Other Peoples Birds To The Fore!

Invasion.

There has been an unprecedented invasion of some species into our area in recent days, and if I'm going to keep a website with local birding interests, then this certainly has to be documented on Birds2blog.

Ringed Plover Plover Scar 19 May. Howard Stockdale.

Howard Stockdale must have thought he was hallucinating when he found c.1,200 Ringed Plover on Plover Scar 19 May. I know of no previous records of RP in such number on Plover Scar. The record of 160 Ringed Plover on the River Lune at Glasson, is also unprecedented in my book. Many Thanks to Howard for the record and image. 

Sanderling Heysham 23 May. Malcolm Downham.

If I'd have been at Heysham on 23 May, I certainly would have thought I was hallucinating at the sight of at least 500 Sanderling on Heysham skeer. As far as I am concerned, a record of historical proportions. Many Thanks to Malcolm for the record and image.... Heysham Bird Obs

 

Curlew Sandpiper Rossall Point 24 May. Jonathan.

Brilliant find west of Rossall Coastguard Tower, a Curlew Sandpiper advancing into breeding plumage. For permitting the record and image of this stunning bird onto B2B, Many Thanks to Jonathan.... Fylde Bird Club

Spotted Flycatcher Fluke Hall 22 May. Paul Ellis.

There has also been a large influx of flycatcher into the area recently, with up to 33 Spotted Flycatcher on the morning of 22 May, and still coming through today FBC WhatsApp....Many Thanks to Paul for the image.

Foulshaw Moss.

In company with Ian Mitchell, we managed a pleasant couple of hours around Foulshaw Moss, with nothing seen to called unexpected, and on a date too early for dragonflies, though one or two damselflies were seen, being Large Red/Blue Tailed/Common Blue Damselfly.

Of course we were able to view the two Osprey nests through the haze, and other birds to note, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, and Reed Warbler, with just one moth seen, a Common Heath. The butterfly had to be the highlight of the visit, with at least 6 Brimstone seen.

Garden Magic.

It was our treat of the year when the Goldfinch family turned up in the garden for lunch yesterday.

Pleasantly Surprised.

I've had two sightings this week which have had my birding motto ring true once again....

Not what you will find but rather what you might

The element of surprise never fails to delight

The Siskin.

Siskin Young. Pete Woodruff.

The first pleasant surprise came in our garden on Monday 30 March in the form of a young fledged and fully feathered Siskin. Right place at the right time had me find the bird looking a little tired in the Willow by the pond. But it was my lucky day, as later it was seen again, this time on the feeder with proof it had already mastered the art of flying.

My enquiries about the significance of this sighting are ongoing, but one thing for sure, I wouldn't have expected to see this bird until around the end of April, the breeding season of the Siskin not starting until early this month....Global warming!

The Black-tailed Godwit.

My second pleasant surprise came the following day Tuesday 31 March, when I had good cause to pay a visit to the Lune floodplain viewed from Bull Beck. Last year I had two excellent sightings here in early April, resulting with my records reading....I found a Little Ringed Plover on the shingle bar, and distant in the sky, there's this large lumbering bird flying upstream, then dropping down out of view....Yep, it was an Osprey.

Black-tailed Godwit. Pete Woodruff. Clik The Pik

No LRP or Osprey today, but an excellent compensation came with at least 400 Black-tailed Godwit distant with 'large gulls' around a flood with Burrow Wood in the background. 

By Way Of A Change!

The saying goes....A change is as good as a rest, and with a decent day and an hour or so free time, I was off to Leighton Moss for my first visit there in 5 years, since August 2018.

First port of call was the Eric Morecambe Hide. With the glare of the sun in your face, not the best choice, coupled with birds often in the distance of the far floods. The better choice would have been to view from the Crag viewpoint, from where most of the sightings have been made recently.

But the sun in your eyes didn't put into silhouette 5 Spoonbill, a Cattle Egret, and 15 Little Egret, all seen mid-distance. Also at least 500 Black-tailed Godwit solved the glare of the sun problem, when they took to the wing over the far flood, also a Greenshank put in an appearance before quickly disappearing from view.

