Surprisingly Ruff!

Being a scarce winter visitor, and an uncommon passage migrant in our area, the Ruff is a wader well up the list of my favourites. Tuesday was a good day for me, and being easily pleased, finding seven Ruff pretty much made my day....Happy Chappie!

Not only did I see the 12 month stayer around the Lune Estuary, but making a morning and afternoon visit on the day, the latter visit produced 2 Ruff, one in the creeks, the second in the midst of up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool, in the company of 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Knot. Also seen, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Pink-footed Geese, and a few lingering Wigeon. On my way back to Lancaster, I counted 14 Avocet on my second visit to Conder Pool. Two Chiffchaff heard, one at the picnic area, the other along the coastal path. 

On the Lune Estuary which was quiet at low tide, 3 Avocet, 9 Eider, little more than 20 Back-tailed Godwit, and a drake Goosander. 

At Cockersand, I had to hope five waders seen to come down into the field east side of Abbey Farm, would hang around for half an hour whilst I got closer for more positive ID. Continuing on the circuit, when I arrived back at the opposite side of the field, the waders had moved even further away and gave me a run-around for fifteen minutes, but I eventually caught up with the birds which had latched on to 50 Starling with which they took to flight four times during the chase....I had been unsure, but was right all along, they were 5 Ruff.

Golden Plover. Pete Woodruff.

Off Slack Lane c.320 Golden Plover were in the main with breeding black underparts, including some male 'Northern' birds. I saw my first Swallow - three actually - two at Cockersand and one bird at Conder Green.

Common Sandpiper.

A Common Sandpiper was reported to me to be on Conder Pool on Tuesday, but I failed to locate the bird for myself. This bird is the first here since one seen 18 September 2022....Records per Ian Hartley.  

Common Sandpiper Marshaw 15 June 2021. Pete Woodruff.

Searching through my images, I find it hard to believe it has taken me so long to see that this Common Sandpiper bears a ring on its right leg....Well blow me over!

Breaking News....Adult Common Tern at Myerscough Quarry today 13 April.

Spring Is Sprung!

With a good weather forecast for Friday, the plan was that I got into Bowland on a sunny early April day, and it was good to get out of the motor and on to Harrisend again for the first time since 26 January.

Harrisend produced my first record of 6 Stonechats on territory on 24 March 2022, with the same number seen again 5 days later on 29 April. But in large areas here today, hopes of any birds were dashed by the sight of grazing sheep. But all hope wasn't lost, although a bit of a struggle I did eventually find 3 Stonechat in sheep free areas, so there is a realistic possibility of 2 pairs here this year so far, hopefully with more to come, but I'm hoping the sheep are going to be driven off here soon....wishful thinking!

It was a nice surprise to find a smart male Wheatear, which I took to be the same individual seen 3 hours later on the return leg. At least 21 Meadow Pipit (34 seen on 29 April 2022) noted as a common breeder. Also noted as a common bird in the uplands of Bowland were 6 Wren all heard only. I heard just one Curlew here, and noted a Reed Bunting and 2 Red Grouse, with just one raptor seen, being a Kestrel over the ridge.

At Hawthornthwaite, 5 Stonechat seen, so probably three pairs here to date, at least 14 Sand Martin in flight up and down Catshaw Grieve, 13 Meadow Pipit was one less for my count in April 2022, 3 Wren, 2 Red Grouse. As at Harrisend, just one Curlew seen, in flight and singing its evocative and distinctive rippling trill. A Buzzard and Kestrel were the only raptors seen.

Spring is sprung!  

Now we are into the second week of April and Stonechat migration is at an end, upland records are of birds on territory. But whilst mine on Harrisend and Hawthornthwaite are obvious breeders, three lowland sites on the Fylde and North Merseyside this April are unknowns to me as breeding sites. But whilst I wait to see updates of annual reports, I read a pair bred at Freshfield Dune Heath, three pairs at Cabin Hill, and five pairs at Marton Mere WWT in 2022. So does that mean two birds seen yesterday at Wesham Marsh on the Fylde are likely to be a pair of this years lowland breeders?

And Finally.

I have info regarding Common Sandpiper and 2 pairs of Grey Wagtail on the Marshaw Wyre at Marshaw on Friday, and it was great to see 3 Raven high over our urban Lancaster garden on Saturday.

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Todays Rant.

I'd like to use B2B as a platform for publicity about some vandalism obviously caused by the few who like to get that little bit closer to the action, with better views of birds and photographs on Conder Pool.

Investigations about this vandalism on the south side of the pool, showed there had been an opening cut in the Elder tree, and fencing was broken to gain access. The damage has since been repaired and blocked, but you do wonder whether or not the protection of Schedule 1 species - of which Conder Pool does have and has had many in the past - really matters to these people....Here's hoping it does.

