Here I am again, over a month later, before another Blog post. I suppose the only consolation to my infrequent posts, is the fact that I must have been out in the field a lot, if I haven't had time to post!
We were due to do our April WeBS count on the 19th April, and at the time the forecast looked as though it might have been fit for us to do some ringing on that Sunday, so I did one of our WeBS count sites on the 16th, which is the reservoir adjacent to the River Wyre on the old ICI site at Fleetwood. The plan was to do our other site on the Saturday morning. However, the good forecast didn't come to fruition in terms of the wind strength, so we ended up doing part of our WeBS count on the official count day of Sunday anyway. Gosh, that was complicated!
Walking down to the river on the 16th, and looking at the surrounding scrub, I had a reasonable selection of migrants, including Garden Warbler, nine Chiffchaffs, five Sedge Warblers, six Blackcaps, two Reed Warblers, a Little Ringed Plover, four Willow Warblers, two Whitethroats, and a Grasshopper Warbler.
Walking down to the river on the 16th, and looking at the surrounding scrub, I had a reasonable selection of migrants, including Garden Warbler, nine Chiffchaffs, five Sedge Warblers, six Blackcaps, two Reed Warblers, a Little Ringed Plover, four Willow Warblers, two Whitethroats, and a Grasshopper Warbler.
Whitethroat
Being a birder of a certain age, Cetti’s Warblers still turn my head, and if you had told my younger self that I would record four on my walk down to the reservoir, I would not have believed you.
I recorded a few flowers; Garlic Mustard, Colt’s-foot, Herb-robert, and Ivy-leaved Toadflax.
I recorded a few flowers; Garlic Mustard, Colt’s-foot, Herb-robert, and Ivy-leaved Toadflax.
Ivy-leaved Toadflax
The wind was a strong south-westerly, and that was another reason to head down to the river, to try and find some shelter to look for insects, as well as migrant birds. I recorded Red-tailed Bumble bees, Buff-tailed Bumblebees, a Syrphus sp. (hoverfly), the hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus, four Peacocks and two Small White butterflies.
Platycheirus albimanus. I love the bronze coloured thorax.
Looking up Platycheirus albimanus back home, I could see that it is given a few common names; White-footed Hoverfly, Grey-spotted Boxer, and Grey-spotted Sedgesitter.
The following day the forecast was for fairly strong southerly winds, with light rain, so I attempted to look for some grounded migrants. I think the problem was, that the rain came in quite early yesterday, probably preventing birds from setting off.
I walked the coastal stretch from the southern end of the Golf Course, to the tower, and back again. I saw a bird come from the sea wall, and drop into the Common Reeds on the edge of the golf course, and it was a Willow Warbler. It was trying to forage as best at it could in the blustery conditions along the fence and reeds, and then it flew back on top of the sea wall. It looked very incongruous perched on top of a concrete wall!
I started to think about this olive and yellow, 10 gramme ball of feathery loveliness, and where it was just a month ago, somewhere in sub – Saharan Africa, and then crossing the Sahara, and right across Europe, to arrive on our shores. So utterly amazing when you think about it.
The only other grounded migrant I had was a female Wheatear, that incidentally didn’t look incongruous perched on the sea wall. A handful of Meadow Pipits and Swallows were heading east, and two Woodpigeons thought they would chance their luck and head out north across the bay.
Meadow Pipit
A few waders were on the shore, including 19 Oystercatchers, 45 Dunlins, 29 Ringed Plovers, and 192 Sanderlings.
I watched a pair of Ringed Plovers displaying, lots of calling, and posturing from the male, with wings held partly open, with a little dance side-to-side. The female looked as though she sat down on a nest scrape, but then she got up, moved several feet, and sat down again, where the male joined her.
I watched a pair of Ringed Plovers displaying, lots of calling, and posturing from the male, with wings held partly open, with a little dance side-to-side. The female looked as though she sat down on a nest scrape, but then she got up, moved several feet, and sat down again, where the male joined her.
Ringed Plovers
I called in at the cemetery, but it was raining properly by this time, and the only grounded migrant I had was a Chiffchaff. I observed five different Blackbirds, all male, as I expect that the females will have been busy sat incubating on their respective nests.
Our Thornton Cleveleys garden light trap has been very quiet so far this spring, and on the 18th we had a typical catch of late, with just a single Common Quaker.
Common Quaker
The following morning Gail and I completed the second half of our WeBS count, with just 30 Redshanks of note at Jubilee Quay. Not WeBS related, but we had a gorgeous adult male Sparrowhawk over the car park there.
We didn’t need to count the reservoir on the Wyre, as I did that earlier in the week, but we decided to have a walk down to the river and check the scrub for any migrants.
