Butterflies2blog!

It's been a struggle to find the butterflies so far this summer with no need to go into the reason why. Tomorrow (Thursday) looks good weatherwise so things may change then. Meanwhile, until I have the time to post the second half of my birding experiences for Monday last, here are some excellent images of a trio of butterflies with some brief notes - only one of which you'll find locally if you live in the same area of the world as I do - all of which are taken by one of my men in Kent Marc Heath who I thank very much, which reminds me....I must enquire if my permit needs to be renewed!

White Admiral. Marc Heath.

The White Admiral is a Priority Species for conservation due to the continuation of habitat loss - nothing new there then - it prefers shady woodland and woodland rides in mature woodlands with sunny glades of Bramble, it occurs across southern Britain, spreading rapidly since the 1920's.

Small Blue. Marc Heath.

The Small Blue is the smallest native British butterfly and another Priority Species for conservation, its main habitat are dry sheltered areas of grassland where Kidney Vetch grows. In Scotland it is also in decline though its strongholds remain along the Angus coast and Moray Firth.

Purple Hairstreak. Marc Heath.

The Purple Hairstreak lives in self-contained colonies in woodland where Oak trees occur. In my area of North Lancashire it can/could - for example - be found in Eaves Wood and Gait Barrows NNR the full access of which requires a permit, though it does have public paths. 

I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!

Hide Hugging!

With some business to see to regarding the Pied Flycatchers with JW today I decided afterwards a visit to the RSPB Reserve a Leighton Moss was an idea, after all there's been a Hobby seen there for a couple of days and a Hobby at Leighton Moss or anywhere in our recording area - and beyond for that matter - is all but a dream. 

Hobby. Brian Rafferty. 

So with only limited time I went to the Public Hide with high hopes and gave it an hour or so to no avail, but had excellent views of 4 Marsh Harriers, one of the reserves main attractions along with the Bearded Tit and Bittern.  A Buzzard was soaring above the wood opposite the hide, and 8 Teal flew over and around the mere before disappearing onto one of the back pools, otherwise pretty quiet. BR had a rare opportunity a year or so ago to get some excellent shots of this brilliant little falcon at Leighton Moss as illustrated above, and more recently of the Marsh Harrier below. 

Marsh Harrier. Brian Rafferty.

About thirty minutes in the Lillian Hide gave the spectacle of up to 300 Swifts hawking insects over the pool along with just 2 House Martins easily picked out of the crowd, and a solitary Sand Martin, another 2 Marsh Harrier were also seen here and another Buzzard over the wood. A Moorhen seen below the hide had climbed the stem of a Reedmace to feed on the seed, a curious sight and a first for me.

Eider. David Cookson.

I decided to look in at Teal Bay on the way home to see the tide coming in and counted 102 Eider including four juveniles I noted, also 4 Whimbrel and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, a male Blackcap was singing in the bushes behind me.


I insist every visitor to Birds2blog reads the story in the link, this is as bad as it gets and please do take a close look at the 'woman' who clearly shows what she is in the photograph HERE

Weather or not!

I've never set off on a days birding with as much apprehension as I did today on my final visit - probably - to Barbondale this year. Taking into account the weather we have endured for most of this - so called - summer, I was in fear of lifting the lid on the first nest box I arrived at this morning, but to satisfy myself one way or the other it was essential that I 'did the rounds' in order to confirm what the situation was at the end of the breeding season for the Barbondale Pied Flycatchers, remembering that the season so far has been the best to date since the nest boxes were erected here four years ago in 2008.

An hour later and my worst fears were thankfully ill-founded because I had found all five boxes empty and 32 young Pied Flycatcher had at least left their home for the past few weeks and were now hopefully 'on their way'. Atrocious weather or not, I think this has proved beyond any doubt how resilient these birds are when it comes to survival in just about the worst conditions imaginable for an insect feeding bird. I can't begin to describe how pleased I am with this result, the effort in setting up the nest box scheme at Barbondale four years ago has turned out to have been an excellent idea after all and JW has the biggest share in this. Five pairs of PF's in 2012 at Barbondale, in 2013....ten pairs!

I managed to see and note one or two other species whilst here, not least notable were 15 Wheatear, ten of which were on the wall between the footbridge and the gate in just a matter of a few metres, most of which were juvenile birds giving the feeling the place was alive with them, so the weather doesn't appear to have affected the Wheatear either. Also noted, a brief male Redstart, a Tree Pipit, Nuthatch, Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, a singing male Blackcap, c.10 Goldfinch, a Willow Warbler seen feeding a young bird, a Dipper, Buzzard, and my first Meadow Brown of the year. Two Sand Martin were visiting a nest hole in a bank on Barbon Beck again today, I had seen four on my visit of 14 June and they represent the first I ever saw here obviously breeding.  

