The Birk Bank Circuit.

Tuesday was the anniversary when Steve Graham accompanied me on a circuit of Birk Bank in May 2023. Primarily the reason that day, was to locate a Wood Warbler which had been found a few days earlier in a private woodland. But the hopes of visually finding this locally rare warbler soon died a death, though we did here the distinctive call which is often likened to a spinning coin on a marble slab.

Todays circuit with Steve was a 4 hour experience of some excellent birding which produced 7 Garden Warbler, one up on last years tally of six. Also enjoyed was 5 Cuckoo records which were represented by two audible and three visual, one of which was a female heard to call, then viewed atop of a tree with a Meadow Pipit in attendance and mobbing at times. Six Mistle Thrush seen, including one in flight carrying food into Cragg Wood.

I reckon the odds against the sighting of a Song Thrush singing in the branch below a Mistle Thrush, is a million to one chance....Pump up the volume. Two singing Blackcap, Linnet, Greenfinch, and Redpoll over, and Kestrel.

Common Heath. Ian Mitchell.

To say butterflies and bees were sparse would be an understatement, with only singles of Orange Tip, Speckled Wood, and Small White, but the Common Heath moth was out in force.

I found my first Large Red Damselflies of the year, when a f. melanotum was basking on the boardwalk at Birk Bank bog, and at least 12 teneral drying out and warming up amongst the bilberries along the path and away from the bog....interesting.   

Pleasant PM With BD On BB.

A bit short notice for BD but his enthusiasm won the day and he came to meet me at Rigg Lane car park just before noon and we went off on a circuit over Birk Bank and back down to the delightful area around Rushy Lee.

Four-spotted Chaser Marc Heath

We hesitated at the bog to see 2 Four-spotted Chaser, and a few Large Red Damselfly some in tandem.  

Birds of the day for me had to be the 3 Stonechat on Birk Bank, seen as a pair and a lone male, but still no evidence of breeding. Thanks to some acute hearing 3 Redpoll went over, one of which came briefly into a tree. With a risk of duplication, 7 Raven - certainly five - was a decent count, whilst 5 Meadow Pipit was a low one, and just one female Red Grouse was also surprisingly low, 2 Song Thrush is always a bird to rate as excellent for me, 2 Swift were over, and a kestrel and Buzzard were the only raptors seen. 

At least 2 House Martin were at the cottage at Rushy Lee, and back on Rigg Lane a male Blackcap in song. On the length of the four hours to get back to the car park, up to 15 Willow Warbler heard.

Small Copper. Warren Baker. 

Butterflies seen were, 2 Small Copper, 2 Orange Tip, a Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, and a worn out Peacock, with good number of Large White mainly in the sheltered sunny Rushy Lee area, moths caught up with for ID were, Brown Silver-Line and Common Heath.

Disappointingly no Green Hairstreak were seen, less surprising for me was no Tree Pipit, I need to check my records, but a few years since I saw Tree Pipit anywhere in this area, and seen no reports of them here either.

Back in the car park at Rigg Lane, a brief conversation with a man armed with camera and tripod, had him telling me of Pied Flycatcher breeding up here 10 years ago....Mmmmm!!   

Thanks to Marc & Warren for their excellent images.  

The Hareden/Langden Circuit.

Wednesday was a good day for me to get myself into Bowland, and accompanied by BD we went up on to Hareden Fell, across the wild tops, and down the Langden Valley.

Redshank Martin Jump 

The first sighting was of 3 Common Sandpiper together on Langden Brook with some interesting display noted between what was probably two males in pursuit of a female, with much vocalisation and running around, and one of the males constantly holding its wings vertical, reminiscent of the Redshank engaged in part of it's mating ritual above.

A 'few' Sand Martin were obviously nesting in a bank above the brook. At least 20 House Martin around Hareden Farm as we passed by with a Swift above them, a few House Martin were also around the house at the intake. 

Heading off along the Hareden Fell track on the 7 hour 6.2 mile walk, we soon picked up a pair of Stonechat with one young, probably more if we'd have lingered. I lost count of a 'good number' of Meadow Pipit, at least 14 Willow Warbler, 7 Grey Wagtail, 4 Reed Bunting, 2 Dipper, and a single male Wheatear. Two Peregrine Falcon seen, which I'm bound to note were the only raptors in the entire seven hours on the uplands of Bowland, hard to believe....but this is the 21st century.

Looking West Up The Langden Valley. Pete Woodruff. 

This is the brilliant view - 'clik the pik' - afforded by a wise choice to take the high path coming down the Langden Valley, where 6 Stonechat were seen as a pair, 3 young, and an apparent lone male.

Ring Ouzel Marc Heath 

The highlight of the day was excellent views of a male Ring Ouzel soon followed by brief views of a female in flight.

Green Tiger Beetle Arkive 

Insects on the day included....8 Green Tiger Beetle including one chasing and catching a lone ant on the track which made the fatal error of going across the beetles path.

Beautiful Yellow Underwing. Copy Permitted.  

A Beautiful Yellow Underwing, a Silver Y, and several Common Heath were the moths of the day.

A great day in great company. 

Return to Bowland....again!

And what a good idea that was too, you just have to keep on plugging away at these locations to come up with the sightings/records and maybe find the ones you missed the last time around. 

Broad-bodied Chaser. Brian Rafferty

No appropriate photographs of birds but an excellent one for the top of the post of the female Broad-bodied Chaser thanks to BR, plus an excellent butterfly below and moth further down thanks to LG....all helps to add a little colour to Birds2blog.

Green Hairstreak. Linda Gilhespy.

I gave another 4.5 hours between Marshaw - Trough Bridge again today and started in fine style with 6 Crossbills over which came on to a conifer staying long enough for me to find two of them to be juveniles before they were off again. I found only 7 Spotted Flycatchers today but remain convinced of at least ten - I reckon more - in the area this year. One of today's sightings was that of a bird I could see clearly sitting on the nest, a pleasurable sight bearing in mind this is a species in serious decline. This observation didn't actually take the prize today, that was awarded to the male Pied Flycatcher feeding a recently fledged young bird. I also found a female Pied Flycatcher a quarter of a mile from the Oak tree in which the pair nested and am confident this bird was the female from that site on a wander. It was good to find 2 Lesser Redpoll, the only disappointment being they were both singletons. Another excellent record was that of 6 Redstart and 8 Grey Wagtail seen. I saw just 6 Willow Warblers which was a reminder of just how much harder this species is to find once they've 'shut up'. Also noted, a Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, and just one Common Sandpiper.

Common Heath. Linda Gilhespy   

I called in at Stoops Bridge in Abbeystead on the way home to find it very still and very silent save a Chiffchaff heard.

I have an uncomfortable feeling it may be next Monday before I get out birding again....Oh Dear!