The Cattle Egret That Wasn't!

This image was posted on Birds2blog yesterday, along with a claim that it was of 2 Cattle Egret at the east end of Moss Lane. The result of a distant photograph, and not given the attention to my birding required to maintain the status of my being amongst the best. In fact it's a Cattle Egret accompanied by a Little Egret.

To be honest and blunt, I made a complete balls of this record, but the truth is, I'm not too proud to admit an error....ever!

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Red-tailed Bumblebee on Verbena Bonariensis. Pete Woodruff.

There has been a good number of Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius on the Berberis in our garden in recent days, all queens and my favourite bumblebee. We have also had 3 Brimstone and an Orange Tip in the garden.

Large Red Damselfly. Ian Mitchell.
 

It was good that Ian Mitchell had seen the female Large Red Damselfly at Foulshaw yesterday. A sure sign that some excellent days of Odonata are on the way.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for the images, especially the Spotted Redshank in the creeks at Conder Green....Stunning image of a stunning bird.

Conder & Cocker.

Yesterday it was interesting to note the wintering birds have departed for their breeding sites, and with a message from Boddi that 'the godwits are piling up here in Iceland' I saw just a lone Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool yesterday from seeing a few hundred there earlier in the month. 

Also to note on Conder Pool, up to 18 Avocet, with some sitting birds included, 9 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 25 Knot, a Greenshank, and a drake Wigeon perhaps going to summer here, with 2 Pink-footed Geese perhaps doing the same, and a mixed group of c.20 Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull. Elsewhere at Conder Green, a Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and an Orange Tip seen.

AC reported to me an egret at the east end of Moss Lane, I went to take a look and found 2 Cattle Egret there.

 

My photo of the Cattle Egrets on the spoil heap is about as bad as it gets, but good enough for the record book.

A wander around Cockersand, I found my first 4 Lapwing chicks, and from c.320 seen 11 April, the number had dwindled to 52 Golden Plover hanging on in the stubble behind Lighthouse Cottage. Following 250 on 18 April, no more than 15 Linnet seen here today. A Wheatear on Plover Scar with 5 Whimbrel seen off here. A Small Tortoiseshell was the only butterfly identified from three other sightings.

In the garden, 2 Common Blue, and high overhead soaring and acrobatics, 2 Raven. I'm reliably informed of a Cuckoo calling in the Birk Bank area on Monday 24 April.

The header image is vintage material of a bird seen many years ago on Newby Moor, where I made contact with Whinchat in good number over the years.

Bowland Calls!

Brilliant day Thursday, somewhat spoilt by a strong and chilly east wind which drowned out lots of birdsong, and blew into my face for 3 hours before turning my back on it for the return leg. But it was good to lock up the motor and give the area a good going over.

Marshaw - Tower Lodge - Trough Bridge.

The biggest surprise this visit, was a Spotted Flycatcher seen briefly on a roadside fence post about 1/2 mile east of the cattle grid at Marshaw. 

The earliest Spotted Flycatcher in our recording area was 14 May with no year given in our local annual report. Some Spotted Flycatcher dates worth noting, one was at Beckermet north of Sellafield on 19 April. The earliest ever date in Cumbria was 24 April 1983, the median date being 2 May, whilst the first in Lancashire 2021 was on 1 May, the earliest ever being 14 April 2015....Looks like the 1983 bird in Cumbria has been dethroned! 

I located 2 Pied Flycatcher, both singing males, one at each end of the compound at Tower Lodge. In my 5 hours I found just one Dipper in flight upstream from the green bridge on the Hawthornthwaite track. I saw 3 Common Sandpiper on the Marshaw Wyre, from where a very disappointing result was of just one pair of Grey Wagtail. Hopefully more to come, but with breeding usually beginning late April, maybe that's just my wishful thinking, but I left few stones unturned on the Marshaw Wyre today.  

The 15 Willow Warbler were all heard above the wind whistling through the trees, I reckon possibly twice this number here today. Others included in my notes, the lovely Song Thrush was appropriately in full song, at least 3 Mistle Thrush, 3 Coal Tit, and a Goldcrest. A smart male Siskin hanging from an Alder twig, was good compensation for my failing miserably whilst searching for Crossbill. 

One or two Sand Martin were flighting around this bank, I may have seen birds entering the only two nest holes that looked anything like they may be excavated and occupied in what looks like a very solid and stony bank. There's nothing new in recording just 24 species in 5 hours at this upland location in Bowland, and the only butterfly seen was a Peacock over the stream.

Stoops Bridge.

