Resurrection!

Well my birding has been very patchy of late, in fact it's been non existent to be honest, but I'm working on getting myself out of the hole I find myself in. Meanwhile, there's some resurrection on the horizon in some areas starting with a fledged c.6 week old juvenile Tawny Owl seen in Bowland.

This is the best image available, a phone shot for the record. I've decided to keep my mouth shut about details on this one....Schedule 1 birds and all that!

The Lancaster Orchids.

It was good to find the orchids again this year east of Lancaster.

Southern Marsh Orchid June 2026. Pete Woodruff.

This time I found at least 120 spikes of Southern Marsh Orchid, a slight improvement on last year, when I made a count of up to 100 spikes.

Common Spotted Orchid June 2026. Pete Woodruff.

My count this year, was of 48 Common Spotted Orchid, better than last year when it was 25 spikes.

Garden Birds.

Our birds have had a good breeding season so far this year.

I managed to get some footage of the Blue Tit feeding young, also Great Tit, Goldfinch and Dunnock all have young, and a Blackbird with a juvenile. The House Sparrow has done well with a total figure of at least 40 adult and young.

Who knows how many adult and young Starling have visited us over the past few weeks, it could have been a three figure number, and included this bully juvenile on the apple.

Garden Bees.

The garden bees were busy on Sunday with the weather warming.

Red Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

The Mason Bees were back and forth to the hotel....

The Blue Mason Bees were filling in the holes, with an upstairs neighbour having a nosey!

Blue Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

....this one was resting on the roof. I think these will leave later than their red cousins, but both will have gone by the end of July.

Common Carder Bee. Pete Woodruff.

A Common Carder Bee was nectaring on Viper Bugloss.

Conder Pool.

It's good to see the Common Terns have taken control of the platform, and even better to hear they have started to produce this years chicks. The news from Conder Pool gets better by the day, when two new Common Terns arrived yesterday.

The Avocets are also having a good season, and adults have already succeeded to guide chicks off Conder Pool, to cross the busy B5290 to the River Conder. I have no accurate figures, but I get the impression there are at least 20 Avocet chicks with 5 nests to hatch.

There seems to be no end to the good news from the pool this year, when a new Avocet arrived here to breed. This is a bird ringed at Boulais in France 20 June 2008, according to its history, a much traveled 18 year old Avocet.

I am grateful to Howard Stockdale for this update with news and images from Conder Pool. 

A Flurry Of Excitement In The End.

A dull and cold windy day on Thursday, which started at a snails pace with no pen and paper required, and ended in a flurry.

To be honest my visit to Conder Pool was a bit of a non-starter, interrupted by the conversation with a nice man from Barrow who was passing by and thought he'd take a look in at Conder Green. By the time I had explained the history of Conder Pool, and the birds to be seen there, I had run out of time. But I did note a lone Black-tailed Godwit, 28 Wigeon, 10 Redshank, 6 Canada Geese, 4 Oystercatcher, and 2 Little Grebe. In the field at the north end of Jeremy Lane, 94 Greylag, 42 Whooper Swan and 26 Curlew.

Considering it was a high tide, the circuit at Cockersand produced surprisingly little, the fields were almost void of waders save a number of Lapwing and an even bigger number of Starling. An estimate of up to 200 Whooper Swan were distant and scattered over four fields. 

Oystercatcher. Pete Woodruff.

It wasn't until I got to Plover Scar that things began to look a bit more interesting, with up to 250 Oystercatcher which dominated Plover Scar, and 13 Eider off here. 

As I walked the headland, c.120 Shelduck were of note, and heading towards the Caravan Park up to 286 Black-tailed Godwit - 39 in the video - were feeding as the tide ebbed.

There was a flurry of 30 minutes excitement which started with a nice male Stonechat flitting here and there on the marsh. The Stonechat was soon followed by a Barn Owl emerging from the entrance to the Caravan Park to fly off out of sight and in the direction of Bank End.

I went in pursuit of the owl, but as I turned the corner it was flying back towards me. I managed to get a short video as it went to ground, but it soon took off again and out of view. 

No sooner had I lost sight of the Barn Owl, than a smart male Hen Harrier showed over the marsh at the Cocker Estuary....A flurry of excitement in the end.

The Cockersand Hen Harrier.

I was pleased to keep up with the Hen Harrier in my sights, and managed a short video as it flew towards Bank End.

