Keeping the Tradition....

....the three wise men set off on their Friday tour of one of the best coastal areas in Lanc's.

It's almost an embarrassment to record just c.200 Pink - footed Geese on Aldcliffe Marsh when in the back of my mind at least I know damn well people are seeing three of our 'Owls' here at the moment. The only excuse I can put up is that we had other business to attend to....so lingered not.

At Conder Green the Spotted Redshank and Greenshank fare today was one and two respectfully, a Grey Plover. Also to note here, the Common Sandpiper, 2 Little Grebe, and 3 Goldeneye were on Conder Pool. Also noted here was Mark Prestwood who probably won't thank me for this, but I must say he's just about the nicest person/experienced birder you could wish to meet anywhere on your travels, always cheerful and never a negative comment to be made....nice to have seen you again Mark after quite some time.

At Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary, 2 Peregrine Falcon and a Little Egret were on Colloway Marsh, otherwise about 9.5m of tidal water.

On Moss Lane 42 Whooper Swans appeared to probably have included the 36 seen yesterday on Jeremy Lane, also three Bewick's Swan's included a juvenile.

In the field opposite Gulf Lane from the A588, a Tundra Bean Goose (thanks for pointing us in the right direction Mark) was with c.3000 Pink - footed Geese, also a Little Egret came out of a ditch here. From Fluke Hall Lane, 2 Little Egret were over Fluke Hall Wood, a female Stonechat here is regarded by me- as the one at Conder Green yesterday was - to be an early passage bird.

What appears to be the last remaining Short - eared Owl on Bradshaw Lane gave yet more excellent views as it quartered the field it appears to be spending its entire life in - as it has been quartering this field consistently for something like six recent visits here by me/us - but not for much longer surely. A quick tour round this area produced c.80 Fieldfare and a single Redwing at Out Rawcliffe.

Thought the pic would give a feel of things to come. I'm not suggesting anyone who visits the blog won't know the butterflies but clockwise from the top left....Painted Lady, Comma, Speckled Wood, and Wall Brown.

Quick wizz round....

....or the wild goose chase!

With an appointment to keep early afternoon, I just had the morning to devote to my birding interest's in order to stave off any risk of depression which always takes over me with the lack of it. JB and I set off hopefully to catch up with the Bean and W F Goose on Jeremy Lane but our hopes were short lived as the 'geese' here had decided to move away from the lane to the rear of the fields beyond and mainly hidden from view, the result was a start to the morning on a 'dip'....oh dear now I've started using 'twitching jargon'. In a nearby field 36 Whooper Swan's were seen and on Moss Lane there were 2 Bewick's Swan's and 4 Whooper Swan's.

A run down the A588 to check out the geese in fields opposite Sand Villa resulted in observing on our arrival a 'nice' man in a Land Rover driving through the field directly towards 4,000+ Pink - footed Geese and whatever else may have been with them with the result you've already worked out....so now we are into our second dip.

By now I'm looking at the time - bearing in mind my appointment - and on the way back to Lancaster a look in at Conder Green produced a Spotted Redshank, a solitary Black - tailed Godwit, and a suprise in finding at least one female Stonechat still here.

So I'm back home less than three hours after leaving there and not much less depressed as I would have been if I'd never bothered going out in the first place....Ah well!

If you're acquainted with Leighton Moss you'll recognise the pic which was taken many moon's ago - when I was more of a 'honey potter' than I am today - from the Jackson Hide looking towards Crag Foot.

Stonechats 2008.

I just e-mailed my Stonechat records for 2008 to JW and reckon a few words about them might interest one or two visitors to the Birds2blog.

I can't wait to see the comprehensive  RSPB Stonechat records for Bowland, as far as my records for 2008 are concerned from just two of my most favourite areas for this species, the breeding season for this year is best described as a disaster and there will be nobody needing  an  explanation  as to  why  if  they  remember  all the  unused  sun  blocker  in  the bathroom cabinet.

I wasn't even able to get to the Clougha/Birk Bank location in the entire month of August simply because, on what days I was available to do so the weather was unbelievably appalling. In March and May I succeeded in identifying 10 birds as 5 pairs but as the season progressed and indeed came to an end, the only breeding evidence I gathered was of a single young bird, and a pair with 4 young - which in the circumstances was a resounding success - both records in the month of July. The year ended on a down note when a rare event occurred here and I found not a solitary Stonechat in December.

