No Ducks Today

Sorry folks, no birds today. However, regular readers will know of my liking for art. As the saying goes, “Can't draw for toffee but I know a good picture when I see one.” 

A week or two ago and on my FB feed courtesy of Mr Zuckerberg's algorithms appeared an unfamiliar Northern Artist by the name of Dale Traskowski. I was immediately struck by the vibrant colours, clean lines and strength of the paintings, but also the sense of familiarity that Dale's work aroused. Many of the scenes homed in on Lancashire and an era almost gone; nostalgic, almost wistful in their portrayal of streets, vehicles, people, scenes and landscapes gone by. 

Dale's pictures feature inland Lancashire towns and villages like Brinscall, Chorley, Wheelton, Wigan and White Coppice. I thought there was an influence of the late LS Lowry, Lancashire's most famous artist and I soon christened Dale's images “Lowry on steroids”, paintings with a sense of fun that is rarely found in a Lowry.  

I ordered a print that especially took my eye. “Playing for the Les Pass Trophy, White Coppice cricket pitch”, a signed and numbered limited edition, framed and delivered for the incredible bargain price of £70.  The Internet version of the print brought memories of lazy summer days spent watching cricket with a pint of Boddingtons to hand. I couldn't wait to see the print for real. 

Cricket has history in our family. When the kids were younger we travelled to Old Trafford many times to watch Lancashire County Cricket Club play and also to Stanley Park and Lytham cricket grounds when Lancashire played home games at their “out” grounds. 

Middle son Carl played for Fylde Cricket Club for a number of years where he was a more than useful player. This theme is now taken up by grandson Theo, aged 15, who has a regular place in the Fylde CC second team and where he is challenging for promotion to the first team. 

Fast forward a few weeks and a message from Dale that he would deliver my picture and use the opportunity to visit Knott End on Sea, a mile or two from here in Stalmine.  Knott End just happens to be a regular haunt of LS Lowry in the mid 1900s.  Maybe my suspicions were justified?

Knott End Jetty, Wyre Estuary/Fleetwood Town by LS Lowry 

 

Knott End, Wyre Estuary/Fleetwood Town

A Lowry statue at Knott End slipway was unveiled in September 2015. The Fleetwood to Knott End ferry features in several of Lowry’s drawings and paintings. He had a long association with the Fylde region, the statue a landmark to celebrate his association with the area. Lowry visited Knott End frequently in the 1940s and 1950s. He stayed at boarding houses on the sea front and became a familiar figure to local people. They would observe him making sketches on whatever he had to hand. Hotel note paper, old receipts, napkins, envelopes and even toilet paper would be put to good use as he drew the landscapes and the people within them. 

Sue and I drove to Knott End with Dale, his wife, also Sue, and their two beautiful and lively sheep dogs, Mist and Bertie. Here's Dale and Bertie with Mr Lowry who's striding out to catch the Knott End ferry that crosses the Wyre Estuary to Fleetwood.  Bertie didn't much like the camera.

Dale Traskowski, LS Lowry and Bertie

 

The modern day Knott End to Fleetwood Ferry

We left Dale and Sue to explore Knott End. I later learnt they had found Knott End Chippy, probably the best chippy in the area. 

Back home my print of White Coppice cricket hangs in the hallway where visitors and family alike can admire it at their leisure. 

Playing for the Les Pass Trophy, White Coppice cricket pitch - Dale Traskowski

 

We felt privileged to meet Dale and family in person. For sure his recent venture of a web site will showcase his art and lead to a talent becoming more widely recognised. 

I urge readers to visit Dale's web site Dale's Art from where I predict they will find it difficult to resist a purchase from the many pictures destined to catch their eye. 

Dale will also take orders for one-offs and commissions.  Give him a bell and place the order. 

Village Scenes

The last five days week we’ve had the lot - spells of sunshine, hail stones, rain and blustery wind, then finishing off the week with fog. I set off early thinking the rising sun would burn off the fog quickly but it didn’t. As I drove through Pilling village there was a Barn Owl ghosting through the damp air. With the non-stop traffic rushing for work and Lancaster City I dare not stop. 

I parked up at Lane Ends and debated whether to continue driving or to go for a walk. Woodpigeons had decided to sit it out and not go anywhere for a while. There was a male Pied Wagtail on duty at the entrance to the car park.

Woodpigeon

Pied Wagtail

At Wrampool there were Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit, and from their demeanour, both on territory. 

