Mixed Feelings In Bowland!

For starters, my visit to Bowland wouldn't have happened had I known how strong the wind was going to be, a bit of a howler to be honest, and took the edge of what was otherwise a beautiful sunny day. For whatever reason, it turned out to be the wrong day and the wrong time. N'er mind, in the end, a couple of bird species made my day....End of whinge!

Hawthornthwaite.

On Hawthornthwaite, 4 Stonechat seen as 2 pairs started the day on a positive note, 2 Wheatear helped the day along too. It's always good to find birds on territory as opposed to finding them on passage along the coast. Ian Mitchell accompanied me on this trip and he managed the summit, result was a combined count of 24 Meadow Pipit. Also noted in the little black book, a lone Red Grouse, 2 Wren, 4 Oystercatcher, 2 Greylag, and no more than 6 Sand Martin were along Catshaw Grieve.

Marshaw-Tower Lodge-Trough Bridge.

If I go through the negatives first, there were some disappointments about the  trundle from Marshaw through to Trough Bridge. Not a single Common Sandpiper seen, and no Willow Warbler heard let alone seen. On the brighter and more positive side, a Dipper and 4 Grey Wagtail were seen along the Marshaw Wyre.

Pied Flycatcher Bowland 29 April. Ian Mitchell.

The positives reached a peak when 3 Pied Flycatcher were found, always a better experience seeing these birds tree nesting as opposed to purpose built nest boxes, my records read probably two breeding pairs here today....I'm convinced my next visit to this area of Bowland in a couple of weeks, will produce a much better all round result, and certainly more flycatcher species seen.

Birk Bank.

Large Red Damselfly female colour form typica. Ian Mitchell.

 

The hope of some shelter from the wind was wishful thinking, a look in on the bog at Birk Bank, at least gave a Large Red Damselfly. Now we are into May, things will pick up on the dragon front.

I met Steve Ed at Birk Bank, he was photographing some bees I had seen a little earlier. One of the bees was a Lathbury's Nomada Bee.

Nomada lathburiana Steve Ed

This Nomada is a cleptoparasite of the Ashy Mining-Bee, its only host in Britain.

Andrena cineraria Steve Ed

The Ashy Mining-Bee is one of the most robust and distinctive mining bees in Lancashire. I love the ashy-grey appearance and the shiny black abdomen of one of my favourite bees.

Miscellany. 

On the way along the path to the bog at Birk Bank, a Slow Worn seemed to be making little progress on the dry path, until it reached the grass.

Five Greylag goslings were making their way toward us, eventually reaching the boardwalk, then wandered off through a field...No adult birds in sight!

Pond Skater. Ian Mitchell.

Ian got this excellent image of the appropriately named Pond Skater with its ability to skate on water.

The Header.

Martin Jump's header of the Lapwing has no immediate connection with this post, but I love pictures with a difference and this one fits perfectly into that category....Excellent and thanks to Martin.

Third Time Lucky!

With the good company of Steve Graham, I made my third circuit of the surrounding area of Birk Bank in three weeks, with the perspective two pairs of eyes are better than one.

At the top end of the numbers scale and with song in our ears throughout, at least 50 Willow Warbler was impressive, whilst at the bottom of the scale, 3 Meadow Pipit was to say the least unimpressive, but only added to my list of 18 Meadow Pipit seen in 5 visits to Bowland during the month of April.

Two Cuckoo were heard, one sounded to be around Baines Cragg, the other on the top of Birk Bank, an area where the Cuckoo is annual.  

Throughout the walk between Rigg Lane and Cragg Wood, Bullfinch heard in the car Park and the area around Rushy Lea, I've seen Bullfinch before at both these areas. Other birds seen/heard to reaching Cragg Wood, 6 Blackcap were singing males, a Chiffchaff, 3 Mistle Thrush, 2 Song Thrush, Stock Dove, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Robin, and Wren, a Buzzard overhead was the only raptor of the day.

At Cragg Wood, a Garden Warbler singing on territory - 100% volume needed to hear the bird in the video - was almost certainly the early bird I found here on 9 April. Also noted here, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Greenfinch and Swallow.

Along the lower path below Birk Bank, just the one Red Grouse, and 3 Stonechat were seen as a pair and male, having my records to read, possibly 2 pairs of Stonechat breeding this year below Birk Bank, future visits might confirm that.

Butterflies.

A small number of uncounted Orange Tip and Small/Large White, 4 Specked Wood, 3 Green-veined White, 3 Green Hairstreak, and 2 Peacock.

Damselfly.

Large Red Damselfly. Pete Woodruff.

Seven Large Red Damselfly were all seen on Bilberry from the path to the bog.

On leaving Birk Bank bog, the day ended with the scarce sighting of a Slow Worm as it disappeared in the undergrowth.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for his excellent image of the Large Red Damselfly.