News From The Bog!

Excellent news from Birk Bank from a trusted and reliable source, is that the current record stands at a spectacular 22 Keeled Skimmer as at Tuesday 14 July.

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank 16 July. Pete Woodruff.

On Thursday, I spent an enjoyable and rewarding 2 hours at Birk Bank, but based on the chances of my equalling the current record let alone beating it, I did find at least 14 Keeled Skimmer in the first 5 minutes there. Quite surprisingly all were male, though by the end of the session I had seen two females egg laying.

The next best thing, was the 2 Golden-ringed Dragonfly sightings, neither of which had stopped off for photographs!

Four-spotted Chaser Birk Bank 16 July. Pete Woodruff.

Four-spotted Chaser seen, this one an immature with wing spots not very apparent, and were mostly on the wing, and all were immediately seen off by the male Keeled Skimmers.

I hadn't noticed the insect at the time, only when I came to process the footage did I see it face to face with the chaser, and I wondered if it had escaped with its life, but I reckon it was living dangerously.

Being a novice in the game, I can only assume this female dragonfly is egg laying, you can see its abdomen under the leaf on the bog, in which case it is making heavy weather of the exercise.

I have no idea of the fate of this unidentified dragonfly. The behaviour added to the bleached appearance which is probably caused by the stark sunlight....All things considered, something of a mystery. 

Azure Damselfly Birk Bank 16 July. Pete Woodruff.

Three Azure Damselfly seen, and something of a surprise was a Blue-tailed Damselfly, it not being a common sight around acidic waters, I don't recall ever seeing one at Birk Bank before. It was good to see the Emperor Dragonfly again this year if only on a brief fly by.

Birds & Butterflies.

It was an icing on the cake moment when I found a pair of Stonechat as I came away from the bog, the male was seen with a grub in its bill....obvious breeders for me. Vocal interaction by a pair of Willow Warbler, and a Buzzard overhead.

Butterflies were a little thin, but one or two escaped ID as they whizzed by....no good for a learner like me! Three Ringlet, 2 Red Admiral and a Meadow Brown.  

All About The Skimmers!

Well not really all about the skimmers, but that's where we start....

It was a pleasure to be accompanied by Steve Graham at Birk Bank on Tuesday when we discovered a record breaking number of an odonata species discovered here only 11 years ago in August 2015 by Steve. This record was second only to the one found at Grindleton Forest Pond in August 2013 by Allen Holmes, it being the first Keeled Skimmer for the County of Lancashire.

Keeled Skimmer Male Birk Bank 23 June. Pete Woodruff.

The result of a pleasant and interesting 2 hours around the bog at Birk Bank produced a record breaking 12 Keeled Skimmer, including two pairs in cop, and two egg laying females.

Keeled Skimmer Copulating Birk Bank 23 June. Pete Woodruff.

I counted myself fortunate to have achieved a half decent image of the copulating pair of Keeled Skimmer, as I couldn't see them for sunlight on my camera monitor....Point and shoot=success this time!

A close second to the Keeled Skimmers was an Emperor Dragonfly, viewed in the mid-distance from the footpath. Also from this viewpoint, a 'few' Four-spotted Chaser seen.

When Steve Graham found the first Keeled Skimmer at Birk Bank back in August 2015, he had said, quote....'perhaps colonisation is finally underway'....Well the evidence today proved you was spot on there Steve.

Azure Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Two Azure Damselfly were separated from Common Blue when they eventually settled, also Large Red Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser.

Large Skipper. Pete Woodruff.

Butterflies were at best a little thin, but 6 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary seen but not photographed, 2 Ringlet, 2 Painted Lady, a Large Skipper, and Small Tortoiseshell.

Birds were represented by singing Garden Warbler, Blackcap, and Willow Warbler....Well where would we be without the Willow Warbler!

Bull Beck.

One positive and a negative for a wander along the footpath at Bull Beck earlier in the week.

Spotted Flycatcher. Paul Ellis.

