Migrants At Last.

Conder Pool.

I found my first migrants this week, the first being a pair of Little Ringed Plover on Conder Pool.

The first bird was seen on the small island to the right of the viewing platform, it soon flew off. The next sighting was of a bird on the island behind the main Common Tern raft, was joined by a second bird. I was soon able to observe display behaviour, with posturing seen. I had seen the same behaviour between a pair last year on Conder Pool 26 March.

Other notes from Conder Pool, numbers of godwit continue to fall, with just 280 Black-tailed Godwit today, they were accompanied by at least 10 Knot. Also 15 Avocet in view, and 5 Tufted Duck noted, the Shoveler have departed.

 Cockersand.

My second migrant species was the 2 Wheatear male, seen off the headland. 

Wheatear. Pete Woodruff.

I'm not seeing the Tree Sparrow at Cockersand in anything like the numbers that used to be, though I did find 40 here last September. this time just 3 Tree Sparrow were around Bank Houses, 2 Stock Dove were in a field. The number of swans are dwindling, with no more than 160 Whooper Swan in fields off Moss Lane. I noted 3 Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Deceased Gannet Plover Scar 2 April. Pete Woodruff.

Lune Estuary.

The estuary at Glasson Dock was near deserted 3 hours after high tide, but 10 Avocet saved the day. If this number is in addition to the birds seen on Conder Pool 3 hours earlier - I ran out of time to call back and check - the grand total would be 25 Avocet. A pair of Red-breasted Merganser were also to note. I saw not a single Wigeon here today, but a few lingering gulls also added a bit of life to the area. 

Red-tailed Bumblebee.

Bombus lapidarius. Pete Woodruff.

In the garden this week, I found my first Red-tailed Bumblebee of the year. 

The Show Goes On.

After an unplanned leave of absence from birding for 13 days, it was good to get back out on Monday to catch up with a few things I've been missing recently, but now the show goes on....

On Conder Pool I found 3 Curlew Sandpiper in a mix of 16 Greenshank and a few Redshank, also 10 Little Grebe and 15 Canada Geese, whilst at least 10 Long-tailed Tit passed in procession through the bushes, and a Kestrel hovered overhead for the unsuspecting vole no doubt. But the big surprise was an adult Whooper Swan, although the surprise was lessened when I remembered seeing this bird on the Lune Estuary at Glasson on 9 July.

On my way to Cockersand, I stopped off at Clarkson's Farm to find c.120 Black-headed Gull accompanied by an adult Mediterranean Gull, this bird was marked with a white darvic ring, frustratingly too distant to read, but based on the colour, the best I could come up with, was ringed in the near continent perhaps. Also seen around a small flood in the same field, a Ruff, up to 6 Golden Polver and a similar number of Ringed Polver.

The traditional Cockersand circuit started with a surprise just beyond Bank House Farm, when I counted at least 40 Tree Sparrow. I've not been seeing many Tree Sparrow here the past 2 years, in fact I saw just 2 on 7 April this year, previous to that, I recorded 16 on 16 October 2023. Worth noting the Tree Sparrow is Red Listed, with a BTO report showing a significant decline across the country.

Further into the walk, I found another encouraging sight, that of 100+Linnet. Although the arrival of wintering geese has been noted, it was a bit of a surprise to find just 3 Pink-footed Geese in a field off Slack Lane, from where I heard a Skylark burst briefly into song.

Clouded Yellow Cockersand. Pete Woodruff. 

Butterflies on the day were a pleasing 4 Clouded Yellow, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Speckled Wood, and a Silver Y moth.

Large White Chrysalis. Pete Woodruff.

As I walked along the side of Lighthouse Cottage, I spotted about a dozen chrysalis 'glued' to the whitewashed wall, a bit of searching had me find they were Large White butterfly.

Wheatear 21 September. Pete Woodruff.  

On Sunday, a pleasant walk along Morecambe Promenade at Sandylands, was made all the more pleasant with 3 Wheatear seen along the sea defences.

The Header.

Struggling to find a suitable pik of my own for the header, I remembered Ian's stunning Merveille du Jour, and....Bingo!    

