BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND...............................................................SPOTTED FLYCATCHER BOWLAND PETE WOODRUFF

Thursday 23 May 2024

The Up's And Down's of Bowland.

A fairly good day in Bowland on Tuesday, which produced some notable positives and a few negatives, including I have yet to find my first Spotted Flycatcher here.

The most positive news being, as I found 4 Pied Flycatcher in the Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge area - one of which was at a natural nest hole - my records now read, there is a distinct possibility that there are currently 10 breeding pairs of Pied Flycatcher at two Bowland sites, both of which I have visited twice....To be continued.

Dipper Marshaw 21 May

Having kept the Marshaw Wyre in my sights for most of the walk, other breeders here today were a Dipper up and down the stream with food in its bill.

Grey Wagtail Female Marshaw Wyre 21 May

I had a better result than my last visit on 9 May, when I found 9 Grey Wagtail today with food collecting individuals seen. On the downside, I connected with just one Common Sandpiper, but I'm convinced two pairs here this year. A Siskin was in the same view as the sandpiper on the Wyre at Marshaw, from where I heard a distant Cuckoo, probably the Tower Lodge bird which I never heard again throughout my 4 hours here.

More evidence was Curlew individuals calling, an indication of probably 6 breeding pairs. A singing male Blackcap was around the Tower Lodge area, with 2 Mistle Thrush as opposed to nine on my last visit, also 2 Treecreeper seen.

Stonechat Hawthornthwaite 21 May 

A relatively brief visit to Hawthorthwaite was rewarded by a nice pair of Stonechat, with at  least 14 Meadow Pipit and 3 Red Grouse to note.

Sand/House Martin.

My records were going to read none over and around Catshaw Greave on Hawthornthwaite today, but I did eventually see 3 Sand Martin as I arrived back at the car. But I've yet to see them this year at the Cam Brow site.

After two visits, the House Martin remains absent from Tower Lodge, and I note just one bird seen 25 May last year. I have seen none to date at River Winds and the Railway Crossing Cottage at Conder Green. 

2 comments:

  1. Nice header picture and relaxing videos from Marshaw Wyre. I take it that the Stonchat video is silent because of the wind noise, but nice never the less. I too have only seen the odd Sand Martin around Catshaw Greave. Shame about the House Martins at the old railway crossing house they used to nest there regularly.
    Thanks for the update.
    Ian Mitchell.

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  2. I'm pleased to say you are wrong about the muted male Stonechat at H'thwaite, so got some nice quiet footage before it quickly took off. The best colony of House Martins was always River Winds at Conder Green, not may years ago I recorded a double figure there. I've seen no figures to impress yet anywhere.

    Thanks for the input once again Ian.

    Regards....Pete.

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