Upside/Downside.

The big upside for yesterday was my first visit this year to Barbondale, and it was a pretty decent day to go there with sunshine and little wind. I gave the place a good four hours, the plan was for eight, but half way through I changed it all.

Pied Flycatcher David Cookson

I reckon there will be more to follow, but 4 Pied Flycatcher have already set up summer home and seen as two pair. Also to note of the 19 species seen here, at least 15 Willow Warbler, 10 Meadow Pipit, 9 Redstart, 6 Wheatear, a Tree Pipit, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Green Woodpecker, Great-spotted Woodpecker, and a Buzzard. A Song Thrush was in excellent voice and sang continuously for at least an hour to my knowledge. The downside of my visit to Barbondale was no Stonechat or Whinchat, for the latter perhaps still time to arrive here, bit worried about the Stonechat though....but I'll have a more serious and extended look next time.

 Yellow Wagtail Marc Heath  

I then decided to cut the visit to Barbondale in half and went to see if I could find maybe at least one of the two Yellow Wagtails which 'might' show up on the Lune flood-plain this summer....dream on! 

Common Sandpiper Simon Hawtin  

Down the River Wenning from Hornby to the River Lune, 3 Common Sandpiper, 4 Blackcap were seen as two pair, a Wheatear, Song Thrush, Wren, Goldfinch, and 2 Dunnock. I made no attempt at counts, but a good number of Sand Martin seen, and at one point I looked skywards to see a sudden show of good numbers of hawking House Martin and Swallow together with at least 8 Swift. Butterflies were represented by 6 Small Tortoiseshell.  

And finally....

Mystery Bird. Pete Woodruff.

This bird has visited our garden a couple of times recently. I'm also interested in the length of its tail and a pinkish flush, Wood Pigeon x Stock Dove perhaps....anybody?

Thanks to David/Marc/Simon....Brilliant once again.