Pleasantries Around The Estuary.

A nice little trio of waders at Conder Green on Monday were seen as the rapidly transforming Spotted Redshank in the creeks. On Conder Pool, an adult male Ruff is also transforming into breeding plumage, also present 2 Little Ringed Plover, with 2 Black-tailed Godwit. up to 10 Avocet were the only ones in view.

The Ruff was a little distant for footage of any quality, but there was entertainment provided by a male Redshank pursuing the female with no sign of any letup in the chase for several minutes.

At Cockersand, there was no sign of any Whooper Swan, but up to 2,500 Pink-footed Geese were distant in fields on the north side of Bank End Farm. A Raven was high over head, probably the highest I have ever seen a soaring Raven, a count of 52 Eider were on the estuary between Plover Scar and Crook Farm.

At Bank House I saw 2 Tree Sparrow, these were the first I have recorded at Cockersand since I saw 16 on 10 October 2023, they were in company with half a dozen House Sparrow. I don't recall ever seeing the two species literally side by side. Hybrids between the two are rare, the only record I know of, is that of a bird in Somerset probably 40 years ago, which showed mixed characters obviously intermediate between the two.

Do Not Disturb.

Four bodies with seven mutts decided a visit to the seaside was a good idea.

I'm really hoping this is going to be the only time they decide to trespass out on to Plover Scar. This is a known breeding site for the Ringed Plover, and today there was no chance of me seeing the odd Sandwich Tern plunge diving off here, which I did in early May 2018.

It's important to know, Plover Scar is an essential high tide roost for waders, and is within a SSSI - Site of Special Scientific Interest. 

Egret & Redshank Take Centre Stage.

Perfect timing on Tuesday, as I arrived at Conder Pool a Great White Egret dropped in and provided me with some footage. It was accompanied for a while by a Little Egret for some little and large comparison before it exited stage left.

Also of note on the pool, 14 Greenshank, 2 Mediterranean Gull, 8 Little Grebe were the first evidence of their return to Conder Pool, 6 Tree Sparrow flew into the hedgerow, up to 30 Pied Wagtail were predominantly juvenile, a Stock Dove, and c.150 Lapwing.

I made no attempt at counting Common Tern, but adults and juveniles seen, with just one young remaining and still to fledge on the breeding platform. Also no numbers of Avocet but adults and juveniles noted.

By far the best record for Conder Pool on Tuesday, was the count of at least 2,000 Redshank. An unprecedented number, not only for Conder Pool, but also for the Lune Estuary, and even surpasses the Morecambe Bay WeBS figure for August....Lancashire Bird Report 2022

A wander along the canal towpath Conder Green - Glasson Dock, had me find 11 Emperor Dragonfly including 2 female ovipositing, 6 Brown Hawker, 6 Common Darter all male, 5 Blue-tailed Damselfly, and a Sparrowhawk which flew across the canal and disappeared over the hedge.

On Saltcote Pond, 10 Common Blue Damselfly, 5 Blue-tailed Damselfly, 7 Common Darter, and a Brown Hawker. Butterflies on the day, 2 Gatekeeper, a Meadow Brown, and Large White was worryingly grim....again!   

Eleven Days Later.

When I finally got out yesterday, it had been 11 days since I'd had a wander around the estuary, and in my book the day started well with the sight of a Stonechat in the east corner of Conder Pool. This looks like a bird from a possible 4 pairs set to winter in the area around the Lune Estuary....time will tell. A lone Tree Sparrow was in the hedgerow by the viewing screen.

A stunning female Kingfisher soon followed the chat to oblige and pose for a picture. If the volume in the video is full on, the winnowing call of one of 10 Little Grebe is heard towards the end prior to the Kingfisher leaving the scene.

On arriving at the bowling green to view the estuary, to be honest I was overwhelmed by the sight of up to 5,000 waders in view. Making life even more difficult, there was also a raptor - probably an undetected Peregrine Falcon - in hunting mode. Up to 2,000 Lapwing and 1,500 Black-tailed Godwit, with good numbers of Golden Plover, Curlew, Redshank, and Dunlin. A drake Goldeneye, 4 Goosander, and a Great-crested Grebe were of note, also 4 Shoveler are at best irregular here.

