The Bog Is Alive And Well....Just!

Well at least the weather bucked up, and by Wednesday to some small degree, so did the bog at Birk Bank, although on my first of two visits today, I struggled to find much life other than a couple of Azure Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly. 

On my return visit 4 hours later, I eventually found a male Keeled Skimmer, along with an even bigger surprise of another of those 'upland' Emperor Dragonfly, 4 Four-spotted Chaser, a Black-tailed Simmer, and up to 10 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, which were the only butterflies I saw in 5 hours, save 2 Small Heath and a Speckled Wood.

A saunter to Cragg Wood was definitely worth it as I found 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly on the River Conder, and a Spotted Flycatcher as a nice little bonus. Other birds were represented by a male Stonechat, a Linnet....

....and a Tree Pipit which was singing....Pump up the volume!

Bilberry Bumblebee 26 June. Pete Woodruff.

As I approached the east side of Ottergear Bridge, I found another 2 Bilberry Bumblebee, my seventh this year, and when I got back to the car park to end the day, a Garden Warbler was singing.

Norfolk Hawker.

Little more than 30 miles from Lancaster, and a species slowly expanding north.

Norfolk Hawker. Frank Bird.

When Fylde birder Frank arrived on the scene at Birk Bank I heard some excellent news. In an interesting conversation, Frank told me of the Norfolk Hawker he had found in his garden on 2 June. This was a news story I had somehow missed, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear about it today. 

The image is much appreciated Frank, many thanks for allowing it on B2B, and congratulations on this amazing find in your garden....Hope to see you again soon, when maybe you will be telling me of a Hairy Dragonfly you found in your garden!

Another Good Idea....

 ....but where does it all end! 

To be honest it was too hot to be lingering at a bog and wandering around Birk Bank looking for dragonflies, but it's what I like to do, and luvit.

I found 8 Keeled Skimmer, seen as three male and two female all at the bog, and three male as I approached Ottergear Bridge from the west. These three - 2-1 - were around boggy areas on the track, obviously seen as runnels, that are regarded to be part of their known habitat, but I still find it an odd place to find these dragonflies, here for three weeks now, and showing expansion of the species in our area.

There was interesting behavior at the bog, when a male Keeled Skimmer 'picked' a dragonfly off the bog, much as a bird of prey would take prey in its talons, I couldn't ID the victim to be a female KS, it being a darker individual. The dragonfly soon broke free, but the male approached it again and actually came to land broadside across the 'female' wing tip to wing tip. I picked up the female again, now it was ovipositing....All very bizarre!

Also on the bog, another female Keeled Skimmer seen middle-distance, 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, 2 Black-tailed Skimmer, and 5 Large Red Damselfly. On a wander to Cragg Wood, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly was patrolling the River Conder either side of the ford, and making the effort for me to get there well worth the trundle. 

Butterflies numbers as I see it continue to be sparse, though 15 species in a couple of hours at a managed local hotspot would appear to contradict this, but doesn't succeed in doing so in my experience in the wider countryside this year so far.

Meadow Brown Female. Pete Woodruff.

My records for this visit, 14 Large White, 6 Meadow Brown, a Small Heath and Large Skipper.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

This GRD on the fence by the boardwalk at Birk Bank bog, was feeding on an insect. Watch closely for the small 'beetle blue wing case?' then something falling from the mouth....View Full Screen.

     

A Really Good Idea In The End!

On what may be my last visit of the summer to the area, I was well pleased with the results of a saunter Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge on Friday. It was a toss up which event won the prize, but the flycatchers and sandpipers were in a neck and neck finish, and I reckon it was a dead heat!

Spotted Flycatchers.

Spotted Flycatcher. Howard Stockdale.

