The Sunday Post!

I had another pleasant visit to the Birk Bank area this week before the weather broke. The wandering wasn't without at least a couple of surprises.

Up to 22 Common Darter were over the bog, with four pairs copulating and ovipositing, also 3 Black Darter were all males, I've yet to find a female here.

It's quite amazing to see the behaviour of these small darters. I don't have the equipment for close up stuff, but I managed to keep these two in the centre of the frame most of the time, though it's a bit hard work keeping up with'em.

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Black Darter Male. Pete Woodruff.

Gaining a bit of elevation off the track to Ottergear Bridge, I was able to look down and see 5 Stonechat amongst and atop of the bracken east of the car park at Rigg Lane, they were seen as a family party of two adults and three juveniles, also a Willow Warbler and later a Chiffchaff seen.

Toad Ottergear Bridge 7 Sept. Pete Woodruff.

I nearly trod on the Toad on the track just west of Ottergear Bridge.

Whenever I arrive at this spot at Birk Bank, I'm often reminded of the only young Cuckoo I ever saw 15 years ago in 2006 - I've never seen one since - it was on the wall being fed by a Meadow Pipit which was dwarfed by the size of the monster Cuckoo. 

Juvenile Cuckoo Birk Bank July 2006. Pete Woodruff.

As I paused at the ford by Cragg Wood, a dragonfly was flighting around for a few minutes refusing to settle, but hovered momentarily, long enough to be identified as a Common Hawker. Approaching the car park off Rigg Lane, 4 Spotted Flycatcher were off passage and flycatching. These four birds follow my first ever seen at this location, 11 years ago 26 August 2010.

Butterflies seen over 4 hours, flat calm and in 24 degrees, the miserable result was 16 Large White, 4 Speckled Wood, 2 Red Admiral, 2 Small Tortoiseshell, and a Small Copper. 

Fungus Finds....

The Blusher Amanita rubescens was found in Lord's Lot woods.

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria found off Rigg Lane.

I've recently found these two Amanita specimens, both of which have unknown quantities of the poison muscarine in them. The Panther Cap is a close relation and is another Amanita, easily confused with others of the same genus, and is on the list of the UK's most deadliest fungi.

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I was pleased to hear from Steve Graham, to say he had paid another visit to Gait Barrows on Tuesday, and found a female Brown Hairstreak laying eggs. Steve told me of his surprise to make this find, he had considered the short flight season for the species had ended, this one is beginning to fade on the underwing. He was also surprised about this record, in that it was found at the southern end of the reserve away from the core area in the north.

Thanks to Steve for the header image of the Brown Hairstreak, and for the egg laying video.

A Breath Of Bowland.

Back for a breath of Bowland on Wednesday, the day was cloudy and a little dull at times, but calm and mild made it pleasant enough.

I had decided to give Hawthornthwaite Fell a little time, and was rewarded by finding a pair of Stonechat, primarily the reason I went up there. Reasonably obvious this was the pair I saw twice this year, on 23 June, and 4 September when they had a young bird accompanying them, the only pair I found on here this year. Also of note here, 13 Red Grouse, and 16 Meadow Pipit chasing off a Kestrel.

I estimated at least 100 Fieldfare in the Cam Brow/Fellside Farm area on my way to spend three hours between Marshaw and Tower Lodge, where I noted just 14 birds of 9 species. I've done notes before on Birds2blog about the scarcity of common birds in an area like - and as good as - this so won't repeat myself again this time.

Dipper David Cookson

Two Dipper were seen flying down the Marshaw Wyre, one in pursuit of the other, a Grey Wagtail was on here too, as was a Grey Heron quietly staring into the water for a meal. Up the track from Tower Lodge, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, and a Jay, a single Blue Tit, Coal Tit, and Great Tit were the only three I saw.

Goldcrest David Cookson

I had an excellent count of 6 Goldcrest flitting through the branches above Tower Lodge. 

A quick look over Blea Tarn Reservoir above Lancaster had me find 2 Pochard drakes, with Mallard and Tufted Duck present.

The Meadow Pipit.

Many of the Meadow Pipits from Britain winter in Iberia, birds from Iceland and Scandinavia also pass through Britain in the autumn, but I was taken by surprise when I saw 16 Meadow Pipit chasing a kestrel above Hawthornthwaite Fell today. Passage of the Meadow Pipit is usually over by mid-October, and any birds I see by November are regarded as wintering birds, very few of which remain in the uplands during the winter months, so what were these birds doing here on Wednesday. I was in touch with Bryan Yorke who himself has noted what he has referred to as late passage Meadow Pipits and is wondering what is going on, he was still recording them on Thursday when 111 went over his visible migration watch-point on Hutton Roof. I was grateful to Bryan for passing on to me his record of a pair of Stonechat on Dalton Crags, hopefully set to winter there.

Fungi.

Fly Agaric. Pete Woodruff.

I found this aged fungi Amanita muscaria at the base of a Pine at Marshaw. The Fly Agaric is poisonous and contains small amounts of muscarine which causes sweat-induced poisoning that may be severe in some cases, though rarely fatal it's definitely not a good idea to eat this fungi.

Thanks to DC for the much appreciated and excellent Dipper and Goldcrest, and to PT for the Fieldfare header.