Hen harrier chicks

Here is the presentation area at the Bowland visitor centre. It was very busy today, probably cos the rain chased people into the centre. Time flew by, probably a good thing as I'm on duty next Sat and Sun.
























The four (remaining) chicks put on a good display with mum getting off them every time a large group arrived at the centre. 2 meadow pipits, 1 very small rabbit and 1 "dunno" were the meals that were fed to the chicks. The "dunno" had obviously been half eaten by the male bird and was thus unrecognisable.

















Here is the latest youtube video upload.




I met another birding couple of the surname Mitchell who seemed enthusiastic to visit "Twitch with Mitch" as their namesake. Its quite nice just to sit at the centre discussing the harriers and any other birding subjects that come up.

The feeders at the back of the centre are empty, but still attracted this field vole.


















I went for a walk around this morning but failed to find anything new for my uk 08 list
I was hoping for crossbill or even a redstart or tree pipit.

Other news

I got a snap of our bald robin at last, poor thing! I think its a female and has probably bred this year!


















Loads of starlings have taken over the garden with their young......









































.......and Treakle has also been wading through the red campion, buttercups and speedwell to visit the tawny owls in the corner.

























Also, Jill saw a fox at the cattle grid the other night and Tony told me he saw and heard a cuckoo in the back field (dead tree) whilst I was at work last week.

Rain at last

Well, at last we get some water for the garden, and while I was at work as well. Perfect! I hate being stuck in the factory when its lovely weather outside.

Anyway just saw in the news that we have some competition. Another Hen harrier nest is getting some attention. Anyone would think they are a common English bird!

Heres the link to the 6 chicks of the Northumberland Harriers

......but heres our Bowland hen harriers on video!

Hen harrier project info

Its been warm with no rain for about 2 weeks now, the garden could really do with a drink as my rainwater collecting butts are nearly empty.
No new bird species this weekend, very windy, not great conditions for birding.

Red, blue and blue-tailed damselflies around the ponds now but still very few butterflies.
I saw a dead rook fledgeling on the road at Clitheroe golf club. Bad place to build a rookery.....over a busy road. Also, a dead fox cub on Whalley road too.

Heres a link to my local newpapers first Hen harrier press release, and heres the link to the daily blog that should be giving daily updates soon - Hen harrier blog

My first duty as volunteer presenter is on Sunday June 1st.

Beer fest hangover

Having been to the Clitheroe beer festival yesterday, I was in no fit state to go walking far-afield.
I decided to take a leisurely stroll over to the railway wood in Barrow.
Spotted flycatchers are usually found here and this year was no exception. Difficult to get a shot of the blighters though, as they don't stay still for long.

(as usual, click on photos to enlarge)


















Saw my first Speckled wood butterfly of the year today. Its been a pretty thin year for butterflies so far. Mostly whites, a few orange-tips, but very few peacocks, torts or admirals.

Saw my first damselfly of the year too, this blue-tailed.

















Jill found a great diving beetle whilst we were gardening . It was dead, but very interesting to get to see a big one like this close-up.

Just a single tawny owl in the back-field still. Hopefully the other is in my owl box incubating!
I cant always get pics like last weeks post.
The following pic is usually all I can see of the owl roosting.
























I have 5 nestboxes occupied by blue tits and 1 by great tits this year. These ones have been using sheep wool for building and the pair at the back pond have been using duck feathers.












































The coal tits have nested, but didnt use the box that I made for them. I drilled a slightly smaller hole for the coal tits.
Hole size doesnt seem too important to tits though, this one was using a woodpecker nesthole!



















I also found a nuthatch nest-hole today, with very noisy young inside.

The countryside has really turned green this week. Much more foliage on the trees, and this has brought back my tawny owls!!! I havent seen them since Nov 5th. Probably got scared off by all the fireworks. They are roosting near my nestbox again, or have they really sneakily bred in it?

















I watched the pair from April last year and they didnt seem to produce any young. The owlets are quite conspicuous when they are "branching", so I think I'd notice.
Perhaps I've got a infertile pair.
Glad to have them back on my patch. Todays sighting makes them species number 135 on my UK '08 list

Hen harrier training

I will be one of the presenter/interpreters working at beacon fell, over the next 10 weeks or so.
We have a webcam on a Hen harrier nest and will be showing footage at the beacon fell centre.

RSPB, Natural England, united utilities and LCC countryside ranger service are all in cahoots for this project.

So today, we went out for a look in the Bowland area. It is no secret that many raptors breed in the forest of Bowland but I wont be specific about the nest locations.

The following photo is of a male HH taken from about 2 miles away. Although dodgyscoping doesnt do it justice, we did have fantastic views as the male did an ariel food-pass to the sitting female.
















Taken at a much shorter range, this willow warbler had no other trees to fly to.

















2 male Cuckoos were calling, and I managed to get a glass to one bird. Terrible shot but obviously a cuckoo.
















The ubiquitous red grouse surrounded me at all times in the midday heat.































Other moorland birds seen today (and new for my yearlist) were

Whinchat......


















and Peregrine falcon
















Ring ouzel and grasshopper warbler were heard, but not seen.

Alton towers birdwatching?

Well, not the reason for the trip obviously, but I was amazed how so many normally shy birds, are just getting on with it, in the theme park!
We got 2 free entry tickets from "the sun" newspaper. I dont read the sun, but Wayne at work collected the tokens for me. He doesnt like roller-coasters. Should have been £35 each to get in!

We went on the new "RITA" ride that goes 0-100mph in 2.5 seconds! Heres a pic of that ride, and then a pic of us on it!






































Anyway this is my birding blog, so check out this moorhen (and babies) nesting amongst the spitting frogs.

Not bovvered!

















Mallards, GC grebes and greylag geese had all breed successfully too!




















































A grey wagtail had even nested inside one of the tunnels on the "Nemesis" ride! As we queued, we could see it darting in and out between thundering coasters!

This female tuftie was very bold,
















as was this wood duck (which I wont be counting on my yearlist)

















Lots of blackcaps, willow warbs and chiffchaff heard on the grounds too.

A great day out was had!