A Few More Estuarine Delights.

Conder Pool came good again on Monday, and with apologies for rabbiting on about the Ruff, and a promise to try and never mention it again, it/one has finally run the 12 month course for the first time ever around the Lune Estuary.

There was up to 20 Avocet on Conder Pool, and the impressive sight of up to 900 Icelandic Back-tailed Godwit, some in near stunning rufous summer plumage, they were accompanied by a 'few' Knot, also 3 Little Ringed Plover, and a Greenshank.

When I called in 4 hours later on the estuary at Glasson, presumably the Conder Pool near 1,000 Black-tailed Godwit were present with c.250 Knot, 4 Avocet seen, and a Great Crested Grebe was to note.

Despite the routine circuit at Cockersand, nothing riveting to note, but c.40 Linnet were accompanied by a lone Reed Bunting, flighty in and around the stubble field, with 2 Stock Dove, 13 Eider were off Plover Scar. Insects to note here, I saw my first 3 Small Tortoiseshell and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

You Can Help The Birds.

Don't worry about the birds, they can look after themselves, even if they can't rest and conserve energy when the tide is high, or feed and even breed on Plover Scar like the Ringed Plover on the notice board does.   

Just carry on and do your birding and taking piks....Enjoy!

Moths.

Ian Mitchell does the decent thing and sends me brilliant images of brilliant moths in his trap two days in a row.

Hebrew Character. Ian Mitchell.

Early Thorn. Ian Mitchell.

And Finally.

Red Kite. Martin Jump.

Martin calls this image 'a poor distant one' of the Red Kite yesterday in Bowland. I call it an excellent record of one....Thanks Martin.

And I can record 2 Ring Ouzel yesterday in Bowland.

Stonechat Invasion.

On 7 February I received email messages from two reliable birding friends. The messages were info about Stonechats seen in areas where no wintering birds had been found, and both went on to suggest that Stonechat migration had already taken off. 

But no-one could possibly have expected the truly spectacular phenomenon that was about to unfold so soon in the calendar in the first week of February to continue to the end of March.

Stonechat Moss Lane 3 March. Howard Stockdale.

Over 54 days from 7 February - 2 April, I have collected records from two sightings pages, in the main FBC and to a lesser degree LDBWS. I have recorded a staggering 394 Stonechat, all individual birds with no duplicate counts. Included in this extraordinary number of birds in such a short space of time, is the count of 112 Stonechat, including 14 seen in a couple of hours birding one day by the ever reliable AC.

History is in the making here, and repeating itself too....

The Stonechat in the LDBWS recording area, enjoyed a dramatic upturn in status 24 years ago in 1999. But it was short lived, and by 2007, numbers in the uplands of Bowland had started to decrease, with just 4 pairs and a maximum of 8 young on Clougha in 2010. Following two consecutive harsh winters in 2010/11, the decline was mirrored in my records, with only Hawthornthwaite producing one pair with 5 young. Records for 2012 showed no real recovery of the Stonechat in Bowland, and the fact that just two were found on Clougha during 2012 this situation continues today. Though breeding activity can be found at many upland sites, my experience says the population at the prime sites at Clougha/Birk Bank didn't and still hasn't recovered to their glory days of early 2000....But 394 on spring passage in 2023, seems to me to say all this is about to change.

Thanks to Simon Hawtin for his stunning image of the track off Hawthornthwaite Fell....True Stonechat country.

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The Herald. Pete Woodruff.

I always enjoy finding a moth now and again, especially if it's one I haven't seen before like this Scoliopteryx libatrix. A moth that can be mistaken for a dead leaf when resting head-down in vegetation, though this one not having survived its winter hibernation.  

A Closer Look Round The Estuary.

Plenty of added interest around the Lune Estuary on Monday when I look closer into the details of some of the sightings.

Little Ringed Plover. Pete Woodruff.

The Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool was an early bird here, although by coincidence, this bird goes into my records as being seen on the same date of 27 March 2022. With no up to date data available for earliest summer arrivals, the earliest date to be seen for LRP in our recording area, is one at Arkholme on 16 March 2020.

Ruff Conder Creeks 27 March 2023. Howard Stockdale.

A male Ruff seen in the creeks is just a few days short of the species being present around the Lune Estuary for 12 months, which will be seen as a first record here.

Ruff Conder Creeks 17 September 2022. Paul Ellis.

This Ruff appears to be one and the same in both the above images taken 6 months apart. But note, the bird in the top image has the orange base of the bill muddied....Thanks to Howard and Paul for their excellent images.