The visibility at Conder Green was really bad although lots of the usual stuff was reasonably close and visible. I picked up on a Common Sandpiper, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron, a dozen or more Redshank, 12 Oystercatcher, 4 Shelduck, a single Snipe and 2 Goosander. In the “small“ category came 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Reed Bunting, 4 Goldfinch, 3 Chaffinch and 2 Greenfinch. There was a Barn Owl here too, this one doing as the earlier one by appearing out of the murk and then vanishing out over the mist laden marsh. 

I was getting nowhere fast so I drove back towards Knott End village where the coast was clearer but cold. I parked the new Ferrari in a quiet spot where it couldn’t get damaged and then sat on the sea wall. It was from here and as the tide rolled in that I counted 290 Oystercatcher, 12 Redshank, 4 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Grey Heron, 2 Eider and 3 Cormorant. Somewhere was a Sandwich Tern calling, so possibly more than one but I couldn’t find the bird(s). 

Ferrari

A walk up river produced a Chiffchaff alongside the golf course, 2 Pied Wagtails, a Wheatear close to the old cottages and a single Meadow Pipit on the tidal defences. Across the river and at Fleetwood I could see a male Peregrine way up on the old RoRo terminal where it sheltered from the cold wind while retaining a view of the whole estuary. A wise bird. 

Wheatear

Meadow Pipit

Peregrine Falcon

Regular readers will know that I occasionally picture the village of Knott End just a mile or two from my home. The village is situated at the mouth of the Wyre Estuary at the extreme south and west of Morecambe Bay and just across the water from the historic fishing port of Fleetwood. Below is a video of the journey we sometimes make across the water where gulls, a variety of waders and seabirds like Cormorant, Eider, Little Egret and Grey Heron can be seen. Watch closely, there’s a Little Egret near the start of the video.

 

Back home. It's two-thirty and the sun is out. I just counted 7 Buzzards high over Stalmine village where I live, where a few Buzzards breed and where folk stop to say “hello”.

That’s village life for you.

Linking today to Anni's Birding and  Eileen's Saturday.

Rock Bottom Birding

£4.50 is a rock-bottom price to trim my hair, a bit of a snip really. But then there isn’t an awful lot left to cut, as Sue occasionally reminds me. At 0930 I took the two minute ferry from Knott End across to Fleetwood for the regular trim by the usual hairdresser. All done and dusted in double quick time I caught the 10am ferry back. 

The haircut was just an excuse to do a little final birding at Knott End before we pack suitcases in readiness for flying off to Greece tomorrow. 

The midday tide began to fill so I walked up river alongside the golf course where 2 Pied Wagtails fed along the shore while a further one dodged a series of golf balls arriving on the fairway. When the golfers caught up with their balls (not as painful as it sounds) the single Pied Wagtail joined the others feeding below the tidal wall. 

Pied Wagtail

There was a Grey Heron on the edge of the incoming tide with a Little Egret feeding among the rocks and stones a little nearer to the shore. Three more egrets flew down river towards Knott End and landed amongst the countless Oystercatchers scattered across the rocks of the mussel beds. The local mussel population is currently at one of its periodic lows with a resultant ban on gathering them; good news for the Oystercatchers to whom the ban doesn’t apply. 

 Oystercatcher

Two Eider ducks floated up river with the incoming tide. Oystercatcher flew in lines above the ducks and towards their tidal roost as the mussel beds vanished under the incoming water. A tiny flock of Goldfinch flew over calling whereupon I counted less than ten of the flighty beasts. I took the well-worn path across the golf course and the fairway towards Hackensall, eyes and ears open for wayward golf balls, angry golfers and migrant birds. A small number of Swallows were headed north and into the prevailing wind. Were they on migration? It was hard to say but if so they needed to change direction eventually or they would find themselves across the bay in Morecambe, Heysham, or even Barrow, a fate worse than death. 

A Kestrel came by. The golf course is a favoured hunting spot with copses and scattered trees and tree boxes in which to nest. 

Kestrel

On the way back I clocked a couple of Meadow Pipits heading south, their thin, feeble calls reminding me that the autumn passage of this species has so far been equally faint. 

Back at the jetty a Greenshank surprised me as it flew away with a noisy triple call and the remaining Oystercatchers joined in a single-species foreshore roost, some 900 of them. A good number of Oystercatchers expend energy by flying up river to roostbut those who stay close to the mussel beds get first pickings when the tide recedes. There was a Grey Heron on the tide line still, a Little Egret along the shore, just 8/10 Redshanks to be seen, but 4 more Eider on the sea. 