The positive was a pleasant surprise to find Spotted Flycatcher, with a nest and two adult birds seen, one with food in it's bill.

Bull Beck River Lune Sandbank. Pete Woodruff.

I don't recall checking last year, but the one time thriving Sand Martin colony at Bull Beck is deserted, non-existent, and  todays negative.

Feature....Here's an issue which should have been featured on B2B many times over, but this one is up to date, 149 Hen Harriers have gone missing in the UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors.

Hen Harrier. Simon Hawtin.

For anyone who still wants to pretend that the grouse shooting industry isn’t responsible for the systematic extermination of Hen Harriers on grouse moors across the UK. The latest catalogue of crime that suggests otherwise is Here 

Thanks to Paul Ellis and Simon Hawtin for their images, and to Ian Mitchell for his header moth. The V-Pug is fairly common throughout England, but actually scarcer in Northern England.

Med Gull Spectacular.

Mediterranean Gull.

When I arrived at Conder Pool on Wednesday, someone was leaving the viewing platform, a nice man not serious about birding and just passing by I think. I said hello and asked if there were any Mediterranean Gull here, he answered saying he'd not seen any.

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 25 June. Pete Woodruff.

To my amazement, the first birds I saw were 7 Mediterranean Gull which were seen as 5 adult and 2x1st summer. It only took a few more minutes for me to pick up a total of 17 Mediterranean Gull, 8 adult, 7x2nd summer, and 2x1st summer birds.

I sensed a male following a female with a little posturing here....

Fourteen Mediterranean Gull in the video below....

I thought I was hallucinating, and I reckon the next birder to visit Conder Pool the following day thought he was too, when he found a total of 29 Mediterranean Gull....I think it'll be a while before this record is beaten! 

Avocet & Common Sandpiper.

It didn't take long for another spectacle to develop, that of a line of 42 Avocet at the back of Conder Pool, and when I panned right of the Avocet, 6 Common Sandpiper were also lined up along the back of the pool.

Common Tern.

Mainly focused on and distracted by the gull fest, I made no count of adult birds, but noted 15 Common Tern chicks on the raft, which included one young bird exercising it's wings.

Dragonflies.

Emperor Dragonfly Saltcote Pond. Pete Woodruff.

On Saltcote Pond, a lone Emperor Dragonfly was patrolling, occasionally egg laying around the edge of the pond, also up to 14 Common Blue Damselfly including some pairing.

Butterflies.

Ringlet. Pete Woodruff.

Nothing spectacular about these, as I saw just one Red Admiral, but 10 Ringlet lifted the gloom, and takes my sightings of this species to 16 Ringlet seen on two days, with six more seen at Birk Bank on 20 June.    

Glasson- Conder Green Circuit.

Reed Bunting, 3 Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, and 6 Sedge Warbler.

And Finally.

Ian Mitchell kindly sent me a couple of images....

This of an Elephant Hawk Moth

And one of a Large Yellow Underwing.

Ian says 'I was playing around trying to photo this moth in flight'....I don't think you need to try much harder Ian.

The Header.

Howard Stockdale does it again, this time with another excellent header image of 42 Avocet, perfectly lined up for a photograph and an accurate count on Conder Pool this week. 

I would like to take this opportunity, to thank all those who joined me - and some who later hindered me - in reporting this amazing record of 17 Mediterranean Gulls, which I found on Conder Pool on Wednesday 25 June.   

Mainly Dragons....

....but with some bees, a few notable butterflies, some chats, and a few other birds.

Grisedale Brook.

Grisedale Brook. Pete Woodruff.

Along the classic acidic upland stream that is Grisedale Brook, I spent a couple of hours looking for, but only finding one Golden-ringed Dragonfly, it was seen briefly flying upstream from Holme Wood, and despite waiting several minutes for its return, it failed to do so.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly Grisedale Bridge July 2022. Pete Woodruff.