And on the breeding success theme....

Little Owl. Paul Foster.

I reckon PF grabbed the chance of a lifetime when he was able to achieve an image as brilliant as this one of the four Little Owl youngsters....they don't come much better than this but....

Kestrel. Paul Foster.          

....this one of the five kestrel youngsters is just as good. You did really well here with the Little Owls and Kestrels Paul, great stuff....I'm impressed.


Part 2 of today's efforts will follow when I have the time, but for the moment I've run out of it.

Preston Guild....

....and the breeding Common Terns at Preston Docks. All the photographs in this post are courtesy of Geoff Gradwell....thanks GG.

I have been approached by e-mail about the forthcoming Preston Guild and the consequences of 'possible' disturbance to the breeding Common Terns at Preston Docks, as a consequence I have in turn been in touch with someone else on the subject who asked if I could highlight the subject on Birds2blog.


The Preston Guild dates back to 1179 and is unique in that it is the only guild celebrated in the UK which is held every 20 years. My personal knowledge of this event - and in particular to the details of this years celebration - is limited to what I have just said and any precise details on where and what happens end here. However, what I do know is that I have been made aware that some of the celebrations will involve Preston Docks and this is where the Common Terns come into the picture. 

I think most local birders know that the Common Terns breed in the docks thanks to some excellent voluntary work in putting pontoons into place for the nesting birds.

In order to avoid unnecessary disturbance to these birds and their young I have been asked to highlight the need to contact the organisers of Preston Guild via a website on which we can all pass on our comments about the risk involved here and it has been suggested the comments we make should be on the lines of....

Please may I draw attention to the possibility of disturbance by events around this years Preston Guild at Preston Docks where there are some breeding sea birds using pontoons erected in the dock for the benefit of the birds in order to breed in safety. Could I therefore ask the organisers if they would make this known to visitors here so as to keep any unavoidable disturbance to a minimum. Thank you. 

Thanks for looking in on Birds2blog. I wonder if you would consider making contact and passing the suggested comment via the link to the Preston Guild

Magnetised.

The Conder Green/Cockersands magnet was on full pull on Tuesday morning and drew me away from anywhere else I may have been thinking of going to and as the weather was half decent I gave in to the pull.

Two adult Spotted Redshank were soon seen in the creeks, and I found 6 Common Sandpiper building up in number as they do here annually from late June/early July onwards, a singing male Reed Bunting was to note. On Conder Pool 2 Grey Partridge are not the first I don't think but are certainly unusual here, also unusual, the Great-crested Grebe was still on here as seen last Tuesday.

Tree Sparrow. Peter Guy.

A couple of hours at Cockersands either side of the tide produced 3 Grey Plover one of which was in full summer plumage, a beautiful bird. Also noted, 16 Golden Plover the first returns, and 8 Dunlin, a solitary Ringed Plover was almost certainly sitting on eggs/young on Plover Scar, not a good idea if you ask me, the chances of success must be minimal on here for this bird, 20 Eider were also hauled out onto the scar, and Shelducks had 11 young offshore, 5 Sand Martin flew past me on the headland going south as did a single Whimbrel. I didn't see where the bird came from but I picked up a Buzzard flying inland from the abbey area. Birds seen on the circuit, a Grey Wagtail on the shingle was a little out of context and took to flight high SW out to sea towards Pilling Lane Ends, 3 Tree Sparrow around Bank Houses, 4 Linnet, 2 Skylark, a Reed Bunting, and a Dunnock. 

Brown Hare. Brian Rafferty.

Five Brown Hare were all in the same field at Cockersands, and I counted at least 30 Small Tortoiseshell here again today, a seriously declining but once common butterfly.

Little Owl. Brian Rafferty.

On Jeremy Lane, 3 Tree Sparrow, and the Little Owl was on the roof of the distant derelict farm building....long time no see Little Owl here!


And finally....

Barn Owl. Marc Heath.

Yes....its another one of those 'can't resist this one' photographs, this of the Barn Owl en route home with supper. Thanks for this brilliant image goes to MH and for the excellent Brown Hare and Little Owl to BO....all very much appreciated.

The Numbers Game.

No post today....out of time, and this is most certainly my shortest post of all time.