The great and the good of Knott End recently unveiled a tribute to the artist L.S. Lowry who was a regular visitor to Knott End during the 1940’s and 1950’s. His paintings depicting this coastline were in stark contrast to his more famous, some say "gloomy", paintings of industrial scenes, but both contained his trademark “matchstick” men and women. In the near right background is the celebrated jetty and in the distance the town of Fleetwood. 

"LS Lowry" at Knott End

 Lowry plaque

It was time to hit the road. 

Τα λέμε σύντομα. Or as they say in Greece, “see you soon”.

Linking today to Stewart's World Bird Wednesday.

Bank Holiday Blues

There’s a little part time birding and a few pictures from Saturday morning, it’s all I could manage, and if I’m honest Bank Holiday Weekend birding fills me with dread. 

It rained overnight and into the morning, so much so that my trip to Knott End for a spot of soft-core birding was delayed until 0815. The sun was breaking through, rain clouds headed south up The River Wyre and ahead of a hint of northerly, a recipe which often leaves a glorious morning light to fill the estuary. 

Not for the first time I paused to survey the scene, clicked the shutter button and thanked my lucky stars that I live in such a beautiful part of the UK. I walked in the direction of the dark clouds safe in the knowledge that the morning would remain fine and that I would see a good selection of commonplace birds.

Double click your LH mouse for a slide show of Wyre, Lancashire and just a few of the county's common birds. 

The River Wyre looking North West

The River Wyre looking South East

From the car park I’d noted masses of Oystercatchers on the mussel beds at the mouth of estuary, the rocky islands just beginning to flood and the Oystercatchers to leave. It’s quite a spectacle to see and hear hundreds of oyks “kleep-kleeping” to their up-river roost, not en-masse just a steady stream of tens and twenties until an hour later you’ve counted 450+ and there’s still some left on the shore. Redshanks and Curlews were on the move too, flying up river in their small exclusive groups which never mix with the numerous and noisy gangs of Oystercatchers. 90+ Redshank and 42 Curlew went in the notebook. 

Redshanks

I didn’t find many birds up here but the antics of the weekend golfers make for alternative entertainment. And to be fair they often send a fairway feeding wagtail in my direction as they did today, plus an autumn Meadow Pipit. Half a dozen Goldfinch, a few Dunnocks and Robins in the willow/hawthorn stretch and then it was time to head back down river where the incoming tide would fill the shore. 

At the ferry jetty I noted 2 Pied Wagtail, on the tideline 2 Grey Heron and a Little Egret, a good number of small and scattered waders which the tide should concentrate, and the screeches of Sandwich Terns. 

Sandwich Tern

There was a good selection of waders with a few more northerly species making a “welcome” comeback. A question - why do birders wish the seasons and their lives away to see birds that they are only too familiar with? 

I mustered 6 Turnstone, 68 Dunlin, 27 Ringed Plover, 6 Grey Plover, 7 Sanderling and 17 Sandwich Tern 

Turnstone

 Sanderling

There was horse rider on the beach who decided to drive her mount fast along the tideline. She stopped to scan her mobile phone before charging off again and so scattering the birds to the far horizons and sending me back home. Yes, this part of Lancashire is rather special, mostly. 

The River Wyre, Lancashire

There’s more birding soon on Another Bird Blog if you decide to return, Bank Holiday or not.

Linking today to Our World Tuesday and Stewart's World Bird Wedesday .

A Golden Morning

The run of early morning starts dictated a lie in on Friday. That’s not to say there isn’t birding to do, just that it started later to take in the 1115 tide at Knott End. So there isn’t a great deal of news in today’s post but there are at last on Another Bird Blog, pictures of the shy Golden Plover. 

By late July there should be signs of returning waders and terns using the beach for feeding and resting, and although there weren’t huge numbers today, the variety is improving. The tide brought in end of summer terns, 20 Sandwich Terns to be exact, the terns all settling on the beach after a couple of noisy fly-arounds. 

Sandwich Terns

After a good number flew up river or towards Pilling it still left 160 Oystercatchers on the beach as the 8.4 metre tide failed to cover the flat sands. I added 3 Redshank, 2 Dunlin, 1 Ringed Plover and 1 Whimbrel to the list although I could hear both Ringed Plovers and Dunlin in flight somewhere. 

