Twice Round The Block!

During the week I managed a couple of blasts through Williamson's Park and Lancaster Cemetery. This turned out to be another one of my good ideas as I was rewarded with the latest sighting of 4 Bullfinch here again, seen as two male and female. This is my fourth sighting of Bullfinch in Lancaster Cemetery since I found five on 30 October 2014, whilst noting as in Bowland, I've never found Bullfinch here during the breeding season starting late April.

Canadian Maple In Williamson's Park. Pete Woodruff.

Also of note in the park, 2 Jay, Nuthatch, Goldcrest, and Wren, 3 Coal Tit, at least 16 Blackbird, 12 Wood Pigeon, 8 Magpie, and with 6 Chaffinch on beech mast I was hoping to find a Brambling....wishful thinking!

Red Admiral 19 October. Pete Woodruff. 

On the two visits I saw 7 Red Admiral, they were seen as five in Williamson's Park, and two in Lancaster Cemetery....Have you seen the one on Ivy top left of the frame?

Pintail Anus acuta....In our recording area, the Pintail is a passage migrant and winter visitor.

The header image is of 20 Pintail>south off Plover Scar. This is significant in that I'd say it's the first record of such a number at Cockersand in many a year, I've never recorded the species here to date, and I regard the Pintail on the Lune Estuary at best scarce. In my records, 2 female on Conder Pool 25 October 2019 were the first there and not since.

Thanks to Martin Jump for his excellent record breaking image.   

Top Ten On Harrisend.

Weatherwise the day started well on Thursday, but by midday it turned cloudy eventually becoming drizzle for a spell in the afternoon with a cold wind, not the day I had hoped for.

But the inclement weather didn't succeed in putting the damper on my visit to Harrisend. By the time I took this photograph of the view toward Clougha almost hidden in the murk, I had found a perfect 10 Stonechat looking set to winter here.

I love this image of the stunning male Stonechat, it takes me back to the moment where and when I found the bird isolated on the remains of the old lone Hawthorn.

This male Stonechat was amongst the gorse where there was another surprise find, in and out of the gorse was a Coal Tit. Unexpected, I never thought I'd find a Coal Tit on moorland, being a woodland bird, preferring conifers particularly spruce, also a regular garden visitor. Just 2 Red Grouse seen, with no Raven or Buzzard seen, as opposed to a mix of 6/8) seen here 6 October.

I came across this Dusky Puffball Lycoperdon nigrescens on Harrisend. This fungi rarely occurs in large number, is found in acid coniferous woodland and on heathland, and is regarded as suspect and inedible. 

A comparatively short visit to Hawthornthwaite had me finding 14 Red Grouse, and a Wren skulking amongst the heather.

Thinking I was going to draw another blank as I had on 6 October, I was five minutes away from the end of the visit, when I came across a pair of Stonechat, the male being in the short 30sec footage above.

Garden Birds and Moths.

I was grateful as ever that Mike and Ian were in touch with news and images from their respective Lancaster gardens recently.

Brambling Male. Mike Atkinson.

Sparrowhawk Juvenile. Mike Atkinson.

Feathered Thorn. Ian Mitchell.

Merveille du Jour....Wonder Of The Day.

Merveille du Jour. Ian Mitchell.

One of the most beautiful of UK moths, with a brilliant name to match.

Thanks to Bob Bushell for his excellent header image of the Redwing.

High As A Kite!

Hard to believe I didn't get up Hawthornthwaite Fell this summer, the last and only time I was there was 22 April when I found none, but I derived great pleasure in finding 3 Stonechat at Hawthornthwaite yesterday, also a decent count of 22 Red Grouse and a Wren to note.

Red Kite Noushka @ 1000-Pattes Clik the pik

As I reached to top of the hill at Cam Brow, turning a bend I was confronted by a large raptor on a carcass in the road, the bird took off the minute it saw the car and flew north toward Abbeystead. I pulled off the road to walk back to see if I could find the bird, but it had disappeared, but soon came into view again flying south towards Hawthornthwaite Fell, it was a Red Kite. I'm grateful to Noushka for the excellent image of this stunning bird. 

At least 100 Chaffinch seen today. Walking up the track toward White Moor from Tower Lodge, c.40 were up and down out of the trees and onto the track, I found just 2 Brambling with them. Later another flock of at least 60 seen in the road east of Tower Lodge, this time up and down between the traffic with just one Brambling seen with them.

Good numbers in excess of 200 Fieldfare seen on the day, with estimates of at least 40 at Isle of Skye Farm, probably 100 at Fellside Farm seen from a moving car, and 70 in the Tower Lodge area. A Dipper was the only bird seen on the Marshaw Wyre. 

