Hit And Miss!

Actually very few hits, the rest all misses on my latest visit around the estuary, and some concerns to be going on with.

I suppose I would have to admit, the birds seen on Conder Pool were representative of what is to be expected on a moderate day in the first week of December, and it was necessary that I recorded every thing seen here today in order to create a bit of something to read on the report. 

If I'm honest, the most exciting thing to be seen was 14 Long-tailed Tit in a procession working through the hedgerow by the viewing screen. On Conder Pool, 3 Snipe, 3 Little Grebe, 8 Wigeon, 20 Mallard, 9 Black-headed Gull, and a lone drake Tufted Duck.

A couple of decent counts on the Lune Estuary at Glasson, up to 2,520 Black-tailed Godwit and at least 1,500 Golden Plover. At the south end of Jeremy Lane, 5 Whooper Swan were seen as a family of two adult and three 1st winter. These were the only swans I saw in a 4 hour trawl around the Lune Estuary....More on that subject later.

Now the concerns began to develop at Cockersand....At first it wasn't particularly worrying, but an example of the days misses were, no sign of the short stay Snow Bunting, no sign of the even shorter one day Black Redstart, and despite the distinct possibility of three pairs wintering at Cockersand this year, no Stonechat today.

But now things get really serious....Since 27 October, at least 200 Whooper Swan have been resident at Cockersand, lately they have been spread over fields south from Moss Lane down to Bank End, but today zilch. Not a single large white bird in the fields around the Cockersand area....Misery!

The one thing I did find was the reason why the herd of swans have 'disappeared', but to see why in the bigger picture you have to clik the pik.... 

The c.200 Whooper Swan have been replaced along the same length of fields by a similar number of c.200 sheep. 

Bearing in mind, at least 3,500 Pink-footed Geese were at Slack Lane 24 November, they have now also 'disappeared'. But the good news out of all this is, the Bewick's Swans had relocated to fields by Gardner's Farm yesterday 6 December....Alleluia!

In short, not a swan or goose to be seen on this weeks visit to Cockersand, in my book this is a disaster.

Disaster...Well A Bit Of One!

I called the visit to Harrisend, Hawthornthwaite and deeper into Bowland a disaster, but I have to say that is a bit of an exaggeration, perhaps a disappointment would be more appropriate. But a few hours birding without the sight of a single Stonechat, did tempt me to call it a disaster.

I've not been on these two fells since 18 October, when I found a total of 15 Stonechat. Since then these birds have retreated to the lowlands, mainly on the Fylde coast, including Cockersand where a peak count of 8 Stonechat was made recently as the best ever winter count here. 

I was in the good company of Martin Jump on Thursday, and 2.5 hour on Harrisend has to be labelled a disappointment, but not totally....it never is.

Roe Deer Harrisend. Martin Jump.

Two Roe Deer seen at a range of 80 metres had to take top spot on the visit, they were seen 30 minutes later bounding off in the opposite direction and away from us. Also seen, 2 Raven, 2 Red Grouse, and 3 Buzzard. On Hawthornthwaite, Buzzard and Red Grouse were the only sightings. Martin took note of at least 8 Wren heard on the day.

Star Jelly.

Lets be honest, a frog has to take credit for a first and interesting record made on Hawthornthwaite Fell on Thursday.

Star Jelly. Pete Woodruff.

Void of anything scientific, or the folklore of which there is much surrounding it, here's the simple explanation and the most plausible theory of what we found on moorland on Thursday....This is frog spawn and reproductive organs, regurgitated by a predator that has taken and eaten a frog. On contact with water the mucus jelly has expanded in the stomach and the predator has vomited, leaving a perfect example of Star Jelly.

Black Redstart/Bullfinch/Little Owl.

Black Redstart Cockersand 26 January. Ian Mitchell.

Thanks to Ian for the excellent image of the long staying Back Redstart at Cockersand, and to Colin for reporting another brilliant record of 2 Bullfinch he saw on Rigg Lane on Friday, these follow my record of 2 Bullfinch seen on Rigg Lane on 24 October last year. Thanks also to Martin who found a Little Owl as he drove toward Oakenclough on Thursday late afternoon, seen as a scarce and declining breeding bird in our area.

Thanks also to Ian Mitchell for the brilliant header image of the Golden Plover at Cockersand....Note the stunning plumage detail. 

A Little Soggy In The End!

