Over the past two years, I've changed direction during the summer months to pay more attention to dragonflies. The change has resulted in my finding what I regard as the best site/s to see good numbers of the Golden-ringed Dragonfly, and the best site to see an expanding colony of Keeled Skimmer.
This change gives the appearance that I've turned my back on Conder Pool, but actually this is not literally true. But what is true, is that I have partially lost contact with a site that has given me endless enjoyment and many rewards over the years, a few examples include a White Winged-Black Tern in August 2003, a Black-necked Grebe 5 years later in August 2008, the following month I found a Common Scoter in October 2008, and two months later, the first Common Sandpiper to winter here in November 2008, through to a Wood Sandpiper being found 9 years later in August 2017.....So I'm 6 years overdue my next goodie on Conder Pool!
Conder Pool doesn't quite look the same today as it did during management work 6 years ago in 2017.
My last post highlighted a large new raft which is in place today and held 10 adult Common Tern including 5 sitting female, and 9 chicks. This number of Common Tern, and others not seen in my observations, represents an ever increasing colony of a species that bred in large numbers on the Lune Estuary saltmarshes, until it collapsed in 2008. A combination of factors was the cause of the collapse, natural predation and erosion of the marshes was always going to be a problem, but not least due to human recreational disturbance which was unnatural, unnecessary, and avoidable.
The Common Tern present on Conder Pool today in 2023, represent a mere fraction of this former estuary colony, but the hope is that all this will change over time. There are some credits due to this, funding by Natural England, the RSPB, and the Environment Agency, have all contributed to this project going forward. Credit has also to be paid to volunteers from the Fylde Bird Club who gave their time freely, also to management and staff at Glasson Marina who have been instrumental in making the project work, supplying salvaged marine pontoons, floats and timbers.
In my opinion, a special thanks should also go to Howard Stockdale, who spends many hours in a week monitoring activity, data collecting for the RSPB, and assisting Ian Hartley (BTO), who does sterling work including ringing the Common Tern and Avocet.
Conder Pool has been a large chunk of my birding over many years, and it's my hope that, through all the funding and labouring by the people involved in this project, Conder Pool is rewarded by a successful return to the former glory of yesteryear regarding a delightful and elegant bird that is the Common Tern.
When I see the recently fledged Common Tern in my header image, I find it exciting and rewarding enough that the colony is slowly being successfully increased to it's former glory by this individual.
Update.
As of yesterday, there is the grand total of 14 Common Tern nests, all active on Conder Pool. The latest I have on the Avocet, 6 are fledged of which 5 are colour marked, 2 more are still to fledge, and 2 are two weeks old.
I'm not surprised to hear that Conder Pool is still important to you, Pete. Even though it has suffered at the hand of mindless dog-walkers and other imbeciles, it seems to be a marvellous place, and hopefully something can be done to protect it more from such intrusions.
ReplyDeleteI was interested to see the original footprint of the area, as that is exactly what it looks like - a footprint!
I'm booked to go for a Golden-ringed fix next week, but it looks as if I might be disappointed as the weather forecast is currently a bit grim - cloudy and windy with frequent showers. Might have to go birding instead!
Best wishes to you and KT - - - Richard
Thanks for your history and information on Conder Pool, interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly looks different today after the work of the last couple of years.
Quick visit last night I was pleased to see the Common Tern chicks all feeding and growing well, I think Ian Pinkerton would approve.
Cheers Ian
Richard....It's the Lune Estuary on the whole that suffers from the 'mindless dog-walkers and other imbeciles' you mention, but your comments are much appreciated. Good luck with your trip for GRD's.
ReplyDeleteIan....It was my intention to dedicate the post to Ian Pinkerton, but I changed my mind in the end.
Thanks Richard/Ian for your continuing support for B2B, it is much appreciated.