In the trees behind Tower Lodge, over a 15 minute watch, I got my second helping of 4 Spotted Flycatcher, including excellent views of a young bird begging with flickering wings. Equally rewarding was the sight of another Spotted Flycatcher, found in the mid-distance on the opposite side of the Marshaw Wyre. I've drawn the conclusion, probably three pairs of Spotted Flycatcher have bred in the area, despite my previous claim that just one pair have bred here this year, with one also found around the plantation at Marshaw on 22 June and subsequently seen again as recently as 13 July by Andrew Cornall.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for his Spotted Flycatcher young in the nest. Howard had to apply for and was granted a permit to photograph these birds.

Common Sandpiper.

I was very pleased to find 8 Common Sandpiper today on the Marshaw Wyre. Hearing the call presumably to young out of sight, I soon had views of a bird flying off downstream, eventually followed by four more, seen as a family of 5 Common Sandpiper, the other three were seen later enroute to Trough Bridge.

Finding 6 Grey Wagtail has continued the poor show in the area this year, and I've yet to find a Dipper here. A Great-spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch seen whilst watching the flycatchers, and later a Kestrel were the only other birds in the book. Butterflies were sparse, 4 Meadow Brown, 3 Small Heath, 3 Large White, and a Small Tortoiseshell.

On my way back to Lancaster, I decided to look in on the bog at Birk Bank, where I had a few sightings of a male Keeled Skimmer, but was never able to say more than one seen. I also had a Black-tailed Skimmer, Four-spotted Chaser, and a Large Red Damselfly. After about 45 minutes and was about to leave, another dragonfly came into view, it was soon joined by another to give me excellent views of 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly in an aerial confrontation. 

So 8 Golden-ringed Dragonflies in 17 days at 4 locations....That'll do nicely!

Garden Notes.

We had a first ever Small Skipper in the garden, and 2 Buzzard soared together  yesterday.

Thanks to Paul who tells me this is a mirid bug, and given the poor image quality, might be Deraeocoris flaviliea in the garden recently.

Mainly Dragons And Other Bits.

 The Heather at Birk Bank at its best 12 August. Pete Woodruff. 

I performed a couple of Houdini acts this past week, one was an escape to the fringes of Bowland where I managed an update on the dragonflies of Birk Bank bog.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

Never in abundance, I found a male and female Keeled Skimmer, a Black-tailed Skimmer, Black Darter, Common Darter, and a Large Red Damselfly. A wander in the area, came up with 9 Peacock, a Small Copper, and Small Tortoiseshell.

My second escape was along the towpath of the canal between Glasson Dock and Galgate, which is one of the most aesthetically pleasing sections of the Lancaster Canal. Along this length of the walk I found 28 Brown Hawker, including three seen ovipositing towards the end of the route at Galgate. Also seen, 2 Emperor Dragonfly and a Migrant Hawker. I think I need to return here again, to find 54 Migrant Hawkers like I did 20 September 2019 on the short stretch of the same canal Glasson Dock - Conder Green. 

Birds noted, a Kingfisher, with Buzzard and Raven over. Butterflies, 12 Small White, 6 Small Tortoiseshell, 2 Peacock and a Meadow Brown. That's not many butterflies in 4 hours, as wasn't the 11 butterflies seen at Birk Bank earlier in the week, leaving me muttering to myself....where are all the butterflies.

News From The Pool.

I was grateful once again to Howard for keeping in touch with news from Conder Pool, where the Avocet and two juveniles remain, and 2 Green Sandpiper with the bonus of one ringed in my new header image.

Garden Happenings.

We've had 9 juvenile Blackbird in our garden this year, and 12 Speckled Wood visited during the day, and a Holly Blue was a scarcity for us on Wednesday.

Wood Warbler.

My memory was jogged as I drove past Gibson Wood last Wednesday, to recall an excellent record of a Wood Warbler that I found in a woodland wedged between Littledale Road and Rigg Lane. I had found this Wood Warbler on 1 May 1996, it was the first of four more consecutive sightings in Gibson Wood that I found on, 10 May '97, 3 May '98, 16 May '99, and 21 May 2000.

