Pendle hill again

Its probably too early for dotterel, but I'm using "hill hill hill" as an exercise-machine these days.
Its cheaper than joining a gym. 2 birds to lose one stone eh? OK I need to get some more exercise and lose a few pounds, so I may as well get out birding.
For those of you wondering what the "hill hill hill" reference means ...... Well, pendle hill has even merited a mention on QI (the tv show) as a place that is named 3 times.

eg The phrase Pendle Hill is unusual in that it combines the word for hill from three different languages. In the thirteenth century the hill was mentioned as Pennul or Penhul; apparently from Cumbric pen and Old English hyll, both meaning "hill". The modern English hill was appended later, after the original meaning of Pendle had become opaque.

Hence "hill hill hill". Anyway, I've started tackling the "hill hill hill" from the Downham side. I cant stand saying "hello" to zillions of folks just because it's before 8 in the morning.
There are no dog-walking, hill-running, loud-talking idiots on the Downham side.

Anyway, I got to the top without a defibrillator or having to say "hello", only to be greeted with this.......!!!!!!

The bleedin christians had got there before me!!!!! Interestingly, they had to chain the cross up so that it didnt get nicked.

Anyway, all I saw was lots of mipits, skylarks and no dotterel.

My first chiffchaff (this year) heard at Bamber bridge today.

I stopped in at freckleton marsh, on my travels today. 30-odd species without getting out the van. Not bad but nothing unusual.

Ring Ouzels up Pendle

Another crackin day. Couldn't see pendle hill from my front window today cos of the mist, but I figured that the cloud would soon burn off. I drove round to the pendleside farm layby, and by 9.30, the sun was shining.

I expected wheatear today, but before I even got half way up towards the "quarry", I got an even better sighting. I watched 3 male ring ouzels drop in from high over the hill from the South. They nearly landed on me!!! Calling frequently they proceeded to feed on the path in front of me! Of course, by the time I'd got my tripod and camera set up they'd pinged me and started moving up the hill following the stone wall to the "quarry" area.

I watched them for an hour or so, and then headed up to the summit. Loads of meadow pipits "parachuting" and the odd skylark in full song too. Still too early for dotterel but I'll be up the hill frequently this month anyway.















On the path















On the stonewall at T junction of the wall leading up from the farm.
















Above the "quarry"

I only actually found one wheatear today and that wasn't until I started coming down the steep stonepath. This quite confiding female is the first I've seen this year.

Stocks reservoir

A lovely spring day today at stocks reservoir. I stopped at champion moor about 8.30 and it was alive with the sounds of spring. Curlews bubbling in display flight, skylarks in full song above them. Snipe drumming and lapwing dive-bombing each other. Also saw a red legged partridge on a wall at Black moss farm but no little owls at Shays barn.

Loads of frogs croaking in the spawn-filled pools by the path up to the new hide. The water level was at a nice level for waders but nothing special was to be found.

Teal 20
Mallard 5
Goldeneye 4 f, 1m
RB Merganser 1pr
GC Grebe 1
Wigeon 1m
Moorhen 3
Coot 1
Canada goose 21
Greylag goose 16
Barnacle goose 3
Cormorant 34
GBB gull 2
LBB gull 2
Lapwing 20
Redshank 4
Oystercatcher 6
Grey heron 2

At 10.20am two fishermen walked clumsily up the opposite shore and scared off all the birdlife! I'm having a great time with fishermen this month eh?

Also at stocks today - 2 stoats. 1 in front of the new hide in full summer "plummage", a second on the road at the church half ermine/half brown.

This evening - first pipistrelle bat seen hunting in the back garden.

Firecrest at Stanley park, Blackpool

Woke up to a fine day, sun shining, so decided to nip over to Blackpool to see if I could find the firecrest reported on the Fylde bird club site recently.
As is my bad luck, the weather deteriorated drastically as I headed west. I was surprised on route to find a flock of (circa 20) sand martins flying over the M55 at about junction 3. This is a week earlier than my first sand martins last year.
On arrival at Stanley park, I met David Moreton, who had already located the firecrest. We quickly relocated it, low in the brambles with a few other goldcrests and the odd long-tailed tit.
Of course, in my haste to make the most of a fine day, I left the SLR and videocam at home. So without the right equipment these were the best shots I could manage of this tiny flitting bird.
David and I had a chinwag for a bit and put the world to rights until the cold even put me off the idea of going to see the LEOs at Marton mere. A good day anyway, with frecrest and sandmartin added to my 2009 list.



































I'm certain David has some much better pics than mine, so heres a link to his page -

Dmoreton.co.uk

David, dont hesitate to contact me if you come up Clitheroe way, for the dotterel passage. I'll show you my tawny owl pair, that like to pose in good light.

Red Throated Diver at Foulridge res.

I was on the M65 today, so decided to continue on to Colne to see if I could get a look at the RT diver reported there.

Managed to dodgyscope a few shots from the fishery end until a NIMBY (not in my back yard) fisherman came along in his private reg range rover and told me I was trespassing. If I ever win the lottery, I'll buy up all the reservoirs in Lancs, just to deny these toffs the opportunity.






























I moved on up to the causeway end, which allows a view of another part of the reservoir. Plenty of goosander, canada geese and dancing great crested grebes. Also, 2 pairs of oystercatcher at the top end and a flock of common gulls. Actually, these are my first common gulls this year, so they certainly dont live up to the name "common".

RSPB Barons haugh, Lanarkshire

I was up in Scotland for the rugby at Murrayfield yesterday. I went with 2 Italian friends who flew in for the game. We had a great day with plenty of liquid refreshment. I look forward to visiting Rome next year for the rematch.

Anyway, on the way back, I visited my friend Phil, in Hamilton (my hometown, even though I now live in Lancashire) and we went for a walk to Barons haugh.

Some of my earliest birding memories with the YOC were at Barons Haugh. The pathways are certainly been improved since my first visits 30 years ago! The reserve boasts one for the northernmost nuthatch colonies in the uk, and a population of marsh tits. These are both species that I certainly didnt see here in my youth.


Sightings today were - mute swan, greylag goose, little grebe, tufted duck, mallard, teal, goldeneye, coot, lbb gull, bh gull, grey heron, cormorant, jackdaw, carrion crow, magpie, buzzard, siskin, robin, bullfinch, treecreeper, wren, greenfinch, chaffinch, great tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, woodpigeon, dunnock, blackbird, collard dove & lapwing.

Siskin was the only new sighting for my 2009 list.



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