A Few Dragon Piks And An Interesting Warbler!

There's been some excellent records from Conder Pool recently, and the status of this location just climbs towards the top. For me it's been a case of choosing the wrong trousers day to do a stock take, and the best I could muster was 19 Greenshank and 2 Snipe in the wader camp, with the Gadwall pair, 16 Wigeon, and uncounted Little Grebe noted....Ah well, can't win'em all!

Migrant Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

Whilst viewing the pool as the skies cleared and the sun shone, there was an obvious movement of at least 8 Migrant Hawker passed the screen. So I was enthused to go to Saltcote Pond to find another 4 Migrant Hawker and 4 Common Darter including a pair in tandem.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff. 

On the canal towpath, 2 Migrant Hawker and a male Common Darter.

Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

As the sun continued to shine and the temperature had risen a little, I decided a return visit to Birk Bank was the best bet. I found a little action there, and notched up 14 Common Darter, and 2 Black Darter.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Both species of darter at Birk Bank bog today were all male except one female basking on the limestone. A Buzzard drifted over >west, and a Kestrel overhead was harassed by a Carrion Crow.

Stonechat Birk Bank 24 Sept. Pete Woodruff.

It doesn't matter that I got only a moderate shot of a distant male Stonechat, because it was accompanied by a female and juvenile as evidence of breeding, something that I had claimed previously happening here on 15 July. 

The Chiffchaff Tale.

As I walked up the path from the bog, I heard a bird call which I wasn't too familiar with, it was calling from a Mountain Ash and I could see it flitting along the branches, but my luck soon turned good, as it flew to a nearby small tree giving me brief but good views, it was a Chiffchaff, but my encounters with the Chiffchaff have nearly always been singing.

I was frustrated beyond belief, that I had left my phone in the car, losing me the perfect opportunity to record the birds call which it was giving loud and clear for a few minutes. But one thing soon became very clear to me, it was a single straight note, with a pause between call like the one by P.c.tristis but unlike that of the Phylloscopus collybita 

'Probable' Siberian Chiffchaff. Howard Stockdale.

I found two of the most recent Siberian Chiffchaff records in the LDBWS area, one regarded as 'possible', the other 'looking reasonable for', and since I saw and heard my Chiffchaff this week, I've done some research on it and studied the call I heard on some recordings. 

However, the separation from other races is way outside my comfort zone, but I remain with the feeling that I may well have 'lost' the chance to claim my third scarcity/rarity in a row today....Small red-eyed Damselfly/Willow Emerald Damselfly/Siberian Chiffchaff....Just saying 😉 

Phylloscopus collybita

P.c.tristis

And Finally....

Hummingbird Hawk-moth. Martin Jump.

The Hummingbird Hawk-moth is still visiting his garden, this one seen on Thursday, whilst ours hasn't been seen for a few days now, but the end result of its visits was an amazing 24 sightings over 5 weeks.

Many thanks to Martin Jump for numerous images of the HBHW, and to Howard Stockdale for the Chiffchaff. 

Edit.

Apparently the links don't work, I'm working on it.

Think It's Called Twitching!

My latest visit to Conder Pool was rewarded by another first, when at least 2,500 Redshank were  present, including up to 100 in the creeks. This record puts an end to the 2,000 Redshank seen here on 7 August. 

Also, 14 Ruff, 6 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Dunlin, 2 Snipe. and 15 Little Grebe. A pair of Shoveler always create some interest on Conder Pool for their scarcity, and 4 Wigeon are the early winter returners.

Saltcote Pond. Pete Woodruff.

At Saltcote Pond, it was a surprise to find a Common Hawker again, it was patrolling in a cool, windy and gloomy 18 °C    flying low and investigating the pool. The male is known to be very active, even in overcast conditions.

The Cockersand Dip!

At Cockersand, I failed to find a couple of target species - I think it's called twitching - but noted up to 450 Dunlin and 12o Ringed Plover, also 4 Turnstone one of which retained some of its smart breeding plumage.