The best bird we had was a Cuckoo, and it was very flighty. We got some excellent views through our optics, both of it perched and in flight, but it wouldn’t let us get close to get a decent picture of it. I managed to get one shot where you can see that it is a Cuckoo, just, that you can see below.
We didn’t need to count the reservoir on the Wyre, as I did that earlier in the week, but we decided to have a walk down to the river and check the scrub for any migrants.
The best bird we had was a Cuckoo, and it was very flighty. We got some excellent views through our optics, both of it perched and in flight, but it wouldn’t let us get close to get a decent picture of it. I managed to get one shot where you can see that it is a Cuckoo, just, that you can see below.
Cuckoo. Honest!
Highlights from the grassland, reed and scrub, in addition to the Cuckoo, included two Cetti’s Warblers, seven Chiffchaffs, three Blackcaps, three Sedge Warblers, two Reed Warblers, six Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, three Willow Warblers, a Bullfinch, and a Grasshopper Warbler.
We didn’t really have any visible migration as such, other than our first House Martin of the year, and a handful of Swallows and Siskins. Out on the saltmarsh were 12 Shelducks, a Whimbrel, and a Buzzard was upsetting the Gulls.
A few butterflies were on the wing; five Speckled Woods, a Painted Lady, a Comma, five Peacocks, two Orange-tips, three Small Whites, and a Holly Blue. We also two Holly Blues back at home in our garden.
We didn’t really have any visible migration as such, other than our first House Martin of the year, and a handful of Swallows and Siskins. Out on the saltmarsh were 12 Shelducks, a Whimbrel, and a Buzzard was upsetting the Gulls.
A few butterflies were on the wing; five Speckled Woods, a Painted Lady, a Comma, five Peacocks, two Orange-tips, three Small Whites, and a Holly Blue. We also two Holly Blues back at home in our garden.
In my mind, I expected the 21st to be better for migrant birds, easterly wind and cloud cover, but it wasn’t to be. I was at Rossall Point for first light, and walked the full length of the golf course and dunes, and the only grounded migrants I had were 10 Wheatears. A handful of Linnets and Swallows headed east.
Wheatears
I looked in the cemetery, and there were two Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff. The cloud cover had now decreased, and there was a constant call of Siskins heading east, somewhere up in the stratosphere, both here, and at my next destination, Mount Park.
It was a copy of the cemetery in the Mount, with two Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff, although there was a Siskin that dropped in, and called from the tree-tops. A male Sparrowhawk made it into my notebook.
It was a copy of the cemetery in the Mount, with two Willow Warblers and a Chiffchaff, although there was a Siskin that dropped in, and called from the tree-tops. A male Sparrowhawk made it into my notebook.
The following morning I was at my client’s farm in Bowland, near Slaidburn, where I manage the conservation interests on the farm, and as I have mentioned before, the farming is a management tool to support the population of breeding waders. I have some outside help on a regular basis from friends at the RSPB, and we employ a very able young man, Frank (RSPB), one day a week to work on our breeding wader project.
Up until this date, Frank had found six Curlew nests, and he is confident of finding a further eight, so that will be fantastic. We had electric fenced two of the nests, and a third was done by the end of the week. In addition to the six strands of electric fencing to protect the nest from mammalian predators, we also position a trail cam on the nest, so if the nest was to be predated, we would know what had predated it. Last year we had a 0.88% fledging rate on the farm, and Curlews need only a 0.5% fledging rate to maintain the population.
One of the Curlew nests that we fenced.
The remaining three nests from the six found by this date, hadn’t finished their clutches, so they got fenced the following week.
It was the first of the three annual breeding wader surveys that we complete, as part of a Bowland-wide breeding wader survey with the RSPB.
It was a cold but bright morning, and it was a pleasure to be driving and walking round, counting breeding waders, to the call of Cuckoo, and singing Redstart.
A few raptors were present, including the honorary raptor, Raven, plus male Hen Harrier, male Peregrine, and three Buzzards, and all were intercepted, and escorted off the premises by a mixed squadron of Curlews, Lapwings, and Oystercatchers.
All of the expected breeding wader species were present; Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, and Little Ringed Plover. It’s hard to tell after just one survey how this year compares with last year, but we will know more after the next survey.
It was the first of the three annual breeding wader surveys that we complete, as part of a Bowland-wide breeding wader survey with the RSPB.
It was a cold but bright morning, and it was a pleasure to be driving and walking round, counting breeding waders, to the call of Cuckoo, and singing Redstart.
A few raptors were present, including the honorary raptor, Raven, plus male Hen Harrier, male Peregrine, and three Buzzards, and all were intercepted, and escorted off the premises by a mixed squadron of Curlews, Lapwings, and Oystercatchers.
All of the expected breeding wader species were present; Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, and Little Ringed Plover. It’s hard to tell after just one survey how this year compares with last year, but we will know more after the next survey.