On the canal basin, 24 Tufted Duck and a drake Goosander seen, with not a Goldeneye in sight, a favoured location for the winter visitor.

Driving along Moss Lane with a vehicle behind, I noted c.40 Fieldfare in trees. At Cockersand, I struggled to find 3 Stonechat, two were working their way along the bulrushes in the ditch off Slack Lane, and after two visits to the rough field behind Lower Bank House, I eventually found another Stonechat. I also saw a pair of Chaffinch....Can't remember when I last saw Chaffinch at Cockersand!

Along a length of c.1/4 mile, I estimated at least 2,500 Wigeon in rafts stretching from Plover Scar to the Cocker Estuary. In a field by Abbey Farm, 130 Curlew seen. This winters peak count of 245 Whooper Swan was opposite Gardners Farm off Moss lane.

Whooper Swan Thurnham 19 Nov. Howard Stockdale.

Howard sent me the image of Whooper Swan W43C. Ringed a little over 3 months ago at Miklavatn, Skagafjorour, Iceland, 14 August 2023. Having flown 1,600km to be seen for the first time in Thurnham on 19 November....Thanks Howard, much appreciated. 

Missing In Action!

Mostly missing for me around the Lune Estuary yesterday, disappointingly so....Should have gone to Specsavers! 

Little Grebe Conder Pool. Ian Mitchell.

A quick scan resulted with a count of 18 Little Grebe on Conder Pool, catching small fry like there's no tomorrow....nothing 'missing' there then. Also on the pool, a female Shoveler, interesting in itself as the species is no more than irregular here. Four Wigeon were the only other birds of note, and a Goosander in the creeks, decided to make a move and flew to the canal.

On the Lune Estuary, my best count to date of up to 600 Golden Plover, lined up on the shore below Colloway Marsh. Otherwise of note, 166 Curlew and 68 Black-tailed Godwit. I managed to pick out 3 Mediterranean Gull amongst the hordes of other mainly distant gulls.

Although as always, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cockersand, the only notes I came away with from here were, 6 Skylark over in a move from one field to the next, and 16 Tree Sparrow at Bank Houses. 

Tree Sparrow.

Yesterdays record represented my first record at Cockersand in nearly 12 months, when I found a lone Tree Sparrow at Bank Houses on 1 December 2022, the previous record being 3 Tree Sparrow - again at Bank Houses - 12 months earlier on 14 December 2021. In my records that represents a decline of the Tree Sparrow at Cockersand.

Golden Plover.

Albeit early in the winter season, yesterdays 600 Golden Plover at Glasson is my best to date and a good record. We will have to see what happens next this winter, but in 2022 Golden Plover records in Lancashire were disappointing, my peak count was of 1,500 at Braides on 11 October 2022, and as far as I'm aware, this number wasn't exceeded anywhere else that year on the Lune Estuary. 

Important to note, the Golden Plover is scarce on the UU Bowland Estate, and no breeding was confirmed in 2022....Lancashire Bird Report 2022    

Gone Fishing!

I was struggling for a header image this time, so decided to give some publicity to the fishing duo - that's me being diplomatic for a change - who completely ruined my birding, and more importantly were responsible for disturbance to hundreds of waders which use the dry land on Plover Scar each and every day to rest and escape the tide. I watched dozens of flocks flying in towards Plover Scar to roost on Friday, only to have to divert elsewhere because of the action by these two who were fishing on and from a SSSI location on the Lune Estuary....Think there may be some laws being broken here!

But none of this fazed the smart 1st winter Little Gull which sat on the sea, accompanied by a mix of at least 600 predominantly Black-headed Gull and many other large gulls off Lighthouse Cottage....No Little Gull, and just a fraction of the gulls in the short video.

Also seen here at Cockersand, 12 Wheatear, 46 Eider, 6 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Stock Dove and a small flock of 15 Linnet.

Curlew Sandpiper. Brian Rafferty.

