A Little Action At The End.

Harrisend Fell.

There was a little action on Harrisend on Thursday, no sooner I went on to the track I found a lone female Stonechat which promptly dropped down into the undergrowth, no doubt to a nest. I moved on to find a pair of Stonechat in the lone Hawthorn, the 24 May pair with two young then, but none seen today. Also in the Hawthorn, 4 Lesser Redpoll, and one of the 2 Willow Warbler I saw here today, just below this tree on the gorse, a pair of Linnet and one of the 4 Reed Bunting seen on the visit, 21 Meadow Pipit noted, 4 Mistle Thrush, 2 Blackbird, and a Kestrel. I was seeing Swallow most of the time spent on Harrisend Fell probably reaching a double figure by the time I left. I also saw a decent count of 19 Small Heath, 3 Small Copper, 2 Painted Lady, and 2 Common Blue Damselflies in a drying out run-off ditch. 

Birk Bank. 

Birk Bank Bog. Pete Woodruff.

I made a detour to Birk Bank on the way back to Lancaster, and spent an hour staring at the bog to find at least some of what I had thought I might see. 

Four-spotted Chaser. Pete Woodruff.

As it happened the timing was perfect, the cloud broke as I reached the car park on Rigg Lane, it was humid as I looked over the bog, and in the hour I spent there the sun brought out up to 10 Four - spotted Chaser including some which repeatedly hovered and dipped the tips of their abdomens into water to release eggs to settle below the surface. Also seen, 6 Small Pearl - bordered Fritillary, and 2 Painted Lady butterflies.

Cotton-grass. Pete woodruff.

So, at least I got a little action to start with on Harrisend, and a little more to end with on the bog at Birk Bank where the Cotton-grass looks splendid this year.

Many thanks to Marc for his excellent header of the stunning in flight White-faced Darter which to see he had to travel the long distance from Kent to Shropshire. I recommend you visit Marc's website to see the brilliant results he achieved from this trip and some of his other recent stunning odonata work Here