More And Less

A week after getting back from holiday I finally plucked up the courage to go birding for an hour or two and it was to the “old faithful” Conder Green and Glasson that I headed. After almost 30 years or so of visits I’m sure if I still had my old Mark 1 Escort Estate of all those years gone by it would pretty much find its own way there. 

The wind hasn’t let up much, making it difficult to count the waders and wildfowl but a little perseverance gave 190+ Teal, 35 Wigeon, 5 Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebe, 4 Lapwing, 6 Oystercatcher, 10 Redshank, 2 Curlew, 1 Little Egret and 1 Spotted Redshank. So nothing much changed in my 3 week absence, numbers and species much the same as winter birds linger on. 

The car park and railway path indicated that a few birds thought spring to be in the air, even though my hat, gloves and scarf said otherwise. In song were 2 Dunnock, 3 Great Tit and a couple of Linnets, although the male singers were amongst a flock of 18/20 in the tallest trees. A couple of Blackbirds here and also 6/8 Chaffinch but neither of those species in song,  plus a croaking Raven overhead.

I spent some time at Glasson watching the 12 Goldeneyes, the majority of them males which broke off their feeding spells to display to the few females on offer. The water was a bit choppy for pictures but I managed a couple in between the birds heading for the centre of the basin if any passer by showed even the least sign of walking the path. 

 Goldeneye

Goldeneye

Goldeneye

There was a single Great Crested Grebe back on the water, the bird sticking to the far reeds where the present water level can surely rise no more and leave ample nesting choices. The picture was taken here last summer on a much sunnier and calmer day. 

 Great Crested Grebe

Also here, 35+ Tufted Duck 3 Cormorants and 1 Grey Heron. 

Cormorant

During my absence fun was had with a Glossy Ibis that turned up in a field at Thurnham Hall, so on the off chance I drove up the familiar road and parked at the church.

It’s many years since my ringing birds at Thurnham where Marsh Tits, Garden Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers, Blackcaps and Nuthatches regularly turned up in the nets and where the fabled Lesser Spotted Woodpecker put in a final appearance before going locally extinct. There were no digital cameras then.

 

Lesser-spotted Woodpecker

No Marsh Tits or lesser spots today, just Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mistle Thrush, 2 Treecreeper, 15 Fieldfare, 1 Redwing, 2 Nuthatch and Coal Tits, lots of them. 

I didn’t see the Glossy Ibis but I sure found a good few memories. More news and maybe memories from Another Bird Blog soon.

Sunny Shots

There's not much news from Conder/Glasson this morning but I took a small number of brand-new photographs. What a difference a little sunshine makes. "Click the pics" for a grandstand view of the birds.

An adult Oystercatcher was on lookout duty next to the road, the sun behind the bird rather than the ideal situation in front or to one side. I had to overexpose almost two stops to get any sort of picture. The chick was better placed. 

Oystercatcher chick

Oystercatcher

Not too many other waders this morning and no sign of Greenshank or Spotted Redshank. It was the usual 25+ Common Redshanks, 6 Common Sandpipers, 8 Lapwing and 2 Curlew, although a single Snipe on the pool was new. 

A Kingfisher made a single pass along the creek before heading off towards the canal - good to see them back in the area. 

Kingfisher

Six Tufted Duck, 2 Wigeon, 1 Goldeneye, 4 Canada Goose and 1 Shelduck on the pool 

Passerines from the pool/road – 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Bunting, 1 Meadow Pipit, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Whitethroat, 4 Goldfinch, 3 Linnet, 1 Tree Sparrow. 

Glasson was quiet and peaceful where the usually shy grebe was more accommodating today. The Great Crested Grebe is the largest member of the European grebes and an excellent swimmer and diver, pursuing its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with their head and neck decorations. 

 Great Crested Grebe

 Great Crested Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

The heron kept a safe distance with a watchful eye again, while the Coots and Mallards are accustomed to people at the water's edge.

Grey Heron

Coot 

Mallard

Linking today to  Stewart's World Bird Wednesday. In Australia it is Wednesday already!

Returning Waders, Returning Rain

Early morning visits are best for Conder Green, a place which gets pretty busy soon after 7am with passing traffic, cyclists, and walkers, even birders on occasions, all of which can make finding birds a bit of a challenge. I hadn’t motored up there for a week or two, and unable to sleep this morning I set off early for the Conder, Cockerham and Pilling circuit. 

The month of June often sees waders returning south, typically Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper, but also the more common ones such as Curlew and Redshank, whose numbers begin to build. So no surprises in finding two of the less common returnees in Conder Creek this morning, singles of Common Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank. Good numbers of Redshanks too with circa 35 birds which no doubt includes locally bred youngsters. Other waders: 12 Oystercatcher, 6 Lapwing and 2 Curlew. 

Redshank

 

Oystercatcher

 

Common Sandpiper

Waterbirds were represented by 1 Grey Heron, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 7 Goosander, the latter a party of recently fledged juveniles, no doubt originating from a few miles upstream of the River Lune. 

