Return to Bowland....again!

And what a good idea that was too, you just have to keep on plugging away at these locations to come up with the sightings/records and maybe find the ones you missed the last time around. 

Broad-bodied Chaser. Brian Rafferty

No appropriate photographs of birds but an excellent one for the top of the post of the female Broad-bodied Chaser thanks to BR, plus an excellent butterfly below and moth further down thanks to LG....all helps to add a little colour to Birds2blog.

Green Hairstreak. Linda Gilhespy.

I gave another 4.5 hours between Marshaw - Trough Bridge again today and started in fine style with 6 Crossbills over which came on to a conifer staying long enough for me to find two of them to be juveniles before they were off again. I found only 7 Spotted Flycatchers today but remain convinced of at least ten - I reckon more - in the area this year. One of today's sightings was that of a bird I could see clearly sitting on the nest, a pleasurable sight bearing in mind this is a species in serious decline. This observation didn't actually take the prize today, that was awarded to the male Pied Flycatcher feeding a recently fledged young bird. I also found a female Pied Flycatcher a quarter of a mile from the Oak tree in which the pair nested and am confident this bird was the female from that site on a wander. It was good to find 2 Lesser Redpoll, the only disappointment being they were both singletons. Another excellent record was that of 6 Redstart and 8 Grey Wagtail seen. I saw just 6 Willow Warblers which was a reminder of just how much harder this species is to find once they've 'shut up'. Also noted, a Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, and just one Common Sandpiper.

Common Heath. Linda Gilhespy   

I called in at Stoops Bridge in Abbeystead on the way home to find it very still and very silent save a Chiffchaff heard.

I have an uncomfortable feeling it may be next Monday before I get out birding again....Oh Dear!