Stonechat Revival.

Yes....the Stonechat takes centre stage on B2B once again.

The last time I visited Birk Bank for any chance of seeing Stonechat or anything else, was on 22 June 2018. But last week I was on Birk Bank and well chuffed to find 14 Stonechat.

Over four birding days at four locations in as many weeks in Bowland, I've found 55 Stonechat. 

Aug 26 Caton Moor (18)

Sept 1 Harrisend Fell (15)

Sept 14 Hawthornthwaite Fell (8)

Sept 21 Birk Bank (14) 

This number reaches a Stonechat milestone for me, and if the figures in this sample are anything to go by, they appear to support the claim in a report I read recently, that the recovery of the Stonechat since its demise during the harsh winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11, has reached a healthy level once again in all seasons in Lancashire. A welcome return to the peak of 15 years ago....MAGIC. 

Common Darter Birk Bank 21 September

Black Darter Birk Bank 21 September

Other notes on this Stonechat mission....I found 4 Common Darter and 3 Black Darter over the bog and basking on the boardwalk as in these images. I was a little disappointed not to have seen the Keeled Skimmer here again this visit, despite the most abundant flight period being past by the end of August, given the right conditions their flight season can be into November. 

Birds noted, 3 Buzzard soaring overhead, 5 Red Grouse, 5 Meadow Pipit, with a 'few' House Martin and Swallow south.

One of our female garden Blackbirds in moult, looking a little worse for wear and going bold. Pleased it wasn't caught out by the Sparrowhawk seen in our garden earlier.

Beware....This video may cause you to feel sea-sick, not easy to hand hold a digital camera at 20x optical zoom and make a film. 

VIEW FULL SCREEN

But the House Sparrow it took out soon after I got this footage wasn't so lucky. 

Thanks to Martin Jump for the brilliant female Stonechat header image, complete with insects in its bill including a Latticed Heath moth.

Thirteen Months Later.

The last time I was on Clougha was 4 April 2017. There was a time when I would never had thought I'd be saying it was over 13 months since I last went up Clougha, and I had to search my records to see I never checked out the area last year for breeding Stonechat after the April visit. But yesterdays evidence suggests I missed nothing, as I came away empty handed after a three hour survey, and it looks like a second successive year of no Stonechat on Clougha....All a bit depressing.

It was 2hrs 45minutes after I left the car park on Rigg Lane that I found the first of 3 Stonechat on Birk Bank, a male at the west end, and a pair at the east end, so I reckon 2 pairs on here today.

Red Grouse Clougha 15 May. Pete Woodruff.

Fourteen species noted in six hours on Clougha/Birk Bank included, a lone Red Grouse which was the only one seen, and took me 1hr 30 minutes to find, 14 Meadow Pipit was a low count comparable to the recent equally low counts of 19 on Hawthornthwaite (West), and 11 on Hawthornthwaite (East) 18 April, and only 11 seen on Harrisend 8 May. Two singing Garden Warbler were seen as the best birds of the day, 13 Willow Warbler, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Mistle Thrush, 2 Tree Pipit, and a lone male Linnet. Raptors seen, 5 Buzzard, and 2 Kestrel one of which flew by me with small prey in it's talons.

Green Hairstreak Clougha 15 May. Pete Woodruff.

Butterflies seen, a lone Green Hairstreak, surely more, perhaps I wasn't trying, 7 Orange Tip including a male in pursuit of a female on the wing, probably up to 80 Large White, and a similar number of up to 80 Latticed Heath moths seen....Two visits to Birk Bank bog six hours apart saw it lifeless. 

Two Fells....Well Nearly!

Harrisend.

On Tuesday I made my first visit this year, and not for 8 months since 1 September 2017. I had given up on the Stonechats on Harrisend, but didn't realise it was to this extent. 

But there was little joy in the visit, but thankful for small mercies I found just one pair of Stonechat, they were initially atop of the lone Hawthorn. Also seen, 11 Meadow Pipit, at least 4 Willow Warbler, 4 Curlew, 3 Raven, 2 Reed Bunting, 2 Red Grouse, 2 Swallow, and a Wheatear. Up to 8 Greylag came up over the ridge in ones and twos over a couple of hours, and flew off in all directions, though there are some upland breeding records, I have no idea from where. A kestrel and 3 Buzzard, one of which had missing primaries.

Latticed Heath. Harrisend Fell 8 May. Pete Woodruff.

The sun came out, and within 30 minutes had brought with it 12 Large White butterflies, also a Latticed Heath moth.

Hawthornthwaite.

The visit was thwarted and made brief by the weather, it came on to rain around 2.15pm. The forecast was for a shower in the afternoon, it was still raining four hours later at 6.15pm....so much for the shower! 

Wheatear. Hawthornthwaite Fell 8 May. Pete Woodruff.

Before the early retreat, 12 Sand Martin, 4 Meadow Pipit, 4 Red Grouse, a Wheatear, and a very vocal Wren. 

As a big surprise, I saw a Peregrine Falcon on the day, like other raptor species in Bowland, they have been 'driven' - that's me being polite - to extinction. I have appropriately reported the bird. 

First Records.

A Kestrel hovering before flying off, my first ever over the residential area of Bowerham, if not my first ever in urban Lancaster, also 3 Swift over the same Bowerham area.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.

The weather on Wednesday morning was cloudy, grey, windy, and nothing like what the forecast had been. Hardly to be called suitable for a visit to Bowland, but it turned out decent in the afternoon. In any case I had a man to meet for a survey of Hawthornthwaite Fell, but not until I'd been presented with a brilliant mounted photograph of a female Stonechat complete with a bill full of insects, including a Latticed Heath moth.

There's quality loss from the original in the copy of this excellent photograph, but there's some improvement with a 'clik the pik'. 

Stonechat. Martin Jump.

No Stonechat found on the west side of Hawthornthwaite, but 2 Ring Ouzel gave distant in flight views, before soon disappearing up Catshaw Greave. This sighting came two days earlier than a previous male Ring Ouzel I found here on 20 April 2016.  

Also excellent views of 2 Raven, with 19 Meadow Pipit, 9 Red Grouse, 4 Wren, a Buzzard, Kestrel, and 4 Sand Martin back here and flying up and down the bottom end of Catshaw Greave.

 Upland Bowland. Pete Woodruff.

From Marshaw along and up the east side of Hawthornthwaite, I eventually found a pair of Stonechat, heard my first 4 Willow Warbler, and saw 11 Red Grouse, 12 Meadow Pipit, heard the distant 'chipper-chipper' of 4 Snipe, 3 Mistle Thrush, and a Reed Bunting.

I ended the day with a brief look in at the Tower Lodge area, to note a Grey Wagtail on the Marshaw Wyre, and a Sparrowhawk disappearing into the trees.