Troughing Again!

Pied Flycatcher thanks to Brian Rafferty.

Back to the Trough of Bowland again today with JB/BT starting with a second bite of the cherry and excellent views - better than the last visit - of two Dotterel at 10.20 on Abbeystead Lane still, smartly followed by a visit to Abbeystead to see the pair of Pied Flycatcher at Stoops Bridge of which an image of the male of is shown above. Please visit Brian Rafferty's website to read about the benefits of an early rise from your bed in his post The Early Bird . The Dotterel were in company of a much reduced number of  c.30 Golden Plover compared to the c.70 on Tuesday when JB and I last visited here, down the lane three Lapwing chicks were a delight to see. Also at Stoops Bridge, a singing Garden Warbler, Blackcap, and Nuthatch  were all heard along with views of a male Redstart and Mistle Thrush, a female Mallard had 13 ducklings in tow on the river.

Calling in at Christ Church the House Martins are as yet still absent and it will be interesting - if not worrying - to see if there is a repeat of 2009's total lack of breeding here again at a site where up to sixteen old nest are still intact at this church. However, a nice little collection here consisted of 4 Goldfinch, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Dunnock, a Wren, a Robin, and at least one Greenfinch heard, 2 Raven went over south east whilst we were here.

We called at Catshaw Farm to find an interesting c.450 Greater Black-backed Gulls in one of the fields and also noted a Brown Hare, in the area 2 Wheatear and a Buzzard, also a single Sand Martin flew out of a nest hole at a site we discovered in 2009 and which we are closely monitoring this year.

Spotted Flycatcher thanks to Peter Guy.

At Tower Lodge the day took on some more excitement when my first 2 Spotted Flycatchers were found at the back side of the plantation here, nothing delights me more than to record this ever decreasing 'flycatcher' which always seems to turn up in this area in multi numbers....watch this space for the year end tally for this smart little bird sadly and currently heading towards rarity status. Also here, two male and a female Redstart, and two  Green Woodpeckers, distant but presumed a pair.

A brief call in at Langden gave difficult views of a few - high up in the trees - Redpoll made all the more difficult and brief by the rain which had threatened all day and finally arrived here at around 3.00pm just after we got there. One or two Swift were seen passing through at different places during the course of the day.

So now we're on our way back to Lancaster and I had made the comment to a Lancashire birder I had a chat with at Langden and who asked me 'what had I seen today' to which I gave him the 'list' and said....it's good to be alive in'it!

Lapwing chick thanks to John Bateman.

And finally....

Thanks for the Lapwing image John, a delightful reminder of an excellent days birding in your and BT's good company. Also thanks to Brian and Peter for your images they are all very much appreciated.