I've been looking through the Lancashire Bird Report 2019 which came through the letterbox on Friday, to see the Wood Warbler recorded as a scarce and declining breeder and passage migrant. Despite this excellent record at Gibson Wood 24 years ago, little seems to have changed with this species.

Bullseye Around Birk Bank.

An excellent day, when I had the company of Ian in the Birk Bank area on Tuesday, hitting the bullseye with three out of the four targets I had hoped for. A bit of an irony for me, as the one target missed was the Stonechat, but that was mainly because we didn't get on to the top of Birk Bank where they were guaranteed. 

I finally realised on Tuesday, the capacity for the car park at Rigg Lane is 40, and another 6 outside on the lane made 46 cars parked up to pay a visit to Clougha Pike....Lockdown unlocked!

 

We had only been out of the car a few minutes when the day got off to a good start, with the bonus of a Green Woodpecker we hadn't seen on the ground ahead took off to land in a tree, which in turn spooked a Jay that flew off. It's 3 years since my last Green Woodpecker which was at Latterbarrow in Cumbia.

Black-tailed Skimmer Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff. 

                                         

We made two visits to Birk Bank bog, the first showed us a lone male Black-tailed Skimmer, but the second visit at the end of the circuit was rewarded with 3 Keeled Skimmer including a pair coupled.

Purple Hairstreak Ian Stephenson Clik the pik

We set off on the circuit, to soon arrive at a group of Oak's, and eventually found 4 Purple Hairstreak, seen characteristically with wings closed showing the silvery-grey underside. A butterfly easily overlooked as the adult are often in the top of the canopy where they seek honeydew, they can usually be seen more often in the evening of a warm summer's day. 

A stake out by the ford over the stream that is the River Conder flowing out of Cragg Wood, was rewarded by brief views of a Migrant Hawker whizzing upstream, and later by a Golden-ringed Dragonfly flying downstream, both quickly disappearing out of sight. There was a substantial movement of hirundines seen over the fields off Littledale Road, up to 100 Swallow, a few House Martin and single Swift.

Bird sightings were sparse, but a Song Thrush which came to bathe in the ford by Cragg Wood, took top spot behind the woodpecker in my book. Otherwise, singles of Red Grouse, Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit, and Wren.

Butterflies seen, 6 Small Copper were over the bog, and on the circuit, 8 Meadow Brown, 3 Red Admiral, 3 Small Tortoiseshell, and a Speckled Wood.

Common Tern Juvenile Conder Pool 19 July Howard Stockdale Clik the pik  

Thanks to Howard Stockdale who continues to keep me posted re Conder Pool. The Avocet young in the header image are now three weeks old. 

Harrisend And Lady's Day.

It's over nine weeks since I went on Harrisend Fell 22 April to find no Stonechat. Prior to the April visit I had been on Harrisend on 9 August last year, since when my upland birding has been drastically curtailed for reasons beyond my control. But never mind all that....  

On my latest visit last week, I had just stepped on to the track when I heard two distant clicking pebbles, and soon locked on to a nice male Stonechat. It was a sign of things to come, if only because four more birds followed later, not a remarkable result for three hours, but....mustn't grumble.

I didn't make a count, but at least 30 Meadow Pipit seen, also 4 Willow Warbler, 4 Blackbird, 3 Mistle Thrush, and a Buzzard. Butterflies seen, 14 Painted Lady and 9 Small Heath.

Broad-bodied Chaser Birk Bank. Pete Woodruff.

The plan now was to go to Hawthornthwaite, but a road closure put an end to that idea, so off I went to Birk Bank on a dragonfly hunt....Not a roaring success, but almost one hour staring at the bog - no jokes please - had at least one Broad-bodied Chaser, and a Four-spotted Chaser. Birds seen, a singing male and a female Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, a Song Thrush, and juvenile Robin. Butterflies seen, 4 Painted Lady and a Red Admiral, and by a coincidence later in our garden, the same number of 4 Painted Lady and a Red Admiral.

