BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND.................................................................................FOUR-SPOTTED CHASER PETE WOODRUFF

Sunday, 18 May 2025

Along The Canal And On The Bog!

Conder Green- Galgate.

Based on my experience with the 'early'ish' Banded Demoiselle at Bull Beck last Monday, I decided to do the canal walk Conder Green-Galgate which is where I found 16 Banded Demoiselle on a section of the canal on 14 August last year.

But there was no repeat surprise this time, as I found just 4 Banded Demoiselle, seen as three male and a female, all singletons at three locations along the towpath. Other odonata sightings were a little sparse, with 5 Common Blue, 3 Large Red, 2 Blue-tailed Damselfly, and 3 Common Darter male.

Butterflies were also sparse, with 6 Orange Tip, 2 Green-veined White, and a Peacock seen. Birds finding their way into the little black book, 2 Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, a Song Thrush, and a female Mallard with 12 ducklings. I saw just a lone Swallow in the 3 hours on the towpath....Where are all the Swallows!

Birk Bank.

On Friday, it was a must that I visit the bog to see if there was any life there. I wasn't disappointed, but neither was I ecstatic about what I saw. There was no more than 3 species of dragonflies, with a total of 20 individuals seen.

Broad-bodied Chaser. Pete Woodruff.

There was plenty of activity amongst 4 Broad-bodied Chaser including a female, at least 6 Four-spotted Chaser, and 10 Large Red Damselfly. Butterflies seen, 6 Small Heath, 2 Green Hairstreak, and a Common Heath moth.

Green Hairstreak. Pete Woodruff.

Common Heath. Pete Woodruff.

Birds seen, the Willow Warbler has quietened down now they are busy with established territory and breeding, with 18 males heard, 4 Linnet, 2 Mistle Thrush, a Buzzard over, and a male Stonechat on guard duty around a nest site.

Red-legged Shieldbug. Pete Woodruff.

I was pleased to find this Pentatoma rufipes nymph. Following its next moult, it will become a large brown Shieldbug charecterised by its distinctly red legs. It was in the shade on an Oak Tree, hence the dark picture.

Birk Bank Bog.

I remain unimpressed by the current state of the bog which - to make matters worse - is heading towards drought conditions.


This photograph shows the only water on the bog which will become little more than a damp area in the coming weeks until it rains. The area to the left corner of the boardwalk, is where Keeled Skimmer could be seen patrolling the runnels which are no longer there, and where I watched a Golden-ringed Dragonfly ovipositing last year. As I see it, I don't think we will be seeing any results from the efforts by that dragonfly.


This is the view across the center of the bog. From this viewpoint I observed an Emperor Dragonfly over a pool on several ocassions last year. You can see, that ramblers have created a path over what was the bog, as a shortcut to join the track to Clougha.

Worth Noting....The Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator is not generally known to be found on upland habitat in Bowland, but I have had records accepted at Hawthornthwaite and Birk Bank in 2024. 

Wednesday, 14 May 2025

Banded Beauties And Others!

On Monday we visited our daughter who lives in an area that includes the beautiful Lune Valley. As an interlude, I decided to use the visit as an opportunity to spend a couple of hours around the River Lune at Bull Beck, a decision which turned out to be quite rewarding.

Coming off the footpath, going down to the track running east and above the riverbank, I soon saw something blue resembling a butterfly in flight and instantly recognisable. Walking on about 50 metres, within a few minutes I had counted at least 16 Banded Demoiselle, and managed to get a couple of shots of a female, but had no success with the males.


But there was never going to be any disappointment here. After all, who could wish for more, when you can film a female Banded Demoiselle, whilst a Garden Warbler sings in your ear....Magic!

Other sightings on a circuit of the area including a length of the river, an estimate of Sand Martin probably reached three figures, a Common Sandpiper seen flying upstream, and a Little Egret dropped in. From the footpath, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, a Garden Warbler, Treecreeper, Dunnock, and 2 Swift over Brookhouse.

Butterflies of note, 14 Orange Tip, 3 Speckled Wood, a Red Admiral, and Peacock

Stonechat.

I now have two more breeding records with photographic evidence. 

Stonechat. Howard Stockdale.

Thanks to Howard for his image of the young Stonechat having just been fed the snack of a Red Soldier Beetle.

Stonechats. Ian Mitchell.

Thanks to Ian for his image of an adult Stonechat with young, with evidence there are three breeding pairs at this location in Bowland.

Sunday, 11 May 2025

Bowland....Negatives And Positives.

Negatives.

Lets get rid of the negatives first....Over the 5 hours spent in the Tower Lodge and surrounding area this week, I counted 12 nest boxes and found no life at or around any of them, not a single Pied Flycatcher in sight. No Redstart, and nDipper seen on the Marshaw Wyre. My records also read, no House Martin at Tower Lodge for the second year running, and no Cuckoo

Last year I had 3 Cuckoo seen together at Marshaw on 12 June, and observed interaction between the birds. Two hours later I heard 2 Cuckoos calling in the Tower Lodge area but couldn't rule out duplication. 

But it was a pleasing sight to chance upon a male Pied Flycatcher emerging from a natural nest hole rather than a box, though despite my hanging around a few minutes it didn't return. 

Positives.

Now the good stuff....I had a count of 24 species, just about an average count for the area on a spring day. Pride of place for top spot were 2 Spotted Flycatcher which were seen as a pair, and quite an early date for these birds to be here, and already on territory when all others of the species are only being reported in recent days on passage.

Spotted Flycatcher. Pete Woodruff.

But todays two doesn't match the number of 12 Spotted Flycatcher found here 7 years ago in June 2018, when the Tower Lodge area was leading the way as the top spot for the Spotted Flycatcher in our recording area, but hasn't done so since.

