My third visit here in under three weeks, but you just have to keep plugging away, in birding you have to remember the 'you never know' principal and keep in touch with these excellent areas, in any case I had an appointment to meet up at 8.30am at Tower Lodge with a front line/high profile Fylde birder and I don't make appointments with anyone which I can't keep.
Leaving Tower Lodge we walked east to beyond Trough Bridge to take the back side of the woodlands on the south side of the Trough Road west to Marshaw to take a track north with Sawpit and Pennington Woods on our left, then east again to take the back side of Tower Plantation which is to the north above Tower Lodge, before turning west to the plantation strip behind Tower Lodge to return to our cars....A full eight hours and five miles of footwork.
Spotted Flycatcher Marc Heath
Brief views of 2 Cuckoo in flight, with good views of one later perched and calling, and a suspicion that there are three in the area with a bird/birds calling on and off for the full eight hours, alternatively two birds very mobile and very far ranging. A pair of Curlew with a young bird was an excellent sight, 7 Spotted Flycatcher, 5 Redstart, 5 Mistle Thrush, a Common Sandpiper and Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Song Thrush....
....and a smart male Siskin gave brief views taking a drink in the stream. Raptors were represented by 2 Buzzard, a Peregrine Falcon, and a Kestrel.
Pied Flycatcher. Howard Stockdale.
A male Pied Flycatcher still sings to itself - as far as I can see - in the small wooded area to the west of Tower Lodge and looks set to depart the area with a no score before the month is out.
Notable that no good numbers of birds or species seen here today, and again some species expected were not found. Surely an area like this holds - or should hold - good numbers of Redpoll and Siskin for example. But I've spent at least 16 hours in this area in my three recent visits here and according to my observations these birds are not to be found, and 15 Crossbill reported on 21 May have almost certainly moved on. Nevertheless well worth the effort and something I'll be doing all over again the first chance I get....its good to be alive and birding!
It was also good to see Martin and Andy this afternoon, and sorry about the 'Bluebirds' BD but you're just going to have to get used to them I'm afraid!
Thanks again to Marc/Noushka/Howard for the excellent photography....Even my map looks good if you 'clik the pik'.
Thanks again to Marc/Noushka/Howard for the excellent photography....Even my map looks good if you 'clik the pik'.
As you say Pete, its good to be alive and birding, especially in this proper summer weather! :-)
ReplyDeletePete. Good to chat this evening.You do work really hard for your birds,putting in the miles and the hours !!
ReplyDeleteA great day out in beautiful Bowland with some good birds.Good numbers of spot flys and redstarts,shame about the pied fly.
Hopefully we will meet up sometime this Summer.Enjoy Cross of Greet tomorrow.
Warren....A BIG yes to your comment, always appreciated and thank you.
ReplyDeleteBrian....Thanks and as with Warren always appreciated.