I went off to do some wandering around the Lune Estuary yesterday, based on the false hope that the weather would clear as the day progressed but didn't, by 2.30pm I was a little soggy. 

Conder Pool was as miserable as the weather with just two species and 35 birds present, seen as 3 Little Grebe and 32 Mallard. It was a different story on Jeremy Lane, in a field at the north end I found in excess of 3,000 birds, the bulk of which was up to 2,500 Lapwing, with 120 Whooper Swan, 12 Pink-footed Geese, 250 Greylag, and 30 Canada Geese, also small numbers of Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, and the best bird a Ruff. On the canal basin at Glasson Dock, 9 Goldeneye were all drake save one.

I almost abandoned the day at Cockersand but pleased I didn't, as I got out of the motor, at least 4,000 Pink-footed Geese were heard then seen distant coming down on to Cockerham Sands west of the Cocker Channel, the tide put up 3 Snipe off the marsh. It was relatively quiet on Plover Scar, with 120 Oystercatcher, 20 Turnstone, 6 Dunlin, and 3 Grey Plover.

By the time I went through the kissing gate at the abbey, the mist was thicker with light drizzle and anything but pleasant, but I was soon rewarded by the Black Redstart on the shore south of the abbey. The bird was busy and never still, it covers a lengthy area between Lighthouse Cottage and the Caravan Park and has done so for over four weeks. 

There are still at least 300 Whooper Swan located in three fields around Cockersand. In the area around the caravan park I found 17 Reed Bunting, this was a first for me, having never seen a flock of this number before, also 2 Song Thrush and 2 Kestrel.

Stonechat Cockersand 24 January. Pete Woodruff

Five Stonechat seen today, the first on Moss Lane fence posts on the east side of Abbey Farm, a pair on Slack Lane, and a pair foraging the marsh in front of Lower Bank House, from where I saw the ringtail Hen Harrier giving excellent views quartering the marsh.  

Better Late Than Never....Part 3.

Apologies for the title, I know it's becoming a little boring and repetitive, but apart from the fact it has been another week since I got some birding done, it saves me scratching my head for another one, and in any case, if I'd have known what was in store for me when I finally did get out again on Friday, I'd never have coped with the excitement....after all I always was easily pleased!

Even if the footage is a bit of jelly on a plate stuff, the Chiffchaff at Conder Pool - although busy and difficult to keep up to - was a delight out in the open and at close range. 

Kingfisher Conder Pool. Pete Woodruff.

Also on the pool, a Kingfisher came on to the outlet for around 5 secs, looked at me behind the viewing screen and promptly flew off, also a lone Little Grebe to note. A drake Pochard is only the second one I have seen on Conder Pool, and seen as nothing better than a rare breeder and declining winter visitor in the Leighton Moss area and Pine Lake, scarce anywhere else. Todays drake Pochard was probably the canal basin individual of late having a trip out.

Lune Estuary Looking To Clougha And The Bowland Fells. Pete Woodruff.

With too much water at near high tide, I collect just a few notes on the Lune Estuary at Glasson. At least 700 Dunlin is a best and low personal count here this winter, 2 drake Goldeneye, 4 Goosander and 3 Little Grebe, 50 Pink-footed Geese were on Colloway Marsh, almost certainly more out of view.

At Cockersand, up to 220 Curlew and a even mix of up to 100 Redwing and Fieldfare in the same field, 14 Greenfinch, 5 Wren and a Song Thrush. Three small groups totaling 12 Snipe, up off the marsh and calling in flight sounding like a muffled sneeze.

Six Stonechat seen today at Cockersand, these two were on the spoil heaps, a pair on Slack Lane by Lighthouse Cottage, and a pair in the rough field by Bank Houses, from where I saw a ringtail Hen Harrier, and later saw it on a return flight but was obstructed by the hedgerow for good views.

As I rounded the path at Lighthouse Cottage, a female Merlin shot by me a little more than a foot above the marsh. AC who I met later confirmed he had seen the bird 15 minutes after me, and had excellent views as it perched on a telegraph pole along Slack Lane.

I had good views of the Black Redstart along the shore south of the abbey, a stunning little bird in some excellent sunlight, and from where up to 300 Whooper Swan could be seen mainly inaccessible at Thursland Hill, but including c.50 on a drive past at the Thurnham end of Moss Lane.

Garden Birds.