I turned my attention to a juvenile Golden Plover which called as it flew onto the beach from the west. I’ve always found our UK Golden Plovers extremely difficult to approach, partly due to the species innate wariness of man. Amazingly, and to our shame as a civilised nation the very fine-looking Golden Plover is a “quarry” species, i.e. it can be legally shot. 

It really is time that conservation organisations campaigned to have the Golden Plover removed from the list of quarry species when it continues to decline as a breeding species. And whilst they are thinking about the Golden Plover it would be useful to consider other declining species like Snipe and Woodcock. 

I kept still and quiet, clicking away and holding my breath as the plover relaxed and fed before the incoming tide sent it flying off west.  I asked myself what justification there could be for shooting such a beautiful bird?  I have a good idea what Knott End Annie would have thought about it. 

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Annie's Log - Knott End 

The River Wyre at Knott End

Up river I found a single Eider, a Grey Heron, a Pied Wagtail and several Linnets and Goldfinches. 

There will be more news and pictures from Another Bird Blog soon but no guarantee of photos of Golden Plover.

Linking today to Eileen's Saturday Blog and Anni's Blog.

More Fishy Tales

The fishy bit comes during post-birding grandparent duties, but first the bird news from a couple of hours Wednesday, later than desired due to BT being down on Wednesday afternoon. 

I don’t know why the sign warns of ducks crossing at Conder Green because the road is far too busy for birds to walk across the road. Mostly they fly above the road to and from the creeks, the pool and the more distant Lune marshes. 

Ducks crossing?

There were lots of Lapwings, a combined count of 300 on the creeks and pool but more like a couple of thousand out on the marsh beyond the railway bridge. I was walking the old railway track when it became obvious a Peregrine was about from the mass of Lapwings suddenly in flight, but it’s not always easy to spot a hunting Peregrine which might fly below, above or through the flocks of birds it panics into flight. Eventually I picked it up, the anchor shape cruising down river towards Lancaster and moving steadily away. Oh well, there will be other days with the magical raptor when wintering Peregrines are an almost daily occurrence in these parts. The Lapwings are very wary at the moment but I managed a half decent shot of a juvenile bird at the poolside. 

 Peregrine

Lapwing

The railway path was quiet with a single Whitethroat seen, a rather loud and emphatic “hweeting” Chiffchaff from the trees at the car park and a couple of overflying Goldfinch. Near the pool I at last found a decent flock of Goldfinches with 35 or more feeding on the extensive clumps of thistles, the number of plants enough to support a much bigger number of finches if only they were about. There was an addition to the regular waders with the appearance of a Ruff, too distant for a picture and constantly in and out of view as it walked behind a grassy bank. Two Spotted Redshank again plus 3 Greenshank, 10 Snipe and 40+ Common Redshank. 

Redshank

Spotted Redshank

A Kingfisher put in a brief appearance by flying at head height across the pool from direction of the canal and off towards the road bridge of the A588. Just one Little Grebe and 2 Cormorant, 12 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck and 2 Wigeon. 

Time allowed a quick look at Glasson where Coot numbers are now circa70 and Tufted Duck close on 15. Swallow numbers are down everywhere now that September beckons and I could find less than 10 here and similar numbers at Conder Green. 

There was a Buzzard circling over Thurnham on my journey back south and lunch time. 

Buzzard

Grandparenting duties took us to Knott End with Theo and to Knott End Chippy, a friendly little establishment which also happens to serve probably the best traditional fish and chips in the Fylde. 

The pictures of Knott End are for blogging pal Kay, a lady who enjoys Adventurous Travel yet has never visited the village of Knott End. Shame on you Kay. 

 

Knott End

 

 The Esplanade at Knott End

 

GranPa's Toy Shop

Knott End Chippy

 Haddock, Chips and Mushy Peas

More tales and more birds soon from Another Bird Blog.

Sunny Saturday

Now that August is here both waders and terns are migrating through with increasing momentum so with a tide due 10am I decided to give sunny and scenic Knott End a bash this morning. This west coast isn't the best for sunrises, but sunsets can be spectacular and the photographic light often inviting. 

Tide at Knott End

Sunset - Knott End looking to Fleetwood

Long before the tide turns to head upstream and fill the channel between Knott End and Fleetwood there are thousands of birds picking through the distant mussel beds. Large gulls and Oystercatchers form the myriad bulk with a mix of smaller waders and Black-headed Gulls making up the remainder. As the incoming water buries the muddy, rocky and sand strewn islands the birds fly off in various directions to look for food elsewhere or perhaps to roost. 