Oystercatcher
Other bits and pieces worth mentioning included 15 singing Willow Warblers, a calling Whimbrel over, two Wheatears, and a handful of Swallows, Siskins, and Redpolls heading north and east.
On the morning of the 24th April, Gail and I were ringing at Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park, and it was a glorious sunny morning, unfortunately not the sort of morning to produce many birds, for a whole host of reasons.
We ringed eight birds (recaptures in brackets) as follows:
We ringed eight birds (recaptures in brackets) as follows:
Blackcap - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Great Tit - 1 (1)
Willow Warbler - 1
Chiffchaff - 1
Reed Warbler - (1)
Lesser Redpoll
Between the net rounds, sat at our table at the back of the car, we realised that we could hear nine species of Warbler singing from where we were sat. In brackets, I have put the number that we recorded for each of these species on site; Sedge Warbler (2), Reed warbler (3), Cetti’s Warbler (4), Blackcap (5), Chiffchaff (3), Lesser Whitethroat (1), Grasshopper Warbler (2), Whitethroat (3), and Willow Warbler (2).
It was crystal clear, so from a visible migration perspective all we had were Lesser Redpolls and Siskins up in the stratosphere, and three Tree Pipits and a Sparrowhawk east.
We had our first Mallard ducklings on the main pool, where there were ten tiny balls of golden, fluffy feathers, with their parents.
The following morning, I headed to Rossall Point, and I enjoyed the extra hour in bed due to a 0500 alarm call, rather than a 0400 one!
There was a mix of movement at sea, and visible migration overhead, and I’ll just jump right in with the totals. All the movement was either east or west, and included eight Lesser Redpolls, seven Sand Martins, a Common Sandpiper, seven Red-throated Divers, seven Cormorants, three Eiders, 15 Swallows, 21 Gannets, eight Kittiwakes, 17 Red-breasted Mergansers, 27 Whimbrel, six Tree Pipits, 22 Common Scoters, three Yellow Wagtails, 40 Arctic Terns, seven Shelducks, a Common Tern, two Black Terns, and five Siskins.
There were large numbers of Terns and Gulls a long way out, over, above and in front of the wind farm, but Ian and I decided to focus on the passage closer in, where counting was more accurate, and less guesstimates were needed.
On the shore were 256 Dunlin, 98 Sanderlings, and 18 Ringed Plovers, and the only grounded migrants that we had were three Wheatears.
It was crystal clear, so from a visible migration perspective all we had were Lesser Redpolls and Siskins up in the stratosphere, and three Tree Pipits and a Sparrowhawk east.
We had our first Mallard ducklings on the main pool, where there were ten tiny balls of golden, fluffy feathers, with their parents.
The following morning, I headed to Rossall Point, and I enjoyed the extra hour in bed due to a 0500 alarm call, rather than a 0400 one!
There was a mix of movement at sea, and visible migration overhead, and I’ll just jump right in with the totals. All the movement was either east or west, and included eight Lesser Redpolls, seven Sand Martins, a Common Sandpiper, seven Red-throated Divers, seven Cormorants, three Eiders, 15 Swallows, 21 Gannets, eight Kittiwakes, 17 Red-breasted Mergansers, 27 Whimbrel, six Tree Pipits, 22 Common Scoters, three Yellow Wagtails, 40 Arctic Terns, seven Shelducks, a Common Tern, two Black Terns, and five Siskins.
There were large numbers of Terns and Gulls a long way out, over, above and in front of the wind farm, but Ian and I decided to focus on the passage closer in, where counting was more accurate, and less guesstimates were needed.
On the shore were 256 Dunlin, 98 Sanderlings, and 18 Ringed Plovers, and the only grounded migrants that we had were three Wheatears.
Dunlins and Ringed Plover
I had a quick look in the cemetery on my way home, and there were three Willow Warblers, and the ever-present sound of calling Redpolls overhead. I bobbed into Jubilee Quay as well, and I enjoyed recording a few flowering plants, and Lesser Redpolls and Siskins called overhead here too. A Common Sandpiper was on the mud of the quay, two Whimbrels were on the shore of the estuary, and a Whitethroat had set up territory, where a Whitethroat always sets up territory every year.
Back home in our garden light trap, it was another poor catch, with just five moths of two species:
Light Brown Apple Moth - 4
Common Plume Moth - 1
I was at Rossall Point again on the 26th, and it was a very different morning to yesterday. The wind direction was the same, there was more cloud cover, but definitely less birds on the move. Less Terns, less vis, less everything.
Walking along the top of the dunes to my watch-point, I noted a Whitethroat carrying nest material into a patch of Brambles. It is amazing how quickly these birds get on with nest building, just shortly after returning from Africa.
My vis totals included (all more or less east) three Lesser Redpolls, four Linnets, a Tree Pipit, 39 Swallows, eight Whimbrels, and a Grey Wagtail.
