Starting At The End.

Friday followed 12 March for being a good day to get myself back to Bowland with some long sunny spells on offer.

Surprised to find it was 11 months since last on Harrisend Fell on 7 May 2013, and having found no Stonechat there I abandoned any hope of their return there for another year, I started off there on Friday. The bad news is that I again found none, another visit there in May with the same result and I will abandon Harrisend once again as another year the Stonechat didn't return. Whilst on Harrisend I counted at least 28 Meadow Pipit, 4 Linnet, 3 Raven, a Buzzard, Kestrel, and 5 Peacock butterflies.

Fellside Farm at the foot of Hawthornthwaite Fell. Pete Woodruff.

With other plans in mind I gave Hawthornthwaite a look over the bottom half and found the pair of Stonechat seen here a month ago on 12 March, so a little hope of some breeding here with the one pair at least. Also into the little black book, 10 Meadow Pipit, a Wren, 3 Red Grouse, a Buzzard, with Curlew, Lapwing, and Oystercatcher noted, and 2 Peacock.

Jay Noushka Dufort 

A wander for a couple of hours from Marshaw to Tower Lodge gave 4 Grey Wagtail to brighten things upon the Wyre, smart birds and a close second to the Yellow Wagtail. Also of note, 2 Jay, a Coal Tit, and another Peacock was the sum total for my efforts. Calling in at Abbeystead on the way to Lancaster to see if the Brambling might still be around I saw a nice Song Thrush collecting a beak full of worms and obviously breeding close by. 

Some excellent news gratefully recieved from my man in Bowland with 8 Stonechat seen at Langden on Friday, and 2 pairs at Croasdale yesterday. It was good to see Eric, Andrew, and Nicole out and about in Bowland on Friday.

Dipper. John Darbyshire.

The River Wyre.

As on the 12 March, I noted no Dipper seen on the Marshaw Wyre again today.

The River Wyre is located in the county of Lancashire and joins the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. The river is 22 miles long and is the longest river in England it's estuary can be seen from its source in the Forest of Bowland. I have only seen a small section of the river today in the Marshaw/Tower Lodge area, but throughout the rivers length it is a mix of fresh and salt water and is home to a varied population of fish including barbel, eels, perch, roach, sea trout and salmon. A wide selection of trees grow along the banks of the River Wyre including ash, oak, hazel and willow, it is also home to some rare plants and animals and is designated as a County Biological Heritage Site. 

Thanks to Noushka for the Jay, and to John for the Dipper.