August Heather on Clougha.
An excellent day for taking to the fells to check out the bird-life there, a great place to be, vast areas impossible to cover and with nothing like 'vast' numbers of birds. On Harrisend I found 10 Stonechat and also noted two 1st winter Whitethroat, 10 Meadow Pipit, 3 Wren, 2 Buzzard, a Kestrel, and a single Red Grouse. Butterflies on here mainly came into view either too distant or too brief to ID but I noted 3 Red Admiral and a Painted Lady.
The Oak Tree on Lane Head footpath off Harrisend.
This Oak tree is very old. I'm not well up on ancient trees but I reckon this certainly is one, it's girth is huge and much more so than this photograph suggests.
Berry laden trees off Harrisend.
I decided the next best area to check out was off the Hawthornthwaite access track from Marshaw, a very wise decision as it turned out if only because I found one of our 'scarce' summer visitors in the form of a Whinchat. I tried desperately hard to find a male and better still some juveniles without success but......has this bird bred here this summer, well despite at least three previous visits here I never found a single one but I reckon that tells nobody nothing, on the other hand this bird could have been on passage, the truth is we'll never know. Also noted here, 7 Stonechat, another 1st winter Whitethroat, 8 Meadow Pipit, a Reed Bunting, 3 Buzzard, and a Kestrel. Butterflies seen were, 3 Red Admiral, 3 Peacock, and a single Painted Lady.
Grey Wagtails. Updated 31 August 2016.
Please could you all look out for colour-ringed Grey Wagtails on e.g. the rivers and tributaries running into Morecambe Bay from the south lakes. Even part-reads will be of considerable interest, especially if on territory in the breeding season, when there is a chance to check it out for more detail. Please contact PMrsh123@aol.com or text 07532433043 as soon as possible after the sighting. Thanks
They will have a combination of red (2014) or pink (2015) and BTO metal (please note which way round) on the left leg and a variety of two-colour combinations on the right leg which allows them to be individually identified. There may be some older birds with white or pale blue rings accompanying the metal BTO ring on the left leg (e.g. currently wintering at Crook of Lune)
More detail in the right hand sidebar at Heysham Observatory
Grey Wagtails. Updated 31 August 2016.
Please could you all look out for colour-ringed Grey Wagtails on e.g. the rivers and tributaries running into Morecambe Bay from the south lakes. Even part-reads will be of considerable interest, especially if on territory in the breeding season, when there is a chance to check it out for more detail. Please contact PMrsh123@aol.com or text 07532433043 as soon as possible after the sighting. Thanks
They will have a combination of red (2014) or pink (2015) and BTO metal (please note which way round) on the left leg and a variety of two-colour combinations on the right leg which allows them to be individually identified. There may be some older birds with white or pale blue rings accompanying the metal BTO ring on the left leg (e.g. currently wintering at Crook of Lune)
More detail in the right hand sidebar at Heysham Observatory
Hi Peter, Great meeting up with you today. A superb blog by the way..already had it linked from my own blog months ago...had'nt realised - what a small World.. Thanks, Bryan.. http://haslingdengrane.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteYes definitely good to see you today Bryan with Sandra (don't forget to tell her I remembered her name this time). Small world and we MUST keep in touch and many thanks for your kind words re Birds2blog. I will be looking in on yours as soon as time allows me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the plug re-Grey wagtail. Also worth looking at any wintering birds to the north of Heysham as these could easily include (what are now) adults ringed on autumn passage as juvs last year and staying nearer home in subsequent non-breeding seasons
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand my word verification spells out "Sodit"!!
With your 'sodit' word verification you prompted me to remember the 'Bunting' at Gally Head in Cork recently which was apparently found on......Shite Lane......you couldn't make it up could you!.
ReplyDelete