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 25 June 2025. Pete Woodruff.

Checking a group of 12 Black-headed Gull off Lighthouse Cottage, I found 4 Mediterranean Gull with them, they were all males in winter garb, and nothing like as smart as the black-hooded ones I saw on Conder Pool 25 June 2025. Also off here, 4 Eider.

Interest In The Garden.

There was interest in the garden yesterday, when I found a Garden Spider with prey. 

I think what we see is a Sphaerophoria sp of hoverfly, of which there are 11 confirmed species in Britain, and not easy to ID. 

Todays unfortunate find was in the jaws of a Garden Spider.

Garden Spider With Prey. Pete Woodruff.

Eventually the head was separated from its body which hung from a thread of the spiders web.

Another interest was in the form of the 8th Hummingbird-hawkmoth in as many weeks in the garden.

The moth performed perfectly for several minutes, nectaring on Salvia in the garden.

Green Shieldbug. Pete Woodruff.

And finally another first for me, an appropriately named nymph Green Shieldbug. 

Before The Break.

The title of this post should have been 'Good Afternoon Part 3', but I thought that would have been too boring and repetitive, and perhaps would have lost me some visitors to B2B....Just saying!

But before the break in the weather, it was in fact my third good afternoon session, and although Conder Pool was a little underwhelming, the day was no less rewarding than the first two.

Conder Pool.

First to note, was that the Common Terns have deserted Conder Pool. I understand the last sighting was Friday 21 August, void of checking my records, this sounds like an average date for their departure.

Just four species of birds noted today, a Spotted Redshank, 8 Ruff, 3 Black-tailed Godwit, and 13 Little Grebe.

Speckled Wood. Pete Woodruff.

A Speckled Wood seen through the viewing screen.

Saltcote Pond.

The or another Common Hawker seen again, also an Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, and 6 Common Darter. 

Painted Lady. Pete Woodruff.

Butterflies, a Painted Lady and Common Blue. 

Birk Bank.

Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

On and over the bog,  a Common Hawker seen again, one here 7 August. Also 4 Black Darter and 4 Common Darter were all male. 

Roe Deer. Pete Woodruff.

As I came away from the bog I saw a Roe Deer, it was staring me in the face within 15 metres through the branches, but a pity it decided to move off as I fired the shutter. Also seen, was a male Stonechat in the same area I found a breeding pair on 15 July.

Garden First.

A little something of interest in the garden recently. 

Scorpionfly. Pete Woodruff.

When I first clapped eyes on this one I thought I'd found a dragonfly in the garden, it was a Scorpionfly.

 

The Header.

I was struggling again for a decent header image of my own, but Marc Heath came to the rescue with some stunning Red-veined Darters which have had a good season and bred for the first time on his local patch in Kent this year....Thanks Marc much appreciated.

Good Afternoon....The Sequel.

Not only did Paul West find 45+ Little Egret on Conder Pool 13 August, but he also achieved an excellent image of this all time highest record of the species for this amazing location....Paul West Photography

Conder Pool. 

Conder Pool 19 August. Pete Woodruff.

I think it's possible the water level at Conder Pool is lower than I have ever seen before, but it took nothing away from the enjoyment of seeing a decent number of eight species of birds.

Although they seem to have favoured the backside of one of the islands on my last two visits, I counted 18 Common Tern on view, seen as 14 adult and 4 juvenile. Up to 450 Redshank were present this visit, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Ruff and 4 Dunlin made a total of 463 waders today. Also 18 Little Grebe was my best count so far this period heading into winter, and 25 Greylag. Two female Wigeon were the vanguard of winter visitors I reckon. A Small Tortoiseshell put in an appearance.

Saltcote Pond.

Common Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

A Common Hawker was obliging and settled for pictures. Also an Emperor Dragonfly, a Brown Hawker, 5 Common Darter, and 2 Speckled Wood seen.

