Spotty In The Spotlight!

It took me about an hour to find the Spotted Redshank in the creeks at Conder Green, finding this bird again was the culmination of a decent haul at Conder Pool on Friday. In the two weeks since I last saw the Spotted Redshank, it has transformed into breeding plumage by half, at this rate it will be in full summer dress in under three weeks. 

Whilst recording some footage of a 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull, I had a lucky break to find when I opened the film on the computer, unknown to me, 2 Little Ringed Plover had come on the scene to make a pleasing little threesome video.

Two Cattle Egret were present but soon flew off, they appeared to have some orange tone, particularly to the crown. Also present were 8 Avocet, a Common Sandpiper and Greenshank, 3 Back-tailed Godwit, up to 250 Redshank, 200 Knot and 2 Stock Dove. Seen from the viewing platform, at least 8 Swallow were flighting around Conder Green Farm, and eventually came over Conder Pool.

A check of the canal basin at Glasson Dock proved little of interest, but a walk to the churchyard at Christ Church found 2 Chiffchaff, one giving good views in the wooded area here.

At Cockersand, 8 Wheatear were in the field by Cockersand Abbey, the same 120 Linnet as seen 26 March were in the field by Lighthouse Cottage, 8 Eider were off Plover Scar, 22 Whooper Swan were the only winter remnants seen lingering distant in fields behind Bank End Farm. I saw just one Small Tortoiseshell on Slack Lane.

Garden Birds.

 

On Friday we had the pleasure of a visit to our garden feeders by a stunning male Siskin, but its rating was reduced to second place by the brief appearance of a Chiffchaff the following day, but it made a return visit 2 hours later to give good views. This is the second garden record, the first being seen Tuesday 20 September 2022. I hadn't realised these bird was found in the garden at opposing ends of the year. 

Good News.

To lift us out of the depression of wet and windy weather we have been enduring....

The first Common Tern of 2024 returned to Heysham Harbour on Friday. An area which has the benefit of being comprehensively monitored....Heysham Bird Observatory

Large Red Damselfly Teneral Female Phil Larkin

The first dragon for North Lancashire was at Brockholes on Thursday, a Large Red Damselfly.

Common Carder Bee. Pete Woodruff.

And I have been finding my first bees, with this Bombus pascuorum on Thursday at Cockersand.