Reviewing 2025.

I enjoyed flicking through the little black book for some highlights of birds found or seen through 2025. It was never going to be regarded as a spectacular year, but at least it resulted in getting much more of a fix from my birding than anything else.

* Excellent species and or location records....Photos & Video Pete Woodruff.

January

15  Bullfinch pair Lanc's Cemetery *

17  Common Scoter Stone Jetty M'cbe

17  Scaup Broadway M'cbe

25  Blackcap male home garden *

February

13  Hen Harrier male C'sand

18/ 27 Marsh Harrier female C'sand

March

6  Tundra Bean Goose with c.5,000 Pink-footed Geese C'sand *

12  Barnacle Goose Conder Pool *

12  March Harrier C'sand

12  Whooper Swan c.500 C'sand *

19  Hen Harrier in flight N>S over Moss Lane C'sand

20  Bullfinch 2xmale/female Lanc's cemetery *

24  Mediterranean Gull adult/Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool

26  Spotted Redshank Conder Pool

April

9  Garden Warbler Crag Wood early record *

11  Ring Ouzel female Hawthornthwaite *

29  Willow Warbler at least 50 Birk Bank circuit

29  Bullfinch 2/Cuckoo 2 Birk Bank *

May

7  Crossbill 15 Tower Lodge Bowland *

18 Cetti's Warbler Glasson

28 May Little Gull 2 x 2nd summer Conder Pool *

June

25 June 7 of 17 Mediterranean Gull Conder Pool *

July

9 Swift at least 20 Fairfield Lanc's

August

6 Green Woodpecker Birk Bank *

20 Yellow Wagtail 2 Conder Pool * 

22 Ruff 20/Wood Sandpiper Heversham Moss

28 Ruff 19/Green Sandpiper Conder Pool *

September

5 Greenshank 32 Conder Pool *

9 Curlew Sandpiper Lune Estuary

25 Crossbill pair Ottergear Bridge *

October

8 Oct 9 of 18  Whooper Swan Conder Pool *

30 Merlin male C'sand

November

12 Snow Bunting 2 C'sand

20 November Bewick's Swan 2 Slack Lane C'sand *

24 Pintail drake Conder Pool

24 Pink-footed Geese c.3,500 Slack Lane C'sand

25 November Barnacle Goose Lune Estuary *

December

23 Brent Geese 52 Heysham

.....................................................................................

Hoping you have good birding in 2026....

A Very Happy New Year 

A Couple Of Hours Escapism.

My couple of hours of escapism on Thursday started at Conder Pool - well where else! - which was pretty much deserted, save up to three visits by the Kingfisher, quite fidgety and moving from it's perch, to the sluice, then to the pontoon where it spent a while before moving on again. 

I didn't even get around to counting the Little Grebe on Conder Pool today, and moved on to Glasson to view the estuary, where the returning vanguard of waders to note were, 220 Curlew, 65 Black-tailed Godwit, and 34 Golden Plover, also a contingent of up to 450 Greylag. Amongst c.400 Black-headed Gull, I found 9 Mediterranean Gull, all were adult save one 2nd winter. 

On Jeremy Lane, the farmer was in a field with his tractor spreading slurry, he was attended by at least 3,000 Black-headed Gull, amongst which I found another 7 Mediterranean Gull. At Cockersand I had only the time to walk from the Lighthouse Cottage to Plover Scar, but was rewarded by finding 2 Wheatear.  

Crossbills.

Crossbill Male. Simon Hawtin.

Following my fortune to find Crossbill at Birk Bank 25 September, I dug out my list of sightings to find I have had just eight over the years. With the exception of one all have been in Bowland, this was 28 years ago in Cumbria and was the most interesting encounter with Crossbills of them all. Below is an account of what created the interest....  

In the late-spring to mid-summer period of 1997 there was an exceptional influx of Crossbills into the North West Regions of Wales/Cheshire/Lancashire/Cumbria and including the Isle of Man, and a total of 1,340 birds were seen at 43 different sites. During this period some long staying Crossbills were at Helsington Barrows near Kendal in Cumbria where John Leedal and I visited on a few occasions, one of which held up to a spectacular 50 Crossbills. John took several photographs over the visits and some of the results developed into something of much interest to us.

Crossbill Female. Ana Minguez.

Eventually I was in touch with an expert in the field and made some comments in an initial letter which read something like...'Through his photographs John Leedal and I have realised the presence of a male individual which displays it's odd distinctly yellowish feathers. In one picture this bird is perched next to a female Crossbill which gives the opportunity to compare and appreciate the greyish-green upperparts of this male, but the main features noted were the distinct yellow crown and mantle, the vent was also distinctly yellow and notably lacking in notches'....