Glasson Canal Towpath.

A brief visit to the canal towpath was rewarded by a Clouded Yellow butterfly.

Clouded Yellow. Pete Woodruff.

Though the butterfly was in pristine condition, it wasn't at all obliging.

The minute I got close for pictures....we have lift off! 

Bank End.

A return to Bank End to meet AC and find 5 Yellow Wagtail was well worth the effort. Thanks for the Stonechat record at Cockers Dyke on Friday, I always love to find a Stonechat, and I know you do too Andrew.

Birk Bank.

Common Lizard Birk Bank Bog August 19. Pete Woodruff.

Best reward for the visit to the bog at Birk Bank was a Common Lizard. I have seen few reports from here since the new boardwalk was installed, and I've previously only had brief views of one. Only 4 Common Darter seen today was a bit disappointing.

Sundew Birk Bank 19 August. Pete Woodruff.

In seeing the tracks through the bog left by the heavy machinery during the erection of the new boardwalk, I had thought it was goodbye to the Sundew, so it was great to find several clusters of it today. 

Over the hour spent here, I saw 9 Buzzard, including a family of five soaring and mewing together, and a Peregrine Falcon picked up high and drifting, went into a stoop to disappear below Birk Bank ridge....A good afternoon Part 2

Lady In The Garden.

A stunning Painted Lady paid a visit to our garden yesterday, in pristine condition, it spent a long period on the Alium coming and going throughout the afternoon.

Painted Lady. Pete Woodruff.

Waders And Wagtails.

But first some news about the Conder Pool Common Terns, including some behaviour by an adult Common Tern towards a chick, and some other behavioral traits I've never observed before.

In the video below, the adult tern perched at the far left hand of the raft, suddenly pounces on the chick and appears to stab at it with its bill before it escapes and runs off. 

 

 

I made the following trimmed video at half speed where the aggression by the adult is more obvious.

This attack by the adult tern isn't the only odd behavior surrounding these birds. I met Ian Hartley who gave me some news about young chicks gone missing and some dead which he had removed from the raft earlier. This prompts the suspected cause to be starvation, or in the case of those missing from the raft, a Barn Owl which daily hunts Conder Pool, and has done for some time now.

There has been a lot of mayhem in the colony recently, with chicks fighting each other and various adults over fish. In one incident, the 'wrong' chick grabbed a fish and the adult snatched it back and flew off before the chick could spit it out. There's been some chick mortality recently, perhaps because of all the competition over food coming in. Some good news to follow all this, is that 16 Common Tern chicks were still alive as at Friday, so we can hopefully expect they can all make it from here on.

For providing me with the news about the state of play and the update regarding the Common Terns, I'm very grateful to Ian Hartley. 

Conder Pool.

  

I'm recording 34 Common Tern on Conder Pool Wednesday 29 July, seen as 24 adult and 16 chicks/young. Also here, in excess of 1,000 Redshank, 21 Greenshank, 14 Common Sandpiper, 7 Avocet, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Egret, and I made a count of 12 Little Grebe, this seems to be an early build up in winter numbers so early at the end of July. 

Bank End.

I had messaged Andrew (Wagtail) Cornell earlier to ask if he was at Bank End, and arranged to meet up with him around 1.00pm. It was a pleasant meeting with Andrew, and resulted in my seeing 6 Yellow Wagtail off Bank End Farm.

And Finally....

Some lovely bees, butterflies, moths and hovers in the garden recently, and an uninvited and unwanted gate crasher....All images Pete Woodruff.

Common Carder Bee

Comma

Silver Y

Volucella zonaria

The Volucella zonaria is a Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, migratory from the Mediterranean, and is the largest hoverfly to be found in the UK. 

NOT TODAY THANK YOU!

Conder Pool Wednesday 2 July.

