Duped By The Weather.

Yesterday started off well and looked like being the best day this year so far. Because of this I was enthused to take myself off to Bowland primarily to see if any Stonechats had taken up territory, though to be honest a little early. But no sooner had I arrived at Harrisend Fell than the sun disappeared behind the clouds never to be seen again all day....I had been duped.

However, I was soon spurred on by finding a pair of Stonechat, but the enthusiasm slowly waned as time progressed and they were to be the only two I would see all day. Also of note, at least 12 Meadow Pipit, a Buzzard and Raven over, a distant butterfly before the sun disappeared was almost certainly my first Peacock this year.

By the time I reached Hawthornthwaite Fell the day had descended into cloudy and grey, half way up the track having seen 12 Red Grouse and 2 Wren, I decided to change the plan and came back down to go to Marshaw. 

Woodcock Jan Larsson 

Between Marshaw and Tower Lodge over two hours I struggled to find nine species, but I was pleased with one of them being Woodcock, I saw two birds, one behind the plantation at Marshaw, and the other over the plantation behind Tower Lodge, 2 Treecreeper seen, 3 Coal Tit, a Great Tit, Robin, Wren, Blackbird and a Mistle Thrush, the only raptor was a kestrel.  

Art on the uplands. 

Stonework. Pete Woodruff.

This is an excellent piece of artwork seen on Harrisend. I'd love to know the amount of effort - with all the material gathered from the surrounding area - and the time it took to finish this. I hope someone who knows about this will see it on Birds2blog and get in touch with me to tell me about it at stonechat4@gmail.com 

Osprey.

Osprey Jan Larsson

An Osprey was over Middleton south of Heysham this Thursday morning at 9.40am, then 10 minutes later was seen NE over Torrisholme at 9.50am.

Thanks to Jan for the excellent images.