Natural England - “Mussel beds have a particularly important role where they occur on soft seabeds, as they provide a hard surface in otherwise muddy or sandy areas. This attracts and supports a greater range of marine life than would otherwise be found there. 133 different animals and plants have been recorded in blue mussel beds, including seaweeds, anemones, barnacles, sea snails, crabs, starfish and worms.” 

Post-breeding time means there are huge numbers of our common and largely ignored Herring Gulls together with much smaller numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Lumped as one this morning gave a count in excess of 1000, how's that for a non committal estimate? 

Herring Gull

The Oystercatcher count reached 400+, most heading upstream and 180 or more staying on the shore. At least 140 Dunlin also travelled upstream towards the Barnaby's Sands roost, as did 25+ Redshank, 45 Curlew, 7 Ringed Plover,1 Bar-tailed Godwit and 1 Whimbrel. The Whimbrel had hung around for a while searching through the near shore before a procession of early morning Knott End sun-seekers sent it too scurrying upstream. The Turnstones are back, the most approachable of our wader set, and I almost missed the four of them as they fed quietly at the busy jetty when most everything else was gone. 

Whimbrel

Dunlin and Ringed Plover

Turnstone

A small roost of terns pre-tide with 15 Sandwich Terns and 3 Common Tern. Other bits and pieces – 1 Eider, 2 Pied Wagtail, 8 Linnet, 1 Swift, 14 Swallow 

Talking of sun here's a picture of the grand-kids' giant Sunflower in the back garden and grown from the debris of a cleaned out bird feeder. The flower now measures some 8½ inches diameter. 

Giant Sunflower

Linking today to Camera Critters and  Anni's Blog.

Coasting

Three sunny mornings on the trot and weather-wise things are looking up. Knott End was first stop this morning where I sat at the jetty watching 3 Sandwich Terns fishing the incoming tide when a stranger engaged me in conversation. It transpired that my new found acquaintance was familiar with Sandwich Terns as he lives in Dover, Kent. Dover is just along the coast from the town of Sandwich where the Sandwich Tern was first described in 1787 by the ornithologist John Latham. 

The gent explained he was up here in Lancashire in support for his wife who was engaged in walking the green coastal paths of England. Here was his good lady at 8 a.m. not only raring to go on the next leg of the journey by walking from Pilling to Glasson Dock a journey of some 12 miles, but absolutely enthused and overwhelmed about the beauty of our UK coastline, and this stretch of Morecambe Bay in particular. I declined the invitation to join in by explaining about a previous bird watching appointment at Pilling later that morning, but the encounter left me reinvigorated.

Knott End

 

Sandwich Tern

Glasson Dock

As my new found friends set off on their journey I found more birds here at Knott End by way of 40+ Oystercatchers on the tideline along with 30+ Bar-tailed Godwit, 4 Sanderling, 3 Dunlin and 1 Ringed Plover. 

Dunlin

Just a handful of wildfowl today - 3 Shelduck, 2 drake Eider and 4 Mallard. 

There was also my old friend the Pied Wagtail, the same footless bird of 2012 which still belongs about the jetty and the sea wall, his one gammy foot now reduced to a tiny stub, the other leg seemingly not much better. To cap it all the poor creature seems to have lost all tail feathers, perhaps as a result of the lower centre of gravity causing his trailing feathers to wear out more quickly than they otherwise would? Certainly he looked and behaved in remarkably good condition as he flew about the sea wall in pursuit of the next meal. 

Pied Wagtail

A walk up river and alonsidse the golf course produced a singing Whitethroat plus overflying Goldfinch, Linnet, 4 Swift and several Swallows. 

Reaching Lane Ends I turned my attention to Lapwings and Redshanks again, this time finding another good sized Lapwing chick. If the chick had run instead of crouching it would for sure have outpaced me, the size of the bird almost certainly ensuring it sticks around to adulthood. As in recent years the number of chicks reaching this stage of development in 2013 is low. This gives no spare capacity for the Lapwings to increase their local population but more likely they will struggle to even maintain it at low levels.

Lapwing chick

Lapwing chick

Towards Fluke Hall I noted the first post-breeding flock of Lapwings, 35 of them flying in unison across the marsh – how soon is the breeding season over for Lapwings. Otherwise quiet except for a Grey Heron, now 2 Corn Buntings and a single Buzzard leaving the wood pursued by crows.  

The lady was exactly right, our coast is wonderful, and although we know that it's fantastic in so many ways, maybe we sometimes take it for granted?