A couple of hours after high tide, I called in at the Lune Estuary at Glasson, to find a lone juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, with a few Dunlin and larger numbers of Redshank and Lapwing. On a stretch of the canal Glasson - Conder Green, I found 7 Migrant Hawker, and at Conder Pool saw 4 Greenshank, 10 Redshank, 2 Ruff, and after a few counts arrived at 18 Little Grebe. Geese seen, 16 Canada Geese and 4 Greylag. As I was about to leave Conder Pool, a Tree Sparrow came onto the sluice.

I was struggling for pictures for the post, so grateful to Brian Rafferty for his excellent Curlew Sandpiper moulting into breeding plumage at the opposite end of the season to my juvenile bird on the Lune Estuary on Friday.    

Turned Out Nice Again!

A decent day on Monday, brought about a re-run of my day on 17 July, plus a wander along the canal towpath Glasson-Conder Green.

On Conder Pool, my count was of 20 Common Tern which were seen as 7 adult, 4 fledged juvenile, and 9 chicks of variable size on the pontoon. I saw 3 Avocet adult and 2 juvenile, 14 Greenshank were lined up at the back of the pool with 27 Redshank, a lone adult a Little Ringed Plover, and a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull was hunkered down roosting at the back of the pool.

Setting off on my wanderings, I was reminded that the House Martin have failed to nest at River Winds this year, but six House Martin were seen around what was Cafe d'Lune now closed, with two nests active.

Saltcote Pond. Pete Woodruff.

Saltcote Pond is an attractive little waterbody, and a pair of Emperor Dragonfly obliged me today, the male patrolling whilst the female was ovipositing alone, the only Anax to do so without the male, the abdominal colour becoming obscured through oviposting is clearly shown in this footage. Also seen, 3 Common Blue Damselfly, and a Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Along the canal towpath, several sightings of Common Tern adults searching for fish, and good numbers of Swallow seen, a Reed Warbler burst into song, Goldfinch were on thistles including juvenile birds, a lone Tree Sparrow came onto the path, and a Wren seen. Dragonflies, 7 Brown Hawker, and an Emperor Dragonfly.

Butterflies seen, 19 Gatekeeper, 8 on the canal and 11 from the viewing screen at Conder Pool, 12 Large White, 5 Speckled Wood, 4 Green-veined White, 2 Red Admiral, Peacock, Common Blue, and a Silver Y moth.

Conder Pool Terns.

One adult Common Tern seems to have been sitting on the nest forever, it was still there when I arrived on Monday and had been on three previous visits. Someone made a comment that it was rather late to still be on a nest at the end of July, but it's worth noting, the first ever Common Terns to come to Conder Pool, didn't arrive until 14 July 2014. This pair of terns successfully raised two birds which I followed through until I last saw them on the Lune Estuary on 12 September. I had previously watched the adults on the estuary, and my notes read that I observed a Common Tern on 9 September making 22 dives to catch a total of 18 fish.

Avocet CJ.

This bird fledged on Conder Pool 22 June 2023, interestingly it was sighted at Blacktoft Sands on Humberside a month later on 23 July. I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for his continuing contribution with info and images.

Plan A The Pool....Plan B The Bog!

A little keen for some closer detail whilst checking Conder Pool on Monday, then switching to Plan B for a visit to Birk Bank to see if there was any odonata on offer....All of this whilst giving the new camera a test run. 

Avocet.

All alone and living a life of danger for a while yet

I made a count of at least 14 adult and 6 young, and also spotted the yellow flag 63 bird, which I saw later sitting on the near island to the right of the viewing platform.

Common Tern.

Common Tern Conder Pool 22 May

Fourteen seen, including a pair copulating, also four sitting including the colour ringed bird, which I would guess is a female as it is generally regarded to be the female that incubates, also one bird bearing a metal ring on its right leg.

Little Ringed Plover.

Three seen, with one sitting and shooting off the nest at one point to see off a Black-headed Gull.

Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool 22 May

Also on Conder Pool, a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull, a Common Sandpiper, a pair of Redshank which may be breeding here, and a lone Tree Sparrow in the hedge. In the creeks, 42 Black-tailed Godwit of note, they were accompanied by 2 Dunlin. On the circuit, a Whitethroat was my first this year, 2 Swift were over, and up to 8 House Martin were around River Winds with one seen to enter under the eaves.