The birds served us well yesterday when a male Blackcap spent a little time on the feeders, then one hour later a Chiffchaff made the day by searching the plants for insects a metre outside the patio window. This bird/another visited us on 20 September 2022.

And Finally.

I received some excellent images of an Otter seen this week for which I was truly grateful, it was seen in the east of our area. I also had a good count of 15 Brown Hare during the week at an undisclosed location.

Otter 19 January. Copy Permitted.

With six Stonechat at Cockersand and much more, a bit of birding magic for me on Friday....What next I ask myself!

Better Late Than Never.

It took until 6 January to get my birding off the ground, and not much pen and paper needed to write up my records when I did. Most of the time on Friday was spent chasing chats and a start, but it was all good stuff in the end.

On Jeremy Lane 2 Bewick's Swan, with a Whooper Swan and a Greylag, they were taking advantage of a flood with 225 Greylag in the same field. At Cockersand 4 Stonechat, seen as a male and female in the Lighthouse Cottage area, and a male and female in the rough field behind Bank Houses.

Black Redstart.

I had met a local birder on Moss Lane on my way to Cockersand, he'd had a negative result with the Black Redstart which has been present here a few days now since the later days of December. During my time at Cockersand, I met five other chat hunters who all had negative results. 

Having had to sit out a heavy 30 minute squall in the car, I set off on the circuit hopeful for something more positive than the unsuccessful six.

As I went through the kissing gate at Cockersand Abbey, constantly peering down to the shore as I walked along the headland, a bird took my eye. I'm thinking is this what I'm looking for....Yes, it was a Black Redstart.

It took me 30 minutes to reach the caravan park, and as I did a bird flew on to the gatepost in this image, then to the roof, and promptly flew across the road and on to the marsh....Yes, it was a Black Redstart. 

I called AC to tell him I had seen another Black Redstart, he had just left me to go home, but made a U turn on Moss Lane, and on his return soon had views of the bird flying back off the roof and on to the marsh again. AC and myself agreed if it was a second bird, it was a female/1st winter bird as was the one seen off the headland previously on several ocassions.

Realistically, perhaps this sighting at Lower Bank House, was of the same bird I had seen 30 minutes earlier having flown c.1/4 mile, it has been seen here three times in recent days....Maybe time will tell, but unless we get simultaneous sightings we will never know, but in my opinion it is possible there are/have been two Black Redstarts at Cockersand. 

It was a sad sight for me to find this recently deceased 1st winter Kittiwake on the shingle at Cockersand. Unfortunate that such a beautiful bird should only survive little more than six months since hatching.

Also sad that I should find a Whooper Swan close by, and in the same circumstances as the Kittiwake.

Thanks to Paul Ellis for his excellent image of the Black Redstart in my header, the bird was at Knott End on 3 January.

Antiques Roadshow!

I was in receipt of an e-mail yesterday. The message had an image attached which contained the most interesting record of a Stonechat I ever saw. 

The e-mail, record, and photograph is credited to Ian Mitchell, and is of a male Stonechat which he found at the rear of the house he had recently moved in to at Altham Road on the Westgate Estate, Morecambe 47 years ago in late September 1975.

The photograph was taken on an instamatic style camera when Westgate was in its infancy to becoming the huge housing estate it is today, hence the landscape where the picture was taken at the time, resembles a building site, and looks more akin to the habitat of a Black Redstart than that of a Stonechat.

From the first record in the LDBWS Annual Reports 1959, and for 38 years the Stonechat was recorded as 'no evidence of recent breeding' (1959) and 'no breeding records' (1997). Though the report does mention Morecambe twice, in 1963 'a male found dead in Morecambe during a cold winter spell' and in 1968 'breeds sporadically at one location in Morecambe'.

Historically the Stonechat in our area was scarce until 1999 when the species saw an upturn in status until the harsh winters of 2009/10/11, after which the records reverted near to pre 1999 numbers. For 12 years I comprehensively monitored the rise and fall of the Stonechat in Bowland. 

Ian Mitchell's record of this male at Westgate Morecambe in 1975, whilst out of the public domain, has been the best kept secret of a Stonechat in the LDBWS area for 47 years.         

Brief But Brilliant.

A surprise at the snow on the Lakes mountains yesterday, quite a fall and not just a dusting....Was this really 5 May. But a bigger and better surprise was in store for me 4 hours after I took the header photograph. 