This time my header image is that of the first Common Tern to fledge on Conder Pool this breeding season, it took to the wing on 2 July. I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the excellent image of this bird, and for some of the stats in the post that follows regarding the Common Terns on Conder Pool.

Common Tern With Young Conder Pool Raft 1 July. Pete Woodruff.

I can't pretend not to be disappointed that the juvenile Common Tern decided to wait until the following day of my visit to Conder Pool to fledge. I had seen four young Common Tern on the raft on Wednesday, one was wing exercising, no doubt this was the one that fledged the following day, hence my disappointment. 

On the morning of 28 July, there was 25 Common Tern nests, 22 pairs were incubating, with 3 nests and 6 chicks.

Up to 30 Common Tern were on the raft on Wednesday, adults and 4 young. I made no count of any terns that may have been off the raft, though I'm told birds breeding on the islands had failed due to predation and had relocated to the raft.

The outlook for the future of this years breeding Common Terns on Conder Pool is looking good and positive....Alleluia! 

I made no counts of adult Avocet, but noted 2 young and a well grown juvenile which was rewarding. There was a good count of 12 Mediterranean Gull, including two 1st summer, and three 2nd summer birds. A lone adult Little Ringed Plover gave good views, and at the back of the pool, 11 Black-tailed Godwit and 7 Bar-tailed Godwit were lined up along with 5 Greenshank. A Little Grebe and 9 Canada Geese were noted at the west end of the pool.

Over in the creeks and on return passage, 2 Common Sandpiper, and a Ruff seen high tide roosting with Redshank.

Saltcote Pond.

Blue-tailed Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Saltcote Pond was near deserted by the dragonflies, but a pair of Blue-tailed Damselfly in cop are being recorded as an immature male and a female of the rufescens-obseleta form, also 3 Common Blue Damselfly. A Swift was over, with 2 Chiffchaff and a singing Sedge Warbler. 

Canal Glasson - Conder Green. 

Lancaster Canal Looking East. Pete Woodruff.

In search of dragons on the canal, hardly July 1 weather. The view looking east towards the Forest of Bowland was grim, and pleased I hadn't decided to go on to Hawthornthwaite Fell today, it's under a cloud of drizzle in this view.

Common Blue Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

There was no more luck with the dragons than at Saltcote Pond for a walk along the canal towpath, with just 8 Common Blue Damselfly seen, but I heard 4 Sedge Warbler. Butterflies on the day were, 6 Ringlet, 4 Red Admiral, and 2 Painted Lady. 

Garden Activity.

There was a first for me in the garden on Friday, when I found 6 Long Tailed Tit, four of which I had the chance to view before they moved on, they were young...A moment of birding magic for me.

Long tailed Tit. Pete Woodruff.

It is also good that the list of young in the garden continues to grow, with Dunnock, Blackbird, Great Tit, and good numbers of House Sparrow over the past weeks, all having had a good breeding season it seems. 

Dunnock. Pete Woodruff.

Blackbird. Pete Woodruff.

But There We Have It!

To be honest I was hoping for my first Wheatear at Cockersand on Monday - last year at Cockersand 1 April - and my first Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool - two last year 26 March with the male displaying - but it was just wishful thinking in the end.

It wouldn't sound to make much sense if I was to call my last visit to the Lune Estuary and surroundings, a little dull and cold like the weather, then go on to record almost 4,000 birds seen, albeit with just 9 species....but there we have it!

Spotted Redshank Conder Creeks. Pete Woodruff. Clik The Pik

Numbers were falling on Conder Pool, today up to 600 Black-tailed Godwit, 7 Shoveler, the summer plumage Little Grebe. In the creeks a Spotted Redshank, and 3 Buzzard were soaring together over woodland behind the Stork Hotel. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, I found 23 Avocet, no surprise that non on Conder Pool then. Also noted was a pair of Red-breasted Merganser. 

Wigeon. Martin Jump.

