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.

August wildlife

This beauty was one of the wildlife highlights seen during a hectic August at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve.
During the first week we saw an amazing Grayling butterfly as we stopped for lunch at the Pepperpot in Eaves Wood, Silverdale. It was perfectly camouflaged but moved for a split second giving away its position against the limestone where it was hiding.
The second week saw a group of young people enjoying a "Wildlife Discovery Week" which included osprey, marsh harrier and various species of moths as well as learning about the plight of the Sumatran Rainforest
The third week included sightings of 18 little egrets, three spoonbills, an osprey successfully fishing and the kingfisher in the photograph. We also saw stoat and at least ten species of butterfly together with common darter, black darter southern hawker and migrant hawker dragonflies.
The last week was capped off by some magnificent views of red deer and the visit of a great white egret to the Eric Morecambe complex

Butterfly search

This was one of the butterflies seen last week during the brief spell of good weather. Searching for them around Gait Barrows NNR and Arnside Knott we saw Gatekeeper (above) High Brown Fritillary, Brimstone, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Scotch Argus and Ringlet.

RAIN

This has been the view from my window for over FOUR weeks now. Any attempts to enjoy spring or summer have been thwarted by the current spell of wet weather.
I have seen virtually no birds, butterflies or dragonflies. The moth trap at the nature reserve where I work on a volunteer basis is out of order.
I went on a deer watch last night and it was actually fine with sunny periods. We managed to see at least eight Red Deer as well as one female and two juvenile Marsh Harriers and a common sandpiper.
It is raining again today so I have done some ironing and am settling down to watch the golf from Loch Lomond on TV - roll on winter.

Dragons abound

This is a female Black-tailed Skimmer dragonfly. It was flying around on Arnside Knot a couple of weeks ago.

There is currently a survey of dragonflies and damselflies in progress in Lancashire and Greater Manchester which will continue until the end of 2009.

This lovely thing will not be recorded as she was in Cumbria - just outside the recording area.

Anyone in Lancashire or Greater Manchester can take part. Simply click on the link "Dragonfly Atlas Project" which will take you to the website then click on "Taking Part"

Springwatch

Even more exciting than Big Brother on TV at the moment is Springwatch on BBC every weekday evening at 8.00 pm. (As I have never watched 'Big Brother' it isn't really a fair statement). However if you want new life, sex, intrigue, mystery, exploration, stunning locations, death and fratricide watch this programme. Bill Oddie can be hard to take at times but that is more than made up for by Simon King and Kate Humble. All of them are secondary to the wonderful wildlife on view.

Initially interested only in birds my horizons have been widened to include mammals, moths, butterflies and dragonflies - some of which I'm learning to identify. I photographed the Pearl-bordered Fritillary near Leighton Moss RSPB reserve.

As the presenters keep telling us - all this is on our doorsteps in our gardens and local parks as well as the nearby countryside. I'm off to enjoy my local patch

The Duke is flying

This has nothing to do with the so called nobility of any country except to say that this duke is the noblest I have seen. It is a small butterfly called the Duke of Burgundy which normally flies around this time. It can be found on scrubby chalk or limestone outcrops where the foodplant for its caterpillars can be found. I took this photograph on a nature reserve in the north of England.

Loch Garten

I have been to Loch Garten in the Highlands of Scotland helping to monitor the breeding pair of ospreys.

If you want to know their full story look at the RSPB website at www.rspb.org.uk

This was the view of the area used as a lek by male capercaille as they try to impress the females. There was a capercaille watch every morning from 5.30 until 7.30. This was usually well attended and those who came were rewarded with great views of the birds.

On my day off I went north to the Moray Firth. On the way I called in at Lochindorb to see 4 Black-throated Diver. I then arrived at Spey Bay where off-shore I saw more than 300 Long-tailed Duck, over a thousand each of Common and Velvet Scoter, many eider, gannets and terns as well as 4 Red-throated Diver and a fantastic Surf Scoter. On the shore I spotted 2 ringed plover, 3 wheatear, 2 snow bunting, rock pipit, yellowhammer and linnets. Altogether a wondereful days birding.

On my last morning a totally different sight greeted me than the one shown above.The mist had come down making the whole area a place of wonder

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