Tuned In And Turned On!

A good turn out in the week at and around Conder Pool, when I was joined by Ian Hartley who added an extra pair of eyes and expertise to a mini bird-fest which developed there. 

A Curlew Sandpiper juvenile was the star of the show, it was roosting at high tide in the creeks, off passage and enroute to it's African wintering grounds, it eventually moved on to Conder Pool, where it obliged close in for some footage, and to feed a while.

Ian picked up a Marsh Harrier high over the estuary, then later briefly over fields behind Conder Green Farm. Back on Conder Pool, two soon became 3 Spotted Redshank at the back of the pool, where I found 2 Common Sandpiper, a Snipe, and two eventually became 5 Ruff. I'm convinced there were more than the 12 Little Grebe I recorded, they were scattered all over the pool and diving constantly, 

A Wheatear was briefly on the edge of an island, 6 Wigeon seen, and a pair of Shoveler that I had seen here last week. Away from the pool again, a skein of up to 130 Pink-footed Geese were overhead >south, were the first of the winter, and a flock of c.50 Goldfinch came down on to the marsh thistles. I've seen flocks reaching three figures of Goldfinch here in the past.

I was grateful to Ian Hartley, not only for his company during a good session of birding, but also for passing on the figures that the Conder Pool Common Tern colony had 21 young fledged this year. In addition to that good news, a pair of Gadwall had 6 young to successfully fledge, another first record for Conder Pool .

 

Black-necked Grebe Juvenile. Copy Permitted.

Both these excellent records join a long line for Conder Pool, and brings to remember my own earlier record of a Black-necked Grebe which I found 18 years ago on 1 September 2008, it was a juvenile and hung around for 17 days last seen 18 September. 

Saltcote Pond.

The Common Hawker I found here on 24 August was probably the same one I saw again today, also 5 Common Darter including a pair egg laying, and a Speckled Wood butterfly. On the canal towpath, 5 Migrant Hawker seen.

Birk Bank.

Birk Bank Bog 9 September. Pete Woodruff.

The bog is looking good again after the drought, with water draining out and into the ditch.

Black Darter Birk Bank 9 September. Pete Woodruff.

A little activity today, with 6 Black Darter including a pair egg laying.

I had no idea they had separated until I processed the film....

Seven Common Darter, were all male, and I was pleased to have seen another Common Lizard again today. A Buzzard was overhead, and 2 Speckled Wood seen.

Jump To It!

Hot on the heels of his finding a Hummingbird Hawk Moth, and actually achieving an amazing image of the moth egg laying, Martin Jump struck gold again - green actually but doesn't sound as good as gold - when he discovered a first for Haslam Park in Preston on 5 September.

Willow Emerald Damselfly. Copyright Martin Jump.

Thanks for keeping me up to date on this one, and for the image for publication on B2B....Much appreciated and congratulations Martin.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth.

A Hummingbird Hawk-moth visited the garden again this morning, it is the 10th moth to do so in the past few weeks. Todays moth visited the Salvia in our garden for the third consecutive day, clearly showing evidence of traplining.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Martin Jump.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth is a species that is known to engage in traplining, this involves traversing a specific route in which the insect checks specified plants that hold nectar, it does so repeatedly and in the same order. This behaviour by the moth is also shared by bees and butterflies.