Invading AC's Territory For Starters!

I messaged AC on Monday morning to ask if he was on territory at Bank End today, he replied he was and off I went to meet up.

It's quite an easy task to find and observe the birds at Bank End, all you have to do is to check out the sheep on the marsh, though that's a task in itself as there are a quite a few of'em. But having spent a pleasant hour here, I racked up 8 Yellow Wagtail, all entered in the book as juvenile, none being close enough to be noted as female, and certainly not a male in sight.

Worthy of note, AC recorded 10 Yellow Wagtail at Bank End yesterday Tuesday 22 July, seen as  a stunning male, 2 female and 7 juvenile. 

I went off to pay my first of two visits to Conder Pool, to find 16 Common Tern, including juveniles, one of which was exercising its wings lifting itself a few inches of the ground with every flap. Avocet seen were one adult and the juvenile marked C6. Also 4 Greenshank, a Common Sandpiper, and 2 Little Grebe. But the mega triple surprise was 1) the sight of a pair of Little Ringed Plover 2) accompanied by 2 chicks no more than a few says old, and 3) the report of a juvenile seen on Conder Pool recently....Well, work that one out if you can!

On the Lune Estuary, another 16 Common Tern here, brought the total on the day to 32 Common Tern estuary and pool. 

The count on the estuary included an adult with juvenile, the adult had a yellowish ring bleached to near white on the left leg, metal on the right. Also noted, 5 Mediterranean Gull, a Greenshank, and 2 Avocet adult. 

On a short walk along the canal towpath, an Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, and a Sedge Warbler.

Brown Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

On Saltcote Pond a Brown Hawker, in my experience the species doesn't readily settle very often, though this male did oblige if briefly. A female Broad-bodied Chaser went to oviposit briefly, also 5 Common Blue Damselfly and a Speckled Wood butterfly.

Thanks to Paul Ellis for the header image. I struggled to find one, I've never taken a photograph of Yellow Wagtail in my life. 

An Excellent Afternoon On The Bog!

Yes, I know the title of this post is a little crass, but truth is, a) it actually was 'an excellent afternoon' and, b) I actually was 'on the bog' at Birk Bank. 

To be honest, the best bit of news from my visit here on Wednesday, is that despite many doubters including myself, I can now confirm the Common Lizard is alive and well and lives around the bog after all, albeit that I got just the briefest of glimpse as the tail end of one disappeared off the boardwalk and into the bog.

However, Ian Preston did get excellent views of a Common Lizard, hence it is my header image as a testament to the sighting....Thanks and much appreciated Ian.

 

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank 16 July. Pete Woodruff.

My records read, at least 4 Keeled Skimmer male seen, although I had several sightings, I never saw more than four together at any one time.

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank 16 July. Pete Woodruff.

Two Golden-ringed Dragonfly obliged perfectly, patrolling along the ditch towards me on the boardwalk, to return back along the ditch, then to repeat the behavior several times to my delight.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly Male Birk Bank 16 July. Pete Woodruff.

The second Golden-ringed Dragonfly sighting was of a female which was later seen egg laying.

Broad-bodied Chaser Female. Pete Woodruff.

A Broad-bodied Chaser female - not the one above - was egg laying, with 5 Common Blue Damselfly and 2 Common Darter male both on the boardwalk.

But what took the biscuit, was one of the 2 Emperor Dragonfly seen, a male which flew the length of the boardwalk barely 3 metres out on the bog from me....Magic!

Bombus monticola Ottergear Bridge 16 July. Pete Woodruff.

I walked to Ottergear Bridge to find my target, a Bilberry Bumblebee. The resulting image was terrible, but who cares if you're going to find one these little beauties.

En route to Ottergear Bridge, a pair of Stonechat were the only birds to qualify for the little black book.

Garden Magic.

Small Skipper. Gary Coulburn.

There was more magic in our garden this week, when a Small Skipper was seen as a first here, also a lovely Holly Blue yesterday....Thanks to Gary for the excellent image.

Conder Pool.

I'm in receipt of some good news from Conder Pool, and some rather impressive images in the inbox again.

Avocet C6 Conder Pool. Howard Stockdale.

The news from Conder Pool, was that the last of the fledged Avocets has been ringed. This is good news tinged with sadness, in that it is one of just five to survive from the predation inflicted upon the birds of Conder Pool this year. 

But more good news, is that I understand the Little Ringed Plovers have nested again. This is their fifth brood which has now reached the two chicks out of the nest stage, and unless I'm well out of date with my stats this is quite amazing. The Little Ringed Plover is known to be double-brooded in the south, and single brooded in the north of it's range.

Thanks again to Howard Stockdale for updates and photographs from Conder Pool.

Picture Gallery.

More images from my inbox. 

Little Owl. Martin Jump.

Martin Jump has been doing a series on the Little Owl recently and has come up with some excellent results including this one coming in to land.

The Spectacle. Ian Mitchell.

Ian Mitchell has been seeing some brilliant moths recently, including this remarkable and appropriately named moth with specs.

Erratum.

In my writing about the Little Ringed Plovers under the heading 'Conder Pool' where the piece reads....'This is their fifth brood'....this is misleading and not up to my usual high standard in the use of the English language, and should read 'This is their fifth attempt'....Whoooops! 