Marshaw Wyre Bowland. Pete Woodruff. Clik the pik 

Happy Days.

Black-throated Diver. Martin Lofgren @ Wild Bird Gallery 

As a mega for the location, I had to twitch the Blea Tarn Reservoir juvenile Black-throated Diver yesterday, after all it's on my doorstep, well about a mile away anyhow, and with a little elevation over the reservoir from the track to Middle Langthwaite Farm, the bird gave good views, and at one point obliged by keeping still whilst preening....Nice.

Smew. Jan Larsson @ Vingspann  

The perfect example of 'right place, right time' to find the mega diver there, and reminded me of a visit I paid to this very same reservoir 25 years ago on 5 March 1993, when I called there on my way to do my Saturday bit in the days of delivering car parts, to find a stunning drake Smew there, a scarce if not rare sight in our area today. 

Another record I came across, was that of up to 300 finches seen on 5 December 1995, my record reads....'A flock of Chaffinch and Brambling held up to 300 birds found below a Beech at Levens Bridge in Cumbria, the greater majority of this flock was of up to 250 Brambling with Chaffinch'....They were seen in a year when the beech mast crop was excellent, and when I had found eleven mostly local Brambling locations....Happy Days. 

Thanks to Martin and Jan for the excellent photographs.

Big Day....Follows Big Dip.

Hen Harrier Simon Hawtin

On Thursday I had the good fortune to witness the unexpected, one of the features of birding that keeps us all pressing on, though if I'm going to be honest this is one of the last places on earth I wanted to see a ringtail Hen Harrier. 

A perfect days birding for me, well it would be perfect wouldn't it 'cos I found 5 Stonechat on the west side of Hawthornthwaite, they were seen as 3 male and 2 female, I suspect three pairs wintering on here at the moment, though if there are, the third female escaped me....I'll be back to check this out early next year. Also on the fell, at least 17 Red Grouse, and a Kestrel perched in a tree at Cam Brow as I drove away from here.

Stonechat Martin Jump  

On the east side of Hawthornthwaite I found another pair of Stonechat wintering up here, with 6 Red Grouse, and a Wren seen, 4 Mistle Thrush were together at Marshaw.

I was running out of time and daylight, but before I did, a wander up the track by the plantation behind Tower Lodge proved fruitful, with a flock of at least 18 Long-tailed Tit accompanied by 8 Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, and a Coal Tit.

A rewarding visit to Bowland in my book, if I can get 7 Stonechat and a Hen Harrier as a massive bonus on the same day, that's good enough for me....A Big Day.

Thanks for the image of the Hen Harrier Simon, also thanks for the Stonechats Martin, and to Warren for the Brambling header....More excellent photographs.

Bowland Birds....Well Sumovem!

The decent weather continued on Tuesday - though we've said goodbye to the best of it since - and I decided it was perfect for another peruse in Bowland to see if I could find any more Stonechat looking set to winter up there, also with a hope to see winter thrushes, and anything else I could find.

Autumn Beech. Pete Woodruff.

There are some brilliant trees on the stretch between Marshaw and beyond Trough Bridge, not least the Beech which are looking spectacular with their stunning autumn leaves.

On a wander through this area to the fringe of Winfold Fell, 8 Robin and a number of Chaffinch along the route were notable, a Dipper and Grey Wagtail were on the Marshaw Wyre. Up the track behind Tower Lodge, a Jay called, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit and a Song Thrush were seen, with a Sparrowhawk drifting overhead and 2 Buzzard  were together soaring and mewing. 

Brambling. Noushka Dufort @ 1000-Pattes

When I got back down to the Trough Road, I saw four birds go into a tree, when I got on to them briefly they were 4 Brambling which promptly flew out of the tree from the backside and I lost them.

As I went on to the track to Winfold Fell at least 120 Fieldfare came up out of the heather to drop back down further up the fell, 2 Red Grouse exploded out of the heather with their usual bouncing bark, and a Wren seen.

It was good to find 3 Stonechat at the lower end of Hawthornthwaite Fell, giving reason to suspect two pairs set to winter here. I had found 13 Red Grouse within the first 30 minutes on here, with 4 Wren seen one of which was seeing another off, 2 Raven were overhead. 

It didn't matter that the list only reached 20 species in a four hour Bowland trawl, there's nothing unusual about that, my notes read it was enjoyable and rewarding for the birds seen, whilst noting the birds I didn't see.

Thanks for the Brambling Noushka, much appreciated.  