2nd winter male Hen Harrier Cockersand 13 February. Pete Woodruff.

But I can't say I was pleased with my image of the bird, but the excuse is that it is a still from the video and a murderous crop, but a good enough record to compare with what could well be the very same 2nd winter male Hen Harrier....

2nd Winter Male Hen Harrier Eagland Hill 15 December 2024. Paul Ellis.

....seen and photographed at Eagland Hill on 15 December.

Sluggish Start To 2025!

Sluggish and little to report, but never any less the pleasure of birding for me.

The tide was well advanced when I arrived at Glasson on Thursday and had driven most of the waders off the estuary. But I noted a pair of Goosander, and it was good I saw two drake and a female Goldeneye, seen as the only three individuals found here this winter, and looking like a scarce bird for our area now. This despite its status being recorded 3 years ago in the LDBWS Annual Report as....'a fairly common visitor to the Lune at Glasson'....I doubt that the Goldeneye will be recorded as 'common' in the next report!

I couldn't resist a video of the ducks on a cold but beautiful January day, on a calm river in an attractive setting....Pump up the volume to hear 17 secs of 22 delightful whistling Wigeon.

There was nothing to report at Glasson Dock, until a Kingfisher flew across the canal basin toward the marina. Neither was there much action at Cockersand, but over a couple of hours here, it did turn out to be something of a mini raptor fest.

Although the high tide was a little under 10m, 4 Rock Pipit were pushed off the marsh and were on the shingle. There was up to 1,500 Golden Plover in fields, with 150 Curlew, and possibly 180 Whooper Swan scattered over three fields.

The raptor foursome started with views of a Barn Owl followed by a Merlin soon followed by a Buzzard.

The Little Owl was again basking in the sun on its favoured girder on the farm building at Bank Houses with a horse appearing to be on guard duty.

The Cockersand Barn Owl.

I had the same experience with the Barn Owl today as I had at the start of the year on 7 February, the account of which is copied here.... 

The Barn Owl took off from Bank Houses at the same time I started my circuit of Cockersand. It was in view for up to an hour as I walked along Moss Lane until I reached the Lighthouse Cottage at 2.25pm. In the hour, the owl crisscrossed every field in the area, and hunted along every ditch and hedgerow, diving to the ground at least six times without success, and perched on fence posts about the same number of times.

Thursdays sighting ended with views of the Barn Owl flying south toward Abbey Farm, I then picked up a female Merlin rocketing south across the same field to cause up to 2,000 Golden Plover/Lapwing/Curlew and Starling to panic. I myself panicked when I saw the Merlin mobbing the Barn Owl, but the pair disappeared behind bushes. I didn't see the Merlin again, but was sure the Barn Owl escaped the attentions of the raptor to take refuge at Abbey Farm.

And Finally.

In my inbox I received two brilliant images recently, both of which represent my appreciation and respect for the ability to freeze a moment in time with excellent photography. 

Goosander. Martin Jump.

This one from Martin shows the Goosander with the catch of an Eel and lookers on, one showing anger, and one with envy.

Blue Tit. Ian Mitchell.

This one of a Blue Tit coming in to land on Ian's garden feeders. Thanks Martin and Ian....Amazing stuff. 

Sterna paradisaea At Conder Pool.

It was good news this week from Conder Pool, when I hear of a 60% increase in the number of nesting Common Tern on the platform compared to last year, but the sad news is it has been the worst season for the Avocet and Black-headed Gulls since 2020 due to predation by Fox.

My news from Conder Pool on Friday was a little slim because of a major distraction, but 5 Mediterranean Gull were seen today, with 4 Greenshank and 4 Common Sandpiper. A Peregrine Falcon came over, it did a circuit of Conder Green before returning to take out a Starling and departing to the Lune Estuary.

A Major Distraction.

Howard Stockdale saw the arrival of an Arctic Tern on Conder Pool on Thursday, and in message to me he referred to....'Conder just keeps giving'....well comments like that can't be more appropriate now can they!

I became the twitcher on Friday, in the hope of a connection with this little beauty, but a birder was leaving as I arrived at Conder Green. I asked if the bird was still around to receive a negative reply as he left. Disappointed I turned the camera on to get some footage of three terns, it  wasn't until I played back the footage that I realised it was my lucky day, as one of the birds was indeed a 1st summer Arctic Tern apparently playing nursemaid to the immature Common Tern.

