A Bowland Bash.

Spotted Flycatcher. Pete Woodruff.

Thursday was the warmest day we've had so far this summer and perfect for giving the Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge area a good going over to note 34 species, most notable of which were 8 Spotted Flycatcher which included two pairs one of which were seen entering a nest hole. 

I saw only one Redstart a female, a good count was of 11 Robin, 7 Mistle Thrush included two fully fledge young being fed by the adult, 4 Grey Wagtail were on the Marshaw Wyre, with a Dipper here too, 4 Coal Tit included a pair feeding young in the nest, 3 Nuthatch seen, 4 Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrest, 5 Meadow Pipit, a Song Thrush and a Dunnock, the only raptor seen were 2 Kestrel. In the Marshaw Farm area Swallow and House Martin, with Sand Martin visiting nest holes in the bank of the Marshaw Wyre.

 Male Pied Flycatcher Brian Rafferty 

I'm told that two nest boxes at Tower Lodge are taken by Pied Flycatcher, though I only saw one male and heard another continuously in song, another of the boxes has been taken by Blue Tit. Thanks for the singing male Pied Flycatcher image Brian, excellent.

The runners up....

Oystercatcher

Mallard

Pheasant

Starling

Jackdaw

Chaffinch

Wood Pigeon

Pied Wagtail

Wren

Lapwing

Curlew

Great Tit

Blackbird

Goldfinch

Collared Dove

Despite finding 2 Common Sandpiper on the Marshaw Wyre on 23 April, I saw none today.

On the way back to Lancaster I called in at Stoops Bridge at Abbeystead to see 2 Spotted Flycatcher, hear a male Blackcap in song, and find the only butterfly I saw all day, being an Orange Tip. And at Christ Church, a Song Thrush, and 'few' House Martin flying around with just two nests at the church which housed up to sixteen nests 5/6 years ago as counted by BT and myself. The Spotted Flycatcher has returned to this church in Abbeystead for several years now, if it has this year I didn't see it.

Post edited 22.00pm. 

Another Hen Harrier has disappeared from an active nest on United Utilities Estate in Bowland. The bird was last seen on 28 May and is the fourth to disappear in Bowland this year, with a fifth bird gone from Geltsdale recently....

Raptor persecution rules....OK.