Looking Back.

Yesterday I made some attempt, getting an hour in the Conder Green area, then spent two hours sat in a car watching squall after squall at Cockersands whilst staring out to sea to see if any wind blown strays were in the area, before throwing in the towel and going home to do an interesting back date search through my records to compare some bygone November birds.

Grey Phalarope. Martin Lofgren @ Wild Bird Gallery  

2005.

I was surprised to find it was 10 years ago since I found the Grey Phalarope at Heysham on 5 Nov, the bird was between the old wooden jetty and number one outfall, a juvenile Arctic Tern and 2 adult Little Gull were also present. On 17 Nov 15  Stonechat and 13 Wren were both good counts at Clougha/Birk Bank, not sure when - if ever - we will get these numbers of Stonechat back up here again in summer let alone 15 in November.

2006.

On 9 Nov 12 Brambling were at Tower Lodge, not an easy bird to locate recently, and a Hen Harrier was on Hawthornthwaite Fell on 13 Nov, a sighting which gives the feeling today of something like a miracle has happened.

2007.

Three Jack Snipe were at Conder Green 16 Nov, and 3 Scaup there throughout November on Conder Pool.

2008.

Three Short-eared Owl were at Bradshaw Lane 12 Nov. A widespread arrival had me see 19 Waxwing at Levens 14 Nov, a Long-tailed Duck was at Conder Green 18 Nov, this bird was present here for around a week, a Snow Bunting was at Jubilee Tower 24 Nov, and 2 Cattle Egret at Milnthorpe 15 Nov.

2009. 

Slavonian Grebe Jan Larsson 

On 3 Nov I got my share of the Slavonian Grebe on Pine Lake for almost two months, 4 Snow Geese were on the Eric Morecambe complex 3 Nov, they were regarded as the same birds on Aldcliffe Marsh which I saw myself there on 27 Nov, and I found a Black Redstart at Cockersands 9 Nov, the bird was on the roof tops at Bank Houses.

2010.

In the Tower Lodge area in Bowland I found up to 80 Brambling on 10 Nov, and on 19 Nov I saw 20 Waxwing at Silverdale. 

2013.

On Fluke Hall Lane I saw 3 Curlew Sandpiper on the late date of 13 Nov, on the same day I saw another Curlew Sandpiper at Cockers Dyke, with 95 Twite also a good count here. 

2014.

A Snow Bunting was on Plover Scar at Cockersands 10 Nov, and 150 Twite were at Cockers Dyke.

2015.

In the middle of the month this year, I've had no sign of anything like this quality of November birds, but I'm keeping the faith and....here's hoping!

Many thanks to Martin and Jan for their images of the brilliant phalarope and grebe.

A Bit Of Buzz In Bowland....

....with Saxicola to make my day, Turdus, and Fringillidae. 

Making the best of a brilliant sunny and calm day I was off into Bowland on Wednesday, parked the motor up on the west side of Hawthornthwaite Fell, and off up the track for the first time since 17 June when I found just one pair of Stonechat. With no young seen on this date in mid June I made no other visits here and as I see it no breeding Stonechat on the west side of this fell in 2014.

Stonechat  Martin Jump 

But I was on the track up Hawthornthwaite only five minutes when I spotted a distant male Stonechat soon followed by a female, but a trundle to the top of the fell brought my excitement level down and I found no more, though to be honest I didn't expect to, after all it's the first week of November, but at least I found one pair likely to be wintering here which is what I had hoped for.

Whilst I was at the top of the fell a sight to epitomise the silent wilderness and the birds of Bowland was in the form of 7 Buzzard soaring together which turned into an even greater spectacle when a Peregrine Falcon flew through the seven, a Kestrel was over a few minutes later, and by the time I reached the bottom again I had seen 17 Red Grouse.

Cam Brow. Copy Permitted.

I had seen what was obviously a large number of 'thrushes' coming down into a field on the north side of Fellside Farm as I descended Hawthornthwaite Fell. But I had earlier predicted what I might possibly find in the berry laden area of Cam Brow where I eventually estimated at least 300 Fieldfare. 

Brambling Jan Larsson  

A couple of hours raking around in the Tower Lodge area resulted in 4 Brambling found, they were with three groups totalling up to 50 Chaffinch. Also noted just seven other species, 7 Coal Tit, a Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Robin, Dunnock, and Wren.

Red Grouse Brian Rafferty  

The decision to round off the day by giving the bottom track at Birk Bank a couple of hours was a wise decision rewarded by another pair of Stonechat found on the north side over Ottergear Bridge, with 11 Red Grouse noted.