Walking along the top of the dunes to my watch-point, I noted a Whitethroat carrying nest material into a patch of Brambles. It is amazing how quickly these birds get on with nest building, just shortly after returning from Africa.
My vis totals included (all more or less east) three Lesser Redpolls, four Linnets, a Tree Pipit, 39 Swallows, eight Whimbrels, and a Grey Wagtail.
Linnet
The sea was equally quiet, with meagre highlights of nine Gannets, five Red-breasted Mergansers, 36 Common Scoters, 15 Sandwich Terns, three Red-throated Divers, and a Razorbill.
On my way home, I called in at the cemetery, and with just a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat, and three Lesser Redpolls that dropped in, it was quiet here as well.
I photographed a male Blackbird that looked very dishevelled, with the stiff south-easterly wind blowing his feathers out of place. It was only when I was looking at my photos back home that I noticed that he was regurgitating a couple of seeds, and you can see this in the shots below. If anybody has any idea what the seeds are I would love to know.
On my way home, I called in at the cemetery, and with just a Chiffchaff, a Whitethroat, and three Lesser Redpolls that dropped in, it was quiet here as well.
I photographed a male Blackbird that looked very dishevelled, with the stiff south-easterly wind blowing his feathers out of place. It was only when I was looking at my photos back home that I noticed that he was regurgitating a couple of seeds, and you can see this in the shots below. If anybody has any idea what the seeds are I would love to know.
Back home I checked our Thornton Cleveleys garden light trap and we had four moths of three species; two White-shouldered House Moths, a female Bee Moth, and a Light Brown Apple Moth. We also trapped a Caddisfly species, perhaps Mottled Sedge.
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Bee Moth
A couple of days later I was back at Rossall Point just after first light, and the visibility was very good due to the northerly airstream, but the passage was less so, although Auks were a notable feature of the morning, as was a Corvid and a wildfowl species.
Walking along the top of the dunes to my watch-point, I had my first Swift of the year as it winged its way east. Passerine movement was limited, with just three Lesser Redpolls, 12 Swallows, two House Martins, and a Yellow Wagtail.
The best passerine was a Hooded Crow that flew east, low along the beach, keeping going until it was out of sight.
Auks were definitely the main feature of the morning, and because the visibility was so good, I could see a long way out, with the wind farm only just suffering with a bit of heat haze. I had 109 Auk species (Guillemot/Razorbill), with two thirds of them heading west out of the bay, and they were just too far out to be certain whether they were Guillemots or Razorbills. I did have seven close in, that I could see were Razorbills, bringing the Auk total to 116.
Two small flocks of Kittiwakes, a 16 and a 5, headed east into the bay, climbing all the time, to head over land to the east coast. A dark morph Arctic Skua was only my second of the spring, and a male Goosander heading east was a pleasant surprise.
The best of the rest included six Red-throated Divers, 60 Sandwich Terns, 40 Arctic Terns, 38 Common Scoters, three Gannets, and three Whimbrels.
Two small flocks of Kittiwakes, a 16 and a 5, headed east into the bay, climbing all the time, to head over land to the east coast. A dark morph Arctic Skua was only my second of the spring, and a male Goosander heading east was a pleasant surprise.
The best of the rest included six Red-throated Divers, 60 Sandwich Terns, 40 Arctic Terns, 38 Common Scoters, three Gannets, and three Whimbrels.
The following morning Gail and I checked the boxes at our good friends, Robert and Diana’s farm, near Nateby.
It was a gloriously sunny morning, and it was a pleasure to be wandering through the woodland to the backdrop of singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps.
In terms of the boxes, we had some mixed fortunes, some good news and some not so good news. We only had one box occupied by Tree Sparrows, a three chambered ‘hotel’ type box, with a partially competed nest, and two completed nests, one with tiny young in, that had only just hatched.
Some of the usual nest boxes that have Tree Sparrows in, were either empty, or had Blue or Great Tits in. It certainly isn’t a case of the Tits out-competing the Tree Sparrows, as there were a number of suitable, used in previous years, boxes for the Tree Sparrows. There were Tree Sparrows calling around the yard, and in the area of the nest boxes around the pond. Also, over winter we had good numbers of Tree Sparrows at our feeding station, and on the feeders in Robert and Diana’s Garden.
Tree Sparrows nest in colonies, and they are known to move from an area that has been used for a long time, and it isn’t always obvious why. Some of the old stone buildings in the yard, have lots of holes between the stones and missing mortar, and the Tree Sparrows often use the building as a giant communal box!
We aren’t too worried yet, as Tree Sparrows are certainly still around, so it will be interesting to see what happens next year. All we can do between now and then, is put some more boxes up!
