BIRDING THE LUNE ESTUARY THE FOREST OF BOWLAND AND BEYOND......................................................MEDITTERANEAN GULLS CONDER POOL PETE WOODRUFF

Sunday 12 June 2016

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 

6 comments:

  1. Many thanks Pete for the plug, much appreciated. Nice to see you photographing some odonata.

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  2. More than welcome to the plug Marc. Anyone who takes up my recommendation to take a look at your website will be well rewarded by some of the achievements you made on the odonata scene and elsewhere if they look a little deeper into it.

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  3. Hi Pete !! Today the weather in Madrid is very windy, but summer arrived .. The last weekend have been gathered at the fair MAdbird in Madrid .. An interesting meeting point for birdwatchers and nature photography ... I hope you are well and have a pleasant week .. A hug from Spain …

    Ana

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  4. Thanks for this Ana.

    I hope visitors to Birds2blog will see your stunning Imperial Eagle - the jewel of the Iberian Peninsula - on NATURANAFOTOS.

    Kind Regards once again to you Ana.

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  5. It's great to see Marc's WFD image again, Pete.

    Birk Bank Bog looks like my kind of place to visit.

    I hope your weather is better than ours! Best wishes - - - Richard

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  6. ....By the way Richard, if you ever plan to get up our way in Lancashire please do let me know when.

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