Something of a disappointment today, in that I found just the one compared to 12 Golden-ringed Dragonfly here 2 years ago on 14 June 2023. 

Bird sightings were a bit sparse, but at least it was good to see a male Stonechat. Otherwise, a Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail and Goldfinch seen. A Buzzard was overhead mobbed by Carrion Crows. Butterflies were a Painted Lady and Small Tortoiseshell, with 3 Red Admiral and 2 Small Heath.

Hawthornthwaite.

Bombus monticola Hawthornthwaite 18 June. Pete Woodruff.

I was pleased to find a Bilberry Bumblebee on Hawthornthwaite on Friday. Last year I found 5 Bilberry Bumblebee 2 days later than this one on 20 June 2024 at Birk Bank.

Bombus sylvestris Hawthorthwaite 18 June. Pete Woodruff. 

The Bilberry Bumblebee was accompanied on the same patch of Clover, by what I believe to be a Forest Cuckoo Bee. Strange, because its name seems to indicate other than moorland, but this is a bee that can be found in a variety of other habitats too. I was of course also pleased to find 4 Stonechat which were seen as two breeding pairs alarm calling and behaving like they had young around, also 2 Painted Lady seen.

Birk Bank Bog.

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

It was good to find the bog now replenished and holding water, there are distant pools around the middle, and certainly more water along the side of the boardwalk than I saw on my visit a month ago on 16 May, and where most of the action was on Friday.

Even more of a delight was finding 4 Keeled Skimmer, they were eventually seen as coupled pairs. Also present, Broad-bodied Chaser, Four-spotted Chaser. With Large Red, Blue-tailed, and Azure Damselfly.

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

Butterflies seen, 6 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Red Admiral, and Small Tortoiseshell.

The Lancaster Orchids.

Southern Marsh Orchid. Pete Woodruff.

Brilliant to find up to 100 spikes of Southern Marsh Orchid again this year. Also in the area, 25 Common Spotted Orchid, and a decent count of 6 Ringlet butterfly.

Purple Hairstreak.

Purple Hairstreak. Ian Mitchell.

Steve Graham found 2 Purple Hairstreak atop of an Oak on Wednesday 18 June, and claims them to have been 3 weeks earlier than he expected, and his earliest ever record.

Wool Carder Bee. 

Wool Carder Bee Haslam Park 18 June. Martin Jump.

The Wool Carder Bee was rare up to the 1990's when the first records came from Heysham and Hornby in 1992/93. Until this time, this bee wasn't common anywhere in GB, but has spread to Scotland considerably since, where there are records which were confined to the south east 20 years ago.

Excellent find in Preston. Well done and congratulations Martin. 

The Header.

The excellent image of two adult and a 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull on Conder Pool certainly qualified for the header image. Thanks to Howard Stockdale.

And Finally.

Common Tern Conder Pool. Ian Mitchell.

Just as I was about to publish this post, in my inbox up pops another excellent image of a Common Tern. In the message, Ian Mitchell says....'it looks like this Common Tern has bagged itself a good sized Sand Eel'....Can't disagree with that, and many thanks for sending it to me, much appreciated Ian. 

The Brook/Pond/Fell And Bog.

If it's dragons we're talking, my day on the fringe of Bowland was excellent.

Grisedale Brook.

Though this year isn't panning out as good as last year between Grisedale Bridge and Holme Wood, this visit turned up 3 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, and 2 Common Hawker which, not having settled in the several minutes I watched them, I reluctantly recorded as them 'possible' based on size, behaviour, and upland habitat. The butterflies were in better number than of late, with 6 Meadow Brown, 4 Large White, 3 Large Skipper, and a Gatekeeper. 

Catshaw Pond.

The 'Lone Ranger' male Emperor Dragonfly was again patrolling the pond at Catshaw. This is the second year I have found the species at this small upland pool.

Hawthornthwaite Fell.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Pete Woodruff.