Unfortunately, the Kestrel box that has been used every year since at least 2016, has been taken over by Grey Squirrels. Kestrels are usually very good at defending their nest site against Grey Squirrels, so it does make me wonder whether something has happened to one of the adults. In early spring/late winter we could hear and see them displaying, so it looked like business as usual. I suppose we will never know.
The good news is that we ringed a brood of Tawny Owls from one of the boxes Robert put up for them in the woodland. They didn’t use any of the boxes last year, and in the box that they last used in 2024, is a pair of Jackdaws, or perhaps there was. More on that in a moment.
Tawny Owl
We checked the ‘chimney’ type box, and we could see three chicks. We got them out, two were a really good size, and the other was a lot smaller, so we just ringed the two large chicks. When I lifted one of the chicks out of the box, it had the leg of a Jackdaw, with associated flesh, sticking out of its bill! And when I looked in the box, there were the remains of two adult Jackdaws! So, it is possible that the adult Tawny Owls have predated the Jackdaws that were using their old box, and fed them to their Owlets!
On the last day of April I was back at Rossall Point, and it was still five layers cold in the stiff easterly wind. I had just set off walking along the dunes, when I heard a Yellow Wagtail calling from the eastern end of the golf course. I quickly located it running around on the green, and took some awful pictures before it headed east, adding itself to the visible migration that I recorded.
On the last day of April I was back at Rossall Point, and it was still five layers cold in the stiff easterly wind. I had just set off walking along the dunes, when I heard a Yellow Wagtail calling from the eastern end of the golf course. I quickly located it running around on the green, and took some awful pictures before it headed east, adding itself to the visible migration that I recorded.
Yellow Wagtail
As we move into May, the vis starts to slow down, still a good species mix, but not the numbers. In addition to the Yellow Wag, this morning’s totals included 20 Swallows, two Tree Pipits, four (Lesser) Redpolls, six Linnets, four Jackdaws, nine Carrion Crows, a Grey Wagtail, a White Wagtail, and another Hooded Crow! Once again, the ‘Hoodie’ headed rapidly east, and I managed to get a record flight shot.
Hooded Crow
On the golf course were the two regular Whitethroats on territory, and a distant Grasshopper Warbler ‘reeling’ from somewhere in the middle.
The passage at sea was relatively light, distant, and plagued with heat haze. On the move were 160 Knots, 27 Auk sp., 37 Sandwich Terns, 26 Sanderlings, 20 Kittiwakes, eight Common Scoters, 68 Arctic Terns, 12 Black-headed Gulls, an Atlantic Grey Seal (not on the move), five Red-throated Divers, and a Whimbrel.
Roosting on the shore were 96 Ringed Plovers and 226 Dunlins.
The passage at sea was relatively light, distant, and plagued with heat haze. On the move were 160 Knots, 27 Auk sp., 37 Sandwich Terns, 26 Sanderlings, 20 Kittiwakes, eight Common Scoters, 68 Arctic Terns, 12 Black-headed Gulls, an Atlantic Grey Seal (not on the move), five Red-throated Divers, and a Whimbrel.
Roosting on the shore were 96 Ringed Plovers and 226 Dunlins.
Back home I checked our garden light trap, and things hadn't improved, with just a Light Brown Apple Moth and a Rustic Shoulder-knot.
On the 1st of May, Gail and I completed our first check of our Pied Flycatcher boxes in the Hodder Valley.
On the 1st of May, Gail and I completed our first check of our Pied Flycatcher boxes in the Hodder Valley.
Our first visit revealed:
Pied Flycatcher
One nest quarter built, one nest with five cold eggs (not yet finished laying the complete clutch), two nests with two cold eggs, one nest three quarters built, and two nests complete, but unlined.
Blue Tit
Three females sitting (incubating eggs), one with nine warm eggs (clutch complete and being incubated), and one with eight warm eggs.
Nuthatch
One with seven warm eggs.
have Nuthatches inside!
Tit sp.
Five nests quarter built, one nest half built, one nest three quarters built, one nest complete & unlined, and one half built.
Pipistrelle sp.
One box with a Pip roosting in it.
Great Tit
One female sitting, one with six cold eggs, one with three cold eggs, one with one cold egg, and one with four eggs cold.
The remainder of the boxes were empty. One or two might get taken up by a late arriving Pied Flycatcher, but the others will remain empty all season.
Walking up and down the wooded slopes of this section of the Hodder Valley we noted some wildflowers, and were serenaded by two Willow Warblers, five Blackcaps, a Song Thrush, a Goldcrest, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Garden Warbler, two Lesser Redpolls, a Chiffchaff, and a Siskin.
The remainder of the boxes were empty. One or two might get taken up by a late arriving Pied Flycatcher, but the others will remain empty all season.
Walking up and down the wooded slopes of this section of the Hodder Valley we noted some wildflowers, and were serenaded by two Willow Warblers, five Blackcaps, a Song Thrush, a Goldcrest, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Garden Warbler, two Lesser Redpolls, a Chiffchaff, and a Siskin.