Although 1st winter males are variable in plumage detail, this Crossbill was in due course featured in an annual report in which it was referred to as a possible xanthachroistic male seen on five visits to Helsington Barrows showing yellow feathering around the body, with some hint of red, with the exception of the mantle, back and upperwings which are coloured as female.  

Over the years I've come to appreciate some adult males can resemble females as opposed to being mainly reddish, whilst others appear distinctly orange in tone. Even 14 years on in 2011, this Crossbill at Helsington Barrows in 1997 remains intriguing to me.

Thanks to Simon and Ana for their much appreciated images.

Last Chance Saloon!

My last visit to the bog at Birk Bank on 5 September, brought me to remark that I reckoned it would be the last of the dragonflies to be seen there this year....Well what do you know, I was wrong about that, because my visit there on Thursday produced 4 species of 26 dragons.

Common Darter Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

A total of 16 Common Darter were seen, including 5 pairs in tandem.

Black Darter Pairing Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

Also 7 Black Darter which were seen as 2 pairs in tandem and 3 male. Two Migrant Hawker flew quite rapid through and over the bog, too rapid for me to be able to rule out Common Hawker being the habitat of an acidic bog in late September.

Common Hawker. Copy Permitted.

Best sighting of the day was the male Emperor Dragonfly still here. This record beats my last years sighting on 19 September by 6 days. 

Two notes to make here re the Emperor records....

1) 'Date is outside the known fight period of Anax imperator'....iRecords 

2) 'Emperors become scarce by early September'....The Dragonflies of Lancashire and North Merseyside. Published in 2015.....How things change in a decade. 

Crossbill.

After getting my fill of dragons, on a wander along the path to Ottergear Bridge and return, it wasn't long before I discovered what an excellent decision I had made.

I was no more than 400 metres from Ottergear Bridge, when I was met by the amazing sight of a male Crossbill. The bird was taking a drink from the run-off in stony area in the centre of this picture. 

But my excitement was short lived as the bird soon took to flight and I discovered it was accompanied by a second bird which I hadn't seen. An educated guess is, that it was an olive/grey female, camouflaged on the ground amongst the grass.

In 35 years when my association with the Forest of Bowland was taking off, I have never seen nor expected to find the Crossbill at Birk Bank/Clougha, and to be honest I know of no records from here either, so this surely has to be a first.

Thanks to Simon Hawtin for his excellent image of the stunning male Crossbill.

And Finally.

Even with just a remote interest in Odonata, I recommend you take a look at Marc Heath's Kent Dragonflies.

Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly Marc Heath  

Four Probable's In Bowland!

Probable: Something that is true and is likely to happen, but not certain.

Based on my observations in the Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge area 7 May/2 June equaling 10 hours. I have collated what my records read as probable breeding records in the area. 

Pied Flycatcher.

There are three breeding pairs of Pied Flycatcher in the area this year, all in nest boxes, with one box seeming to have been vacated and young fledged....Well they did fledge on Springwatch!

One of those million to one chances, when a Pied Flycatcher came on to the fence to perch next to a Swallow with food for young, the flycatcher bears a metal ring on its left leg.

Spotted Flycatcher.

I found just one pair of Spotted Flycatcher on this visit, but in fact there are 4 pairs. This is a record to which I have to add this note....Barry Dyson was in the area the day before me on Sunday 1 June, and reports three pairs of Spotted Flycatcher and a Dipper seen....So now the records read, 4 pairs of Spotted Flycatcher, and a Dipper feeding young on the Marshaw Wyre.

Thanks to Barry for getting in touch with me and for these records, they are much appreciated. 

Common Sandpiper.

I recorded 4 pairs of breeding Common Sandpiper, with one pair having young at one location, out of sight and adults alarm calling.

Grey Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail. Pete Woodruff.

I'm convinced there are no more than 3 pairs of breeding Grey Wagtail on the Marshaw Wyre. Last year I had a peak count of 10 Grey Wagtail here in mid-June.

Crossbill.

Following my 16 Crossbill seen west of Tower Lodge on 7 May, Andrew Cornall found 5 adult and 7 juvenile Crossbill today 2 June at Trough Bridge. 

Thanks to Andrew for this excellent record.

House Martin/Dipper.