Another record of interest on Conder Pool was of 3 Shoveler, seen as a drake and two female, no better than scarce here. Also to note, single figures of Black-tailed Godwit, Greylag with 2 Pink-footed Geese, Tufted Duck, Pied Wagtail, with c.150 Black-headed Gull probably considering breeding here....heaven forbid!

Not an Avocet in sight on Monday at Conder Pool. The bird with a limp from September last year, is posted for old times sake and a reminder of things soon to come.

The only thing of note on the Conder Green circuit, was a Chiffchaff heard at the picnic site. On the Lune Estuary from the bowling green, 6 Avocet were in the area around the Conder mouth, also up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit and 3 Goosander to note.

As I drove along Jeremy Lane, c.2,000 Pink-footed Geese were in the air over Thurnham off Moss Lane, also up to 250 Whooper Swan are still around the Cockersand area. Although a sunny spring like day, my trundle round the circuit was unproductive save 30 Twite flighty over stubble, and at least 150 Golden Plover settled as a circle in the field by Abbey Farm.

Dotterel Cockersand April 2013. Chris Batty.

Seeing the plovers again on Monday at Cockersand, triggered my memory to recall finding a Dotterel in the same field by Abbey Farm on 16 April 2013, it was with 275 Golden Plover. This was the first Dotterel in the Fylde Bird Club recording area for 13 years.

The down side of my visit to Cockersand was no Stonechat seen, wintering and passage birds now departed, and no Wheatear seen....Ahhhh well, winners and losers!

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the Barn Owl header at Conder Green, seen regularly here....but not by me yet. 

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. 

The Sunday Post!

There's a Wheatear to be seen soon at a location near you, possibly before next week is out, but you won't beat the first two males seen on 23 February in 2021, these birds set a new earliest arrival record for Lancashire.  

Golden Plover.

Birding this week was limited to a 3 hour session around Cockersand on Wednesday, and produced just 5 species getting into the little black book, but as always there was interest, not least of which was up to 2,000 Golden Plover in the field east of Abbey Farm. 

My archived video shows the kind of number to be found in the past on the Lune Estuary at Glasson. Wednesdays count exceeded the 1,500 Golden Plover seen at Braides 11 October 2022, which - until last Wednesday - was the best count anywhere on the Lune Estuary this winter. I'm repeating myself here but....where have all the estuary GP's been this winter?

Eider.

Off the caravan park, I saw 32 Eider, difficult to count whilst diving for molluscs.

Wigeon.

Their diet consisting mainly of 80% grass, 42 Wigeon where characteristically grazing in the field by Bank House Cottage. The Wigeon have long been numerous in Lancashire, migrating from Iceland, Fennoscandia, and Russia, from where an interesting recovery of a Lancashire-ringed Wigeon was found on the River Ob in Central Russia. This bird was ringed at Banks in March 1984, and was recovered 26 days later at Sytomino 4,495km to the east the following month in April.

Stonechat.

Stonechat Female Cockersand. Ian Mitchell.

I found just 2 Stonechat at Cockersand both female, one on roadside fence posts east side of Abbey Farm, one at the Moss Lane/Slack Lane junction. Both were at locations where birds have been seen all winter, but now not possible to know whether winter or passage, though I reckon the winterers have now moved on and these two are moving through. 

Whooper Swan.

Up to 350 Whooper Swan seen, a number regularly recorded this winter in the Cockersand area, though there was a peak count of 450+ recently.

Garden Birds.

I was a little more than chuffed to see a male Reed Bunting as a first and never to be expected visitor to our urban garden in Lancaster on Friday. Unfortunately it didn't stay long, but I did get a poor quality grab shot through the window with my out of date digital camera for the record. 

Reed Bunting. Pete Woodruff.

I'm puzzled by the result of the photo of this moulting bird, void of detail, it shows just a grey tone on the wing....Time to get up to date with my camera! 

Following the bunting, the dainty little regular Wren showed well, and long enough for some footage as it worked its way up the Norway Spruce outside the patio window picking off insects as it went.

March Migrants.

Fingers crossed I might soon find my first Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool, mean arrival date 19 March. Also a Sand Martin maybe over the canal basin at Glasson Dock before the month is out, the mean date for arrival being 9 March. I'll be on the look out for a Swallow 21/3, Willow Warbler 29/3, House Martin 31/3, Ring Ouzel 22/3.

Lots to keep us interested in the coming weeks....There's a good time cumin!  

Geese And Chats.

Thursdays birding was a day that started just about as bad as gets, but soon took off to be as good as it gets as far as geese and to a lesser degree chats were concerned. 