The Arctic Tern.

1st Summer Arctic Tern Conder Pool 4 July. Pete Woodruff.

The bird on Conder Pool is the second 1st summer Arctic Tern in recent years to visit our area, one was at Heysham on 9 July 2020. The same bird paid a visit to Conder Pool the following day 10 July, this is only 6 days later from being the same day, same location again in July 2024. 

1st Summer Arctic Tern Conder Pool 10 July 2020. Howard Stockdale.

The Arctic Tern moves on a global scale, breeding in the northern hemisphere and migrating south to the Antarctic, making the most extensive and remarkable migratory journeys of any other bird, literally crossing the world in travelling between the polar regions, the consequence of which this small bird experiences more daylight than any other living organism on the planet.

The distribution of the Arctic Tern is such that neither ring-recoveries nor observations will ever reveal the full extent of this birds movements in which there are major gaps in understanding them. It's breeding grounds are sparsely populated in the high Arctic, wintering grounds are largely uninhabited, and much of its movements occur in small groups at high altitude across open oceans. In the north they breed at a higher latitude than any other tern species, whilst populations breeding in Britain are at the southern edge of their breeding range where strongholds are in Orkney and Shetland, with a small number breeding in northern  England and on Anglesey.

Heading south to the Antarctic Seas in the non-breeding season involves a return journey for a far north breeder of a truly staggering 20,000 km at least.

I need to do some detailed research on movement of the Arctic Tern. As I see it, this bird shouldn't be in the Northern Hemisphere, let alone on a pool in Lancashire.

I'm grateful to Howard Stockdale for the info re Conder Pool breeding data, also his image of the 1st summer Arctic Tern.

Swift. Paul Ellis.

Also I would like to point readers to an excellent set of six images worth viewing of Swift Here

Surprisingly Ruff!

Being a scarce winter visitor, and an uncommon passage migrant in our area, the Ruff is a wader well up the list of my favourites. Tuesday was a good day for me, and being easily pleased, finding seven Ruff pretty much made my day....Happy Chappie!

Not only did I see the 12 month stayer around the Lune Estuary, but making a morning and afternoon visit on the day, the latter visit produced 2 Ruff, one in the creeks, the second in the midst of up to 400 Black-tailed Godwit on Conder Pool, in the company of 2 Bar-tailed Godwit and a few Knot. Also seen, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 3 Pink-footed Geese, and a few lingering Wigeon. On my way back to Lancaster, I counted 14 Avocet on my second visit to Conder Pool. Two Chiffchaff heard, one at the picnic area, the other along the coastal path. 

On the Lune Estuary which was quiet at low tide, 3 Avocet, 9 Eider, little more than 20 Back-tailed Godwit, and a drake Goosander. 

At Cockersand, I had to hope five waders seen to come down into the field east side of Abbey Farm, would hang around for half an hour whilst I got closer for more positive ID. Continuing on the circuit, when I arrived back at the opposite side of the field, the waders had moved even further away and gave me a run-around for fifteen minutes, but I eventually caught up with the birds which had latched on to 50 Starling with which they took to flight four times during the chase....I had been unsure, but was right all along, they were 5 Ruff.

Golden Plover. Pete Woodruff.

Off Slack Lane c.320 Golden Plover were in the main with breeding black underparts, including some male 'Northern' birds. I saw my first Swallow - three actually - two at Cockersand and one bird at Conder Green.

Common Sandpiper.

A Common Sandpiper was reported to me to be on Conder Pool on Tuesday, but I failed to locate the bird for myself. This bird is the first here since one seen 18 September 2022....Records per Ian Hartley.  

Common Sandpiper Marshaw 15 June 2021. Pete Woodruff.

Searching through my images, I find it hard to believe it has taken me so long to see that this Common Sandpiper bears a ring on its right leg....Well blow me over!

Breaking News....Adult Common Tern at Myerscough Quarry today 13 April.

Asio flammeus

I joined the merry band of owl enthusiasts at Conder Green on Friday to have excellent views of a Short-eared Owl which has been at Conder Pool since it was first recorded seven days ago on 27 February. 