Otherwise the estuary was almost deserted by the winter birds, save the usual gathering of gulls and uncounted Wigeon still. Martin Jump sent me some images yesterday, by coincidence one was the portrait of a smart drake Wigeon with reflection. Thanks Martin....Clik The Pik for a quality result.

At Cockersand, I spent the best part of 3 hours walking, having legged it to Bank End for the Black Redstart, it was the road to nowhere, though AC reported a female along the coastal path at the farm at 11.58am....Mmmm! This was followed by my quest to find a Wheatear, but by the time I got to Plover Scar I'd dipped again 😡 

But a reward for my efforts was up to 2,000 Golden Plover in the field north side of Abbey Farm, some acquiring breeding plumage. Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the excellent header image. 

Unlike my usual experience of seeing them on the ground in tight flocks, the Golden Plover were very thinly spread out through the whole field. 

The Whooper Swan were in two fields today, c.250 north side of Bank End, and as I drove away from Cockersand along Moss Lane, another c.100 were at the east end at Thurnham, making a total of up to 350 Whooper  Swan.

Wood Warbler.

As I searched my records for first dates of past spring migrants, I came across some interesting data regarding the Wood Warbler, it contained the remarkable number of 38 records for the species over the 31 years 1992-2023.

Wood Warbler. Mike Watson.

My first Wood Warbler was found 13 May 1992. I was on a walk around Ingleton Falls in North Yorkshire, by which time I was able to separate a Raven from a Wren! 

The other 37 records followed....

1996

Littledale May/June 6 sightings  

Gibson Wood 8 June 2 birds

Gibson Wood 14/15 June feeding young at the nest

1997 

10 May Gibson Wood 

19/20 May Botton 

23 May Claife Heights Cumbria 

26/31 May Botton 

17 June Botton possible breeding

1998

3 May Gibson Wood 

12 May Botton 

13 May Gibson Wood 

15/23 May Botton 

23 May Barbondale 

1999 

16 May Gibson Wood 

12 June Rusland Cumbria 

18 June Barbondale

26 June Ellterwater Cumbria 2 birds

2000

21 May Gibson Wood

22 May Barbondale

27 May Botton

29 May Bolton Abbey 4 birds

7 June Barbondale

2003

19 May Dunsop Bridge

2006

13 June Barbondale

2007

22/31 May Tower Lodge

2008/09

30 May/11 May Barbondale

2023

3 May Gibson Wood

Worth noting, I found Wood Warbler in Gibson Wood for 5 years consecutive 1996-2000 including breeding. On a negative note, I've not seen a Wood Warbler anywhere since May 2023, and the truth is....not many other Lancashire birders have either. I found no more than 20 records in Lancashire over the 3 years.

More Decent Numbers!

There was at least a couple of decent counts again on my latest visit around the Lune Estuary, at least 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit were present and correct on Conder Pool, some acquiring their stunning breeding plumage.

Avocet Conder Pool Summer 2019. Ian Pinkerton....In Memory Of

There was a decent count of 17 Avocet and 14 Shoveler in view on the pool, also a Greenshank and Snipe noted, and a lone Little Grebe was advancing into breeding plumage. I don't see Little Grebe during the summer months, and they certainly do not breed on Conder Pool.

At Cockersand, between the time leaving the motor at Lighthouse Cottage and walking to Plover Scar, I had seen at least 1,250 Golden Plover, they were in wheeling flocks of 650/400/200, all eventually disappearing from view....Quite a spectacle. 

Despite a couple of hours around Cockersand, I failed to find my own first Wheatear, and with the exception of just 3 Meadow Pipit, saw no other early migrants, but probably passed other unseen MP's in fields on the circuit. The c.250 Whooper Swan here today, were distant and spread over three fields south of Moss lane towards Bank End Farm.

Bombus terrestris 11 March. Pete Woodruff.