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Having spent an enjoyable 3 hours at Conder Green, instead of the planned Cockersand visit, I decided to switch to Plan B and paid a visit to Birk Bank to find 18 Large Red Damselfly including 6 paired. Just up the track from the boardwalk over the bog, I found a Garden Warbler, and saw 3 Raven and a Kestrel in the air over lower Clougha.

Bull Beck.

Last Saturday, 4 Garden Warbler, a singing male Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler heard, and on the River Lune here, 4 Common Sandpiper were seen.

There was a serious case of disturbance here, when I saw a family group of eight pitched up and picnicking above the bank of the river where a strong colony of birds breed here annually. I estimated up to 100 Sand Martin were constantly on the wing in the hour I sent here, not to mention the length of time these people stayed....I have since appropriately reported my concerns about this incident.

As ever, I am grateful to Ian Mitchell for his image of the Common Tern on Conder Pool with the offering of a fish for its mate. 

An Estuary Dash!

Compared to more like the average six hours in winter, four around Conder Green and Cockersand is a dash in my book. 

Conder Pool continues to be almost void of birds recently, with no muddy edges and looking more like Conder Lake following the recent high tides, but I did note a pair of Goosander, 3 Little Grebe, 3 Greylag, and a 'few' Wigeon with probably more in hiding behind the islands. During an hour spent at Conder Green, I counted 16 Blackbird, 12 of which were counted in a few minutes from the viewing platform feeding on berries along the canal side.

Stonechat Fairhaven Dunes. Paul Ellis.

At Cockersand, the negatives first, there was no sign of the winter Wheatear or any Snow Buntings. The positives were, 2 Stonechat seen, one along Slack Lane, and another in the rough field behind Lower Bank House which is a favoured haunt annually of the wintering Cockersand chats. Can never resist the image of a Stonechat....Many Thanks to PE.

In the area around the Caravan Park, 16 Greenfinch were a count exceeding any I've made anywhere for some time, also a bouncing flyby of c.30 Twite destination Bank End it seemed. A lone Tree Sparrow was the first seen in 12 months when I saw 3 at Bank Houses on 14 December 2021, also here today, a lone Fieldfare was my first of the winter.

The only notable reward for a circuit trundle was up to 500 Black-tailed Godwit off Crook Farm, and I saw an egret seeing off another which looked a bigger bird, probably the Great White Egret I saw on the estuary 14 November. I took my eyes off them for a moment, but noticed one made a U turn and went down to a pool off Plover Scar. I thought this was the larger bird, but the video proves me wrong....again!!

Garden Birds.

We had 10 Goldfinch in a flock visiting the feeders yesterday. We also have a healthy resident flock of House Sparrow this year. There are up to 30 in the video....Watch 'em disappear in sync at the end...Sparrowhawk around perhaps.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the record image of 9 White-fronted Geese in the header, present at Aldcliffe on Wednesday 30 September.

And Finally.

I wanted to end the post to feature this photograph of a Grey Wagtail. 

Grey Wagtail. Martin Jump.

Firmly in the stunning category, with thanks to Martin Jump.

Weather Permitting!

I've not had a days birding since Thursday 5 May, and it hurts for me to have to say that I'm in danger of suffering from a bout of depression. 

But hey....Wildlife always has something to interest, and one of a few events this week for me, was a couple of visits to check out the cemetery Nuthatch nesting in the Cypress tree. The video shows, first the female enters the nest hole, and doesn't emerge, the male then visits the hole, it doesn't appear to have food to offer the female, but something white shows at the nest hole, there's no exchange, and the object in the females bill disappears back into the hole with what appears to be a fecal sac....See for yourself. 

View videos Full Screen

Lancaster Swifts.

I saw my first 2 Swift yesterday 14 May high over our Bowerham garden. At least 8 Swift were in the Fairfield area where they breed annually, and I spotted 2 Swift from a moving car over Ashton Road.

Garstang House Martins.