There are no House Martin at Tower Lodge again as was the case last year, and with the Marshaw Wyre barely out of my sight throughout both visits, it was good to see it in good flow once again. However, as opposed to Barry Dyson's record, I found no Dipper throughout the 10 hours spent in the area.

The Runners Up.

I counted just 16 species during my visit on Monday, the ones to note being....c.50 Sand Martin up and down the Marshaw Wyre at Marshaw, 5 Mistle Thrush, just 4 Willow Warbler, 3 Treecreeper, 3 Wren, a Coal Tit feeding young, and a Cuckoo heard at the east end of the woodland strip above Tower Lodge, where the Swallow are nesting in a shed in the compound.

 

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

I was a little surprised to see a Large Red Damselfly come to rest at my feet behind the plantation at Marshaw. The camera auto focused on the vegetation rather than the damselfly, but good enough for the record.

Bowland....Negatives And Positives.

Negatives.

Lets get rid of the negatives first....Over the 5 hours spent in the Tower Lodge and surrounding area this week, I counted 12 nest boxes and found no life at or around any of them, not a single Pied Flycatcher in sight. No Redstart, and no Dipper seen on the Marshaw Wyre. My records also read, no House Martin at Tower Lodge for the second year running, and no Cuckoo. 

Last year I had 3 Cuckoo seen together at Marshaw on 12 June, and observed interaction between the birds. Two hours later I heard 2 Cuckoos calling in the Tower Lodge area but couldn't rule out duplication. 

But it was a pleasing sight to chance upon a male Pied Flycatcher emerging from a natural nest hole rather than a box, though despite my hanging around a few minutes it didn't return. 

Positives.

Now the good stuff....I had a count of 24 species, just about an average count for the area on a spring day. Pride of place for top spot were 2 Spotted Flycatcher which were seen as a pair, and quite an early date for these birds to be here, and already on territory when all others of the species are only being reported in recent days on passage.

Spotted Flycatcher. Pete Woodruff.

But todays two doesn't match the number of 12 Spotted Flycatcher found here 7 years ago in June 2018, when the Tower Lodge area was leading the way as the top spot for the Spotted Flycatcher in our recording area, but hasn't done so since.

Running a close 2nd place were up to 16 Crossbill, they exploded out of the tree as a heavy goods vehicle thundered by, they flew off with their characteristic and explosive 'chip-chip' flight call, the ground at the base of the tree was littered with pine cones.

There was a healthy number of Sand Martin at Marshaw, with House Martin and Swallow around the farm. Other notes on the day, 4 Common Sandpiper might amount to three breeding pairs by the time of my next visit, 5 Grey Wagtail were not particularly exciting in such small number, up to 6 Willow Warbler, a Goldcrest, 5 Mistle Thrush included a recently fledged young, a Song Thrush, and a lone Redpoll.

Butterflies.

A pitiful four individuals, best of which was a Small Copper, with 2 Green-veined White and an Orange Tip.

On my way back to Lancaster, I called in at Stoops Bridge, to find 3 Blackcap, all singing males....Pump up the volume!

Garden Interest.

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Not at all the least interesting was a Large Red Damselfly found near our small urban garden pond, also a Green-veined White, and a Sparrowhawk over. 

Light Brown Apple Moth. Pete Woodruff.

Another nice surprise was the Light Brown Apple Moth. The origins of this moth is Australia, probably accidentally introduced into Cornwall in the 1930's. Today it can be found regularly in many parts of the country.

From The Archives.

Wall Brown. Pete Woodruff.

Looking through my older files I found this image of a Wall Brown. It is the last record of the species, seen at Cockers Dyke 8 years ago August 2017.

My thanks to Simon Hawtin for the header image of the brilliant male Crossbill. 

Bowland Calls!

Brilliant day Thursday, somewhat spoilt by a strong and chilly east wind which drowned out lots of birdsong, and blew into my face for 3 hours before turning my back on it for the return leg. But it was good to lock up the motor and give the area a good going over.

Marshaw - Tower Lodge - Trough Bridge.

The biggest surprise this visit, was a Spotted Flycatcher seen briefly on a roadside fence post about 1/2 mile east of the cattle grid at Marshaw. 

The earliest Spotted Flycatcher in our recording area was 14 May with no year given in our local annual report. Some Spotted Flycatcher dates worth noting, one was at Beckermet north of Sellafield on 19 April. The earliest ever date in Cumbria was 24 April 1983, the median date being 2 May, whilst the first in Lancashire 2021 was on 1 May, the earliest ever being 14 April 2015....Looks like the 1983 bird in Cumbria has been dethroned! 