Conder Pool, was virtually void of birds save 4 Wigeon, 2 Tufted Duck, 2 Cormorant and a Little Grebe, and to make matters worse the wintering Stonechats appear to have moved on. But there was a little interest on the coastal path, with the sight of a Greenfinch being no better than an occasional bird here, in fact I'm struggling to recall the last one I saw at Conder Green. Something more positive from Conder Pool, 6 Avocet had moved in on Friday with news published by AC@FBC....But not reported since.

Along with Pete Crooks and J.C.Wood who joined me on Moss Lane, and later in the day Barrie Cooper at Cockersand, to quote Pete Crooks we enjoyed....'the best birding experience currently on offer in North Lancashire'.

Over the 3 hours spent at Cockersand, at one point I estimated a total of up to 5,000 Pink-footed Geese in the air, with 8 Barnacle Geese, and 3 White-fronted Geese seen earlier in fields opposite Lambs Farm on the south side of Moss Lane. 

With the first count made in fields, geese were in the air several times following human disturbance, and up to 4,000 were in this field immediately north of Bank House Cottage.

Worth a mention, over the past few days during these pre-migration gatherings of geese, a peak count was made of 12 White-fronted Geese, with 3 Bean Geese and a Lesser White-fronted Goose per FBC. 

A little wandering had me find 5 Stonechat, seen as two male and a female on roadside fence posts east of Abbey Farm, and a pair on the spoil heaps in the field south of Lighthouse Cottage.

Disturbance.

Throughout my observations of 'the best birding experience currently on offer in North Lancashire' on Thursday, I witnessed or was reliably informed of several incidents of wilful disturbance of geese and swans in recent days.

In addition to my personal experiences, there was disturbance being seen as deliberate a few times in a field south of Moss Lane. Add to this, earlier on Thursday and on two occasions earlier in the week, Whooper Swans had been disturbed more than once in fields west of Jeremy Lane, and on 23 February south of Cockerham, up to 3,000 geese including Bean Geese, White-fronted Geese and Pink-footed Geese were disturbed by 'someone' on a quad bike.

This incident isn't directly related to the current post about geese and swans disturbed in fields, but....Wildlife is a low priority to some, you can educate a minority, but definitely not the ignorant majority! 

Edit.

The 5,000 Pink-footed Geese were flushed this p.m. again today by a farm vehicle deliberately driving through the birds in the same area as Thursday. We have collectively to somehow try to stop this wildlife persecution, but an uphill struggle will ensue. Like I have said....it's nigh on impossible to educate the ignorant!     

February Stonechats.

On 7 February I received e-mails from two Fylde birders reporting Stonechats in areas where none had been reported during the winter, in both messages it was suggested that Stonechat movement was underway.

So this is the first week in February, and both suggestions proved to be spot on, Stonechat migration was well and truly underway, and by the last day of the month I had collated an impressive 53 records of 102 individual Stonechats with not a single duplicated record. With 11 records in the LDBWS area, the rest were from the Fylde. 

All the records are regarded as migrants, good numbers were in many areas unfamiliar to me, or are new areas for the species, and interestingly most were inland birds, for example....

Hawes Water bird

Carr House Green Common male 

Westby pair

Mythop 4 birds

Singleton pair

Parrox Hall female

Whitters Lane male/female

Aldcliffe Marsh male

Thurnham Hall 2xmale

The Heads 4 birds

Preesall Flashes female

Holme male

Lower Ballam 4 birds

Lambs Lane pair

Longridge Fell 2xpairs

My personal best count has been 7 Stonechat at Cockersand on 23 February.

If the Stonechats behave so obligingly as this male did at Cockersand on Monday, then they are likely to feature regularly in videos on B2B.

Other notes from Cockersand on Monday, 4 Stonechat including another male and a female accompanying the male in the video, with a female seen on Slack Lane. Up to 350 Whooper Swan were seen in three fields, including at Clarkson's Farm where 150 Whooper Swan were accompanied by 2 Bewick's Swan, 7 Twite flew off the marsh by the caravan park.

A long time dead Razorbill was on the shingle below the Lighthouse Cottage car park.

If I'm honest, there was nothing to excite on Conder Pool, but noted were c.70 Wigeon, being almost entirely vegetarian, grazing in a compact group on the sloping grassy edges. Also 2 Stock Dove, a Little Grebe, a Snipe, and the seemingly annual visitors the pair of Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Avocet.

Yesterday 7 Avocet were seen feeding on the Lune Estuary as viewed from Conder Green, per LDBWS.

Many Thanks to Simon Hawtin who kindly sent me his image of the Aurora Borealis taken from Catshaw Fell on Monday night.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Simon who takes credit for furnishing me with Stonechat sightings in particular, but also Ring Ouzel records in Bowland.