As I came off the grit track from the route up the east side of Clougha, a bird on a fence post some distance away caught my eye. As I walked to get closer, sods law, the bird took off went and out of view. Another one to get away me thinks, but luck was on my side, I picked it up again, but unfortunately just as far away as ever. This bird was giving me the run around, now it was atop of yet another tree even further away, and worst still, promptly decided to disappear, this time for good. A search in the disused quarry which is where I thought the bird had flown and was perfect habitat for the species, proved fruitless.

Back Redstart. Image Credit Greg Bradbury.

I'd have been elated to have had excellent views of my bird in the Birk Bank area yesterday like this one, but I did see enough of it to ID as a female Black Redstart, sooty brown and lacking white wing patch, though a 1st summer male also lacks this.

For me, this was a well overdue sighting with a bit of quality. The last being nearly 4 years since I found a Wood Sandpiper on Conder Pool 7 August 2017.

A Redstarts Tale.

A decent weather forecast for Thursday saw me take off to Heysham for some therapeutic escapism. I decided to look in on the promenade off Knowleys Road as the Brent Geese had been reported back there on 11 November, be nice to see them there again this winter.

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The geese hadn't returned there, but  I saw 8 Little Egret foraging the pools, and 2 Whooper Swan flying across the bay heading south. Then I was off to Heysham Harbour to spend a couple of hours of nothing to note to be honest. But n'er mind, a quite enjoyable birding experience was about to unfold and fire up my passion.

Black Beauty.

Black Redstart Heysham. Malcolm Downham.

As I arrived at the seawall, I approached a birder looking over Red Nab. As a conversation piece, I asked 'any Meds about', he replied 'no but I saw a couple of Black Redstarts about an hour ago, they were flushed by dog walkers, and flew off '. I thought to myself, hopefully these birds will have gone to the area of rough ground or the scrub at the south wall of the harbour, or perish the thought, maybe onto the non-operational land within the power station....Whatever, no luck, they've disappeared.

I'd earlier seen Malcolm Downham along the seawall, he had also seen the birder who also reported the redstarts to him. Malcolm takes up 'A Redstarts Tale' here....

Black Redstart Heysham. Kevin Eaves.

Towards high water a visiting birder reported 2 female/immature Black Redstart on Red Nab, which had then been flushed along the wall by walkers. Myself (MD) and Pete Woodruff were in the area, we split up, and after an hour, relocated them just 30m from the original sighting, on the rocks east of Red Nab. They were very mobile and kept disappearing then reappearing, sometimes two together other times a single bird. By this time we had been joined by Kevin Eaves, and between us managed some record shots. Kevin had "both" birds together at Red Nab and looked over to me and Pete who were photographing another 100m away, there were three Black Redstarts.

Later we learned another had been found at Bank End, there was 4 Black Redstart in our recording area, same day, same time....Another first!

Vagrant Emperor.

I wanted to feature this excellent creature, discovered on the seawall at Heysham Harbour on 9 November. A species primarily found in Africa and the Middle East, it is a highly migratory dragonfly, capable of traveling long distances, there are records from Iceland, and even the Caribbean. 

The Netherlands were flooded with large numbers of Vagrant Emperors in 2019. The influx was unique for more than one reason, the number of Vagrant Emperors was higher than all previous sightings combined, and it was the first time a real influx was seen before summer. Mating and ovipositing was observed at many Dutch locations, and for the first time in history the Vagrant Emperor emerged in The Netherlands, in August 2019.  

Vagrant Emperor Heysham 9 November. Kevin Eaves.

A mega for Heysham, and congratulations to Kevin. 

Malcolm's header image though small, shows how startling the birds rusty-red tail is when taking to flight. Many thanks to Malcolm and Kevin for their images, they are much appreciated.

Picture Gallery.

The header image is a 22 year old from my file labeled 'Golden Oldie Birds'. The Long-billed Dowitcher at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve in October 1998, courtesy of the late John Leedal. 

Whilst I plan my next bid for freedom, I selected a few piks taken over the years, but don't expect any world beating images, they only just got past quality control.