I then decided the Causeway Hide was my next stop, from where I soon picked out 2 Great White Egret on the distant bare branches of a dead tree, and 30 minutes later picked out an Osprey in the same dead tree tearing a large fish to pieces for lunch.    

Several Migrant Hawker seen at Leighton Moss today, this one obligingly hovering in front of the window of the Causeway Hide, also a Kingfisher came twice to perch on a post close by.

With just a half hour left to spare, I gave the remaining time to Lillian's Hide - God forbid - but was truly amazed to find it void of Bearded Tit and Bittern hunters, so had the place to myself for a while, to see another Great White Egret putting in an appearance.

Black-headed Gull. Pete Woodruff.

 

In my experience, gull's are generally a much neglected species, but this one shows how attractive these birds are, and was one of around 60 Black-headed Gull from Lillian's Hide today. 

The North Corner From Lillian's Hide. Pete Woodruff.

The only other notes I made from Lillian's Hide, where of at least 70 Gadwall and 2 Little Grebe.

Saturday 2 September.

Migrant Hawker. Pete Woodruff.

A pleasant wander along the Lancaster Canal north from Garstang, yielded up to 20 Migrant Hawker, 9 Brown Hawker and 2 Blue Tailed Damselfly.  

March Migrants.

Having had one of my worst weeks for birding in many a year, Birds2blog came close to having a seven day blank, but it was salvaged by an attempt to see a few birds on Wednesday along the coastal path between Aldcliffe and Glasson Dock.

The day turned into a near flop, but I did see my first Wheatear of the year on the flotsam at high tide, a stunning male, though not a Rock Pipit in sight. Also scurrying across the floating flotsam towards me, was what I regarded to be an unmistakable jet black Water Shrew, which unknown to the unfortunate creature, turned out to be heading towards its demise. The shrew disappeared below the bank, but 15 seconds later it reappeared between the teeth of a Weasel to disappear once more below the bank on the other side of the footpath.

I aborted my plans and wandered back to Lancaster via the embankment along Aldcliffe Marsh, to see 8 Snipe along the way, exploding into the air ahead of me. As I walked along the path parallel to Freeman's Pools, a stag Roe Deer was resting by the central reeds.

Ring Ouzel Cockers Dyke 23 March. Paul Ellis.

In addition to the early arrivals of Sand Martin, Swallow, and Wheatear in the March Migrants in my last post, a male Ring Ouzel was found on Thursday. This bird was seen one day after the first spring arrival of a Ring Ouzel at the Verne, Portland Bill on Wednesday 22 March, where the first spring Willow Warbler was seen on Tuesday 21 March the day before.

Some other interesting early arrivals and on the waiting list in our area....

28 Feb Little Ringed Plover Hampshire.

1 Mar Osprey Hampshire.

2 Mar Whinchat Isles of Scilly.

12 Mar Yellow Wagtail Norfolk.

12 Mar Hoopoe Cornwall.

18 Mar Sedge Warbler Hampshire.

19 Mar Hobby Dorset.

20 Mar Common Tern Cornwall.

Conder Pool Common Tern.

An interesting record to be noted, the first ever Common Terns on Conder Pool, didn't arrive until the late date of 2 July 2014, they successfully raised two young and were last seen at Cockersand on 14 September.

Conder Pool Avocet.

On Friday *30 Avocet were present on Conder Pool, a record which developed into an interesting discovery. The book of wisdom, and papers written about the age of Avocet before breeding is 2 years. However, last year on Conder Pool two Avocet chicks were colour marked with flag codes in 2021. These birds were both female, and were paired up to breed on their return to Conder Pool as yearling's in 2022, both pairs hatched 4 chicks each....Maybe time to update the literature!

*A report of 39 Avocet on Conder Pool Saturday per FBC.

GP's Make The Comeback.

Cockersand.

On my visit to Cockersand this week, it was brilliant to see the waders had congregated in the fields, which looked more like what you would expect in mid-March, with one species of wader having been low in number throughout the winter on the Lune Estuary if not the entire recording area.

The full picture came together as I walked along the headland. I spotted a good number mid-distance already out on the shore, then over the next few minutes, several waves shot over my head with characteristic rapid flight, and dropped down to join the already mass to become the spectacle of at least 3,000 Golden Plover, many showing advanced breeding plumage....Alleluia.