Great Crested Grebe

Not much doing in the passerines department with just 3 Whitethroat and a singing Blackcap at the car park and 30+ Swift between here and Glasson, plus 15 Swallow and 8 House Martin. I am not seeing many Swallows on my travels: has anyone else noticed a shortage of Swallows this year? Their poor and late arrival in April, the only average spell of May weather followed by the appalling wind and rain of June must have had an impact on the breeding success of Swallows and other insectivorous species. 

Barn Swallow

When at 7am the first jogger rattled over the bridge to scatter the Redshanks, I headed south towards Pilling where just past Braides Farm I noted a roadside Buzzard, a Corn Bunting in song, 90+ Curlews, a post-breeding flock of 100+ Lapwings and a Grey Heron. 

Nearing Lane Ends the previously bright sky turned darker again as rain spattered the windscreen. I didn’t fancy a soaking so restricted myself to the area of the car park, with a few bits and pieces of 2 Jay, 2 Reed Warbler, 4 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe and I then watched from the sea wall as 170+ Curlew flew from inland and out to the salt marsh.

 Curlew

The morning ended with four Kestrels, two at Damside and then two more through the village. Sorry about the gloomy Kestrel pictures - by now there was more continuous rain and I headed home for breakfast. 

Kestrel

Kestrel

Kestrel

Kestrel

Its 1630 now, the sun has got its hat on and the weather forecast looks better for mid week. About time too. 

Duck Days

I really didn’t think I would get out today what with the grey dawn that precludes much camera work, the cold easterlies, a lack of general enthusiasm and a promise to look after Little Paul that would take up our afternoon.

After I missed the Ring-necked Duck yesterday I must admit I wasn’t in a great hurry to get out to Fleetwood to catch up but when a phone call told me the said bird had relocated to this side of the river within a mile from home at Preesall Flashes, I motored down Back Lane. In fact I am ashamed to say it was almost a trip down Memory Lane as I visit the flashes very infrequently nowadays, and whilst I found the car park, the other paths were less familiar.

The duck was there of course, in the deep unfrozen waters of the long expired salt pits amongst a flotilla of other related but less exotic athyas, 4 Tufted Duck and a dozen or so Pochard, but so easy to pick out it is such a striking drake.

Ring-necked Duck

Tuftede Duck

Pochard

I guess that the open water has also increased the Coot count lately. Therefore a count of 200+ was good to see even if they all kept their distance, unlike the normal suburban park example.

Coot

Likewise the several hundred Mallard, with an enormous concentration on the whole flashes, but most of them are of the “released for sport” variety. Exotica appeared again in the form of 2 drakes and 1 female Mandarin, origin unknown but I must check with my pal Graham who has/had a couple in a plastic pool at his back door a few weeks ago.

Mallard

Mandarin

More legitimate was the sight of two Great-crested Grebe, several Teal and a couple of female Goldeneye, all long standing visitors to the flashes.

Great-crested Grebe

Teal

Goldeneye

Back at home I still have a dozen Chaffinch and a dozen Blackbirds in the semi frozen garden. And today a male Sparrowhawk that put in a brief but noticeable appearance that scattered all and sundry.

A trip around some of my more usual haunts tomorrow I think.

Luney Morning

I stopped at Damside, Pilling this morning to let a wide vehicle over the bridge, quite handy really as it allowed me a glimpse of a Mistle Thrush almost overhead on a telegraph pole, then to hear a snatch of song above the traffic noise. Well it is December and I reckon I always hear a Mistle Thrush on or close to December 25th, but certainly soon after the shortest day; maybe it was the sunny start that persuaded the thrush to try a verse or two. It’s not a species that figures a lot in ringing totals, but here’s an old digitised slide from Singleton Hall in the 1990s.



I had just come along Fluke Hall Lane where strangely the stubble was devoid of birds even though the shallow floods now look perfect for waders and wildfowl – perhaps yesterday was a shoot day and the birds haven’t returned?

But the Whooper Swans were out on the marsh, where from Lane Ends car park I could see distant swans further out from Fluke Hall with 18 Whooper Swans directly opposite me which as usual flew off south in small groups. For the record, 5 Little Egrets here this morning with 4 at Braides Farm, 2 at Bank End and 4 on the Lune Estuary.





The sunny start allowed me to spend a little time at Conder and also at Glasson where in the south facing car park, it was positively balmy if not quite summer. Here’s a picture to remind us how Glasson Dock looks in summer.



I counted most of the wildfowl, i.e. 38 Tufted Duck, 3 Pochard, 1 Cormorant, 1 Great-crested Grebe and 1 Goldeneye, but I didn’t feel up to a Coot count.











There was no tide to concentrate birds but it was such a clear morning with phenomenal visibility that I did a quick circuit of the Lune via the Victoria, Bodie Hill and Cockersands and attempted what was I admit a not very scientific “guesstimate” count of the most obvious and numerical species. For what it’s worth, I got 3000+ Wigeon, 7500+ Lapwing, 2000 Bar-tailed Godwit and 8000 Knot with small numbers of Goldeneye, Pintail, Eider, Red-breasted Merganser and Great-crested Grebe. And that’s not including the thousands of gulls and lesser numbers of waders like Redshank and Oystercatcher. I think it’s called “scratching the surface”.