I located 2 Pied Flycatcher, both singing males, one at each end of the compound at Tower Lodge. In my 5 hours I found just one Dipper in flight upstream from the green bridge on the Hawthornthwaite track. I saw 3 Common Sandpiper on the Marshaw Wyre, from where a very disappointing result was of just one pair of Grey Wagtail. Hopefully more to come, but with breeding usually beginning late April, maybe that's just my wishful thinking, but I left few stones unturned on the Marshaw Wyre today.  

The 15 Willow Warbler were all heard above the wind whistling through the trees, I reckon possibly twice this number here today. Others included in my notes, the lovely Song Thrush was appropriately in full song, at least 3 Mistle Thrush, 3 Coal Tit, and a Goldcrest. A smart male Siskin hanging from an Alder twig, was good compensation for my failing miserably whilst searching for Crossbill. 

One or two Sand Martin were flighting around this bank, I may have seen birds entering the only two nest holes that looked anything like they may be excavated and occupied in what looks like a very solid and stony bank. There's nothing new in recording just 24 species in 5 hours at this upland location in Bowland, and the only butterfly seen was a Peacock over the stream.

Stoops Bridge.

It was unfortunate that I got into a conversation with someone soon after I arrived here, unfortunate because I consequently ran out of time, but did see a male Pied Flycatcher - five here I'm told including a ringed bird - saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Nuthatch and Chiffchaff.

Stonechat.

I was pleased to have news of the first ringable Stonechat chicks found in Cumbria 21 April, this gives the first egg date of 27 March. With chicks needing to be around six days old, the previous earliest record of a brood available for ringing was 7 April. Conversely, a backward spring delays ringing to the end of the first week in May, a gap of 4 weeks....What a difference a month makes!

Breaking News.

The first brood of the year, five Stonechat chicks ringed this morning at Dean Moor, Cumbria. 

I'd like to express my thanks to John Callion for being in touch with this Stonechat data, also for info on the Spotted Flycatcher in Cumbria. 

Common Tern.

News about 2 Common Tern on Conder Pool yesterday made my day big time.

Common Tern Conder Pool 22 April. Howard Stockdale.

This record means the Common Tern has arrived on Conder Pool 2 days earlier than the past two years on 24 April, and now takes pride of place as the earliest arrival date. 

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the much appreciated heads up and 'snapshot' image. Also thanks to Martin Jump for the excellent header image of the Pied Flycatcher at Tower Lodge.

Raptor Persecution UK.

If you would like to click the link to RPUK in my right sidebar, currently you will find some interesting reading. Even if you have no regard at all for Chris Packham, and I doubt that is the case, or you read the Daily Mail. Either way you can see what crap the Daily Mail and Twitter - including an anonymous user with just 50 followers- really are.    

Bowland Blue Birds.

Followers will be aquainted with the 'Blue Birds' of Birds2blog, and in 2018 I was rewarded with one or two pretty good ones on my Bowland visits, though three to Hawthornthwaite produced not a single Stonechat.

Feb 21. A winter wander around Marshaw - Tower Lodge - Winfold Fell produced 2 Woodcock of note. 

April 18. Two months later was better rewarded by 2 Ring Ouzel on the west side of Hawthornthwaite, always good to find your own away from the birding hot spot of Langden.  A pair of Stonechat were on the east side of the fell.

May 2.    At Barbondale, 4 Stonechat were seen as two pairs, and 4 Tree Pipit noted. 

May 15. At Birk Bank, 3 Stonechat seen as a pair and lone male, 13 Willow Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Tree Pipit, and 5 Buzzard.

May 23. Three Pied Flycatcher included a pair found nesting in a tree hole, a juvenile Crossbill seen drinking on the Marshaw Wyre, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Blackcap, a Siskin and Repoll seen, House Martin nesting at Tower Lodge.      

May 29.  At Barbondale, the peak count from three visits this year was 10 Pied Flycatcher, also 4 Redstart, a Garden Warbler, and Spotted Flycatcher.

June 5. At Harrisend, a male Stonechat, Cuckoo, and 4 Buzzard. At Stoops Bridge, Abbeystead, 2 Garden Warbler, and a Spotted Flycatcher, and at Christ Church, 4 House Martin nests active, and 2 Buzzard soaring overhead.

