Target Practice At Barbondale.

Pied Flycatcher. Noushka Dufort @ 1000-Pattes

I was asked if I was available to check out the birdlife at Barbondale last week and duly obliged on Thursday....I found 5 Pied Flycatcher, seen as a pair, two singing male, and a female. The only other birds seen were a single male Redstart with two more heard, and a Treecreeper feeding young.

If you're planning to visit Barbondale for some 'target' birding in the near future, be informed, there's no footbridge over Barbon Beck, and you'll need to be cautious if you intend crossing to the other side via one or two areas with a few stepping stones to negotiate with a little sense of adventure. 

Down the River Wenning from Hornby, and up the River Lune towards Lloyn Bridge. A singing male Blackcap, 3 Song Thrush, 3 Blackbird, a Wren, Long-tailed Tit, Greenfinch and Chaffinch were noted at the start of the walk from the road bridge at Hornby. To Lloyn Bridge, a Common Sandpiper, Willow Warbler, Pied Wagtail, with 2 Swift and a Redshank over, and 2 Orange Tip butterflies seen.

Sand Martin Simon Hawtin Photography

I probably saw up to 250 Sand Martin on the Wenning/Lune walk, and whilst I have little detailed knowledge of the history of the River Lune Sand Martin colonies, I regarded as healthy, a small colony on the south bank of the river Wenning which showed up to 40 nest holes, and another larger colony on the west bank of the River Lune at the confluence showing up to 85 nest holes. 

The Bar-headed Goose.

Bar-headed Goose. Conder Pool 13 May. Pete Woodruff.

In the area on Friday, I was unable to drive on and ignore Conder Green where I found this Bar-headed Goose on Conder Pool. An attractive bird but not one to be taken seriously, the species is in the 'Escaped/Unknown Provenance' category, though it is recorded almost annually once or twice per year scattered around the county of Lancashire, with no evidence of breeding. I also saw my first Brimstone butterfly here.


Many thanks to Noushka and to Simon for their excellent images, including Simon's header of the in flight Black-tailed Godwit, they are all very much appreciated.