Another Golden-ringed Dragonfly seen here, with a Stonechat pair both alarmed at my presence at both the outward walk, and on the return. Six Meadow Pipit to note, with just 4 Sand Martin seen, and a Kestrel high overhead. Butterflies, 44 Large White and a lone Green-veined White.

Birk Bank Bog.

My visit here today verged towards exceptional, with 10 Keeled Skimmer which were seen as 4 male, 2 pairs in cop, and 2 female egg laying....Looks like the Birk Bank skimmers are here to stay!

I was a little disappointed with the result of my efforts to make a video which is a little fuzzy. But ne'r mind, it's not every day you find a female Keeled Skimmer egg laying whilst the male hovers nearby.

A bonus today came in the form of 4 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, with a Large Red Damselfly keep putting in an appearance. Butterflies, 2 Ringlet and a Red Admiral.

22 dragonflies on the day, and all rated as excellent....That'll do nicely thank you!

Picture Gallery.

Black Darter Birk Bank Bog 30 July. Ian Mitchell.

First past the post for Ian Mitchells male Black Darter. Ian beat me to this early'ish emerging dragonfly on Birk Bank bog, and many thanks for his header image. 

Small Red-eyed Damselfly. Martin Jump.

Martin is getting some excellent results for his project of in flight shots of this dainty damselfly. 

Return To The Birk Bank Circuit.

On Tuesday I was in the good company of Steve Graham to do the Birk Bank circuit again following our visit here on 7 May, which in turn followed a visit here in May 2023 which started with failure to find the Wood Warbler in Gibson Wood, though we did settle for hearing the bird singing.

Todays circuit started in fine style, when at least 200 predominantly Black-headed Gull with a few Common Gull were accompanied by 6 Mediterranean Gull which were seen as 3 x adult, 2 x 2nd summer, and a 1st summer, they were in a slurry field at the junction of Rigg and Littledale Lane. Two dragonflies hawking over an area by Rushy Lee had us scratching our heads, eventually with size and brown colouration we agreed to call them early date female Migrant Hawker.

When we arrived at Cragg Cottage, 2 Swallow were seen to enter nests under the eaves, a Spotted Flycatcher was seen as a Chiffchaff flew into the scrub. A Golden-ringed Dragonfly and a pair of Common Darter in cop were over the River Conder.

In a state of disbelief, the only birds of note between Cragg Wood and our arrival at Birk Bank bog one hour later, were a pair of Stonechat and 3 Kestrel. Steve Graham would vouch for the fact we saw not a single Meadow Pipit in 4 hours here today.

Bilberry Bumblebee Birk Bank. Ian Mitchell.

The highlight for me was finding my ninth Bilberry Bumblebee this year, this one was around Ottergear Bridge.

Keeled Skimmer. Pete Woodruff.

At the bog, 9 Keeled Skimmer were seen as 6 male, a pair in cop, and a female. Also, a Golden-ringed Dragonfly put in a couple of appearances, 4 Large Red Damselfly and a pair in cop, and the Emperor Dragonfly had Steve claiming the first he has ever seen here, which gives credence to my records of the species present in Bowland at four locations.

Butterfly sightings were better than those on our last visit here in May, or in fact any of those this year, when we recorded just three individuals. Today we saw 10 Ringlet, 9 Meadow Brown, 3 Red Admiral, 2 Green-veined White, and a Small Tortoiseshell. 

Thanks to Martin Jump for the header image of Small Red-eyed Damselflies mating in flight. Thanks Martin, I may have to get on my bike to Preston to see any of these!   

Two For The Price Of One!

Being the summer finally decided to show up again, I managed a couple of trips into Bowland this week.

Wednesday 17 July.

Grisedale Bridge Looking To Harrisend

Well as I saw it, the weatherman said sunny clear skies and humid, but when I arrived at Grisedale Bridge with dragonflies in mind, I thought I'd made the wrong choice and come to the wrong place.