June 12/27. Marshaw  - Tower Lodge - Trough Bridge, 7 Pied Flycatcher included the tree nesting pair, a young being attended by a female at a nest box hole in the wooded enclosure, and alone female seen above Trough Bridge, where a Siskin seen and 3 Redpoll included a young bird being fed. The peak count here this year was of 12 Spotted Flycatcher, 10 Grey Wagtail, 5 Common Sandpiper included a juvenile. A Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush, and Great Tit were all seen feeding young.

June 22. At Birk Bank, 9 Stonechat were seen as a pair with a full brood of five, a lone male and lone female. An excellent 5 Keeled Skimmer were seen on the bog, and included a male and female coupled, and one ovipositing.

Aug 3. Harrisend, 9 Stonechat included juveniles, and 6 Buzzard. On Hawthornthwaite, a stunning male Merlin took off ahead of me and obligingly went to perch the far side of Catshaw Greave on a boulder.

My birding days as I knew them, ended a month later on 2 September. Hopefully 2019 will change all that, and I'd like to wish everyone who kept in touch with Birds2blog and the little interest that it hopefully created....

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS  

A Bowland Bonus.

A rewarding visit to give Marshaw - Tower Lodge - Trough Bridge a good five hour bash and note 26 species, began by finding a Common Sandpiper at Marshaw, the only one seen, a few Swallow here were also on the 'only one seen' list today.

The beauty about this area in Bowland, is that you can have the Marshaw Wyre in view the length of the near 3 mile route from Marshaw until going back out on to the moor east of Trough Bridge. I hadn't gone very far when a bird dropping on to the stream to have me muttering Grey Wagtail to myself as I Iifted my binoculars, but I was wrong, it was a Crossbill drinking all too briefly before flying into a conifer then quickly moving on never to be seen again. A Dipper was seen flashing past me downstream, a total of 3 Grey Wagtail noted on the visit. Also included in the species count, up to 8 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Mistle Thrush, Redpoll were heard calling in the plantation behind Tower Lodge and elsewhere, House Martin are breeding again this year with three nests at the lodge. Of the 3 Pied Flycatcher, and 3 Spotted Flycatcher seen, three and a male Siskin are accounted for below. 

Bonus Flycatcher.

It was great to find a male Pied Flycatcher, the bird turned out to be one of a pair nesting in a tree hole, by far much more rewarding than seeing them lured to a nest box a mile away.

Staking out for 45 minutes, I watched the male entering the hole obviously feeding a female sitting on eggs, she also came out to disappear briefly, before soon returning to take up her sitting again, this pair added to the male I had seen earlier at Tower Lodge. A Spotted Flycatcher also put in an appearance and added to the nesting pair seen earlier which were also at Tower Lodge, it was soon followed by a male Siskin....A decent worthwhile and rewarding stake-out.

Bowland Crossbills.

Crossbill Antonio Puigg

In 1997 there was an irruption of Crossbill, during which an amazing c.130 were seen at Tower Lodge on 27 June, but the status of the Crossbill in our recording area is that of a passage migrant, occasionally recorded from conifer plantations. Breeding record locations aren't published, but I did find one at an undisclosed location nearly 20 years ago in 1999, when a pair were seen with 3 young at a private plantation, and more up to date, three breeding records in 2015.  

This was my fourth record of Crossbill found in Bowland, and was a juvenile bird, previously I have found 6 including 2 juvenile on 16 June 2011, a lone male on 16 May 2012, and 8 on 7 July 2016, all these were seen in the Tower Lodge area.

Many thanks to Antonio for the juvenile Crossbill, and to Howard for the header image of the Goosander and four young currently at Conder Green.

Bowland's Twenty Three For Six.

Not the day I hoped for yesterday when I went off to Bowland in weather more like the first week in April than July. I decided to do a count, and ended up with 23 species in six hours....well this is upland birding.

The day started on a down note when a couple of hours on Hawthornthwaite produced not a single Stonechat, but a healthy 18 Meadow Pipit were counted with little effort, and at least 8 Sand Martin were hawking over Catshaw Greave.

Crossbill Naturanafotos   

I was coming to the end of the six hour session at around 4.45 pm, when I saw a movement in the conifer tops about 100 metres up the road from Trough Bridge at SD612538 and briefly saw the brick-red plumage of a bird which I failed to see again, but in hanging around for a few minutes my luck was in, and at least 8 Crossbill returned flying back into the conifer tops....nice one.