This is in relation to the Countryfile programme put out on Sunday evening by the BBC (Bumbling Broadcasting Company) and you really should keep up to speed on these people who quite honestly can't add up in simple terms. By the way, this is a continuation of the recent Buzzard issue which I don't think you will need me to explain. 


I'm struggling to keep my cool here so I'll shut up and leave you to read THIS....PLEASE.

Another bit of depression....

....but don't fret there are some brilliant pics too, in any case I'm going to keep 'the depression' brief and void of too much waffle.

I'm determined to have the benefit of a blog to pump out the news now and again about the kind of problems our wildlife look set to endure for evermore....perhaps you'd like to take a look at THIS 

If you visit the vast upland areas of Bowland as I often do you can't fail to come across traps, cages, and people with guns to 'control' just about anything that can possibly be labelled a 'pest', not least of all if its a raptor or a corvid, but also if its a Fox, Stoat, Weasel and more, I even came across a trap recently which I discovered was to catch a Grey Squirrel. OK....so what's the problem with a Grey Squirrel in Bowland, it's as if you name it and its a problem and a pest if it comes into contact with the Red Grouse and the Pheasant the 'Darling birds of Bowland', and certainly is if it's 'suspected' of having them on the menu....but a Grey Squirrel!

Well I said I'd keep it brief and you will have noted the joke about this 'person' in Scotland who was fined £450 for being responsible for the unnecessary death of the Buzzard which was his intention in the first place....wasn't it, well he did'nt release the bird - a protected wild creature - from a cage, in any case his employer will probably earn that much by the day - and more - and he'll pay the fine anyway....this is called justice, in this case for the Buzzard.

On a lighter note, and to celebrate the Spain 4 Italy 0 Euro 2012 result, heres another 3 from Spain to make it 7-0 which is what the score would have been had either of these teams played England.

Great-spotted Cuckoo Ana Minguez

If you're living in the UK like me you'll need to be lucky to get this one in your book of ticks. The Great-spotted Cuckoo, this one is a juvenile. The first record of GSC in Britain was in 1870 in Northhumberland, though one was found in Ireland 28 years earlier in 1842 at  Omey Island, Galway. 

Penduline Tit Isidro Ortiz

And another the Penduline Tit, you'll need some luck to see one of these in the UK though certainly possible as an accidental here, the first record of which was only claimed  46 years ago in 1966 at Spurn, East Yorkshire. 

Crested Tit Antonio Puigg

The Crested Tit, is largely confined to the ancient Caledonian Pine Forests and Scots Pine Plantations. Thanks to AM/IO/AP for these excellent images.

A little bit of history.

Digging into history recently I found some interesting records of birds ringed in Cumbria.

Dunlin Antonio Puigg 

Like the Dunlin ringed 38 years ago at Priory Point in May 1974 the ring of which was found 3 years later in France in July 1977 in the pellet of a Long-eared Owl....now that is interesting.

Sanderling David Cookson

And the Sanderling ringed in East Germany in October 1976 and controlled less than a month later in November at Vickerstown, Barrow-in-Furness. At the time this individual appeared to indicate the origins of the winter Walney flock. 

 Oystercatcher Brian Rafferty

In 1977 an Oystercatcher recovered on Bear Island, Spitzbergen had been ringed on Walney Island 8 years earlier in 1969 and was then the most northerly Oystercatcher ever obtained by the Walney ringers.

Turnstone with Knot. Pete Woodruff.

And a Turnstone ringed at Walney Island in August 1970 was found over 6 years later in Morocco, December 1976 adding to other exceptionally interesting recoveries of autumn-ringed Turnstones at Walney and found in Africa, Canada and Greenland.


And finally....If you don't like a bit of 'softy stuff' - like the man says on the television when he's talking football - if you don't want to know the result look away now'....

Swallow Warren Baker

Swallow youngsters with the Ahhhh factor....Thanks WB, brilliant, and thanks to AP/DC/BR, also brilliant. 

And away from the birds, if you haven't yet come across GJ's day at the zoo then please give yourself a treat HERE 

Birds....they fascinate me in a million ways. 

Turned out nice again....

....well it tried to on Tuesday because the day started off nice and still and sunny. I arrived at Conder Green by 8.00am but the sun soon disappeared behind the clouds and never returned the rest of the day....so what's new!