1.   Snow Bunting Plover Scar

2.   Whinchat Newby Moor N.York's

3.   Spotted Flycatcher Bowland

4.   Wheatear Bowland

5.   Black Redstart Fluke Hall

6.   Eastern Black Eared Wheatear Fluke Hall

7.   Skylark Fluke Hall

8.   Blackbird Home Garden

9.   Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool

10. Turnstone Plover Scar

11. Snipe Conder Pool

12. Brent Geese Heysham

13. Little Owl Roeburndale

14. Purple Heron Eagland Hill

    

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Stonechats.

My records to date now stands at 95 Stonechat since I found 18 on Caton Moor 2 months ago on 26 August, mostly in Bowland, with some records taken from local websites. This is a good indication that the species has had a good breeding season in 2020, though I tried twice without success to contact the RSPB, to find out what their records - if any - showed to get a handle on numbers in Bowland.

Black-tailed Godwits. 

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I was grateful to Howard Stockdale for the video of the Black-tailed Godwits, including this one ringed OL-RZ, Arnessysla, Austurey, Iceland, 4 July 2012. The bird has collected 58 sightings, none of which were in our area until this one at Cockersand Wednesday 20 October. Otherwise it favoured Essex and Merseyside, and was seen twice back in Iceland in June 2013 and August 2018.

Conservation.

Below is an excellent post I copied from a website which touched on one of my favourite subjects on conservation and farming practices. I'm also aware of some ongoing local and bigger conservation issues which I intend to follow. 

'34 Fieldfare were a welcome sight this morning, these Scandinavian travelers on their annual visit to forage on the winter berries, however the dreaded hedge munching machine had other ideas and has now destroyed all the food that was lying in wait to keep our visiting Fieldfare well fed along with many others that would have foraged on same, no need to look very hard for the demise of wildlife when this goes on country wide, modern farming practices indeed' 

Cockersand.

I've spent endless hours engrossed in birding at Cockersand, often there until dusk and beyond, and occasionally got drenched in a downpour with nowhere to hide. I always had my camera to hand for the scenery if not for the birds. 

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With birds to be discovered, Cockersand sits on the chart in my book as the best in our area. Many are the times I've rocketed there in response to calls and text alerts from a birder to get gripping views of American Golden Plover (4) and Long-billed Dowitcher to mention but five.

The list of some of the birds found over the past 14 years....

2006. Broad-billed Sandpiper 15 May Maurice Jones.

2008. American Golden Plover 19 Nov Stuart Piner.

2009. Long-billed Dowitcher 13 Oct Stuart Piner.

2009. Black Redstart 9 Nov Pete Woodruff.

2011. American Golden Plover 4 Nov Stuart Piner. (Photo Stuart Piner)

2011. Kentish Plover 3 May Pete Woodruff. (Photo Mick McGough)

2012. American Golden Plover 5 Sept Stuart Piner.

2013. Dotterel 16 April Pete Woodruff. (Photo Chris Batty)

2014. American Buff-bellied Pipit 4 May Stuart Piner. (Photo Stuart Piner)

2015. Wryneck 13 April Pete Woodruff.

2016. American Golden Plover 28 Sept Stuart Piner.

2017. Lapland Bunting 24 March Pete Woodruff.

2017. Sabine's Gull 11 Sept Ian Hartley.

2018. Red-backed Shrike 27 May Kate Hughes. (Photo Ian Hartley)

2018. Pallid Harrier 16 Sept Ian Hartley.

And Finally....

I found Margery earlier in the year, she's been featured on B2B before, but certainly worth another look, and I'll swear the image of her husband is that of a birder I know!

Migration....What Migration!

When I read....'no more than a small flurry' and 'a day to forget in a hurry'....on a website like Portland Bird Obs, it came as no big surprise that it took me three hours birding to see just a lone Sand Martin heading north at Cockersand on Monday. 

Also at Cockersand, a Wheatear was on the embankment by Plover Scar, 4 White Wagtail were with similar Pied Wagtail, a Shoveler pair were also on the flood, not seen here since 22 March, a few barely double figure Meadow Pipit and Skylark seen, and a Reed Bunting.

I made no attempt at assessing the all distant swans today, but if the Mute Swan stand at the same number as my last count, I'd suggest there was no more than 50 Whooper Swan remaining at Cockersand on Monday.  

On the Lune Estuary, 7 Eider, 5 Goldeneye, a Greenshank, and a Goosander. By Christ Church, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Dunnock, and a stunning male Greenfinch seen, a Great-crested Grebe was noted on the canal basin. 