As always these record are achieved through in excess of 50 hours observations on Clougha and Birk Bank, and whilst our summer months produce anything like the weather 2007/8 threw at us the upturn of the status of the Stonechat will remain on hold and in any case in my opinion has probably peaked already and much sooner than I had hoped for if it turns out I'm correct on this one.

This picture does at least have a connection to all this as I took it a while back one November evening from Birk Bank.

In the mist again.

Once again not the perfect day for my choice of

venue in the mist but I had neglected Newby

Moor since I abandoned any hope of breeding

Stonechats here on 9 July last year when I

found just four adult birds and hadn't seen a juvenile at all at this point. That said I had found an amazing eleven birds here on 12 February of the same year. Newby Moor is also an excellent place to find Whinchat with my best ever record here of fifteen on 2 August 2000. I wonder if this kind of number of Whinchat is still possible at Newby Moor nine years on with the birds status as it stands today.

It took two hours to find 2 Stonechat today which were seen as a pair. 4 Raven were seen over a plantation near here, 2 Stock Dove, 3 Snipe were flushed from damp areas, and 210 Lapwing were in a field with 2 Oystercatcher.I saw 2 Stoat one of which was in ermine and was the first since 21 March 2006 at Cockersands.

With time on my hands I went to check for any 'life' at Barbondale and was rewarded with some Dipper behaviour, a first for me when three birds together flew down the stream, I lost sight of one but the two remaining showed display by the male towards the female, two hours later a pair in the same spot were nest building and showed more interesting behaviour again in that one was collecting moss off a stone followed by a few dunks in the water before taking it soaked into the nest hole in the bank....intriguing stuff. A Buzzard, 3 Raven, and a Grey Wagtail were of note.

Not for the first time the Black - headed Gull in the pic is not remotely connected to today's birding but its a nice pic of one in breeding plumage....isn't it?

Gone !

Has the hybrid Ross's Goose x Pink - footed

Goose gone ? The RBA pager message at

8.22 pm suggests it may well have and is now NE of Longtown near Easton in Cumbria. Well I did manage eventually to catch up with this bird last Wednesday, and today I caught up with another bird which has been around a while now when I found a Barnacle Goose with Pink - footed Geese in fields opposite Sand Villa but the Brent Goose, White - fronted Geese, and any of the Bean Geese are simply evading me....but back to the real world.

At Conder Green the Common Sandpiper, a Spotted Redshank and Greenshank seen again today. On Conder Pool, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Goldeneye, and 14 Wigeon were noted. I have a distinct feeling the Stonechat's have departed this area, the first - a male - having been there since 10 November 2008. Noted at Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary were estimates of 1,500 Bar - tailed Godwit, 1,200 Golden Plover. I counted 78 Black - tailed Godwit and no more than 10 Goldeneye of which the numbers have dramatically dropped in recent visits here.

Some 'swan's' from Moss Lane were distant, with the sun in my face and difficult to determine but I did account for at least 4 Bewick's Swan's and 3 Whooper Swan's. Opposite Sand Villa the aforementioned Barnacle Goose was with c.2,500 Pink - footed Geese and c.1,500 were seen later from Libby Lane at Pilling.

Little Egret's seen today......singles on Glasson Marsh, Jeremy Lane, 3 Pilling Marsh, and 2 at Fluke Hall.

The pic of the adult winter Med Gull was taken at Conder Green last year and is one of the many 'goodies' recorded on the excellent Conder Pool since its creation. John Bateman is recording them all and will be an impressive list.

Patchwork Rewards

An excellent tour round the local area

gave some equally excellent rewards

today in the good company of JB/BT.

At Aldcliffe the flood produced both Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper together with a brief Water Rail below the hedge. Another Spotted Redshank was seen on the marsh and c.60 Linnet remain in the rough area on the lane.

At Conder Green the Spotted Redshank and a Greenshank seen. Also to note was a Merlin perched on a post out on the marsh as viewed from the old railway bridge and a male and female Stonechat were on the east side of the A588 by way of a change and were presumed to be two of the three wintering birds. On the pool 4 Goldeneye, 12 Wigeon, a drake Pochard, a Little Grebe, and 3 Black - tailed Godwit were all noted.