In the field on the east side of Abbey Farm, at least 150 Redshank with a small number of Dunlin, and on the circuit, scattered in the fields were c.50 Lapwing looking territorial.

Lune Estuary. 

Noted on the River Lune at Glasson, 4 Avocet, 150 Golden Plover, 82 Black-tailed Godwit, and a distant c.100 Pink-footed Geese on Colloway Marsh.

Conder Pool.

All quiet on Conder Pool, though the Ruff feeding on the terrace, lifted my spirit as it always does. A Stock Dove and Little Grebe seen, with probably 50 Black-headed Gull screeching and behaving like they were checking out the islands for breeding sites, and all of which seemed unfazed by the management work taking place here.

Two birders joined me during my watch at Conder Pool, both agreed to be as puzzled as me about the structure we were seeing currently being assembled at the east end.

My guess is, perhaps a large raft is being assembled to the left of this image, which shows the existing small raft right of centre, to be joined soon by the new and larger one....Time will tell.

March Migrants.

Some early March migrants have now arrived in and around our area, with a Sand Martin reported at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve Wednesday 15 March, a Swallow at Bispham Thursday 16 March, Wheatear at Blackpool Airport Wednesday 15 March. Also out of our Lancashire area, *Sandwich Tern at Hodbarrow Sunday 12 March. And an Osprey over Tebay Friday 17 March.

*This bird at Hodbarrow in Cumbria, beats the earliest Sandwich Tern for Lancashire by one day, but according to info received, the earliest ever record of Sandwich Tern in Cumbria was of a bird seen on 9 January 2001. The implication being it was a very early migrant, but right to consider, either a very late departing bird, or one over-wintering....Thanks for this Andy, interesting piece of information and much appreciated.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the header image of the Goldeneye on Glasson Basin, where it is worth a mention, a male Pochard is currently present as no more than a scarce visitor to the area.

And Finally....

White-tailed Bumblebee Bowland July 2022. Pete Woodruff.

Had my first bumblebee of the year, this morning in the garden. Briefly, but Bombus lucorum I reckon. 

Fellside Fest.

Stonechat Harrisend. Pete Woodruff.

I found 7 Stonechat on Harrisend, on what turned out to be a bit of a fellside fest. The chats were seen as two pair and three male, I reckon possibly five breeding pairs on Harrisend now, but I'll be back for more clarity on this in the coming weeks. Also in a three hour spell on Harrisend, 9 Meadow Pipit, 5 Willow Warbler, 5 Raven, 4 Wren, a Buzzard and Kestrel.

View Full Screen

I never thought I'd have to wait until early May to find my first Wheatear of the year, not as a migrant on the coast, but on a fell in Bowland. Also 2 Cuckoo heard, one from a distance at the east end of Harrisend, the other as I returned to the motor, heard somewhere west in the Grizedale Valley area. Last year was a good year, when I found 9 Cuckoo, all in Bowland.  

A brief visit to Hawthornthwaite didn't seem to be going to serve much purpose in the time I was able to spend there, but I did find 2 male Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, and 2 Wren. There was 3 Sand Martin flying around Catshaw Grieve. I've no idea what these birds are doing here this year, there's no sign of any nesting activity here, nor at Cam Brow yet as I see it.

Williamson Park.

A little local interest at Williamson Park, where I found a Little Grebe on the old hospital reservoir at Fenham Carr. The grebe's were here last year, when they were seen as a family group of two adult and five young on 6 July. Also on the reservoir, a pair of Tufted Duck, seen as a first here.

Hawthorn Shield Bug. Pete Woodruff.

I found this Hawthorn Shieldbug on a bench in the woodland, difficult to separate from Birch Shieldbug in this image. The bug has something attached to its rear end which puzzles me. I couldn't make much out of it at the time, my best guess was a piece of grit off the track, but that somehow didn't seem feasible to me, and the pik isn't in focus and doesn't help.

And Finally....

I'm reliably informed of a pair of Mandarin Duck on the River Hindburn in Wray last week.

Well....That Was A Good Idea!

Looking over a stretch of the River Lune at Bull Beck on Thursday, a few minutes after I had found a Little Ringed Plover on a shingle bar, distant in the sky, there's this large lumbering bird flying upstream, then dropping down out of view. Yep, it was an Osprey. Well....that was a good idea, nice, very nice indeed.

