp in my book....Now I'm catching a bus back to Lancaster.

The winter thrushes are here already, with 6 Redwing reported at Gletsdale, Cumbria, 19 September. 

And Finally....How About This Then