Raptorous!

Well a bit 'raptorous' anyway....but please read on.

OK....I know there was an American Golden Plover at Cockersands, a birder I know well - whose ability to find the unfindable is second to none - was seen on the radar here again and if there was going to be an AGP - or anything else of note at Cockersands - he'd probably find it....but I had other birding to do today.

As with my last post, not much pen and ink used to record the event in the hills again today but if you're going to study an upland species you have to get up there and do it, but I do realise when spending long periods of silence and very few birds up here in the wilds, why I rarely see any other birders....there are few - if any - 'ticks' to be had up here. 

Carrion Crow/Little Owl Brian Rafferty   

Theres a connection with this image and my post in that it was taken in Bowland where I did my birding again today. Thanks Brian, excellent and with a little humour,  the expression of the Little Owl appears to suggest it may be thinking....what the bloody hell!!

Stonechat Paul Foster

Well, we had to have a Stonechat pic didn't we....Thanks Paul, a bit rare these days.

Having made only two previous visits to Harrisend Fell this year, I found a pair and one male Stonechat on 26 March, followed by a visit on 24 May to find none, the good news is that although it took me 2 hours and I was on the return path, I did find a family party of at least 4 Stonechat today. I use the term 'at least' because I reckon there could have been more, but I was some considerable distance from the birds and couldn't get the number to add up to any more. So either a pair and two juvenile, or a male and three juvenile seen and proof of one breeding pair of Stonechat on Harrisend in 2012.... ALLELUIA!

Other notes, a Merlin definitely livened up the day, though Hobby ran through my mind but I'm sticking with Merlin, 4 kestrel were in the air together, and a Buzzard over, c.12 Mistle Thrush were difficult to count amongst the trees and moving around, 3 Meadow Pipit, 3 Small Tortoiseshell seen, and the Small Copper was my first this year and maybe my last.

On the west side of Hawthornthwaite Fell, despite finding a male and female Stonechat here on 24 May - which is my only previous visit here this year - I saw none today, but I have to say the sight of 3 Peregrine Falcon overhead together is something special, also a Kestrel, 6 Red Grouse, a single Meadow Pipit, and a Snipe flushed was a bit of a surprise. 

Heather. Pete Woodruff.

....and the Heather was beautiful up here this year too. 

And finally....

Black Darter. Pete Woodruff.

I found one or two Black Darters over and around the bog at Birk Bank on Tuesday, this one a male.

Common Darter. Pete Woodruff.

Also one or two Common Darters too.