The wings of the Short-eared Owl are proportionately the longest of any owl in the Western Palearctic, and when I first viewed this bird through the telescope, I noticed its right wing was hanging limp, but it lifted it to preen briefly, and soon took off to hunt when it appeared to have no problems, it was able to bank and make swift turns as it hunted as can be seen in the video.

View Full Screen

As I arrived at Conder Green, c.250 Black-tailed Godwit had been on Conder Pool, but up to 200 had taken off to leave and flew towards the Lune Estuary. It was good to see the arrival of 3 Avocet back on the pool. Also noted were, a few Wigeon and Tufted Duck with a lone female Goldeneye.

My visit to Cockersand was unremarkable, there was no show from the  Stonechats - probably back in Bowland by now - or Snow Bunting, though later I saw a report of the long staying bunting on the coastal path, in the FBC sightings page. There was a marked decrease in the number of swans, which now stands at no more than 200 Whooper Swan, with no search for anything accompanying them distantly. As the tide was rising, 3 Snipe came off the marsh.

On the circuit, it was good to hear the Skylark heralding early signs of spring, and Lapwing thinking of taking up territories in the fields, with 2 Kestrel hovering over the Caravan Park and Crook Farm, 52 Golden Plover were in a field to the north of Abbey Farm, and three large groups eventually formed up to 3,000 Starling.

Raven Cockersand 4 March. Pete Woodruff.

Four Raven off the headland flew by me close in at eye level. Zooming in on them, Heysham power station looks like it is on the shore at Plover Scar, Cockersand Abbey is on my right out of shot.

With too much water on the ebbing tide on the Lune Estuary at Glasson, 225 Black-tailed Godwit, and 70 Bar-tailed Godwit noted, with 550 Wigeon and 3 Goosander seen.     

On my way home to Lancaster four hours later, I called back to Conder Pool to have a second helping of the SEO, but finding the viewing platform crammed to the rafters, I abandoned the idea, thankful for my first sighting of this beautiful creature....Happy Owl Days!

Many Thanks to Paul Murphy for his excellent image of the SEO on Conder Pool Friday 4 March.  

Bonanza & Dearth.

The first day of the meteorological spring was on Monday 1 March. Although there was a chill in the wind it certainly looked like it, and I was off to do a circuit of Cockersand.

Videos best viewed Full Screen....Hopefully!

As I drove along Moss Lane, there was a mini-murmuration of c.2,000 Starling in the air. Later a small group put on a bit of a display, screeching then falling silent as they moved around on the marsh below Crook Cottage....An underrated bird.

This field is badly flooded....

....but the field to the east of Abbey Farm held at least 1,500 Golden Plover, also to note in the field 2 Stock Dove.

As the tide reached its height, off Cockerham Sands Country Park, I saw 14 Snipe and 3 Rock Pipit put to flight off the marsh. A raft of 35 Eider was in the Cocker Channel, by coincidence the same count as seen off Plover Scar 4 February. A Song Thrush was in the horse paddock at Bank Houses, Skylark in flight song, and a Reed Bunting seen. There are at least 350 Whooper Swan still in the area, the bulk being distant and inaccessible. 

Small Tortoiseshell. Pete Woodruff.

I saw my first butterfly of the year, a Small Tortoiseshell was basking on the stone wall at Cockerham Sands CP.

Bonanza & Dearth.

The Stonechat passage ended abruptly on 28 February, 10 days after the early start on 18 February. I collated the count of an amazing 182 Stonechats, mainly from FBC birders including AC who amassed a count of 80, with 36 seen by LDBWS.

At least 1,500 Golden Plover at Cockersand this week, represents a peak count of what has been the poorest winter for the species on the Lune Estuary. The most regular LDBWS birder to the Lune Estuary made the comment 'didn't see a single Golden Plover' on 29 November. Since that date I found just two records of 1,400. 

Local Birds.

Barn Owl. Howard Stockdale.

Thanks to Howard Stockdale for the Barn Owl seen Wednesday on Abbeystead Lane in Bowland, with a pair of Stonechat also seen here again. Also thanks to Howard for his excellent Heysham Rock Pipit header image. I was grateful to Peter Kitchen for alerting me to the Avocet back on Conder Pool Monday morning.

And Finally....

A Yankee Doodle Dandy was found on Banton's Lake, Wyreside Fisheries, apparently there since 3 March.

Pied-billed Grebe. Barry Dyson.

