My first visit of the year to the Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge trail, came with something of a surprise and a shock thrown in for good measure, and by the time I had completed my 5 hour mini-marathon, I had counted 14 nest boxes which have been erected over the length of c.2 miles between Marshaw and beyond Trough Bridge.
Birds2blog
Sunday 12 May 2024
Back To Bowland.
Thursday 9 May 2024
The Birk Bank Circuit.
Tuesday was the anniversary when Steve Graham accompanied me on a circuit of Birk Bank in May 2023. Primarily the reason that day, was to locate a Wood Warbler which had been found a few days earlier in a private woodland. But the hopes of visually finding this locally rare warbler soon died a death, though we did here the distinctive call which is often likened to a spinning coin on a marble slab.
Todays circuit with Steve was a 4 hour experience of some excellent birding which produced 7 Garden Warbler, one up on last years tally of six. Also enjoyed was 5 Cuckoo records which were represented by two audible and three visual, one of which was a female heard to call, then viewed atop of a tree with a Meadow Pipit in attendance and mobbing at times. Six Mistle Thrush seen, including one in flight carrying food into Cragg Wood.
Sunday 5 May 2024
More Probable/Possible in Bowland!
A bit of double checking in Bowland again this week, when amongst other things, I managed a trek half way up Hawthornthwaite Fell with scant reward, to assemble a bit more of a comprehensive list to exceed what is usually the norm for me.
The number of waders presumably there to breed was pitiful, with no more than six birds seen in 2 hours, 4 Lapwing, a single Curlew and an Oystercatcher. There was a build up of 6 Sand Martin around the bank on Catshaw Greave, and 8 Wheatear were seen, one of which was taking a wash and brush up in Cam Brook.
There was a better count of 18 Meadow Pipit compared to eight on my last visit 24 April, 2 Wren, a pair of Mistle Thrush were something of a surprise, 3 Red Grouse, male Reed Bunting, and a Wood Pigeon, 2 Kestrel and a Buzzard. I saw just one male Stonechat, almost certainly one of the two 24 April birds, and I never really expect my first House Martin of the year was going to be seen flying east over a fell in Bowland.
A Grey Wagtail on Cam Brook, and at Cam Brow I heard a Cuckoo to the east which soon flew over the road to the woodlands west of here, also a Willow Warbler in song, and a Red Admiral.
Calling in at Abbeystead, a Dipper was seen flying upstream on the Marshaw Wyre, and 2 Orange Tip butterflies seen. But the excellent news is, that I gathered more evidence to add to my previous claim which now reads, the probability of 5 Pied Flycatcher breeding pairs.
A brief look in on the bog at Birk Bank hopefully for a Large Red Damselfly was fruitless despite the warm sunny May day, but a single Green Hairstreak and a small colony of Ashy Mining Bee were of note. A Cuckoo heard distant was probably around the Ottergear Bridge area.
I'm grateful to Ian, Howard, and Martin, who by coincidence sent me images on the same day, and all taken in Bowland....They are much appreciated.
Sunday 28 April 2024
Probably/Possibly In Bowland!
Grisedale Bridge.
Birds in and around Holme Wood, Willow Warbler atop of gorse by Grisedale Brook, Treecreeper seen in the woods, with Nuthatch and Song Thrush in good voice, Grey Wagtail on the stream, and Sparrowhawk and Raven over Barnacre Reservoir. As I arrived back at the car, a pair of Stonechat on the roadside wall.
Harrisend.
Wednesday 24 April 2024
Some Good, Some Bad....Very Bad.
With my birding driven into a cul-de-sac for the time being, looking through my records I note the Common Terns have passed their anniversary for arrival at Conder Pool being the first show last year was Saturday 22 April.
The list of dates below show the first ever Common Terns to Conder Pool were very late in the season. Despite this late arrival date, they successfully bred at what is now a well established and renowned location in our recording area....
02 July 2014
22 May 2015
06 May 2016
08 May 2017
Sunday 21 April 2024
Short List Short On Inspiration.
A tour around the estuary on Friday produce a short list lacking in inspiration, not least of which was obvious on my visit to Conder Pool. But there's never anything at all lacking about the sight of 2 Little Ringed Plover on a near island. Also present on the pool, 4 Avocet, a Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Knot were roosting with 45 Redshank, and 34 Oystercatcher which was a good count here for the little black book.
Little Ringed Plover.
Not know as a gregarious bird, outside the breeding season they are mostly found in singles or in small flocks rarely exceeding ten. But Ian Mitchell observed and filmed some territorial behavior between four birds on Conder Pool, which ended with a serious altercation between two of them....Excellent stuff Ian, thank you.
Wednesday 17 April 2024
The Nuthatch, Tits, And Hedgehog.
I was really pleased to have found this local Nuthatch again this week. According to my records, these are breeding for the third consecutive year.
Sunday 14 April 2024
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.
Sunday 7 April 2024
Black-tailed Godwits.
Monday 1 April 2024
The Short List!
A short list on a restricted visit, with nothing much to shout about on a recent blast around the Lune Estuary, but I did find my first 2 Wheatear at Cockersand....well where else, seen together from the path above Plover Scar, from where I noted 82 Dunlin, 55 Ringed Plover, and 46 Turnstone.
On the Lune Estuary as viewed from Glasson, 23 Avocet were distant upstream from the Conder Estuary. More obliging were 86 Black-tailed Godwit a few were feeding below the bowling green as the tide came in, some looking smart in their advancing rufous breeding plumage, and two of which were ringed. Other interest here was up to 1,500 Knot, a number of which I don't ever recall seeing on the Lune Estuary here before, also 4 Eider were of note.
I'm grateful to Richard du Feu and to Boddi for their help in recording the Black-tailed Godwits. I look forward to seeing the history of both these godwits from Boddi in Iceland.
Woodchat Shrike.
Todays plan was to mow the lawns, but the weather had other ideas. So to find something to fill the gap, I looked through my records of 10 years ago, to find anything of interest in my birding for 1 April, but the best I could find wasn't until May 2014.
On this day I had intended to walk the embankment south from March Point, to return via the footpath towards Lancaster.
Having walked just a few hundred metres, I spotted a bird atop of this tree....
....it was instantly recognisable as a stunning male Woodchat Shrike....My passion for the birds had gone through the roof once again!