To follow finding Tree Sparrows nesting on 9 April, there was another pleasant surprise for me at Garstang yesterday, when I found 6 House Martins with nests and one under construction, under the eaves of business property behind Booths in the town centre. 

Garden Bees.

Common Carder Bee in the garden performing acrobatic skills on Water Avens.

White-Tailed Bumblebee performing and briefly dangling from Aquilegia in the garden.

The next few days may see me avoiding any depression from lack of birding....Weather permitting.

Edit.

Not wanting to hide behind my errors....I was grateful to an admin at BWARS for the correction to the bottom video in the post, which I claimed to be White-Tailed Bumblebee Bombus lucorum which is how I have decided to leave it in the title above. It is in fact a Small Garden Bumblebee Bombus hortorum.

The Hat Trick!

Waders continue to give a good show at Conder Green, with up to 250 Knot hanging on there, and 80 Black-tailed Godwit in the creeks.

 

At one point on Conder Pool, 7 Common Tern were present in the morning, and my best of several counts was 17 Avocet. A Little Grebe was in breeding plumage, 2 Greenshank, a Little Ringed Plover, and a Tree Sparrow was in the hedge by the viewing platform. The lone Pink-footed Goose remains here. New blood was in the form of Greylags with 7 goslings still surviving, a pair of Mallard have 11 chicks, and the Canada Goose has at least one chick in the nest on the small island.

In a recently ploughed field at the north end of Jeremy Lane, 8 White Wagtail and 6 Wheatear. 

There was an obvious fall of Whinchat yesterday, birds have been seen at several locations recently, with 11 and 8 reported on two websites, and including my third stunning male Whinchat in eight days, this one at Bank Houses....Not an Oscar Best Film nominee, but good enough for my records.

Around Bank Houses and Abbey Farm, a few more Swallow than of late, also plenty of Skylark with their incessant rolling whistling song-flight. Listening carefully, you might hear the occasional imitations of Swallow and even Green Sandpiper in the variation of the Skylarks song. A lone Tree Sparrow was the first I've seen at Cockersand in 5 months. Butterflies of note, 3 Green-veined White.

Another Ten Days Later.

Three Of A Kind!

Another bit of decent birding around the Lune Estuary again for the third time in a row yesterday.

The male Green-winged Teal which has recently become a member of the local Anus crecca gang which was up to 80 strong today on Conder Pool. It wasn't very obliging in poor light, distant, and asleep, the vertical white bar at the side of the breast appeared quite indistinct in the head on view in the video. Wildfowl of note, 62 Wigeon and a drake Goosander. A Little Grebe was the only bird seen in the creeks. Maybe this was the same Little Grebe I saw an hour later at the Conder mouth.

Notes from the River Lune at Glasson, with no apologies for comfortable rounded figures, at least 3,000 Lapwing, 120 Curlew, 80 Black-tailed Godwit, 50 Golden Plover, uncounted Redshank and Dunlin, and a lone Snipe. Also of note, 350 Wigeon, and a drake Goosander. On the canal basin, 3 Goldeneye drakes.

At Cockersand, a mix of 50 Redwing and 30 Fieldfare, and 3 Tree Sparrow in a hedgerow. On the circuit, a large swathe of waders in the air off Crook Farm included up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit, at least 2,500 Starling were marauding the fields, and the winter resident herd of at least 180 Whooper Swan keep changing location and included six off Slack Lane today.

As I got back towards the caravan park, a Snow Bunting was on the coastal path opposite the brick tower, from where I saw 28 Twite in flight and undecided where to land. The resident wintering pair of Stonechat spent their time making sorties, some the results of which according to AC, they catch hairy caterpillars, something I have yet to see for myself.

No Grand Finale this time....But as ever, a good time was had by all.  

100 Plus And Counting.

The spring passage of in excess of 100 Stonechats appears to be going through the roof. I've noted records of 50 Stonechat on the FBC website in 2 weeks to date, almost certainly all passage birds with no duplication. AC was in touch to tell me his personal tally had reached 50 at close of play on Friday, with more seen since, including 5 this very morning at Fluke Hall. By comparison, my 9 Stonechat record for March is abysmal.