My excitement slowly calmed down, and I went on to find 2 Common Sandpiper on the river, a Little Egret flying upstream, a Buzzard over, a Willow Warbler, and 2 Blackcap.

Hyperactive Sand Martin were in good numbers at a couple of colonies on both banks of the river.

View Full Screen

I walked from Hornby, down the River Wenning where a Kingfisher was seen flying upstream. Also noted, Treecreeper, Song Thrush, Willow Warbler, Blackcap. A Grey Wagtail and 2 Goosander on the river, a Buzzard over was harried by a Carrion Crow, also c.50 Sand Martin seen. Butterflies seen were 3 Small Tortoiseshell and a distant small fast unidentified white, presumed female Orange Tip, the true sign of spring.

Watching the Wenning as it flowed into the Lune at the confluence had quite a calming effect.

View Full Screen

In it's infancy as a small stream, the source of the River Lune is at Newbiggin in Cumbria. The river which runs through stunning landscape throughout it's length, has up to 100 tributaries, including the River Wenning at Hornby. The journey ends when it reaches Plover Scar at Cockersand, where it flows into the Irish Sea, 53 miles from it's beginnings.

Info from an insider earlier in the week about a bird in Bowland, had me heading there, but failing to make any connections. So I gave Hawthornthwaite another lookover, where I found a lone male Stonechat, at least 500m away from the location of a pair seen 1 April. Four Sand Martin were patrolling over and around Catshaw Grieve, 2 Buzzard were good to see soaring together, soon followed by a male Kestrel. Also, they came two by two, Red Grouse, Meadow Pipit, Wren, and Lapwing on territory. 

Geese were dropping down off Hawthornthwaite Fell in ones and twos, had me finding later that they were 82 Greylag gathering in a field. I watched 24 Curlew come down into a field opposite at Isle of Skye Farm.

This sign has now been erected at Cam Brow 

I'm hoping all the sun seeking picnickers and photographers will heed the message at this small but significant Sand Martin colony in Bowland.

The Brockholes Osprey.

Not for the first time an Osprey visited Brockholes NR this spring, in fact it these days it is regular for them to do so during the migration period, but this bird had decided to linger and had the reserve staff and birders alike, hoping that the stay was a hopeful sign that the Osprey might find a mate and breed at the site, not having done so in the county of Lancashire since the mid 18th century.

Brockholes Osprey Copyright Darren Lean.

The Osprey developed a pattern in it's feeding habit, whereby it hunted daily from the bridge over the river at the interchange on the M6 motorway near the Brockholes NR. But the birds confiding nature appears to have been it's downfall, and eight days after it's arrival, on the morning of 23 April when it was seen to be healthy, but later in the day it was flushed by a man walking with a bike along the hard shoulder of the M6, when the bird was flushed and took to flight, and was struck by a lorry.

The bird was a male and bore a darvic ring identifying it to have been marked at Bassenthwaite, Cumbria in 2006, but relocated to Esthwaite in later years. The demise of this bird is nothing less than a terrible tragedy, apparently caused by someone breaking the law by being on foot on a motorway.

Brockholes Osprey. Brian Rafferty.

Brian Rafferty's surreal photograph clearly illustrates the dangerous behavior by this bird, this lorry driver has obviously seen and is looking at the bird as he sped along the M6 motorway. 

I continue to strive to make the best of my total lockdown and 'computer birding' keeps me ticking over. The garden provides me with some interest, and yesterday I took note of 3 Speckled Wood and a couple of Large White. With some lovely blooms to be enjoyed and photographed....Clik the piks

Cherry Blossom

Peony

And the resident Carrion Crow in the neighbourhood and visits to our garden, continues to confuse. The bird appears to be alone in this urban habitat, but was calling from the television aerial in it's hoarse and croaking 'krrah krrah krrah'.

 

View Full Screen

Flora & Fauna In Cumbria.

Well a little Flora and Fauna in Cumbria.

An enjoyable few hours yesterday, with visit's to Foulshaw Moss and Latterbarrow but sightings at both reserves were a little sparse to be honest....I think maybe I blinked too many times! 