When we got home we checked our garden light trap, and there were a few more moths in it than of late; three Flame Shoulders, a Bee Moth, a Ruddy Streak, a Light Brown Apple Moth, and a Twenty-plume Moth.
On the 6th, the plan was to be up and out early, and have a look for grounded migrants at Rossall Point. That didn’t happen, and Gail and I had a walk from Jubilee Quay instead, later in the morning.
It was cold at first in the easterly wind, and we had virtually full cloud cover, but on our return leg the clouds had cleared, and it was nice and warm. I think if I had managed to drag myself out of the duvet at first light, grounded migrants would have been thin on the ground, or that’s what I tried to convince myself for being such a lightweight!
It was more about the plants during our walk, with lots of red and yellow, and birds of note were limited to two singing Whitethroats, a Whimbrel calling from the river, and a nice encounter with a gorgeous male Starling.
It was cold at first in the easterly wind, and we had virtually full cloud cover, but on our return leg the clouds had cleared, and it was nice and warm. I think if I had managed to drag myself out of the duvet at first light, grounded migrants would have been thin on the ground, or that’s what I tried to convince myself for being such a lightweight!
It was more about the plants during our walk, with lots of red and yellow, and birds of note were limited to two singing Whitethroats, a Whimbrel calling from the river, and a nice encounter with a gorgeous male Starling.
Starling
In flower were Red Valerian, Common Ragwort, Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill, Hedge Mustard, Ribwort Plantain, Common Vetch, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Smooth Sow-thistle, Elder, Hawthorn, Rowan, Wild Radish, and Lesser Trefoil.
Hedge Mustard
Just two butterflies on the wing, Red Admiral and Small White.
Red Admiral
Gail and I carried out our second check of our Pied Flycatcher boxes on the 8th. Of the seven boxes that were occupied by Pied Flycatchers last week, which is a box that contains any Pied Flycatcher nesting activity, from a completed nest, to eggs laid for example, we have five boxes with nests containing complete clutches, and all being incubated. Two boxes that had the start of Pied Flycatcher nests in them, haven’t moved on.
We lifted two females off their respective nests. One female was un-ringed, so we ringed her, and the other female was already ringed. A quick check of our records showed that we ringed her as a chick, from a brood of seven, in 2025.
We lifted two females off their respective nests. One female was un-ringed, so we ringed her, and the other female was already ringed. A quick check of our records showed that we ringed her as a chick, from a brood of seven, in 2025.
Pied Flycatcher
We are a little disappointed with five pairs, but looking back at the figures on our master spreadsheet, the mean over the past five years (2021 – 25) was 4.2, so in recent years, five pairs is about average. For the period 2016 – 20, the mean number of pairs was 8.4, with peaks of 11 pairs in 2017, and 10 in 2020. For the period 2011 – 15, the mean number of pairs was 7, with a peak of 10 in 2013.
Based on this, it would seem that the Pied Flycatchers are declining at our study site, but why? We have comprehensive data going back to 2002, so this needs looking at in more detail. If you adjust the figures for the number of boxes available, and calculate the percentage occupancy by Pied Flycatchers, the recent data is even worse, because more boxes are available now.
What is the influence, if any, of other species that also use the boxes, like Blue and Great Tits? I need to spend some considerable time analysing it all, and comparing it to what is going on at a national level. When I do, I will be sure to let you know.
Talking of other species. A box that we recorded as containing eight warm Blue Tit eggs last week, is in fact Coal Tit! As I was climbing the ladder to the box, I could hear Coal Tit alarm calling, and when I lifted the lid there was the female Coal Tit sat on the eggs! This is only the third time that we have had Coal Tit in our boxes here, and the last time was in 2009!
We had three boxes with Wasp sp. in them, leading to a hasty retreat down the ladder for me, when a queen Wasp came flying out of the boxes!
Related to this, and another first, in fact a double first for us, was one box with a queen European Hornet in. We have never had a Hornet in any of our boxes before, and it was also our first record of European Hornet in Lancashire. Even though they are generally docile creatures, they can be aggressive at their nest site, so I didn’t want to risk lifting the lid on the box again to take a picture!
Once again, we were serenaded by Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Pied Flycatchers, and Garden Warblers as we wandered around checking the boxes, and looking at a few plants.
Late the following morning, Gail and I had a wander around Fleetwood Cemetery, hoping, perhaps, for a Spotted Flycatcher, but there was too much northerly in that easterly.
No Spotted Flycatcher, but we noted a few flowers, watched an adult Woodpigeon feeding a recently fledged young, and enjoyed two duelling Small Copper butterflies. We then headed to Jubilee Quay, and recorded a few more insects, including a Small White, a Painted Lady, three female Orange-tips, two queen German Wasps, and a Black Slip Wasp.