This is the third record of Pied-billed Grebe in Lancashire, the first was at the then named Dockacres Gravel Pits 1997, the second at Leighton Moss RSPB 2015.

A Conder Update.

Strapped for birding and blogging time, and unless things change for the better soon, probably not able to get to Conder Green - or anywhere else - until Monday. 

But I have IP to be thankful to for keeping me updated with news and pictures on Conder Pool matters, where life and death is at the forefront of things.

The pontoon Common Tern now have three chicks taking a first look at life through the window....I'd like to think, with good parentage and no predation, we'll see these three flying around the pool, having escaped to freedom from their prison around 10 July.

Whilst as predicted from the start, inevitably the Oystercatcher pair have now lost all three of their young, the evidence of one remaining in the pontoon....the other two? 

Killer in the garden.

This Sparrowhawk was the first thing I struck eyes on when I opened the kitchen blind yesterday morning. One of our Blackbird males flew over its head, then ran along the garage roof without a flinch from the hawk, then a Blue Tit landed on the arch behind it living life dangerously. I reckon this brute had already taken and eaten one of the local Starlings, as we found feathers later in a pile at the back of the garden, and when I found the Sparrowhawk, it was quietly digesting breakfast whilst glaring at the Blackbird on the rooftop without as much as a blink....Lucky Blackbird.

This, That, And The Other.

With a little time on my hands on Friday I shot off to Conder Green, keen to get my eyes on any offspring's out of the nest on Conder Pool.

The pair of Avocet were still in situ, as were the Common Tern, with one sitting, and the other on guard duty with not a youngster in sight. Also noted, 12 Redshank, a Great-crested Grebe, and the local Kestrel overhead.

A wander around took me on a short stretch of the canal tow-path again, west of Thurnham Mill, where I found at least 20 Large Skipper, 7 Small Tortoiseshell, and 5 Speckled Wood, with a Whitethroat, a male Reed Bunting, and a Common Tern patrolling the canal was presumably a Conder Pool bird....But still no sighting for me of Tuesday's reported juvenile Common Tern on Conder Pool.

The Cockersands Cuckoo.

I was grateful for a text on Wednesday afternoon telling me of a Cuckoo showing well by the entrance track to Tomlinson's Farm at Cockersands. This is obviously a bird starting it's journey south to join another Cuckoo which was tagged in Wales in 2015 which has also left it's breeding grounds earlier than it did last year and is now west of Winchester in Hampshire....I wonder where the Cockersands Cuckoo is now.

The Bowland Grey Wagtail. 


I had an interesting conversation with Martin Jump when he telephoned me on Friday evening to tell me he had seen at least 20 Grey Wagtail on the Marshaw Wyre between Tower Lodge and Trough Bridge. This brings Martins figure added to mine made on two recent visits to Bowland to a combined total of 42 Grey Wagtail from five locations on three birding days.

The Conder Pool Avocet.

Avocet Brian Rafferty  

Three Avocet chicks were out of the nest on Saturday morning Here....Seen as Conder Pool's equally excellent and best record to date with the Common Terns.

Thanks to Martin for the brilliant header image of the Starlings, and to Brian for his excellent Avocet and chick.

The Numbers Game.

Pink-footed Geese. Brian Rafferty.

There was some impressive numbers to be seen on Thursday on the Lune Estuary, with probably in excess of 13,000 Pink-footed Geese seen, an estimated 4,000 were on Colloway Marsh, with 9,000 on Cockerham Marsh which I viewed from midway between Cockerham Sands Country Park and Bank End, amongst these was a Barnacle Goose

I found 1,300 Black - tailed Godwit on the Lune Estuary at Glasson Dock, then later in the day as the tide raced in around 3.45pm, I saw up to 2,500 between the lighthouse and Crook Farm, that's an impressive 3,800 Black-tailed Godwit into the little black book, though I strongly suspect some were duplicated from the earlier count upstream from here at Glasson Dock, even so an unprecedented number of at least 2,500 of the species on the Lune Estuary.

When I found the Curlew on the Cocker Estuary I decided to become more diligent in my counting for once, and came up with 1,620 as another impressive number of a bird in serious decline. Continuing with my diligent counting, the long staying and excellent high number of swans had formed a more compact herd than of late, today up to 400 Whooper Swan were behind the Caravan Park, seen as another unprecedented number in our area.

Starlings. Brian Rafferty. 