The one Osprey seen in the nest at Foulshaw a mile away in the haze from the viewing platform was hardly riveting stuff. But a walk along the newly erected board-walk at the north end of the reserve, proved to be a good idea as it produced good views of a male Stonechat and four juvenile. Five Raven and a lone Swift were over, a Willow Warbler heard, with Long-tailed Tits and juvenile Coal/Great/Blue Tits were on the feeders, and bird sightings couldn't have been much more sparse than that.

Common Lizard. Pete Woodruff.

A few Common Lizard mostly scuttled below the board-walks as they were approached, but this one was a rather obliging individual. 

Immature Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Just two species of dragonfly noted, an immature Black Darter and a female Four-spotted Chaser, but an Odonata expert I spoke to assured me there would be thousands of dragonflies around in a couple of week time. With the exception of a few Large White, the only other three butterflies seen were a Large Heath, Gatekeeper, and Small Tortoiseshell. 

At Latterbarrow, 2 Chiffchaff, a singing male Blackcap, and a Bullfinch were all heard, a Green Woodpecker heard calling was then seen to fly across the reserve. Butterflies were, a few Meadow Brown, 4 Comma, a Ringlet, Red Admiral, and Small Skipper.  

Barred Straw. Pete Woodruff.

A Barred Straw moth with only a moderate result in photographing, was the only moth seen all day, identified by its unique resting posture with the forewings held extended.

And The Osprey Came Too.

Tuesday 16 August.

Late off the block, I went straight to Cockersand primarily to look over Plover Scar at high tide, but the net result was little more than around 150 Dunlin and 90 Redshank. Along the headland a Wheatear was on the shingle below, with 4 Linnet and 8 Tree Sparrow around Abbey Farm. 

Osprey. Callum Bushell.

As I got my eyes on a Whimbrel on the shoreline, the bird crouched up to it's belly in water anxiously looking around, several gulls went into the air, and what waders had been on Plover Scar were flying past, I looked to my right and there it was, a lumbering Osprey low over the water and flying south giving excellent views. 

As I got back to Plover Scar a couple of hours later, c.350 Golden Plover had assembled there. Butterflies seen, 2 Painted Lady, 4 Common Blue, c.25 Small Tortoiseshell, and uncounted but probably up to 50 Large White, with a Silver Y moth by Crook Cottage.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, probably 2,500 Lapwing on the sands off Colloway Marsh, a Greenshank, and 12 Little Egret were my only other notes. At Conder Green, there were 12 Little Grebe on Conder Pool, I found only 3 Common Sandpiper in the creeks here today.

Conder Pool Wednesday 17 August. 

I called in on Conder Pool yesterday, unable to drive past and ignore the place on my way back to Lancaster. I've no idea where they came from, but I was a little more than delighted to see the Avocet adult and juvenile fly into view through my binoculars to land straight out from the viewing platform in front of me. Also on the pool, an excellent 15 Little Grebe now on here. 

Little Grebe. Bob Bushell.

The build up to a double figure of Little Grebe on Conder Pool has happened early this year. I've not done a past records search beyond 2015 when they didn't start to increase from 5 in early September, to 8 on 11 Sept, and a double figure of 10 on 22 Sept, with 13 by the end of the month, they peaked for 2015 in my book at 18 on 16 October. 

Thanks to Callum for his Osprey, excactly the view I got of my bird on Tuesday, and to Bob for his Little Grebe, see their website Here    

Butterflies And Birds.

A nice day Thursday on which I decided to have a look for butterflies in Witherslack Wood.

Speckled Wood/Ringlet. Pete Woodruff. 

Though I took on no counting in a couple of hours in the wood, the highest was the Speckled Wood of which I probably saw up to forty. It was good to find the Ringlet followed with the next best number and I saw at least twenty of these with just one Small Skipper seen. 

But best of the day had to be a High Brown Fritillary which was an obliging individual allowing me to get to grips with the underwing to note a row of brown spots between the outer margin and the silver spangles which are missing in the Dark Green Fritillary. These two butterflies are difficult to tell apart void of good views of the underwing, so I can only suppose another ten seen in flight or distant were the same species, one thing for sure, none of them was a Silver-washed Fritillary as I found not a single one as a big disappointment. 