Eight Linnet few off the shore, and the Skylark could be heard in its endless flight song. I saw 3 Small Tortoiseshell and a huge queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson, up to 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit were probably the same birds seen 4 hours earlier on Conder Pool, and to be honest, the same could be said about the 15 Avocet seen here, otherwise the record would have been 32 Avocet. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, 2 Goosander and a Great-crested Grebe seen.

Another short list today, much enjoyed by me on a beautiful sunny and warm mid-March day.

Coal Tit.

There was a record of 84 Coal Tit heading south over the Fylde on Thursday morning, and 4 Coal Tit were in our garden later in the day. All this and more, is the result of an irruption of the species currently in place. 

The Coal Tit is regarded as sedentary in the south and west of its range, but eruptive over much of the remainder. During eruptions, birds from the continent regularly reach Britain during March, and on this occasion I'm seeing expressions like, 'amazing' and 'unprecedented spring numbers'.

Oak Beauty.

Ian's trap produced the goods again, with another stunning moth worth featuring....Clik the pix they're even better.

Oak Beauty. Ian Mitchell.

A large bodied and attractive moth, fairly common in England and Wales. Being referred to as common, belies its name as a beauty....Thanks Ian.

Hooded Crow/Stonechat.

Hooded Crow Walney. Howard Stockdale.

Howard Stockdale sent me some results of a trip to Walney, they included a splendid looking Hooded Crow....

Stonechat Walney. Howard Stockdale.

....and an even more splendid record of 22 Stonechat, seen as 11 pairs....Many thanks Howard.

Michael & Fiona.

Good to see you at Conder Pool in the week and hope you find my latest post a good and interesting read. Thank you for the kind words and your support for B2B, and see I did remember your names!

Kind Regards....Pete.

A Few Hits & A Big Miss!

The hit and miss day started at Conder Pool - no surprises there then - where another first for this amazing site was finding 16 Shoveler present. Seen as migrants in a group never seen in this number on Conder Pool ever before according to my records. Another good record was 2 Gadwall drake, seen as a species I last recorded on Conder Pool 10 years ago, on 8 April 2016.

My other notes from Conder Pool, up to 130 Black-headed Gull, 28 Wigeon, 12 Teal, 8 Tufted Duck, and 2 Little Grebe. In the creeks, 65 Teal and 2 Goosander noted.

Black-tailed Godwit Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

Up to 3,000 Black-tailed Godwit were on Conder Pool 2 years ago today 26 February 2024.

I paid an all time briefest of visits to Cockersand to find a female Stonechat playing hide and seek in the long grasses behind Bank Houses, where I spent a little time behaving like someone hunting down the owls and raptors for a picture without success.

Todays big miss came when I drove past Haresnape's Farm twice, on the way to and returning from Cockersand, and failed to spot 135 Russian White-fronted Geese on the north side of the farm....FBC WhatsApp

The Pink-footed Geese were dropping into the field north side of Cockersand Abbey as I arrived on a recent visit here.

Bewick's Swans. Ian Walker.

On the receiving end of a heads-up about some swans at Cockerham, I went off to find 2 Bewick's Swan with 105 Whooper Swan off Hillam Lane.

Thanks to Ian Walker for his excellent image of the Cockersand Bewick's December 2025.  

Black Redstart male Bank End. Paul Ellis.

I then continued down the road to Bank End to gain the brief view of a stunning male Black Redstart before flying off to disappear amongst the farm buildings, then standing around for an hour to see if it returned....I'll leave that story there then!

Thanks to Paul Ellis for the excellent image of this stunning bird.

This female Black Redstart I found on the flood defences 21 years ago at Fluke Hall in March 2005.   

The swans at Cockersand and Cockerham where all over the place today, spread over six fields, and amounted to an estimated total of up to 400 Whooper Swan.

Brown Hare. Pete Woodruff.

On my wanderings today, I found a pair of Brown Hare, they had been behaving like it was the Mad March season, but just chilled out as I got the camera out.  

Videos best viewed Full Screen.