Another Bite....

Snipe thanks to Brian Rafferty.

....of the cherry for the Dotterel which appear to have departed Abbeystead Lane leaving no more than 9 Golden Plover behind. Also from the lane 6 Wheatear still on the move and taking five in the field and grabbing a meal.

At the junction of the Trough Road and Abbeystead Lane a Redshank on a post has now sadly become a rare inland/upland sight. Photograph thanks to John Bateman. 

On to Stoops Bridge JB saw male and female Pied Flycatcher whilst I wandered off for a while and just saw the male. Also noted male Redstart again, Willow Warbler which I maintain are down in number from my observations so far this year although I did see one later at Marshaw collecting nesting material, Mistle Thrush, and a Blackcap in song. In the Tower Lodge area I found just one male Redstart on the backside of the plantation today, 3 Redpoll were in flight over here, a Grey Wagtail and 2 Common Sandpiper were on the stream, and I heard a Green Woodpecker 'yaffle' and also heard a Wren which represents another species down in number in my records. At Cam Brow at least 6 Sand Martins were in and out of nest holes in the bank. 

At Scorton Picnic area where JB and I had a quiet 'cuppa & buttie' whilst watching Nuthatch, Jay, and Coal Tit on the feeder, after which on JB's suggestion I wandered off and did the circular here which I have only ever once done before and noticed - as last time - the tranquility of the woodland walk and bird song is marred by the constant 'rubber burning' from the M6 not many metres away at one point of the walk on the east side, but I did note 2 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, and 2 Grey Wagtail were on the River Wyre. At Street Bridge I heard another singing male Blackcap a bird - in contrast to Willow Warbler/Wren - appearing to be in good number this year, and an Orange Tip butterfly the only one noted on the day.

A brief call in at Conder Green produced an almost 'dead' pool with a single Little Ringed Plover seen, one was in the creeks but it wasn't proved to be a second bird.

Christ Church at Abbeystead.

On our way round today we called at Christ Church at Abbeystead to find the place deserted in relation to the House Martins. Sorry to go on about this but the fraction of the church in the picture above is of the south side which - combined with the north side - holds up to sixteen old nests non of which were occupied in 2009 and at this point in time are not in 2010....Mmmm! 

And finally....

If you'd like to see some stunning pics of Dotterel then you need to go post haste here Mike Watson's Diary.