Being it was now 9 April, there's no knowing whether or not the Common Sandpiper I saw at Conder Green, was a migrant or my wintering friend, but if where I found the bird was anything to go by, it was the latter. 

Butterflies seen, 10 Small Tortoiseshell and a Green-veined White.

Black Redstart.

I was grateful for two text alerts I received about the female/1st winter Black Redstart at Bank Houses, Cockerham Sands on Tuesday. Interesting that a Black Redstart I found on 9 November 2009 at Cockerham Sands, double interesting in that it was also at Bank Houses on the rooftop, this bird stayed around for six days.

A migration update yesterday 11 April....'plenty of birds get moving'....at Portland Bird Obs 

The Rewind.

I've been perusing through my 2017 records, and pulled out some random finds and seen, and included my breeding records of the Stonechat which sadly doesn't make such good reading. In fact the records don't even mention Clougha, which - rightly or wrongly - I have abandoned as our once local stronghold in the same way the Stonechat has. I also visited Barbondale three times and found not a single Stonechat there. The Dalton Cragg record (*) credited to Bryan Yorke.

Eight Stonechat breeding records - 20 young - in 2017....Disastrous.

17 May Hareden, a pair and 2 young.
19 June White Greet, a female and 2 young.

03 July Foulshaw, a male and 4 young.

12 July Birk Bank, a pair and 2 young, a male, and a female. Four visits May - August.
12 July Harrisend, 2 male, a female, and a young.

17 July Hawthornthwaite, a male, two female, and 7 young. 

14 Sept Dalton Cragg, a pair and 2 young *

15 Sept Hawthornthwaite, a pair and one young. Five visits May - Sept.

Five December Lowland Stonechats.

10 Dec Heysham Half Moon Bay, 1st winter male and female.
11 Dec Crook Cottage Cockersand, 1st winter male.
22 Dec Off Caravan Park Cockerham Sands, 1st winter male and female.

Other notable birds found in 2017, and (*) not my credit.

20 Jan Conder Pool, Great White Egret. *

27 Jan Pilling, Red-breasted Goose and 10 White-fronted Geese. *

27 Jan Knott End, Black Redstart. *

03 Feb Conder Channel, Conder Green, Little Stint. 

17 Feb Moss Lane, 22 Bewick's Swan.

17 Feb Lune Estuary, Glasson, 46 Goldeneye peak count.
24 Feb Cockerham Marsh, 2 Shorelark. * (Andrew Cornall)

27 Feb Plover Scar, Snow Bunting. 

06 Mar Jeremy Lane, 6 Stonechat.

23 Mar Deep Cutting Lancaster Canal, 2 Little Owl. *

24 Mar Cockersand, Lapland Bunting.

10 Mar Conder Pool. 2 Avocet.

08 May Conder Pool, 2 Common Tern.
25 May Barbondale, 11 Pied Flycatcher.

25 May River Lune Bull Beck, 6 Little Ringed Plover including 3 chicks.
31 May Sykes Farm Bowland, 15 House Martin nests.
31 May Langden Brook, pair Ring Ouzel.
14 Jun Tower Lodge area, 6 Spotted Flycatcher.
19 Jun White Greet, 3 Stonechat, Bloe Greet 3 Stonechat.
12 July Birk Bank Bog, 3 Keeled Skimmer.

04 Aug Conder Pool, drake Scaup.

26 Sep Lune Estuary Glasson, 18 Ruff.

06 Oct Cockersand, 14 Ruff.
23 Oct Cockersand, adult male Stonechat.
02 Nov Crimbles, 2 Ruff on flood.

A decent selection of records, and if my birding this year is anything like as good as the last was, I'll be well happy.

Quality Geese And Grebe's.

Red-breasted Goose/White-fronted Geese. 27 January. Pete Woodruff.

Yesterday I decided to shoot off down the A588 again and into Fylde territory. A good idea, as the roaming Red-breasted Goose was soon found in a field off Backsands Lane with 10 Russian White-fronted Geese and c.150 Pink-footed Geese.

Black Redstart. Knott End 28 December. Richard O'meara.

Turning off Fluke Hall Lane and into Wheel Lane, I spotted a Fox running through the field to cross the lane and enter the field opposite, it appeared to have a small prey item between it's teeth. I was on my way to Knott End for my share of the Black Redstart which gave excellent views below the Waterfront Apartments where it has spent the most of it's time since it was first found here by Richard O'meara a month ago on 28 December 2016. A short walk along the length of the esplanade was rewarded with up to 200 Sanderling and uncounted Ringed Plover, Knot, Redshank, and Dunlin. 

