My last visit to the bog at Birk Bank on 5 September, brought me to remark that I reckoned it would be the last of the dragonflies to be seen there this year....Well what do you know, I was wrong about that, because my visit there on Thursday produced 4 species of 26 dragons.
Sunday, 28 September 2025
Last Chance Saloon!
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
The Show Goes On.
After an unplanned leave of absence from birding for 13 days, it was good to get back out on Monday to catch up with a few things I've been missing recently, but now the show goes on....
On Conder Pool I found 3 Curlew Sandpiper in a mix of 16 Greenshank and a few Redshank, also 10 Little Grebe and 15 Canada Geese, whilst at least 10 Long-tailed Tit passed in procession through the bushes, and a Kestrel hovered overhead for the unsuspecting vole no doubt. But the big surprise was an adult Whooper Swan, although the surprise was lessened when I remembered seeing this bird on the Lune Estuary at Glasson on 9 July.
On my way to Cockersand, I stopped off at Clarkson's Farm to find c.120 Black-headed Gull accompanied by an adult Mediterranean Gull, this bird was marked with a white darvic ring, frustratingly too distant to read, but based on the colour, the best I could come up with, was ringed in the near continent perhaps. Also seen around a small flood in the same field, a Ruff, up to 6 Golden Polver and a similar number of Ringed Polver.
The traditional Cockersand circuit started with a surprise just beyond Bank House Farm, when I counted at least 40 Tree Sparrow. I've not been seeing many Tree Sparrow here the past 2 years, in fact I saw just 2 on 7 April this year, previous to that, I recorded 16 on 16 October 2023. Worth noting the Tree Sparrow is Red Listed, with a BTO report showing a significant decline across the country.
Further into the walk, I found another encouraging sight, that of 100+Linnet. Although the arrival of wintering geese has been noted, it was a bit of a surprise to find just 3 Pink-footed Geese in a field off Slack Lane, from where I heard a Skylark burst briefly into song.
Butterflies on the day were a pleasing 4 Clouded Yellow, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Wood, and a Silver Y moth.
As I walked along the side of Lighthouse Cottage, I spotted about a dozen chrysalis 'glued' to the whitewashed wall, a bit of searching had me find they were Large White butterfly.
On Sunday, a pleasant walk along Morecambe Promenade at Sandylands, was made all the more pleasant with 3 Wheatear seen along the sea defences.
The Header.
Struggling to find a suitable pik of my own for the header, I remembered Ian's stunning Merveille du Jour, and....Bingo!
Sunday, 21 September 2025
All Things Bright And Beautiful!
I've been off the road and side-lined since my last outing on Tuesday 9 September, with tomorrow being my next chance, that's going to be a 12 day break from birding. Over this period and a little before it, our recording area and beyond has produced some impressive records, some of which are first or peak counts taken from the LDBWS and FBC WhatsApp groups....I've not catalogued them in date order.
Conder Pool has claimed two 1st records and peak counts, with 39 Greenshank and 19 Ruff recently on Conder Pool, also 2 Glossy Ibis put in a first time appearance here. The Little Stint previously posted on B2B, is also included in this list of Conder Pool records.
Curlew Sandpiper have been appearing in good number - some in double figures - at several locations including Conder Pool and on the Fylde, where a staggering 57 Buzzard were over Preesall in a vis mig watch. Another staggering record, was that of 24 Yellow Wagtail seen in the Bank End area. Even more amazing about this record, was that a Kestrel on a fence post was surrounded by the spectacle of these wagtails.
Three Black Tern were on Conder Pool, and a Black Tern was reported flying downstream on the Lune Estuary, and multiple sightings of Hobby have been seen at Conder Green and through Conder Pool.
Away from the Lune Estuary, two spectacular records were made, 216 Little Egret were noted going to roost at an undisclosed site, and 208 Mediterranean Gull were recorded at Heysham where Grey Phalarope was seen, also seen off the Stone Jetty at Morecambe, and two at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve.
Last But Certainly Not Least.
If I'm going to draw up a list of amazing events in and around our area, this one has to be included.
Sunday, 14 September 2025
And Now For Something A Little Different!
Lune Estuary.
By way of a change, I decided on a different viewpoint to observe the incoming tide on the Lune Estuary, and went to the embankment above the picnic site at Conder Green. This was a first for me, I always view the same stretch on the river from the bowling green at Glasson Dock, but both these locations have plus and minus points, some you win, some you loose.
Until the tide gained height, most of the waders were out of view below the marsh, but once the tide reached the marsh they were out in the open, though then the smaller birds were in the long grass.
On the shoreline I managed to see 4 Greenshank, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, a Ruff, Whimbrel, and Common Sandpiper. Then driven on to the marsh by the tide, a Curlew Sandpiper and Snipe. Overhead a Sparrowhawk, a Buzzard was briefly attacked by a Kestrel, and 3 Migrant Hawker were patrolling the trees.
Sunday, 7 September 2025
Tuesday 2 Sept - Friday 5 Sept.
Not as much action on Conder Pool as my last visit 28 August, but impressive all the same, and didn't loose any ratings in the Hot Spot League as far as I'm concerned.
I had been at Conder Pool about an hour, and had got back to the motor to move on, when AC knocked on the windscreen to tell me the Spotted Redshank had flown in and joined the company of 10 Greenshank....Thanks Andrew.
Also to note on the pool, 8 Little Grebe and a lone Black-tailed Godwit. I'm convinced this is the same BTG as seen here in previous years, and always alone. A Common Sandpiper was in the creeks.
Within the space of about 15 minutes, a Marsh Harrier, Peregrine Falcon and Buzzard were overhead, along with a good number of hirundine, high like dots in the sky.
Thirty minutes on the canal towpath at Glasson produced 2 Migrant Hawker and 2 Brown Hawker, and along the coastal path 4 Migrant Hawker, with a 'blue butterfly' seen. This was a disappointing sighting in that it was too distant for ID to species, so I was left with a possible third brood Holly Blue, or second brood Common Blue which can last until early September. Other butterflies seen, Painted Lady, 5 Red Admiral, 5 Speckled Wood, and 3 Small Tortoiseshell.
Migrant Hawker.
Migrant Hawker 2 September. Pete Woodruff.
I find the Migrant Hawker one of the easier dragons to observe, their behaviour is often to be seen hovering frequently, hawking along hedgerows, and regularly basking low down on vegetation as mine was today.
Conder Pool Friday 5 September.
I paid my second visit of the week to Conder Pool where the scenery was much changed and reduced in numbers of birds, though I was delighted to find my highest all time count upgraded by the presence of 32 Greenshank on the pool. The only other records of note were, 10 Little Grebe and a lone Ruff.
Birk Bank Friday 5 September.
My visit the bog at Birk Bank was suitably rewarded by recording 14 dragons in the hour spent here. Pick of the bunch was 2 Emperor Dragonfly which were something of a surprise, though I did find two here last year 19 September 2024....Late!
Garden Moth.
Seeing what appeared to be a moth through the kitchen window, I dashed out to find it was the most obliging of its kind, giving good views as it lingered a few minutes nectaring on Soapwort.