I get the impression this woodland is not noted for it's birdlife, but I heard a singing Blackcap and Chiffchaff, a Great-spotted Woodpecker seen flying away from me, and a Wren.

Whilst in the area I had earlier called in at Foulshaw Moss to see the Osprey, but to be honest should'nt have bothered as the haze had turned what I could see into a couple of shimmering anythings a mile away. The nest site give-away is the two huge webcams set up to give brilliant images on the internet, but I ended up much more impressed by the views of 2 distant Stonechat than I was of the Osprey.

Unable to resist I drove back to Conder Green and had to go to the west end of Conder Pool to see an adult and two young Common Tern at the back side of the island. I found just 6 Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank in the creeks, and noted 2 Greenfinch by the viewing platform. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock I saw 27 Black-tailed Godwit, these birds are really stunning in full breeding plumage, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and 8 Little Egret were my only other notes here.

Saturday 11 July.   

I'm informed of one of the young Conder Common Terns airborne in the early afternoon yesterday. I had seen this bird having a wing flapping exercise on Wednesday and had thoughts at the time that the bird might fledge before the week was out, presumably the advanced eldest of the three....Thanks for the text Andrew.  

Thanks to Simon Hawtin for the excellent Swallows header.

Chats And Ospreys.

The Harrisend Stonechats.

I collected my best count of 6 Stonechats at Harrisend on 23 June since I found 10 there five years ago on 16 August 2010.

     

Stonechat Martin Jump 

Martin Jump had been monitoring this pair of Stonechat on Harrisend from late April to the end of May and eventually found five young birds had fledged from the nest, they are no doubt a part of the family from the six birds I saw as two pairs and two young on 23 June.

Thanks for the record and images Martin, much appreciated.

The Ospreys.

Osprey. Gary Jones.

Gary has been doing some travelling recently, including a trip up to Scotland and four to Rutland Water, all in the name of Ospreys, the result of which is some truly stunning photographs of this equally stunning bird, try These....The Foulshaw Ospreys are Here 

Failed The Driving Test!

Ban Driven Grouse Shooting

I've taken this link down and off my sidebar, it having attracted a little over a mere 22,000 signatures over a twelve month period, I'll just repeat that 'over a twelve month period'.

A write up about the petition ends....'This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100,000 signature threshold'.

So 78,000 short of the threshold for debate to try to move forward on this ban for driven grouse shooting. Where are the 1.1 million RSPB subscribers signatures then....obviously not that many people care about whether driven grouse shooting is banned or not, perhaps more to the point don't want it banned, even more to the point probably engage in it, so presumably don't think it has any relevance to the Hen Harrier issue. 

There are by far too many who don't oppose game shooting in particular Red Grouse shooting which is what all this is about, after all there are enough of them and they're not as majestic and attractive as the Hen Harrier which is on the verge of extinction, and although the grouse is an attractive looking bird, they make a silly bloody cackling noise when they fly off, whilst the Hen Harrier has so much charisma as it flies around the moorlands....So what, one bird species is as good as any other....ain't it!

As for the RSPB, well the Royal Charter makes things a little more than difficult for them to oppose legal shooting for sporting purposes and they sit there quietly on the fence on the subject neither supporting or condemning the blood sport, as indeed do The National Trust who also own large swathes of upland land and do little shouting about it to join another silent witness The Wildlife Trusts, they appear to have no voice to shout with either. But I've always been an advocate for removing the 'R' in RSPB, throw out the charter and the royals too and into the bin.

So, the 'Ban Driven Grouse Shooing' petition is a resounding failure....I signed it, but where does the call 'We Will Win' stand now, at best it won't make it any louder, and there's no April Fool here either!

And yes you guessed it....

I'd sooner be birding....But unfortunately haven't been since last Friday, but tomorrow is looking reasonable for the movement north of migration. If you've seen a Wheatear, Sand Martin, Osprey, you can count yourself lucky, not all that many others have. 

And Finally....

Stonechats. Sharon Whitley The Rambling Artist 

I have to give Sharon W a plug for the excellent studies of the Stonechats in her latest work. 'Clik The Pik' it's even more excellent, and you can read the text too. It also brightens up an otherwise dark post albeit with a serious subject.