Bowland Autumn. Pete Woodruff.

Some beautiful autumn colours on show in Bowland on Wednesday too.

Thanks for the 'Picture Gallery' to Martin/Jan/Brian, they are much appreciated and all 'clik the pik' quality. 

Starting At The End.

Friday followed 12 March for being a good day to get myself back to Bowland with some long sunny spells on offer.

Surprised to find it was 11 months since last on Harrisend Fell on 7 May 2013, and having found no Stonechat there I abandoned any hope of their return there for another year, I started off there on Friday. The bad news is that I again found none, another visit there in May with the same result and I will abandon Harrisend once again as another year the Stonechat didn't return. Whilst on Harrisend I counted at least 28 Meadow Pipit, 4 Linnet, 3 Raven, a Buzzard, Kestrel, and 5 Peacock butterflies.

Fellside Farm at the foot of Hawthornthwaite Fell. Pete Woodruff.

With other plans in mind I gave Hawthornthwaite a look over the bottom half and found the pair of Stonechat seen here a month ago on 12 March, so a little hope of some breeding here with the one pair at least. Also into the little black book, 10 Meadow Pipit, a Wren, 3 Red Grouse, a Buzzard, with Curlew, Lapwing, and Oystercatcher noted, and 2 Peacock.

Jay Noushka Dufort 

A wander for a couple of hours from Marshaw to Tower Lodge gave 4 Grey Wagtail to brighten things upon the Wyre, smart birds and a close second to the Yellow Wagtail. Also of note, 2 Jay, a Coal Tit, and another Peacock was the sum total for my efforts. Calling in at Abbeystead on the way to Lancaster to see if the Brambling might still be around I saw a nice Song Thrush collecting a beak full of worms and obviously breeding close by. 

Some excellent news gratefully recieved from my man in Bowland with 8 Stonechat seen at Langden on Friday, and 2 pairs at Croasdale yesterday. It was good to see Eric, Andrew, and Nicole out and about in Bowland on Friday.

Dipper. John Darbyshire.

The River Wyre.

As on the 12 March, I noted no Dipper seen on the Marshaw Wyre again today.

The River Wyre is located in the county of Lancashire and joins the Irish Sea at Fleetwood. The river is 22 miles long and is the longest river in England it's estuary can be seen from its source in the Forest of Bowland. I have only seen a small section of the river today in the Marshaw/Tower Lodge area, but throughout the rivers length it is a mix of fresh and salt water and is home to a varied population of fish including barbel, eels, perch, roach, sea trout and salmon. A wide selection of trees grow along the banks of the River Wyre including ash, oak, hazel and willow, it is also home to some rare plants and animals and is designated as a County Biological Heritage Site. 

Thanks to Noushka for the Jay, and to John for the Dipper.

Well That Was A Good Idea Mr Woodruff.

OK it's only mid-March but I decided yesterday was too nice a day for anything else but to get myself back to Bowland for some upland birds. Going up Hawthornthwaite on the west side for two hours, and the east side for two more hours, followed by a couple of hours from Marshaw to Tower Lodge I recorded just 16 species. 

Well there's a lot to be said about 'upland birds/birding' but I'll keep it brief this time as I've made comments on this Bowland experience at least once before, this time you can draw your own conclusions about 16 species and barely 60 birds - 30 of which were Red Grouse/Brambling - seen in 6 hours birding on the uplands of the Forest of Bowland....I've drawn mine.

Stonechat Marc Heath

It actually started off 'A Good Idea Mr Woodruff' to get back up here, if only because after not many minutes on the west side of Hawthornthwaite I found a pair of Stonechat....well Alleluia to that. But the elation didn't last very long and they were the only pair found in the entire six hours, and they - and 10 Brambling seen at Abbeystead - are the only birds to appear highlighted in this post, the other 14 species are listed below. It's worth noting how low some of the figures are, I saw no Lapwing or Curlew in the area covered on the west side of Hawthornthwaite Fell, and just 3 Curlew on the east side.

Red Grouse Brian Rafferty

Red Grouse 18

Mistle Thrush  6

Lapwing          6

Meadow Pipit 4

Curlew             3

Grey Wagtail  3

Snipe

Chaffinch

Great Tit

Coal Tit

Blackbird 

Robin

Nuthatch

Buzzard

Thanks to Marc and Brian respectfully for the brilliant female Stonechat and the smart male Red Grouse.

Buzzin' In 2013 Part 2.

More selected sightings which kept me buzzing - and my passion growing - during the second half of 2013 from July onwards....most found/my own records but (*) I went to see.