No Spotted Flycatcher, but we noted a few flowers, watched an adult Woodpigeon feeding a recently fledged young, and enjoyed two duelling Small Copper butterflies. We then headed to Jubilee Quay, and recorded a few more insects, including a Small White, a Painted Lady, three female Orange-tips, two queen German Wasps, and a Black Slip Wasp.
Small Copper
I was back at Rossall Point the following day for just after 5:30 am, and it was more than a bit chilly in the stiff north-easterly wind. The northerly airstream, meant that in terms of distance, the visibility was good, but the difference in temperature between the relatively warm sea, and the cold air, meant that there was a heat haze. Not so good.
The main feature of the morning was the easterly passage of Hirundines, and movement both on vis and at sea, included four Common Scoters, a Swift, 13 Ringed Plovers, a Whimbrel, six Turnstones, eight Knots, 34 Sanderlings, 34 Dunlins, 14 Arctic Terns, six Sandwich Terns, 15 Auk sp., a Guillemot, two Red-throated Divers, five Gannets, four Sand Martins, 46 Swallows, 28 House Martins, and two Tree Pipits.
In addition to the waders moving, I had 182 Ringed Plovers, 49 Sanderlings, and 29 Dunlins on the shore. The pair of Ringed Plovers currently incubating eggs opposite my watch-point, got very agitated every time any migrant Ringed Plovers came close!
I had a quick look in the cemetery and at Jubilee Quay afterwards, but it was still cold, and still quiet.
The main feature of the morning was the easterly passage of Hirundines, and movement both on vis and at sea, included four Common Scoters, a Swift, 13 Ringed Plovers, a Whimbrel, six Turnstones, eight Knots, 34 Sanderlings, 34 Dunlins, 14 Arctic Terns, six Sandwich Terns, 15 Auk sp., a Guillemot, two Red-throated Divers, five Gannets, four Sand Martins, 46 Swallows, 28 House Martins, and two Tree Pipits.
In addition to the waders moving, I had 182 Ringed Plovers, 49 Sanderlings, and 29 Dunlins on the shore. The pair of Ringed Plovers currently incubating eggs opposite my watch-point, got very agitated every time any migrant Ringed Plovers came close!
I had a quick look in the cemetery and at Jubilee Quay afterwards, but it was still cold, and still quiet.
Gail and I did our WeBS count early this month, on the 14th. The official day was Sunday (17th), but the forecast was poor for Sunday, and on Saturday we checked our Pied Flycatchers boxes again, and I had a breeding wader survey to complete the following day, so the 14th was the only option.
It was quiet at both of our two survey sites. At Jubilee Quay we had 328 Herring Gulls roosting, with 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but no waders.
Walking along the quay there was a lovely scent in the air from the Elder, Rowan, Apple, and Hawthorn blossom, quite a heady mix.
We recorded our first Common Blue Butterflies (two) of the year, along with two Small Whites, and a Red Admiral. We recorded a Tree Bumblebee, which I don’t recall seeing here before, even though they are common.
It was quiet at both of our two survey sites. At Jubilee Quay we had 328 Herring Gulls roosting, with 10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, but no waders.
Walking along the quay there was a lovely scent in the air from the Elder, Rowan, Apple, and Hawthorn blossom, quite a heady mix.
We recorded our first Common Blue Butterflies (two) of the year, along with two Small Whites, and a Red Admiral. We recorded a Tree Bumblebee, which I don’t recall seeing here before, even though they are common.
Common Blue (above & below)
Walking down to our second site, the reservoir alongside the Wyre estuary, a number of warbler species were singing from the surrounding scrub, and reedbeds, including a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, four Reed Warblers, six Sedge Warblers, two Cetti’s Warblers, two Blackcaps, four Whitethroats, and a Willow Warbler.
As you would expect, it was quiet on the reservoir, with two Little Egrets, pushed off the river by the incoming tide being the highlight. Six House Martins and a Sand Martin zipped through, and we recorded a few plants.
As you would expect, it was quiet on the reservoir, with two Little Egrets, pushed off the river by the incoming tide being the highlight. Six House Martins and a Sand Martin zipped through, and we recorded a few plants.
Myself, and three friends from the RSPB, carried out the second of our annual breeding wader surveys at my client’s farm near Slaidburn on the 15th.
We, or should I say our intrepid nest finder Frank, have located and electric predator fenced 11 Curlew nests so far. Unfortunately, we have lost one clutch of eggs to avian predators, and a brood of chicks to predators unknown. We have another nest to fence, and we suspect that the pair that lost at the egg stage, will re-lay. This makes a total of at least 12 pairs of Curlews, with ten nests still viable, all due to hatch over the coming week.
