BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND..............................................................................SCAUP CONDER POOL 5 MARCH PAUL ELLIS

Wednesday 21 June 2017

Digging For Gold.

Excellent day on Monday in the Cross of Greet/White Greet/Bloe Greet area, though the birds did'nt quite reach the 'excellent' mark. 


Whinchat Martin Lofgren @ Wild Bird Gallery 

Like digging for gold, it took four hours to find a pair of Whinchat at Bloe Greet, seen as a scarce and declining migrant breeder in the Bowland Fells. But this interesting record in the 1983 LDBWS Annual Report...The Whinchat is seen to be loosing ground with only 8 pairs found this year in Bowland....doesn't seem to make things sound any better for the Whinchat even 34 years ago. You might see them on passage....but go try to find a pair breeding somewhere.


Stonechat. Howard Stockdale.

Six Stonechat were seen in as many hours as a distant female and two juvenile, or three juvenile above White Greet, a pair and a lone male were on Bloe Greet. Also here, an adult and five young Red Grouse flushed, I don't recall seeing this species anywhere in this area ever before, 2 Linnet over. Four Wheatear included a juvenile, 25 Meadow Pipitwith 2 Mistle Thrush and 2 Reed Bunting noted, 2 Raven were above White Greet. 

At Greet Bridge, a male Blackcap in song, Willow Warbler, Robin, and Wren, with a Grey Wagtail on the River Hodder. Butterflies seen, 12 Small Heath and 3 Red Admiral.

Twenty minutes at Marshaw on the way back to Lancaster saw the pines behind the plantation quite busy with birds, Coal Tit and Great Tit both with young, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Willow Warbler, Dunnock, and Song Thrush, with Grey Wagtail on the Marshaw Wyre.

Many thanks to Martin and Howard, brilliant images....brilliant chats.

A screaming party of 16 Swift were over Bowerham on Monday evening at 9.30pm. 

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