 View Full Screen

Whilst failing to find any Stonechat at Cockersand on Friday, 1,500 Golden Plover were in the field east of Abbey Farm. Four Snipe came off the marsh in as many minutes, and I wondered how many more would have been seen if I'd have hung around as the high 10m+ tide pushed them off. I also saw a lone Tree Sparrow around Bank Houses, the first for almost a year here when I saw six on 2 April 2019, also a Dunnock, and a Skylark in it's never ending flight song.

I watched up to 4,000 Pink-footed Geese from Cockerham Sands CP, every one of 'em calling 'yak-ak-ak' over and eventually settling on Cockerham Marsh. On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, just prior to being pushed off by the tide, up to 2,000 Black-tailed Godwit, and just 25 Bar-tailed Godwit, with 8 Goldeneye and 7 Goosander of note.

Clik the pik   

With a gale behind the latest 10.35m tide the sea has changed the landscape dangerously at Cockersand once again. Cockersand Abbey can be seen in the distance in right of centre. 

A Twitching Double.

A text to AC on Friday morning to ask if there was any news on an Iceland Gull seen on Thursday at Knott End was negative, but resulted in a good day for both of us when he suggested I met him at Eagland Hill.

 VIEW FULL FRAME

The weather was perfect with calm sunny conditions, and a Purple Heron was out in the open in a field opposite Birk's Farm and giving excellent views with the bonus of a Barn Owl flying over the herons head, to return complete with a vole in it's talons. Also, up to 30 Corn Bunting close by, they were up and down on to the telephone wires in varying numbers.

On to the sewage plant on Backsands Lane at Pilling, and more excellent views, this time of a Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis, with the advantage of the bird being accompanied by a 'yellow' collybita, as opposed to our bird being overall much paler. Also seen, a Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail on the beds. In the field opposite the works, c.350 Pink-footed Geese and 230 Curlew. At Fluke Hall, up to 900 Pink-footed Geese, also noted 7 Blackbird in 50m of hedgerow, and a lone Tree Sparrow. 

Over our house on Friday, at least 450 Jackdaw at 4.05pm flew NW towards Aldcliffe. This is a daily occurrence, but I'm struggling to work out where exactly they go to roost. When we lived elsewhere in Lancaster 8 years ago, we saw the Jackdaws gather nightly towards dusk on the  top of the tower block at the then called St Martins Collage - now the University of Cumbria - when they would fly off towards Ashton Hall, where 900 Jackdaws were recorded going to roost on 15 December.

The Purple Heron.

The Purple Heron has the reputation of an over-shooting spring visitor with some even through to October. It breeds as close as France and Spain, but many records are linked to breeding colonies in the Netherlands. I reckon this bird should really be wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, and certainly not in a field at Eagland Hill on the Fylde in January.

The first record of a Purple Heron in Britain was at Middlesex in 1722, but although today it is regarded as an annual vagrant to Britain, the next record didn't come until 88 years later in 1810. Since 1983 the species ceased to be considered by the BBRC, by which time over 700 records had been accepted.    

Saturday Birding.

The count on Conder Pool was the same as my visit last Monday, being 12 Greenshank and 11 Little Grebe. In the creeks, 3 Avocet seen were two juvenile and an adult, though the family was all present and correct earlier in the day, thanks to AC for the info,  also in the creeks, 2 Goosander. Four Common Sandpiper and up to 250 Redshank were down the channel, and 18 Goldfinch dropped onto the marsh, 3 Swift over, always the possibility of being my last this year being mid-August now. At least 25 House Martin were around River Winds.

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, a Ruff and 7 Black-tailed Godwit were the odd ones out, with c.250 Redshank and a 'few' Dunlin, all about to be driven off by the rising tide, and a Goosander seen. On Jeremy Lane, 2 Mediterranean Gull with c.100 Black-headed Gull, and 6 Tree Sparrow in the hedgerow. Around the Lune Estuary today saw 21 Painted Lady.  

Having lost all c.400 of my images during the removal of my old computer, and the installation of the new one, I'm struggling to put pictures to my post until the issue is resolved. Alternatively,  I need to build up a library of new piks, if I can have a bit more success with my new digital camera....!! 