An amazing 21 Bewick's Swan's - including three 1w winter birds - had moved to Jeremy Lane from the distant views fourteen had given me on Moss Lane on Wednesday. Also in adjacent fields were c.2,000 Pink - footed Geese.

At Cockersands, at least 270 Black - tailed Godwit seen, with another 30 on a flood on Moss Lane and c.160 on the Lune at Glasson Dock the total came to 460+ at three locations.

In the field opposite Sand Villa again today c.75 Whooper Swan seen. An invasion into Fylde territory gave excellent views of a Short - eared Owl hunting once again though from a personal point of view I'd much rather have seen this bird- and the many previous sightings of these beautiful creatures on Bradshaw Lane - hunting the uplands of the Trough of Bowland anytime. Just up the road 23 Corn Bunting were on the wires at the feeding station.

A Raven was reported to me over Canon Hill mid- afternoon heading towards Aldcliffe.

With apologies for another empty picture box......an 'excellent' days birding.

Up and Down.

Being a sucker for punishment I went 'up' to Harrisend on a day which looked like it could turn out like Monday did on Clougha in a fog.
As it happens it stayed quite clear whilst I was there but by the time I got back to the car it was looking decidedly grim. So I decided I'd had enough of this murky upland stuff and went off 'down' to the coast.

At Harrisend I found just 2 Stonechat seen as a pair, also noted were at least 9 Red Grouse and 6 Greylag were over going NE, a Great - spotted Woodpecker was over the farm below Harrisend.

From the A588 at Sand Side the hybrid Ross's Goose x Pink - footed Goose was with c.800 P F Geese and in the field opposite Sand Villa numbers were down today with 60+ Whooper Swan counted and no sign of any Bewick's Swan's. On Gulf Lane the 2 Little Owls were seen again today, just 2 Fieldfare seen and a female Merlin glided silently over a field no more than a foot off the ground. On Moss Lane I counted the highest number I ever saw in one sighting of 14 Bewick's Swan's including 3 juveniles. It's worth noting just one Bewick's Swan was present at Martin Mere on Sunday according to their website news. From Bodie Hill c.450 Pink - footed Geese were noted flying SW.

At Conder Green 2 Stonechats today were a male and female indicating the possibility all three are still present here with two males seen yesterday. These three - and the Cockersands male - are the first Stonechat's I have ever recorded in our area for almost a full winter period. Also noted here, the Common Sandpiper, 2 Spotted Redshank, 2 Greenshank, and a Grey Plover. On Conder Pool, 6 Goldeneye and 6 Little Grebe were to note.

Single Little Egret's seen today were at Cockers Dyke, Backsands Lane, Gulf Lane, and Glasson Marsh.

As for the non - bird pic definitely not taken today......more like the French Riviera than Glasson Marina but there you go!

Local Marathon.

With JB today we had quite a tour round to find some but not others, some of the 'finds' follow.

Before we left home I saw one of the 'urban' Grey Wagtail's from our kitchen window. At Conder Green 2 male Stonechat remain here though there was no sign of the female today. The Common Sandpiper obliged as did a Spotted Redshank, 3 Little Grebe, and c.40 Black-tailed Godwit went over from the estuary towards Jeremy Lane. A Great - spotted Woodpecker flew from the picnic area towards the canal basin at Glasson Dock were an adult Med Gull was seen. On the Lune Estuary here another adult Med Gull seen, also noted here, 2 Bewick's Swans with estimates of 220 Black - tailed Godwit, 1,500 Bar - tailed Godwit, and 470 Golden Plover, 8 Goosander were also of note here. A Little Egret was distant on Collowy Marsh.

A brief visit to Cockersands gave me time to note just 5 Black - tailed Godwit, 3 Grey Plover, and 3 Red - breasted Merganser on the estuary. The wintering male Stonechat appears to have departed the area, not seen since 28 January. From Moss Lane 3 Bewick's Swan's and 4 Whooper Swan's were distant with Mute Swan's.