Lots Of Interest....Pool And Estuary.

Managed a pleasant sortie to Conder Pool and the Lune Estuary around and after high tide, where my records of the birds I noted can only be taken as totals of the species on the day, as they were present at both locations, many having left Conder Pool for the estuary during my visit at high tide.

I paid two visits to Conder Pool, at 11.30 and returned there at 3.30, the combined sightings were, 12 Common Tern, with 6 chicks on the platform, adults still sitting, and some coming and going to the river to feed young and fledged juveniles, two of which were noted as blue ringed 418/424. 

I made a count of 26 Avocet, and saw just one juvenile which wasn't going to pose for me, and was preening all the time I was filming.

Six Mediterranean Gull, included an adult and 1st summer on the island to the right from the screen. Also, a male Ruff, 9 Greenshank, a lone Black-tailed Godwit in splendid breeding plumage, c.150 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, and 2 Dunlin which were seen as non breeders/early returners?

On the Lune Estuary, it was a treat to see adult Common Terns and 5 juveniles, one of which was being fed small fry by the adult. Four Mediterranean Gull were on the shore below Colloway Marsh, and 6 Avocet were by the Conder mouth. But the biggest surprise here today, had to be the adult Whooper Swan around a tidal pool below Waterloo Cottage. I don't recall ever seeing a summer Whooper Swan before.

On a short wander along the canal towpath, 2 Chiffchaff, a Song Thrush, Mute Swans with 9 cygnets, and a brief Emperor Dragonfly.

Blue-tailed Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

At Saltcote Pond, modest numbers of 8 Blue-tailed Damselfly, including a female of the colour form infuscans, and 3 Common Blue Damselfly.

Blue-tailed Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Butterfly numbers were also modest, although up to 35 Large White was a decent count, with 5 Gatekeeper, 4 Ringlet, 2 Speckled Wood, a lone Meadow Brown brought up the rear.

Swift.

Given the sparsity of my hirundine sightings so far this year, at least 20 Swift over Fairfield was notable, as were 4 Swift over Bowerham in the south of Lancaster, and a Comma in the garden was a welcome sight too.

Saturday 12 July.

A peasant walk south along the canal towpath and into Garstang, produced 6 Emperor Dragonflies, 6 Brown Hawker, a pair of Common Blue Damselfly in tandem, and a lone Blue-tailed Damselfly.  

Picture Gallery.

In receipt of another two excellent images which I'm obliged to share on B2B....

Banded Demoiselle. Martin Jump.

Martin's Banded Demoiselle impersonating a helicopter....my thoughts anyway!

Large Yellow Underwing. Ian Mitchell.

And Ian's Large Yellow Underwing impersonating a Lancaster Bomber....my thoughts anyway!

Much respect for these two photographers, the images must have been difficult to achieve to this level.

Better Late Than Never!

It wasn't looking good for a post on B2B this week, that was until I received some excellent images in my inbox which prompted the title of my post.

I've not been birding since Wednesday 25 June, that's for different reasons, not least of which is the weather, and more to the point, at the moment it's not looking good that I'll get out any time soon....But let's bury that one.

Howard Stockdale.

I received an excellent illustrated update for Conder Pool....

After the disasterous and upsetting year which the birds of Conder Pool have suffered, it was pure delight for me to see this image of the juvenile, fledged and begging to the parent bird....

Two for the price of one, with siblings attended to by the adult....Magic.

I'm not entitled to publish details and numbers, but as I have indicated previously, the birds of Conder Pool have had a disasterous year, including Common Tern chicks lost from the platform. I am also aware the Little Ringed Plover were also unsuccessful with four attempts lost to predation, and I know I'm not alone in my thoughts, that this is an upsetting reality.

On the positive, recently there has been an inflow of immature birds prospecting Conder Pool. Perhaps Arctic, Little, and Black Terns may show here again as they did last year....here's hoping. 

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for keeping me posted with news and images on Conder Pool.

Ian Mitchell.

More in the inbox, were some moths....

The Burnished Brass is a common moth throughout the UK, but no less spectacular for that. It has areas of metallic colouring on it's forewings.

Another 'two for the price of one' image, this time a pair of Buff Arches. Some colours about this moth are, smooth grey with white and russet brown, make this for me, one of the prettiest of our moths.

Thanks Ian, much appreciated, and keep'em cumin!

Martin Jump.

Martin has been sending many hours around the Sand Martins, and also experimenting with macro photography. 

This picture is particularly special to me, in that the birds right wing tip just skims the water with some precise timing.

A brilliant macro image of one of the Colletes-Plasterer Bees.

I'm grateful for these, thanks Martin.

And Finally....

An image of my own, with two of the seventeen Mediterranean Gulls on Conder Pool 25 June. This male was posing in a display to the female, or was it a female posing to the male!

In The Garden.

It's been good to see a juvenile of, Blackbird, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit, and 4 Swift high overhead one evening. Also at least 3 Red Admiral and 2 Comma.

We have also had a couple of interesting wasps....

Ectemnius sp

This species of solitary wasp is difficult to ID without close inspection.

Greater Pennant Wasp

This one....I couldn't decide whether it was something out of Star Wars, or a visitor from Mars!