OTTERS!!!

This was the scene from Lillians hide at Leighton Moss shortly after two otters had just dived below the surface of the pool.

I was at Leighton Moss helping to lead the group of RSPB Wildlife Explorers who were there learning about spring migration. We had talked about which birds were on their way and where they had come from. We had seen a few swallows and both the male and female Marsh Harriers which had only arrived there a few days before. As we were about to leave we saw a large group of gulls flying over the mere as if they had been disturbed by something. I looked in the water below them and saw the unmistakeable silhouette of two otters swimming quickly from right to left and being mobbed by the gulls. Most people in the hide had excellent views of them as they broke the surface and disappeared several times. They then reached the far side of the pool and disappeared into the reedbed.

We returned to the centre excited at what we had seen and wanting to see more of what Leighton Moss had to offer.

Forest of Bowland AONB

Went walking with my wife up the Dunsop Valley in the Forest of Bowland AONB.

As we set off it was a beautiful sunny spring morning. Above us we saw buzzards, crows and gulls. In the stream there were mallard and in the trees we could hear goldfinch, goldcrest great and blue tits while a party of long-tailed tits flew in front of us.

As we reached the head of the valley a group of birdwatchers walked quickly by on their way to Whitendale farm. I took the left fork of the stream and very soon saw and heard a dipper in the water singing away. I returned to my wife who as observing four oystercatchers in the field close by. As we returned to the village we saw 50 fieldfare in a tree. After a pleasant walk we went for a snack and cup of tea at the Post Office before driving home.

Signs of winter on the first day of spring

I went for my usual walk around Moor Park yesterday. As I went past Deepdale I saw icicles hanging from the statue of Sir Tom Finney. The weather was sunny but cold. Many lesser celandine were pointing their heads towards the sun although most of the daffodils had been "borrowed" for Mother's Day gifts.

Later we went to the area of Winmarleigh where we saw that someone was doing a controlled burn of bracken or heather on the fells around Fairsnape

It's only a game

I went to a football match on Monday to see Preston North End play Southampton. Not unusual but, as I have now reached the ripe old age of 65, it was the first time I had paid the senior citizen rate of £13.00. It was well worth the money.
The first half was awful and we should have ended up at least three goals down. Thanks to a remarkable goalkeeping display by Andrew Lonergan and a gaol in the last minute of the first half we actually went in 1-0 in the lead.
The second half started with Southampton doing most of the attacking which resulted in a goal for the visitors. Our manager soon made a substitution bringing on Patrick Agyemang who tore into the opposition and laid on a pass to David Nugent who scored a wonder goal to take us into the lead. An own goal for the visitors late in the half sealed the points and we returned home happy but wondering how we managed to win the game

Moon gazing

I had decided to go to bed early as I was due to rise at 0500 for a guided walk at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve helping people to identify wildfowl when my son rang to say that there was a total eclipse of the moon so I stayed up hoping to get some photos. Here is one of them.

I did manage to attend the event at Leighton Moss which was thoroughly enjoyable - fine cold weather and many birds on view

A successful day's birding

I set off with my brother today to find some birds to watch. We went north from Preston through Eagland Hill to the Lane Ends Amenity area at Pilling.
Just past Eagland Hill we found a spot where Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Chaffinch and Reed Bunting were feeding.
As we arrived at Lane Ends we saw a number of birdwatchers looking over the saltmarsh. They had spotted a Snow Goose among the Pinkfooted Geese. In front of them on the saltmarsh were two Taiga Bean Geese with another large flock of Pinkfoot. Two Little Egret were also feeding on the marsh with six Barnacle Geese coming to join the others.
Altogether a very pleasant morning watching birds