In the field opposite Sand Villa - with limited time available - were 95+ 'swan's' estimated as 70+ Whooper Swan's, 5 Bewick's Swan's, and the remainder Mute Swan's. A Little Egret was the only bird of note on Pilling Marsh, another was in Fluke Hall Wood. On Fluke Hall Lane c.1,000 Pink - footed Geese with similar numbers in the Eagland Hill area and on Horse Park Lane. This brings me to the missing birds again today, if you can find them - or some other kind soul does and phones them in to RBA - there are Bean Geese, White - fronted Geese, Brent Geese, and Ross's x Pink - footed Goose hybrid to be seen but they have ALL evaded me on a few visits to the area recently. As if to rub salt into the wound, two minutes after I arrived home at around 4.45 the pager gave three local messages out as the aforementioned birds at Pilling Marsh, Backsands Lane, Eagland Hill, and The Heads......Pooh!

The Short - eared Owl pic at Bradshaw Lane head last week is just about passable as decent. Believe it or not I took several shots of this bird and on not one of them - that didn't end up in the bin - was the bird looking at me. Surely these birds are soon to be off up into the hill's and with none seen today perhaps this has already happened.

Apologise for the empty pic boxes on the last two post's. I loose the first pic at the point of publishing? Then I get the second pic up and end up with the empty box and have yet to discover how to get rid of it......HELP!!

Wot no birds!

Proof - as if it was needed - that upland birding during the winter months can be really quite depressing....that's unless there's a Red Kite or a passing White -tailed Eagle overhead. A Short - eared Owl would have been nice but I only ever once saw one up here a few years ago, and incidentally only ever once saw a Hen Harrier here too.

The choice of day turned out to be a bad one as for most of the time at any altitude there was quite a heavy fog and whilst I was anywhere beyond half way to the summit of Clougha it never lifted, below this the visibility was clear and quite good but the visit produced nothing with any accuracy and it took me three hours to find my first Stonechat near Ottergear Bridge and I only found one more as I approached the car park five hours after I had arrived there at ten o'clock this morning....Still, it has to be done.

I had decided today I would note EVERY bird I saw up here, in the end it didn't take much ink to do that. I saw at least 12 Red Grouse, 2 Raven, 3 Robin, 2 Wren, a single Chaffinch and a Kestrel, a Grey Heron was by the small reservoir with 6 Mallard on there also. From Rigg Lane I noted 2 Brown Hare.

The pic was taken from the boardwalk looking at the bog - but certainly not today - a place to find small numbers of Small Pearl - bordered Fritillary in late May - June.

A short story....

....about a topical subject at the moment

plus a moderate quality pic - totally
unrelated to the story - which I took recently at Glasson Dock and is of a gull stood on ice on the canal basin. The birds plumage is too pale for Yellow-legged Gull though that was the colour of its legs. Still a lot to learn and until I do some reading am at a loss, but not much new there......well on occasions anyhow.

We've been seeing some interesting and informative post's on the LDBWS website regarding Twite and the associated and ongoing ringing programme with the species. I personally have had a reasonable winter for this bird and could have observed more than 100 in one day this week if the Conder Green birds had obliged and added their number to the 62 already seen that day, but unfortunately they evaded me. I have already expressed my view that the Twite is an often difficult bird to get to grips with when it comes to reading ring combinations and a good deal of time and determination is needed to get a result from the exercise and so far this year I have gained absolutely nil in this regard.

But my most exciting Twite find was on 11 April 2005 when, whilst walking the the banks of the Rivers Wenning and Lune on the prowl to find my first Yellow Wagtail of the summer (not an easy task these days) I had reached just north of Loyne Bridge on the River Lune when I came upon two distant passerines which turned out to be Twite. These two birds were the first of the species I ever found off passage and away from places like Cockersands, Fluke Hall and the likes on the coast. But more excitement - and a bonus - was to come when I found one of the birds was ringed and on this occasion was easily read. Passing this news on to the appropriate people we were to learn that the bird had been ringed at Cant Clough in Lanc's and was one of about 32 ringed there on 26 July 2003, apparently someone had also had a 'similar bird' at Askam which brought about the comment, quote....' so you have at least some South Pennine birds coming your way'....unquote. The e-mail I received ended, quote....'definitely interesting stuff'....unquote. Well I certainly went along with that at the time and still do.

I have it on good authority that a single Waxwing was seen on Rowan this morning from Station Road in High Bentham.

And finally......My computer is going into hospital tomorrow until goodness knows when but hopefully not too long, though I doubt very much that anyone on the planet will be affected in any way at all by this news.