A Spotted Redshank was soon found and still looking black in its breeding plumage, this and the Greenshank are to be found virtually all year round at Conder Green/Glasson Dock and although I've not been able to visit anything like regularly for eight months this bird - or another - will have only been absent from here for a matter of a few weeks before its return. A Reed Warbler gave excellent views atop of the reeds upstream from the road bridge as it sang with great enthusiasm still trying to attract a mate, also a male Reed Bunting. Also noted, a quick - trying to be unobtrusive - glance under the eaves at River Winds where there appears to be at least four active House Martin nests. A Great-crested Grebe on Conder Pool was interesting and may well be a first record on here for me.

At Glasson Dock on the Lune Estuary I noted 3 Eider and roughly estimated the return of 250 Lapwing and 80 Redshank, otherwise all quiet with barely a double figure of 'gulls'. 

The photograph above is for the benefit of anyone visiting Glasson Dock and intending parking on the car park at the canal basin should take note of the machine recently put in place here, whether or not its in working order is another matter.  I personally always take it that someone somewhere is lurking to check out the ones who fail to 'cough up', this is since a hefty fine was imposed on me at a store in Morecambe which 'clever me' thought nobody was ever in attendance and I overstayed the free time....until the postman came to my house a few days later, don't worry I tried to get out of the payment but failed miserably, I'm not aware of any excuses they consider in these non-payment cases. 


Anyway....back to birding.

Small Tortoiseshell. Pete Woodruff.

At Cockersands I soon decided to be realistic and submit to wasting my time here and that I should head off into the Trough of Bowland, but first I noted several Small Tortoiseshell and a Red Admiral gorging themselves on a flower someone will have to identify for me. Another conversation with a farmer in the area, when I asked about numbers of Swallows at the farm this year, he told me about four nests which is apparently 75% down on numbers less than 5 years ago.

Redstart Antonio Puigg 

I gave the rest of the day to a reasonably thorough search of the Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge area to note 6 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Redstart, 3 Redpoll, 6 Grey Wagtail, a Dipper, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, 5 Common Sandpiper, and a Buzzard. I take note that the Pied Flycatchers which I found here last year as a first breeding record in a tree hole haven't returned in 2012. Thanks for the excellent female Redstart AP, much appreciated.

The Trough of Bowland. Peter Guy.

Many thanks to PG for the excellent panoramic view. If you know the area the photograph overlooks the Langden Valley on the left, the Trough Road on the right, with a squall coming in over Tarnbrook top right in the distance. A dramatic and stunning view of an equally dramatic and stunning landscape. Hard to believe you could count the waders on the coast, and watch a Hen Harrier in an area like this in Bowland in under an hour later....I've done so on many ocassions.

And finally....putting a smile into a birding blog, or should it be 'what's this got to do with birding.. 

Another of those 'couldn't resist this one' pics, taken recently at Morecambe. You probably can't read the notice to the right of the door which says....'These toilets close at dusk to reduce the risk of vandalism'....Mmmmm!!

The disappearing act!

But first a brilliant photograph.

Gannet David Cookson

The Gannet and its offspring showing the art of photography at its best....Great stuff DC, much appreciated.

I don't reckon to know the up to date facts about the High Speed 2 rail line, it may well be underway or in the pipeline for all I know, what I do know is that in excess of 20 ancient woods need protection along the route of this speed-rail line. Another example of the kind of destruction faced by more ancient woodland in need of protection is that of more than 80 acres from a quarry in Kent, and there will be many more examples we don't know or hear about. 

Ancient woodland has formed part of our landscape since the Ice Age. In the 21st century it now covers less than 2% of the UK with lots of them - along with the animals that rely on them for survival - still under the threat of airports, new roads, and leisure facilities. Over 40 species associated with woodland died out in the UK last century and many more are at risk today in the UK which is one of the least wooded places in Europe. Only 12% of the UK's landscape is wooded compared with an average of 44% in other European countries.

Nearly 50% of the ancient woods that survived until the 1930's has since been lost or damaged by agriculture, development, or planting by non-native conifers for commercial forestry. A wide range of birds nest inside the cavities of the older trees and are dependent upon them for the bulk of their food. The Lesser-spotted Woodpecker needs a large territory full of insect-rich wood, a reduction of this is leading this bird to the brink of extinction and I wonder if the Lesser-spotted Woodpecker is perhaps one of the first casualties of our modern landscape. 

And finally....

Black Starling. Ana Minguez

The Black Starling, I love the contrasting colours between the birds yellow bill, red legs, and black plumage, and....

Thekla Lark. Ana Minguez.

The Thekla Lark, both of which - unless you travel outside the UK - you may never see. Thanks to Ana Minguez for the brilliant photographs.