Shearings Coach Holidays!

Well it was more like one than a birding day, sorry

BT no offence as I enjoyed the run into the Yorkshire Dales and The Forest of Bowland with one or two birds of note on the circular.

BT had decided we should head off to see if we could find (but didn't) the Marsh Gentian at a location I know about but which I feel I should remain silent about on the blog as the rare species is/should be a protected one. Hence the Grand Tour commenced and on Littledale Road I thought we had found our first Fieldfare of the winter but they turned out to be at least 12 Mistle Thrush, a Great - spotted Woodpecker was close by chipping away at a fence post.

On the Hornby Road above Lower Salter we came across a Little Owl sat on a boulder quite close to the road but despite my almost shouting the order to look at me it refused point blank to do so as can be seen in the decent pic I managed to achieve, also a Wheatear here along with a mix of c.40 Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit. Above Keasden on the road to Stocks Reservoir we saw at least 90 Meadow Pipit 'milling' around, and another Wheatear was seen on Bowland Knotts. We saw another c.30 more Meadow Pipit later over Champion Moor, by now a notable Meadow Pipit movement was obvious today.

Last call of the day was to Tower Lodge and a search up and behind the plantation to find a Spotted Flycatcher still here and beginning to look decidedly late now we are past mid September, 2 Buzzard were noted overhead.

I thanked the driver when I was dropped off back in Lancaster but decided not to tip him in case he thought he'd pull another one off like this on me again. Merely jesting BT and thanks as always for your excellent company.