Undeterred, I set off to look for the quarry with golden rings, to find a male Stonechat as a welcome sight to start with. The only other birds to note were a Meadow Pipit and a Raven over. I saw no more than a dozen butterflies here, seen as a mega count by recent standards, the best of which was a Red Admiral, with Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, and Large White to note.

All was not lost as I got back to the bridge....There's something magical about seeing a Golden-ringed Dragonfly - not in the video - coming into view under the bridge and flying downstream. It's just so disappointing, that on 14 June last year I searched Grisedale Brook to find 12 Golden-ringed Dragonfly in one hour.

On a circuit of the pond at Catshaw, I found no dragons or damsels, but flushed out 2 Snipe in the process. On Hawthornthwaite I found 2 Stonechat, 6 Meadow Pipit, a Kestrel and 2 Sand Martin. I saw just two butterflies, a Red Admiral and Small Heath. The 'best bit' here came in the form of a male Emperor Dragonfly.

With dragonflies in mind, my day ended nicely, with a Golden-ringed Dragonfly on Cam Brook at the foot of Cam Brow. But I'm convinced there's been no Sand Martin colony at Cam Brow this year, nor do I think there's been one at Hawthornthwaite on Catshaw Grieve....Food for thought! 

Friday 19 July.

Keeled Skimmer Birk Bank Bog 24 July. Ian Mitchell.

At Birk Bank, 6 Keeled Skimmer was good enough for me, they were seen as three male, a mating pair, and a female egg laying, all seen at close range. Also an Emperor Dragonfly, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, and 4 Large Red Damselfly.

On a wander around the area, a Stonechat pair, a Raven over, 4 Buzzard soaring and mewing together, and a Kestrel in a direct flight with a large gull above it was calling repeatedly 'kee-kee-kee-kee'.

Anting Gulls.

Too many for the camera to pick up on one frame, but a few hundred anting gulls over the house yesterday tea time. 

Emperor Dragonfly.

I have had my Emperor Dragonfly records accepted on iRecord, all with the comment attached....'Coordinate is outside known range for Anax imperator'....Clearly this is incorrect, and in this regard iRecord needs to be updated. I am reliably informed, there are a few records of Emperor Dragonfly on moorland other than Bowland, where I have recorded the species this year and in 2023.

A Good Day At The Office!

I was a little surprised to note the last visit made to Conder Pool was 15 May. I was overdue because my focus on wildlife had shifted elsewhere, but I was off to make that right and chose a good day to do so.  

Common Tern Conder Pool 2 July

With little attempt at accuracy my records read, at least 38 Common Tern adult and up to 20 chicks with three fledged and out on the island close to the nesting platform. There are some colour ringed adults, including one thought to have been marked in South Africa according to a source who was viewing with me. I found it both educational and entertaining watching the young running up and down the platform in anticipation of the bird coming in being the parent bird with fish.

Mediterranean Gulls Conder Pool 2 July

There was some added interest in the 4 Mediterranean Gull, seen as two adult and two 2nd summer birds. One of the 2nd summer birds was ringed in France and bearing a Green Darvic R9UJ....There are only three of the four gulls in the video in which there's some commentary by MP.

It's difficult in this murderous crop of the 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull, but it can be seen bearing the left leg Green Darvic ring.

Uncounted, so not the faintest idea of the Avocet number currently on Conder Pool, but some advanced juveniles noted with a good number of adults....An Emperor Dragonfly flew past the viewing screen.

Ruff Conder Green. Paul Ellis.

It was good to see the black male Ruff in the creeks, with up to 220 Redshank seen as a large number returning early on 2 July, also 6 Common Sandpiper and 2 Greenshank seen.

Ruff Male Conder Creeks 2 July

There was good news at River Winds when I counted ten House Martin nests with three seen attended by adults....There wasn't a bird in sight when I visited here six weeks ago in mid-May. 

Ringlet. Pete Woodruff.