There was huge black patches in the fields and black clouds in the sky with a combined total of at least 10,000 Starlings seen on Jeremy Lane and at Cockersands. 

The best of the rest.

On Conder Pool, 45 Wigeon, 21 Redshank, a Snipe, and 3 Little Grebe. Other notes from the Lune Estuary, 31 Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and a Goosander. And at Cockersands, waders in the fields included at least 200 Golden Plover, 4 Eider were off Plover Scar, and 6 Blackbird, a Meadow Pipit, and Robin were in Bank Houses horse paddock.

Thanks to Brian Rafferty for the Pink-footed Geese and the Starling mumuration at Blackpool North Pier. 

On The Up!

A brilliant calm sunny day on Thursday had me off to Bowland for a better day than my last visit here just over a month ago on 20 January when all I chalked up was a measly seven bird species in 4.5 hours - yes, seven species in 4.5 hours - on the very same trundle as today when I took notes of a slightly better 18 species, this time in 5 hours. So, if you have a good memory, you don't really need pen and paper to write down your sightings on a birding trip to Bowland. 

But my day on Thursday started off in fine style when, as I got to the access track to Hawthornthwaite, a bird whizzed across my path to perch on a fence post, it was a smart male Stonechat about two minutes into my day. As I wandered of up the track I was muttering to myself about wanting to find another one, and about three quarters to the summit, another smart male Stonechat, so two winter Stonechat on Hawthornthwaite....nice. 

Pheasant. Noushka Dufort @ 1000-Pattes  

Three Red Grouse and a Pheasant were the only other birds I saw on Hawthornthwaite to add to the list of 18 for the day. 

As I started off from Marshaw to Tower Lodge, one of the two Song Thrush I saw was in excellent voice, the brilliant songster can just be seen as a dot atop of this tall tree and was a delight to hear. The Lapwings are on territory in fields by Marshaw Farm, and a Buzzard was overhead, 6 Mistle Thrush were seen along the way, and 18 Fieldfare were a pleasant surprise. Up the track from Tower Lodge, as seen, a Nuthatch, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest, and a Robin.

But the day went downhill from here, on the weather scene the day went cloudy and dull, and on the bird scene a wander north from Tower Lodge to Trough Bridge and on towards the track to Winfold Fell unbelievably produced not a single bird in two hours save 6 Red Grouse seen at a distance on the fell.

Bringing up the rear for the 18 species on the day....Chaffinch, Starling, and Wood Pigeon, with 6 Mallard on the Marshaw Wyre. Like I said....no pen and paper needed on upland birding.

Thanks for the Pheasant Noushka, and to Warren for the Song Thrush header, both excellent and much appreciated.  

Clougha/Birk Bank.

A brilliant day weatherwise yesterday and an absolute must I got myself back up Clougha for a long overdue visit and the first since 2 May.

Clougha Pike. Ministery's Photostream 

The visit was of course primarily to see if my dreaming of any Stonechat being up here would turn into reality, but despite a good four hours and six miles of footwork that's precisely what it has to do....remain in dreamland! 

On the 2 May visit I had found just two birds, and  went on to claim no records of breeding here again in 2013. A browse through my records show that around the peak period of the Stonechat population boom days on Clougha I had found seven birds on 19 December 2006 and at the time would never have thought perhaps seven years later I would record....'non seen on 11 December 2013'. 

Red Grouse Male. Martin Jump.

Accounting for risk of duplication, I counted 26 Red Grouse, and had three sightings of 'thrush' species, two in flight and distant one of which was almost certainly c.150 Fieldfare, another was of c.25 Redwing, and 12 Fieldfare seen well later.

Red Grouse Female. Martin Jump.

Upland birding doesn't produce a list of birds as long as your arm, and yesterday I saw just nine species, made up by 3 Mistle Thrush, 3 Meadow Pipit, 2 Blackbird, 2 Robin, a Wren, and up to 500 Starling flying  west late afternoon presumably to a roosting site. 

Game for a shoot!

No alleluias to sing about the 26 Red Grouse record yesterday as they are merely good numbers for the 'boys' to blast away at. I noted the area cluttered with nice newly painted white markers and new grit trays put out, so don't worry these boys are still in the 'sporting business' and aren't going anywhere.

Thanks to Martin Jump for the Red Grouse images, much appreciated.