Painted Lady. Cheryl Woodruff.

My tally to date stands at 34 Painted Lady butterflies since the first one seen on 16 June, the influx gathers pace. No apologies for the third image in a row, this one on our garden Hebe....Thanks Cheryl. 

Weekend Birding....Who Me!!

Saturday.

KT agreed we went on a twitch to Leighton Moss on Saturday, and, as opposed to the birder I heard telling another on the path to the Grisedale Hide, he'd had no sign of the bird in the time he spent in the hide, it was our lucky day as the Purple Heron came flying out of hiding within five minutes of our entering the hide, but within 60 seconds it became our unlucky day as a Grey Heron flew at the 'Purple One' which promptly flew back into the hiding from whence it came, never to be seen again....well not by us anyway.

Great White Egret Brian Rafferty

But we did have good views of a Great White Egret at the back of the pool, before paying a visit to the Allan Hide to see a Little Ringed Plover juvenile, a Common Sandpiper, 5 Black-tailed Godwit, and up to 550 Redshank.

Sunday.

I paid a brief visit to Heysham, but didn't have much in the way of rewards, with not a single Mediterranean Gull found on Red Nab or the outfalls, but a record count for me of up to 175 Cormorant on the old wooden jetty.

Butterflies on Buddleia in the Nature Park, 2 Painted Lady, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Peacock, and 2 Small Tortoiseshell. On the pool, a male Black-tailed Skimmer, and a Gatekeeper nearby.

Tuesday. 

Back at Heysham again yesterday, I found 13 Mediterranean Gull on Red Nab, seen as 10 adult, 2 near adult, and a juvenile, the moulting Little Gull was on Stage Two outfall. 

Conder Pool produced a peak count of 11 Little Grebe, and it was also good to see the female and four young Tufted Duck surviving and still heading for the first successful breeding record of the species on Conder Pool. Two Common Sandpiper and a Grey Wagtail were in the creeks, and 6 Speckled Wood were on the coastal path.

Hide & Seek!

I was overdue a look in at Leighton Moss, in any case there had been a 'goodie' there the day before....so on Thursday off I went.

Marsh Harrier. Pete Woodruff.

From the Causeway Hide, 2 Marsh Harrier seen, a female was perched in a distant tree, and a male hunted over the far side. There was easily a three figure number of Sand Martin hawking over the mere, and a small number of Swift, a Great-crested Grebe had a single juvenile, whilst 2 Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk soared high up, an Emperor Dragonfly was patrolling below the hide window.

At the Grisedale Hide, up to 160 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Little Egret, and a Black-tailed Skimmer seen. From the path here I saw 2 Nuthatch and heard one in the car park soon after.

At the Allen Hide, 6 Avocet included one sat on a nest in the midst of a Black-headed Gull colony....didn't seem a good idea to me. An Oystercatcher had one young, and the only other wader on the pool was a Redshank and a lone Shoveler. I heard a Chiffchaff from the path and heard another in the car park.

Spoonbill.

Spoonbill Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve 23 June. Pete Woodruff.

Two Spoonbill were on the pool from the Allen Hide, and some excellent news from the RSPB Reserve at Fairburn Ings in the Aire Valley, is that a pair of Spoonbill are breeding there as a first for Yorkshire and at any RSPB Reserve in England.

Caspian Tern. 

Caspian Tern. Chris Batty. 

A Caspian Tern was seen at Leighton Moss last Tuesday evening at 6.15pm and showed well all the following day until the evening when it apparently flew off into the sunset never to be seen again, it hadn't waited for me....well it wouldn't would it!

In over 50 years, Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve has a decent past record for the Caspian Tern with six now to it's credit....

25 July 1966

14 August 1966

2 August 1973

13 August 1979

16 July 2005

20 June 2017

Thanks to Chris for his photograph of the Caspian Tern at Knott End on the Fylde Coast 2 July 2007, and to Brian for the header Common Tern.