Along the coastal path to Glasson Dock, I saw the only butterfly of the day, but it was a good one in my book, a Ringlet. At Saltcote Pond, an Emperor Dragonfly and probably 20 Common Blue Damselfly with a few Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Common Blue Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

There was good numbers of damselflies along the canal towpath, including this Common Blue Damselfly paired with a dull green female.

Dunnock In The Garden.

The Woodruff's were delighted to see a young Dunnock in the garden recently.

Golden Moments....Part 2.

It was time this week, for another wander around the area and to check around the bog at Birk Bank, where I have found odonata having a lack of variety over the past couple of visits....But mustn't grumble.

Golden Ringed Dragonfly July 13. Pete Woodruff.

I managed to lift this years sightings to five locations to date, when I notched up 5 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, seen as two on the bog at Birk Bank, one of which was seen briefly ovipositing, two over the River Conder at Cragg Wood, and one on Ottergear Bridge. A few minutes after I had found the GRD on the bridge, a Common Hawker flew east - west below the bridge.

Keeled Skimmer 13 July. Pete Woodruff.

Also, 7 Keeled Skimmer all male, five seen on the bog, and two on the west side of Ottergear Bridge, where I was surprised to find them here again as last year. Also on the bog, 2 Large Red Damselfly.

My butterfly counts remain low, though to contradict I did see 18 Meadow Brown, also 6 Large White, 5 Ringlet, 5 Small Skipper, and 3 Small Tortoiseshell.

Birds noted, a Buzzard and Raven were overhead, and a murder of up to 100 Carrion Crow came over the ridge.

The Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

Being unique in its breeding habitat of acidic upland streams and patrolling lengthy sections, the Golden-ringed Dragonfly also feed over nearby areas of moorland, with occasionally wanderings. 

'The species appears to have been lost from parts of North Lancashire. However, due to the often remoteness of its habitat it is not clear whether this might simply be 'an absence of records' rather than 'a record of absence'. It is likely that Golden-ringed Dragonflies are present throughout much of the northern uplands, breeding on the numerous streams, most of which are rarely surveyed'....Ref:The Dragonflies of Lancashire and North Merseyside. Steve White and Philip H. Smith.

Having achieved a total of 18 Golden-ringed Dragonflies in seven days at five sites. Too late this year, but I think maybe next I should make a plan, and change the 'rarely surveyed' to make a contribution to something more positive. 

Golden Moments.

On Monday, I gave Grisedale Brook 2 hours to find 12 Golden-ringed Dragonfly, the result of staking out for 1/4 mile at three positions to Holme Wood. Of these twelve sightings, I eliminated four as duplicate counts, bringing the count to eight.

Also seen in the area, 14 Meadow Brown, 4 Small Heath, 4 Small Tortoiseshell, 3 Ringlet, and a Small Skipper.

Fast forward to Hawthornthwaite, where I found just one female Stonechat, which promptly flew off some distance to disappear from view on the east side of Catshaw. A Painted Lady was nice here, also 4 Large White and 2 Small Heath seemed to continue the paucity of butterfly records for me.

White-tailed Bumblebee. Pete Woodruff.

A few White-tailed Bumblebee seen on Hawthornthwaite are regarded as probably Bombus cryptarum, being the species that occupies upland habitats. In July last year, I found at least 60 here, this visit produced less in number.

A heads-up a couple of weeks ago from AC, had me finding 5 Golden-ringed Dragonfly on Cam Brook, to give me the total of an impressive seventeen sightings on the day.

Human Remains.

There's never any shortage of examples of human remains to be found in the Forest of Bowland.

This person - that's me being polite - leaving his dogs crap in a bag at Grisedale Bridge, obviously has a sick sense of humour, with a university degree in ignorance to go with it.

This litter was left behind in the stream below Hawthornthwaite Fell, by some lout who wouldn't have the care to realise they were leaving their empty cans of lager in an AONB....Sad i'nit!

A late record....On Sunday, a walk along the canal to Deep Cutting, was rewarded by 6 Emperor Dragonfly all male.