At Conder the sight of 400 Black-headed Gulls greeted me, whose noisy presence rather took over the expanse of the pool. Neither did they seem in any hurry to leave, so I had to search for the normal odds and ends, as in 2 Little Grebe and 1 Goldeneye.

Over near the Stork pub the creek held 10 Redshank, 30 Teal, 4 Curlew and just a single Snipe. I was pleased to see a Ruff, presumably the same one seen in recent weeks but not for a few days or more.



I walked part of the cycle track where a mixed group of 15 Chaffinch and Goldfinch searched through some flimsy weeds with a small party of titmice.





A couple of Redshank fed below the bridge in the strong sunlight but a Greenshank was too quick off the mark for me to get a photo of it and flew off with its customary triple alarm. PW, I think the reflections from the sand messed up the image? Digital isn't everything.



I had time for a dive down to Bank End where I saw a Kestrel with mammal prey awaiting me on a roadside post before it sped across to the marsh to a similar sized post to continue the meal. It did me a real favour because as it travelled low over the grass it put to flight at least a dozen wagtails and 15 Meadow Pipits which remained near the roadside.



There were a number of Tree Sparrows in the hedgerow, staying out of sight as usual but I counted at least 10 keeping an eye on me.



Such short days, so time waits for no man, my cue to head back. It’s all very well getting out then blogging for Britain but I really must catch up with my Bird Track records tonight.

At Last

A couple of enforced days off - MoT, the car. Then a family birthday, still it would be no good going birding everyday would it?

Left or right as I turned from our road? Never one to make hasty decisions I hesitated a minute or two before turning right towards Lancaster.

Prepared as ever I wore my winter plumage on the realisation that spring had imperceptibly turned into winter: bobble hat, gloves, two jumpers and winter trousers.

At first glance the windswept Conder pool didn’t look too promising, the nondescript ducks, distant gulls and waders sheltering from the elements again. “Now concentrate” I urged as the blobs morphed into objects more acceptable, a Greenshank, several Teal, a couple of Snipe and then to the left the male Ruff in the herbage who seemingly had dumped the two bossy females to now survive alone.

The consistent creek held the usual quota of two Grey Herons, twenty or so Redshank, three or four Curlew together with the resident Lapwing crew and a single noisy Greenshank, as below me two Spotted Redshanks hoovered together through the water. It was quiet enough to venture past the Stork to look from the other side where I managed a couple of distant shots of Curlew and Oystercatcher before the first exercisers of the morning clumped and shouted their way across the bridge leaving the waders, now including two Greenshank, to flee noisily.



Back at the platform I glimpsed the Kingfisher over the creek, and heard the call several times from the edge of the water below the road where they seem to spend some time out of sight. So I waited at the screen out of sight but watching the Ruff and Redshanks interacting for a while. Five more Greenshank appeared from behind a far island to fly calling towards Thurnham then circle back to land in the creek. By this time the sun was really trying its best to warm everyone up but I swear the same dark cloud as last week hung around in exactly the same bit of sky to the east to blot out any brightness. Then suddenly the sun came out, giving the scene a quick make over as the Kingfisher landed on the outflow wall. I had time to grab literally one shot before a Fiesta drew up noisily, doors clattered open then shut to unload dog, wife and tripod whilst the Kingfisher departed. One shot only today then but I think it’s not a bad one with a bit of sunlight to make a difference.



A good cue to move on to the next venue, so I splashed through the British Waterways Gravel Pits to leave my car in as dry a spot as possible. All those £1 coins I gave to that old geezer at the hut and he never did tarmac the place, I just knew it was a fiddle.

I had barely left the car when I saw the Lapwings in the air then Mr Peregrine fly overhead and above the bowling green towards the river. By the time I reached the other side of the bowling green the Peregrine had gone, the waders had settled and I counted upwards of 400 Dunlin, c800 Lapwings together with 400 or so Redshank. Another exerciser came jangling along and down towards the steps, time to move on again.

Saturdays aren’t complete without my newspaper so I popped into Glasson Stores for a Telegraph to read later. Well it’s either a glass of Primitivo and the Daily Telegraph or watch “X Factor”. Life is just one hard decision after another. I hadn’t realised that the shop is no longer a Post Office so the chap couldn’t help me in realising some cash back on my £1.60 to grab a bacon butty next door so I went without. What a busy little shop though, piles of newspapers everywhere, but I guess there’s not much to do in Glasson apart from read, watch TV or take up the local sport of Running Your Dog at the Waders.

I’d seen the Great Crested Grebes from the lock so went around for a closer look. Still feeding young, fish bigger than our chippy.



Naturally I called in at Lane Ends where I fought against the wind to reach Pilling Water just in time to see HiFly quad biking around the pool and the two distant white heads become not Little Egrets but mongrel duck. Not all was lost because the sight of 7 Wheatears surprised me somewhat given the overnight weather. I also had a Lane Ends tick in the form of a cracking little “deux chevaux” 2CV, the original farm motor and just had to take a picture.