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

Tuesday 2 July 2019

Harrisend And Lady's Day.

It's over nine weeks since I went on Harrisend Fell 22 April to find no Stonechat. Prior to the April visit I had been on Harrisend on 9 August last year, since when my upland birding has been drastically curtailed for reasons beyond my control. But never mind all that....  

On my latest visit last week, I had just stepped on to the track when I heard two distant clicking pebbles, and soon locked on to a nice male Stonechat. It was a sign of things to come, if only because four more birds followed later, not a remarkable result for three hours, but....mustn't grumble.

I didn't make a count, but at least 30 Meadow Pipit seen, also Willow WarblerBlackbird3 Mistle Thrush, and a Buzzard. Butterflies seen, 14 Painted Lady and 9 Small Heath.


Broad-bodied Chaser Birk Bank. Pete Woodruff.

The plan now was to go to Hawthornthwaite, but a road closure put an end to that idea, so off I went to Birk Bank on a dragonfly hunt....Not a roaring success, but almost one hour staring at the bog - no jokes please - had at least one Broad-bodied Chaser, and a Four-spotted Chaser. Birds seen, a singing male and a female Blackcap, 3 Willow Warbler, a Song Thrush, and juvenile Robin. Butterflies seen, 4 Painted Lady and a Red Admiral, and by a coincidence later in our garden, the same number of 4 Painted Lady and a Red Admiral.


Painted Lady. Cheryl Woodruff.

My tally to date stands at 34 Painted Lady butterflies since the first one seen on 16 June, the influx gathers pace. No apologies for the third image in a row, this one on our garden Hebe....Thanks Cheryl. 

1 comment:

  1. It's taken a while for our dragonfly season to get started in these parts, Pete, but we're getting there now. Your Painted Lady situation seems far better than ours, however - maybe it's because you can't get much further inland in UK than we are!

    My very best wishes - - - Richard

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