Also of note between Marshaw - Tower Lodge - Trough Bridge, 5 Spotted Flycatcher indicating three pairs here this year, also 3 Common Sandpiper still up here and not with their early returning relatives at Conder Green, 9 Grey Wagtail were seen as another example of a good year for the species at three locations I visited in Bowland recently, 2 Dipper, 2 Nuthatch and a single Willow Warbler seen, a Red Grouse glimpsed as I went briefly out on to the moor east of Trough Bridge before I retraced my steps back to Marshaw where a good number of Sand Martin, with House Martin and Swallow were hawking over the Marshaw Wyre.

I called in at Christ Church, Abbeystead on the way back to Lancaster, to find four active House Martin nests at the vicarage, and one at the church.

Three Swift were over our house this afternoon, I've never seen this behaviour by the Swift before, not seen below rooftop height and not over our garden. 

Thanks to Ana for the brilliant images of the Crossbill, I appreciate this very much.  

Oh No Not Tower Lodge Again!

My third visit here in under three weeks, but you just have to keep plugging away, in birding you have to remember the 'you never know' principal and keep in touch with these excellent areas, in any case I had an appointment to meet up at 8.30am at Tower Lodge with a front line/high profile Fylde birder and I don't make appointments with anyone which I can't keep.

Leaving Tower Lodge we walked east to beyond Trough Bridge to take the back side of the woodlands on the south side of the Trough Road west to Marshaw to take a track north with Sawpit and Pennington Woods on our left, then east again to take the back side of Tower Plantation which is to the north above Tower Lodge, before turning west to the plantation strip behind Tower Lodge to return to our cars....A full eight hours and five miles of footwork.

Spotted Flycatcher Marc Heath  

Brief views of 2 Cuckoo in flight, with good views of one later perched and calling, and a suspicion that there are three in the area with a bird/birds calling on and off for the full eight hours, alternatively two birds very mobile and very far ranging. A pair of Curlew with a young bird was an excellent sight, 7 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Redstart, 5 Mistle Thrush, a Common Sandpiper and Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Song Thrush....

Siskin Noushka Dufort

....and a smart male Siskin gave brief views taking a drink in the stream. Raptors were represented by 2 Buzzard, a Peregrine Falcon, and a Kestrel.

Pied Flycatcher. Howard Stockdale.

A male Pied Flycatcher still sings to itself - as far as I can see - in the small wooded area to the west of Tower Lodge and looks set to depart the area with a no score before the month is out.

Notable that no good numbers of birds or species seen here today, and again some species expected were not found. Surely an area like this holds - or should hold - good numbers of Redpoll and Siskin for example. But I've spent at least 16 hours in this area in my three recent visits here and according to my observations these birds are not to be found, and 15 Crossbill reported on 21 May have almost certainly moved on. Nevertheless well worth the effort and something I'll be doing all over again the first chance I get....its good to be alive and birding!

It was also good to see Martin and Andy this afternoon, and sorry about the 'Bluebirds' BD but you're just going to have to get used to them I'm afraid!

Thanks again to Marc/Noushka/Howard for the excellent photography....Even my map looks good if you 'clik the pik'.

Yes....It's Another Re-run.

This one on Friday was a re-run of the previous Fridays birding with BT in Bowland. 

Not enough time is spent in these areas with BT - a fact rather than a complaint you understand - but my intention is to give this area a good going over come some decent weather, hopefully the Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart, Crossbill, Redpoll, and Siskin can be found here....areas like this should be alive with these and other bird species....but aren't.

Pied Flycatcher Brian Rafferty

The experience was worryingly quiet, but 2 Pied Flycatcher both male at Tower Lodge moved the day up a notch. 

Goldcrest David Cookson   

Otherwise the area was thin on birds, though 2 Willow Warbler, a Song Thrush, Chaffinch, and Robin were all in good voice, with 2 Mistle Thrush and a Goldcrest seen, all up the track from Tower Lodge. 

Bowland Conifer Plantation. Pete Woodruff.

I have no idea what the problem is with the plantation which runs north behind Tower Lodge, but as this close up.... 

Bowland Conifer Plantation. Pete Woodruff.

....and this long shot shows, the conifers are dying/dead. In previous years I've made it essential that I took a close look at this plantation along its front and rear edge to find Spotted Flycatcher and Redstart along the wall and fenceposts in the image above.

Dipper Geoff Gradwell  

A drive through the Trough of Bowland road to Langden Brook and walk to the pumping station and back produced a Dipper, Common Sandpiper, Song Thrush, and a Peregrine Falcon over. House Martin were noted to have returned here to Sykes Farm.

Four Buzzard were soaring high over our house in south Lancaster this morning.

Thanks to BR/DC/GG for brilliant photographs as always, to add some much needed colour to Birds2blog.