Sir Tom and sparrowhawks

The month began with very wintery weather all over the UK. At Leighton Moss bitterns and water rail, two of our most shy reedbed birds were showing well out on the ice. During one guided walk no less than four bitterns were seen at once from public hide.

Excitement showed itself on the sporting front when Preston North End were drawn to play at home against Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup. While queueing for my ticket I took the above photo of the "Splash" statue of Sir Tom Finney outside Deepdale.

At home I was in the middle of ironing when I saw this sparrowhawk in a bush in the garden next door. I managed to get the photo before it flew off. Several minutes later I saw it again only this time it was mantling over a small bird it had caught in our garden. While I was in Calder Vale taking part in the winter survey for the BTO atlas my wife noticed a small bird in a flower pot by the garden window. How thrilled she was when she identified it as a Goldcrest, Britain's smallest bird. This was only the third time in 36 years that one had appeared in our garden. We await its return hopefully soon.

The month ended with sadness at the news of deaths within the family and, at the age of 90, of Mr Fred Coulthurst my old form master at Preston Grammar School .

Moths for Breakfast

This is one of the many moths we were able to see at a "Moth Breakfast" event at Leighton Moss on July 20th. We didn't actually eat the moths, merely learned more about them from a number of experts who kindly identified them for us.

Bird wise July is normally a quiet month although a common scoter was seen on Haweswater, a small lake in Gait Barrows NNR where I also saw a Forester moth in a meadow close by.

Excitement was provided by a number of Ringlet butterflies again flying in a meadow at the head of Haweswater, where they were in competition with many meadow brown butterflies.

Scottish holiday 2008

We have just returned from two weeks holiday in Scotland.

The first three nights were spent in Benderloch from where we visited Mallaig, Arisaig and Port Appin.
From there we travelled via the Glen Elg ferry and the Skye Bridge to Knockfarrel which is off the beaten track between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

We stayed here for a week in wonderful weather and from where we travelled in all directions enjoying the Scottish countryside. Our itinerary included visits to Loch Garten and Spey Bay, The Falls of Shin and Inverpolly nature reserve returning via Ullapool and a day trip to Skye with an evening meal in Plockton.

Our final two days involved a visit to Glen Strathfarrar and Glen Affric followed by an exciting morning watching dolphins from Chanonry Point on the Black Isle.

We left the Highlands to spend three nights in Juniper Green near Edinburgh from where we visited the city centre and Botanical gardens.

Our journey home was enhanced by a visit to the Grey Mares Tail (waterfall) and Moffat.

Gwailch Y Pysgod (Welsh ospreys)

I have just returned from two weeks residential volunteering at an Aren't Birds Brilliant site organised by the RSPB. This site, on the River Glaslyn near Prenteg, Porthmadog is the only place you are able to see nesting ospreys in Wales.

These birds were first recorded nesting here in 2004 when they lost both their chicks and have returned each year since, successfully raising two chicks every year. The photograph shows the view from the hide looking towards the trees in which the birds have nested.The site is open daily from 10.00am until 6.00pm.


During my stay accomodation was provided in a two bedroomed caravan complete with lounge, kitchen and bathroom. The caravan site at Aberdunant was a mere 20 minute walk from the public viewing area.


Duties during my first week consisted mainly of showing the birds to the public from the viewing hide where they could use powerful telescopes to view the nest area. Live images were beamed from cameras at the nest site to the visitor centre where they could be viewed on large TV screens.

On Thursday of my first week I visited the protection site and the following day witnessed the first egg being laid. The same day I had already helped to look for the nests of red kite so that someone could ring them.


Saturday saw another partner arrive at the caravan for a week of residential volunteering. We spent much more time at the protection site including two early morning sessions starting at 6.00am. We were rewarded on Monday by the sight of the third and final egg being laid.


Tuesday was our day off which we spent visiting South Stack on Anglesey with a brief visit to Penmon Point on our return journey. The weather was glorious if a little cold but we manages to see many wonderful birds. These included chough, raven, peregrine, kittiwake, fulmar. razorbill, guillemot, puffin, rock pipit, stonechat and wheatear at South Stack and black guillemot, shag, eider and sandwich tern at Penmon.

A return to Glaslyn for our early morning starts at the protection site resulted in views of a second male osprey together with a red kite circling above the nest.

Back at the viewing area we saw a grey seal swimming up the river and finally on Friday afternoon a second female osprey flew over our heads at about 50 feet.

All in all a very exhausting but totally satisfying two weeks engaged in practical conservation was much appreciated.

Another few drops of snow

We are past the middle of February, the snowdrops are out and the weather is said to be warming up.

Lesser celandine are blooming, birds are singing all over the place. Avocet have been seen back in Lancashire at Leighton Moss, Marshside and Martin Mere. Raven are nesting in Warton Crag. The Bittern has started booming (February 12th) Spring is definitely in the air.

Yesterday a chough was seen and photographed at Warton Crag, although I missed it by 10 minutes.

Orkney interlude

My wife and I visited Orkney for the first time this September. We accompanied our daughter who had come over from New Zealand to attend her brother's wedding.

Although we only spent two nights there we found it to be a destination we have to re-visit. There are many amazing places there including Skara Brae, a neolithic village over 5000 years old, and the Circle of Brodgar, a stone circle to rival Stonehenge. These sites coupled with the wildlife and local produce such as Highland Park Single Malt Whisky and Orkney Dark Island draught beer make the Orkney Islands truly wonderful

Wedding

Our son was married at Preston Registry Office on Friday 14th September followed by an informal family meal at the Calderbank Country Hotel, Oakenclough. The day afterwards, Saturday September 15th, the blessing took place at St Lawrence Church, Barton. The reception was held at Tino's Restaurant in Preston.

Friends and family came from Wales, Scotland, USA and New Zealand to celebrate the happy event. The photograph shows the bride and groom with both sets of parents.