Running a close 2nd place were up to 16 Crossbill, they exploded out of the tree as a heavy goods vehicle thundered by, they flew off with their characteristic and explosive 'chip-chip' flight call, the ground at the base of the tree was littered with pine cones.

There was a healthy number of Sand Martin at Marshaw, with House Martin and Swallow around the farm. Other notes on the day, 4 Common Sandpiper might amount to three breeding pairs by the time of my next visit, 5 Grey Wagtail were not particularly exciting in such small number, up to 6 Willow Warbler, a Goldcrest, 5 Mistle Thrush included a recently fledged young, a Song Thrush, and a lone Redpoll.

Butterflies.

A pitiful four individuals, best of which was a Small Copper, with 2 Green-veined White and an Orange Tip.

On my way back to Lancaster, I called in at Stoops Bridge, to find 3 Blackcap, all singing males....Pump up the volume!

Garden Interest.

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Not at all the least interesting was a Large Red Damselfly found near our small urban garden pond, also a Green-veined White, and a Sparrowhawk over. 

Light Brown Apple Moth. Pete Woodruff.

Another nice surprise was the Light Brown Apple MothThe origins of this moth is Australia, probably accidentally introduced into Cornwall in the 1930's. Today it can be found regularly in many parts of the country.

From The Archives.

Wall Brown. Pete Woodruff.

Looking through my older files I found this image of a Wall Brown. It is the last record of the species, seen at Cockers Dyke 8 years ago August 2017.

My thanks to Simon Hawtin for the header image of the brilliant male Crossbill. 

Sunday, 4 May 2025

Pleasing Rewards Around The Local!

The best counts I came up with on Conder Pool Thursday was 10 Common Tern, but the peak count here to date has been fifteen. My best count was of 13 Avocet, but I suspect there may be double that number and the breeding stats are encouraging.

Also present 3 Greenshank and 3 Little Ringed Plover, though two pairs are reported breeding, with one pair having already suffered a first brood lost. In the creeks, 42 Black-tailed Godwit seen.

The Cockersand wander was a pleasant and rewarding experience.  

As I set off, no sooner had I passed Bank Houses, a Sedge Warbler was in full song hidden in the hedgerow, a second Sedge Warbler was at Slack Lane, 4 Stock Dove were in a field with up to 70 Carrion Crow and a Buzzard over. 

At the junction of Moss/Slack Lane, I saw a passerine fly out of the field to the vegetation along the ditch, it was soon followed by a second bird to be revealed as a male and female Whinchat. I was reminded of a good year in 2022, when I had records of three Whinchat sightings, two at Cockersand on 26 April and 3 May, and a male at Harrisend on 29 April.

As I arrived at Lighthouse Cottage, 3 Whimbrel were on the shore opposite Crook Cottage, and a pair of Eider were drifting on the tide. At Plover Scar, 2 Sandwich Tern were lingering around the lighthouse, occasionally plunge diving and completely submerged for several seconds.

On Plover Scar at high tide, 220 Dunlin, 15 Oystercatcher, and 4 Ringed Plover. As I approached the abbey, a Wheatear was on the kissing-gate. In the 30 minutes along the coastal path between Lighthouse Cottage and Cockersand CP, I must have seen up to 40 Large White butterflies, with 2 Peacock and Orange Tip.

Picture Gallery.

I'm in receipt of two excellent action photographs from regular visitors to B2B which warrant publicity.

Common Tern. Howard Stockdale.

Howard activated the shutter with split timing to achieve the terns in conflict about who can claim the best corner on which to perch on the raft on Conder Pool.

Mallard vs Avocet. Martin Jump.

Martins image of the Avocet in an attack on the Mallard with ducklings, also needed precision to freeze the action between the wader and the duck.

Scalloped Hazel. Ian Mitchell.

Ian's image is of a variable moth species which can range from brown to almost black, it is fairly common throughout the British Isles.

Giant House Spider. Pete Woodruff.

And I discovered a Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica in the greenhouse.

Thursday, 1 May 2025

Third Time Lucky!

With the good company of Steve Graham, I made my third circuit of the surrounding area of Birk Bank in three weeks, with the perspective two pairs of eyes are better than one.

At the top end of the numbers scale and with song in our ears throughout, at least 50 Willow Warbler was impressive, whilst at the bottom of the scale, 3 Meadow Pipit was to say the least unimpressive, but only added to my list of 18 Meadow Pipit seen in 5 visits to Bowland during the month of April.

Two Cuckoo were heard, one sounded to be around Baines Cragg, the other on the top of Birk Bank, an area where the Cuckoo is annual.  

Throughout the walk between Rigg Lane and Cragg Wood, Bullfinch heard in the car Park and the area around Rushy Lea, I've seen Bullfinch before at both these areas. Other birds seen/heard to reaching Cragg Wood, 6 Blackcap were singing males, a Chiffchaff, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Robin, and Wren, a Buzzard overhead was the only raptor of the day.


At Cragg Wood, a Garden Warbler singing on territory - 100% volume needed to hear the bird in the video - was almost certainly the early bird I found here on 9 April. Also noted here, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch and Swallow.

Along the lower path below Birk Bank, just the one Red Grouse, and 3 Stonechat were seen as a pair and male, having my records to read, possibly 2 pairs of Stonechat breeding this year below Birk Bank, future visits might confirm that.

Butterflies.

A small number of uncounted Orange Tip and Small/Large White, 4 Specked Wood, 3 Green-veined White, 3 Green Hairstreak, and 2 Peacock.

Damselfly.

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Seven Large Red Damselfly were all seen on Bilberry from the path to the bog.


On leaving Birk Bank bog, the day ended with the scarce sighting of a Slow Worm as it disappeared in the undergrowth.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for his excellent image of the Large Red Damselfly.