For the sake of having a new header, I've put up one of my artistic efforts - there's a joke there somewhere - with a picture of the head-on Four-spotted Chaser at Birk Bank in July. 

What's On!

Another one of those couple of hours yesterday, with just time to see what's on at the pool. 

Nothings changed on the pontoon, along with the Common Terns, the Black-headed Gulls having escaped the same fate as the Oystercatcher young a few weeks ago, all appear to be living in absolute bliss.

The first thing to note was a return to Conder Pool of a smart Little Grebe in full summer plumage, it was ten day's later than the first returner on 18 June in 2018, but if last year is anything to go by it will have been joined by a few of it's relations by the end of July when they might have reached a double number.

The 2 Avocet are still sitting comfortable it seems, and 2 Tree Sparrow were noted in the hedgerow. In the creeks, a Greenshank and 3 Common Sandpiper, the numbers of which didn't increase from 9 seen four days ago as anticipated, 12 were seen on this date last year.

Six active House Martin nest's are in view at River Wind's, but I saw no activity at the cafe despite my lingering there a while. Two Painted Lady and 2 Meadow Brown seen along the coastal path, and another Painted Lady seen in the car park on Rigg Lane, following a failed attempt - it was blowing a howler up there - to find Keeled Skimmer on the bog at Birk Bank, which was encouraged by finding five there last year on 22 June.

ZHF3 Conder Pool 24 June. Pete Woodruff.

This Mediterranean Gull was ringed as a young bird (pullus) in Senov, Volensky Fish pond, in the Ostrava District of the Czech Republic, on 8 June 2017. It was first reported at Kilkieran Harbour, Galway, Ireland, on 9 January 2019, and subsequently seen on three dates in June 2019 at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve, Lancashire before my sighting on Conder Pool, Lune Estuary,  24 June.

I'm grateful to Josef Chytil, Head of Department Ornithological Station of Comenius Museum for handling my report, and for sending me the history of this ringed Mediterranean Gull, it was very much appreciated.  

Boring Birding!

For a day in June - a month when birding is regarded to be going nowhere - Friday was a good day which had some movement and action to keep me interested for an hour or two, and some butterflies came too....Boring Birding!....I don't think so.

Four Common Sandpiper were at Conder Green on Friday, they found their way into the little black book three days later than the four returning birds seen here on 18 June last year, when they peaked at thirteen on 17 July, we'll see if that figure will be beaten this year in the coming weeks.

On Conder Pool, 7 Avocet have decided to set up camp again, with two birds sitting, one of which showed at least two eggs as it got up to stretch it's legs. The same number of 7 Common Tern were doing much noisy flighting around, with two healthy growing young, and one adult bird sitting tight in the right hand corner of the pontoon. The Black-headed Gull young continue to grow apace, and on the whole, the pontoon remains to have a 'welcome to the pleasure dome' feel about it.

Also on a quite lively Conder Pool, a lone Black-tailed Godwit was feeding frantically, a Little Ringed Plover put in a brief appearance, as did 2 Stock Dove, and at least 85 Black-headed Gull have colonised the large island. But I reckon the bird to collect the most points on Conder Pool today was the drake Pochard, seen at best as irregular here. A summering drake Wigeon was down the channel from the iron bridge.

Painted Lady Conder Green 21 June. Pete Woodruff. 

A wander along the coastal path produced 6 Painted Lady, 4 Speckled Wood, and a Small Tortoiseshell. Along the canal tow-path Glasson - Conder Green, a Sparrowhawk flew from Christ Church across the canal, 2 Tree Sparrow seen again, a singing Sedge Warbler, and good number of Blue-tailed Damselflies.

Thanks again to Ian Mitchell, who sent me the excellent header butterfly which he took at Birk Bank recently.

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The video is thanks to Ian Pinkerton, and shows the frantic feeding style of a Black-tailed Godwit and Avocet on Conder Pool. You'll need to try and ignore the traffic on the busy B5290, and watch on Full Screen for the big picture if you can.