It was unfortunate that I got into a conversation with someone soon after I arrived here, unfortunate because I consequently ran out of time, but did see a male Pied Flycatcher - five here I'm told including a ringed bird - saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Nuthatch and Chiffchaff.

Stonechat.

I was pleased to have news of the first ringable Stonechat chicks found in Cumbria 21 April, this gives the first egg date of 27 March. With chicks needing to be around six days old, the previous earliest record of a brood available for ringing was 7 April. Conversely, a backward spring delays ringing to the end of the first week in May, a gap of 4 weeks....What a difference a month makes!

Breaking News.

The first brood of the year, five Stonechat chicks ringed this morning at Dean Moor, Cumbria. 

I'd like to express my thanks to John Callion for being in touch with this Stonechat data, also for info on the Spotted Flycatcher in Cumbria. 

Common Tern.

News about 2 Common Tern on Conder Pool yesterday made my day big time.

Common Tern Conder Pool 22 April. Howard Stockdale.

This record means the Common Tern has arrived on Conder Pool 2 days earlier than the past two years on 24 April, and now takes pride of place as the earliest arrival date. 

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the much appreciated heads up and 'snapshot' image. Also thanks to Martin Jump for the excellent header image of the Pied Flycatcher at Tower Lodge.

Raptor Persecution UK.

If you would like to click the link to RPUK in my right sidebar, currently you will find some interesting reading. Even if you have no regard at all for Chris Packham, and I doubt that is the case, or you read the Daily Mail. Either way you can see what crap the Daily Mail and Twitter - including an anonymous user with just 50 followers- really are.    

The Cockersand Shortlist.

If I'm honest, theres a shortage of enthusiasm for this post.

But hey....a days birding never fails to turn up at least a little something of interest, and my interest on Tuesday was that I found an impressive c.250 Linnet, flighty in and around the stubble field behind Lighthouse Cottage, where 65 Golden Plover were still lingering. From Slack Lane, I heard Raven with its repeated deep 'korrp-korrp' call. My first Whimbrel flew by off Plover Scar from where I saw a lonely pair of Eider, soon followed by my first Cockersand Wheatear, an area which usually produces my first of the year.

Pied Wagtail. Pete Woodruff.

Pied Wagtail were notably seen in small number, but no continental birds with grey backs yet. Skylarks were seen throughout my walk on the circuit, and a skein of c.300 Pink-footed Geese flew south....obviously not yet read the script to go north!

Conder Pool. 

With management work being carried out, Conder Pool was a no go zone when I called there in the morning. Looking in on there a few hours later on my way back to Lancaster, there was little of note save c.80 Black-headed Gull obviously determined to stand their ground. We will not, we will not be moved....but everything else seemed to have been.

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 16 April. Howard Stockdale.

On 14 April I found two stunning Mediterranean Gull, two days later a different adult pair were seen and photographed behaving in a manner in the image above, indicating the possibility of breeding on Conder Pool. Later the same day, this was followed by a conclusive report of a bird with nesting material. 

Deja Vu.

I had only a couple of hours available for birding on Friday, and decided to give the time to scrutinize Conder Pool and a brief look in on the Lune Estuary....Well what a good idea that was.

These two beauties were on Conder Pool in June 2019, and it was Deja vu when I found 2 Mediterranean Gull there again on Friday, seen as an adult and 2nd summer.

Also on Conder Pool, a similar number of up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit seen on last Tuesday, including a colour ringed bird, the details of which I await from Iceland, these were accompanied by 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, c.50 Knot and a lone Dunlin in their midst, at least one lingering Pink-footed Goose, and I noted a single figure of Avocet.

On the Lune Estuary, c.120 Black-tailed Godwit, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit was bathing then preening with them, 9 Avocet, 8 Eider, a Swallow working its way upstream, and a Willow Warbler briefly singing on the coastal path is the first of the year for me. Interesting, that I found 22 Willow Warbler on a wander around the Birk Bank area 14 April 2022....What a difference a year makes! 

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the image of the stunning Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits currently on Conder Pool.

Early Birds.

Close to home, a male Pied Flycatcher at Stoops Bridge Abbeystead yesterday, was three days later than one in Wray on 12 April 2021, also a Whitethroat yesterday at Wesham Marsh. 

An interesting record at the Portland Obs, was of a Great Skua yesterday, the first this year, a note added to the record read, the Bonxie is usually year ticked on 1 January, making it inconceivable that it has taken three and a half months to see one this year, also a Whinchat was new in there three days ago on 13 April....Eyes down up look in!

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.