I haven’t got the figures for all four survey sections from last Friday’s survey, but on my patch, I got the feeling that the Lapwings were struggling, and had perhaps suffered some losses. I was seeing birds displaying again, and also observed a female Lapwing presenting herself for mating. So, fingers crossed they will have some success a little later than usual.
I only had one Redshank feeding around one of the scrapes, and it’s a little early for us to have Redshank chicks yet, so I suspect it was the male feeding, whilst the female was on incubation duties. I didn’t record any Snipe on my patch, but on the sections adjacent to mine, birds were recorded drumming. A Common Sandpiper was feeding on another scrape, and again I thought it was probably the male, and the same for several Oystercatchers.
The highlight of the survey for me, was spending some time with a Cuckoo. We have 1 – 2 pairs of Cuckoo on the farm, and I usually just hear the male ‘Cuckoo -ing’, or see him in the distance. This morning, he was flying close past me, perching up briefly on tops of stunted Hawthorns, and other trees, and then flying off again, before I frustratingly couldn’t get a picture. I did manage a couple of shots when I was sat in my car.
Cuckoo
When he was flying past me, he was close enough for me to hear a flight call that I have never heard before, it was a hoarse, almost throat-clearing type of a call. I have always struggled to describe a call in words, so I will quote Collins Bird Guide that describes this flight call as a “guttural hoarse goch-che-che”. That will do.
There was a good supporting cast during the survey of seven Willow Warblers, six Brown Hares (including a couple of Leverets), a Tree Pipit, three Sedge Warblers, a Garden Warbler, a ‘reeling’ Grasshopper Warbler (I’m not sure whether I have recorded Gropper here before), and a stunning male Hen Harrier.
The following morning Gail and I did the third check of our Pied Flycatcher boxes. We lifted two more female Pied Flycatchers from their respective nests, and both were ringed, but not by us. One was a second calendar year bird, and was ringed as a chick in 2025, but we have yet to find out where. The second female is an old friend. She was ringed as a chick at Moor Piece (Lancashire Wildlife Trust reserve), 3 km W of our site, Bowland Country Park, as a chick in June 2022, and we have recorded her at our site as a breeding female, successfully rearing a brood of chicks, in 2024 and 2025, as well as this year.
Pied Flycatchers spend the winter in West Africa, in Senegal and Guinea, approximately 3,000 miles from Bowland Country Park. So, we know that this female Pied Flycatcher, weighing only about 13 grammes, has made this journey eight times, flying an incredible 24,000 miles in total so far during her lifetime. She has crossed the Sahara Desert eight times! Just think about that for a minute, absolutely incredible!
She is also a ripe old age for a Pied Flycatcher. The typical life expectancy of a bird reaching breeding age, is two years, so to reach four, is another incredible feat for this super bird. Incidentally, the oldest Pied Flycatcher recorded through ringing, was just over nine years.
We ringed a brood of eight Great Tits, but all the Pied Flycatchers were still incubating eggs, and the Tits were either still on eggs, or brooding young that had hatched that morning.
There was a good supporting cast during the survey of seven Willow Warblers, six Brown Hares (including a couple of Leverets), a Tree Pipit, three Sedge Warblers, a Garden Warbler, a ‘reeling’ Grasshopper Warbler (I’m not sure whether I have recorded Gropper here before), and a stunning male Hen Harrier.
The following morning Gail and I did the third check of our Pied Flycatcher boxes. We lifted two more female Pied Flycatchers from their respective nests, and both were ringed, but not by us. One was a second calendar year bird, and was ringed as a chick in 2025, but we have yet to find out where. The second female is an old friend. She was ringed as a chick at Moor Piece (Lancashire Wildlife Trust reserve), 3 km W of our site, Bowland Country Park, as a chick in June 2022, and we have recorded her at our site as a breeding female, successfully rearing a brood of chicks, in 2024 and 2025, as well as this year.
Pied Flycatchers spend the winter in West Africa, in Senegal and Guinea, approximately 3,000 miles from Bowland Country Park. So, we know that this female Pied Flycatcher, weighing only about 13 grammes, has made this journey eight times, flying an incredible 24,000 miles in total so far during her lifetime. She has crossed the Sahara Desert eight times! Just think about that for a minute, absolutely incredible!
She is also a ripe old age for a Pied Flycatcher. The typical life expectancy of a bird reaching breeding age, is two years, so to reach four, is another incredible feat for this super bird. Incidentally, the oldest Pied Flycatcher recorded through ringing, was just over nine years.
We ringed a brood of eight Great Tits, but all the Pied Flycatchers were still incubating eggs, and the Tits were either still on eggs, or brooding young that had hatched that morning.
Great Tit
The usual Blackcaps, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers were singing as we walked round, but we also heard a Stock Dove singing, which might be a first for the site, certainly a first recorded singing.
And that was April to May, and I apologise for the length of the post.
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