On the plus side....
Siskin. Noushka Dufort.
Yesterday morning our garden hosted the very first Siskin ever seen here when a pair were on our feeders, they soon left but made my day an even better one by returning soon after to spend a little more time on the feeders for me to take a good look at these brilliant little finches in our garden.
Brambling. Noushka Dufort.
And whilst we're seeing a brilliant image of the male and female Siskin, it's an excellent opportunity for me to post another brilliant collage of the male and female Brambling, of which - if you live and bird in the LDBWS recording area and beyond - you will have seen little if any this winter. Thanks to Noushka Dufort for these four brilliant photographs with her consistent excellent quality.
And on the minus side....
We have a good view of Clougha Pike from the rear bedroom window at our house, and never a day goes by without I take a good look at this impressive and wonderful part of upland beauty from this window. But yesterday morning presented me with a view I would really have rather not seen when I found the upland land management team were doing their bit once again and out with their blowtorches.
Heather burning has resulted in widespread burning of blanket bog and wet heath, and on some sites poor burning practice is associated with habitat degradation. The illegal killing of birds of prey, associated with management for driven-grouse shooting, has left large tracts of the uplands bereft of priority birds in Bowland with the Hen Harrier at the top of the list of just one I'll mention.
OK, so you might be in the camp supporting this kind of 'land management' but I don't and certainly not in March. And one thing for sure, the sight of this torching yesterday illustrates why no Stonechats - or any other bird species - will be breeding on the SW side of Clougha and other vast areas of these uplands in 2013.
Thanks to Sharon for her brilliant painting of the male Stonechat. I think he's been on Birds2blog before, if he has....here he is again. Please treat yourself to a look at Sharon's excellent work HERE
I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!....And hopefully will be tomorrow.
And on the minus side....
The Burn. Pete Woodruff.
We have a good view of Clougha Pike from the rear bedroom window at our house, and never a day goes by without I take a good look at this impressive and wonderful part of upland beauty from this window. But yesterday morning presented me with a view I would really have rather not seen when I found the upland land management team were doing their bit once again and out with their blowtorches.
Stonechat. Sharon Whitely
Heather burning has resulted in widespread burning of blanket bog and wet heath, and on some sites poor burning practice is associated with habitat degradation. The illegal killing of birds of prey, associated with management for driven-grouse shooting, has left large tracts of the uplands bereft of priority birds in Bowland with the Hen Harrier at the top of the list of just one I'll mention.
OK, so you might be in the camp supporting this kind of 'land management' but I don't and certainly not in March. And one thing for sure, the sight of this torching yesterday illustrates why no Stonechats - or any other bird species - will be breeding on the SW side of Clougha and other vast areas of these uplands in 2013.
Thanks to Sharon for her brilliant painting of the male Stonechat. I think he's been on Birds2blog before, if he has....here he is again. Please treat yourself to a look at Sharon's excellent work HERE
I'D SOONER BE BIRDING!....And hopefully will be tomorrow.
Siskin on the feeders eh! Bramblings next then :-)
ReplyDeletenice birds
ReplyDeleteTwo fantastic species! .. Bravo for my Friend.. Regards..
ReplyDeletePreciosas las capturas de Noushka.Un abrazo
ReplyDeleteHave you seen/signed the latest petition to our greenest government ever Pete?
ReplyDeleteAsk you readers to sign too.
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/46473
the only way they will realise the environment is important is if we who are 'in the know' tell them so!
Cheers
DaveyMan
Warren/Adam/Ana/Isidro....Many Thanks for your interest and comments.
ReplyDeleteDavyMan....I hadn't seen but have now signed this excellent suggestive petition, and hope every birder in the land has done so too, especially those who look in on Birds2blog.