Nine days later.

Ring Ouzel. Brian Rafferty.

If you want to keep up to speed on the birds at a particular location at this time of the year you really do have to visit on an almost weekly basis as the breeding season comes and goes before you know it. It was for this reason that I decided to get back to Barbondale yesterday nine days after my first visit here on 30 April. I wasn't on my own with this decision, apart from anything else the reports of Ring Ouzel here had created a greater interest in the place than ever and during my stay I saw several other birders, met up with a BTO rep, a cutting edge birder, three Fylders, and Bill and Jean from Lancashire who I often 'bump into' when out and about.

Whinchat. Copy Permitted.

It was excellent that I found at least one male Whinchat had found its way to Barbondale from the large number that have arrived in the UK over the past few days, I actually had two sightings but wasn't convinced the second bird wasn't the one I had seen earlier. The photograph above has a special appeal to me not least of all that it was taken at Cockersands and would have greatly advanced my passion for birds if I'd have found this individual. I'm repeating myself here but....there have been more Whinchats arrived in the UK this year than I have seen before with large numbers recorded including in our own area, an Amber listed and declining species given a welcome boost with these numbers seen reported over the past days.   

Wheatear. Brian Rafferty.

I usually find good numbers here every year, today I saw at least 17 Wheatear during my seven hour stay during which time I covered some ground and probably walked four miles. Other notables....4 Pied Flycatcher seen as pair, a female, and the singing male seen last time I was here which I'm beginning to suspect may be attached to a female nesting in a tree hole with more observations required.

I found only one male Stonechat today, being the one of a pair seen last week from the path to Bull Pot, a Grey Wagtail was on Barbon Beck as were 5 Dipper over a three mile stretch, a Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker, at least 5 Redstarts were all male, 5 Reed Bunting, a Buzzard, and a Kestrel. It wasn't until I decided to pay one of my now famous second visits - which often reward me with something I missed on the first - along the path that I had the male Ring Ouzel pointed out to me to be told of claims of three birds here today, along with 2 Cuckoos one of which I had heard for a good part of my visit but never did see.


Many thanks as always to BR for the Ring Ouzel/Wheatear photographs. 


I hope you haven't been trying to get in touch via e-mail recently as I have a new address if you would like to take note....stonechat4@gmail.com