July.

5. 4 Stonechat White Greet.

12. Common Sandpiper Blea Tarn Reservoir.

17. Bonaparte's Gull Heysham Harbour *

22.17 Common Sandpiper (peak count).

22. Painted Lady Cockersands.

24. Curlew Sandpiper Conder Green (scarce adult summer plumage). 

31. 3 Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool (juveniles).

August.

7. Painted Lady Clougha (my second of only two sightings this year).

8. 19 Whimbrel Cockersands.

Whimbrel Martin Lofgren

September.

9. 20 Wheatear Cockersands.

10. 5 Curlew Sandpiper Cockersands.

October.

29. Firecrest Heysham Harbour * 

November.

13. 3 Curlew Sandpiper Fluke Hall Lane (late record in stubble field).

13. c.95 Twite Cockers Dyke area.
19. 15 Bewick's Swan LEGD.

22. 3 Brambling Plantation Lane Abbeystead (scarce this winter).
25. 16 Bewick's Swan Cockersands.

Bewick's Swan Marc Heath 

December.

3. 75 Goldeneye LEGD (peak count this winter).

17. c.450 Black-tailed Godwit LEGD (a good count but only half the number counted on 19 March).

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE TWO WIDGETS BELOW HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY ON TO THIS POST, THEY DON'T APPEAR IN THE DRAFT AND SO I'M UNABLE TO DELETE THEM.

Buzzin' In 2013.

Some selected sightings which kept me buzzing - and my passion growing - during the first half of 2013....most found/my own records but (*) I went to see.

January.

9. 8 Waxwing Conder Green.

15. Snow Bunting Cockersands 

16. c. 20 Siskin Bailrigg.

18. 2 Stonechat Freemans Pools perimeter fence. (An excellent winter record).

29.14 Bewick's Swan Jeremy Lane.

Siskin Richard Pegler

February.

6. c.700 Bar-tailed Godwit Lune Estuary Glasson Dock (LEGD).

6. Smew 'redhead' Freemans Pools *

7. Chiffchaff Fluke Hall.

13. Spoonbill LEGD * 

13. c.600 Black-tailed Godwit LEGD.

17. 2 Stonechat Rossall Point.

18. c.80 Goldeneye LEGD (Peak Count).

19. c.290 Whooper Swan Moss Lane Cockersands (an excellent count).

Chiffchaff Antonio Puigg

March.

8. 3 Lesser Redpoll Stodday.

19. c.850 Black-tailed Godwit LEGD (unprecedented count here).

19. Avocet Cocker Channel.

26. 2 Pintail LEGD (rare here).

26. Stonechat (female) Cockersands.

28. Stonechat (male) Cockersands.

28. 2 Wheatear Cockersands (my first of the year). 

April.

2. 2 Little Ringed Plover Conder Pool.

3. Jack Snipe Conder Pool *

8. 6 Siskin (our garden).

12. Water Pipit Conder Green *

16. Dotterel Cockersands.

Dotterel David Cookson

May.

29. Scaup Conder Pool.

June.

5. 2 - possibly 3 - Cuckoo Tower Lodge area.

7. 2 Cuckoo Cross of Greet.

7. 4 Whinchat Bloe Greet.

17. 5 Little Ringed Plover River Lune Bull Beck.

19. Osprey Public Hide Leighton Moss (almost certainly a Foulshaw Moss breeder).

A Bowland Bash.

Not a big bash, but a look in on one or two locations in Bowland with BT on Friday which started off quite interesting but soon fizzled out to nothing. We first pulled up at Blea Tarn Reservoir where I noted a single Goldeneye and 20 Wigeon. 

Brambling Astland Photography 

The interesting bit was a stroll on Plantation Lane, a beech lined road for about a quarter of a mile and found 4 Brambling with Chaffinch, at least 3 Nuthatch, a Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Great Tit, several Blue Tit were of note, with 3 Buzzard soaring overhead. At Stoops Bridge in Abbeystead, 3 Long-tailed Tit seen and c.45 Greylag over.

Buzzard Antonio Puigg

By now the day had 'fizzled out' and we spent little more than 15 minutes at Tower Lodge where 2 Buzzard went over, and a trip over the hill from here to Langden proved to be the road to nowhere and BT dropped me off back home again just after 3.00pm. To be realistic, hardly front line birding, but it was nice if cold up there today.

During a couple of periods we went different ways, BT claims 2 Siskin at Stoops Bridge, and 5 Buzzard over Plantation Lane.

Thanks to Antonio, Susan and Peter (Astland Photography) for the images.