On the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, I noted 18 Goldeneye, 25 Black-tailed Godwit, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit, and a drake Red-breasted Merganser. At Conder Green, the Spotted Redshank was in the creeks, and I watched 7 Snipe drop on to the terrace at the back of Conder Pool.

The Conder Little Grebe.   

I counted 14 Little Grebe at Conder Green yesterday, this is the first double figure here since I saw eleven two months ago on 28 November 2016.

My day had started with quality geese, and ended with quality grebe's.

Many thanks to Gary for the Blackcap header image, and to Richard for the Black Redstart....Both rated excellent in my book, and much appreciated.

Caton Moor.

On a brilliant calm sunny day yesterday, Ian suggested a walk up Quarry Road from Brookhouse to the wind turbines on Caton Moor and return down by Kirkby Gill and past Claughton Hall into Claughton and back to Brookhouse, probably six miles....so off we went. 

No major discoveries, and certainly not overrun with birds, but it was good to be out birding again for the first time in eight days, and to get some fresh air - is there such a thing these days - into the lungs, and be surprised to find 7 Lapwing back up on the moors on the early date of 28 December, probably an all time earliest date for the species to be back on breeding grounds. Twelve Fieldfare and a single Redwing seen, 8 Rook were noted in a field, 3 Long-tailed Tit, with Blue Tit, Wren, and Robin noted. Two raptors seen on the day, a Kestrel and my second - 24 November - Hen Harrier in a month, both ringtail.

The Redstart.

Black Redstart. Richard O'meara.  

I was grateful to Richard for his enquiry about what the bird was in the photograph above which he attached to his e-mail to me, he had seen it by the slipway at Knott End mid-afternoon yesterday, it was an excellent picture of a female/1st winter male Black Redstart. 

Impressive stuff Richard....Keep 'em cumin!

Hardly Spectacular!

Although cloudy and dull on Thursday, it was calm and worth a walk along the embankment from Pilling Lane Ends to Fluke Hall to look through the waders on a high 10.10m tide. But the result wasn't the spectacle I had hoped for, and the birds in the main seem to have roosted elsewhere, though several hundred Dunlin were seen, numbers of Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Curlew, Redshank, and Knot were low, with no Black or Bar-tailed Godwit seen, also in low number, just 112 Pink-footed Geese were drifting on the sea with 35 Whooper Swan.

Along the length I saw at least 90 Skylark, a Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit, and a few Linnet. At Fluke Hall a Dunnock and Wren were on the sea defence boulders, and along the road out of here 8 Blackbird, with Blue Tit and Great Tit seen.

Kingfisher Gary Jones 

I can rarely if ever drive past Conder Pool and calling in briefly on the way back to Lancaster I spooked the Kingfisher off the outlet. Caution....if it's a Kingfisher your'e looking for at Conder Green, approach the Conder Pool viewing platform with care, the outlet to the right is it's favourite lookout. Also noted on the pool, 5 Little Grebe and 3 Goosander. 

An excellent opportunity and good reason for me to post the image of the diving Kingfisher heading to the water like a little blue missile, thanks to Gary for this, and thanks to Martin for his Brown Hares....All three brilliant images, and thanks for allowing them on Birds2blog.

The new header image is of four of the nine Goldeneye on the canal basin at Glasson Dock on Wednesday 25 November.

Hare Coursing.

Brown Hare Martin Jump 

The aim of the vile sport of hare coursing - and those sick enough to engage in it - is simple, if there is gambling involved usually two dogs -  greyhounds or lurchers - compete against each other in pursuit of a live hare, bets are placed on which of the two dogs will be the quickest to turn, catch, and kill the hare, not necessarily instantly, and often painfully slowly. 

I was reliably and in good faith, told a brilliant account by someone who had seen police cars from a distance at Cockersands recently, upon getting closer to the action a raid on several people in a field was obviously taking place. This little piece of information made my day whilst boosting my confidence that the police can and do deal with wildlife crime when they can.

And finally....literally.

A Black Redstart has been at Brockholes LWT all weekend, no doubt to the delight of many, it was still present this morning until taken by a Sparrowhawk.