Sloth days at the van

Meadow Pipits, Cross O'Greet

Lady's Slipper Orchid, Silverdale

Cross O'Greet - the Ring Ouzel was in there somewhere

Redshank, Abbeystead

Juvenile Redshank

Juvenile Oystercatcher with mum

What time is tea mum?

Dad lays down the law....

Juvenile Curlew

Juvenile Lapwing, Abbeystead

Little Ringed Plover, Caton

Common Sandpiper, Caton

Oystercatchers with threat display to the neighbours, Caton

Sleeping Oystercatcher

Pied Wagtail, Halton

Greylag family, Caton

Dipper, Halton

Carrion Crow, Halton

Black-tailed Godwits at Leighton Moss

The rest of the week we spent at COL. Most days followed a similar pattern – sleep, take Bill for a walk by the Lune, sleep some more and then go to bed! The various walks by the Lune did produce some interesting stuff though.
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On Wednesday morning we walked up the Lune from Bull Beck towards Claughton. Virtually the first bird I found was a Lesser Whitethroat singing in the hedge by the path from the car park. A pair of Common Sandpipers were flitting around the water’s edge opposite something that resembles a corrugated iron bus stop on the river bank! Further up in their usual place another pair were feeding two juveniles while a pair of Little Ringed Plovers patrolled the shingle bank. Three male Garden Warblers (relatively new) were singing in the bushes on the far bank while the place seemed to be lifting with Oystercatchers and Greylag Geese. In the evening I took Bill down to the river by Crook O’Lune picnic site and sat and watched the Sand Martins darting in and out of their nest holes. A Kingfisher flew down river.
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On Thursday morning we did the usual walk from Halton Mills Weir towards CO’L. As yesterday three new Garden Warblers were found along this stretch – two singing and one observed well in a bush. A female Goosander was asleep on the top of the weir (they seem to like this particular spot) while a Kingfisher flew up river just above the weir. There was no sign of the Dipper though there were plenty of other warblers plus a family of Grey Wags. I think it was too hot to do much and even the birds seemed to be in a can’t be arsed mode!
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In the afternoon there were six Buzzards in the air at the same time around the van. In the evening I went back to the Bull Beck walk. I thought I heard the Lesser Whitethroat briefly and a new Garden Warbler was singing. The walk was rather ruined by a) lots of kids building camp fires where the waders usually hang out and b) a herd of bullocks that decided to chase Billy. In his prime I am sure he would have run rings around them, however since his illness he can’t run at all and I ended up having to nip over a fence with him to get away from the curious beasties.
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On the Friday I decided to take Bill on a proper birding day and we started at Tower Lodge, Marshaw. The little plantation held various finches – at least 9 Lesser Redpolls and 7+ Siskins were seen and the woodland was very noisy with bird song. I eventually found a Spotted Flycatcher – there could have been more but I couldn’t rule out the same bird keep popping up every time I turned round. A Common Sandpiper was creeping up the beck and I also found a male Redstart in one of the pines.
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Next stop was my first visit to Cross O’Greet. It was a nice walk up the fell side to the shooting huts (thanks for the tip Mr Woosey) though it was bloody hot and the heat haze was problematic to say the least. Meadow Pipits seem to be everywhere and a Cuckoo constantly called back down the valley. At the huts we just sat down and watched the birds flitting around. I soon heard the contact call of a Ring Ouzel (had been brushing up on bird calls on the way over!) and I soon found a male high up on the hillside. He showed well on a couple of occasions before disappearing. I next picked up the songs of two male Winchats – one was found and I watched him for at least half an hour. The other bird I never did see though it clearly wasn’t far away. A family party of five Ravens flew low over us as though to see what we were doing before vamooshing over the hill.
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On the way back a pit stop at Langden produced some of the world’s worst food masquerading as a burger and a Cuckoo calling somewhere up the valley. We then went to Abbeystead where the pair of Pied Flycatchers were busy feeding their young in the nest hole. I didn’t bother going to look for the other pair that has nested here and just settled for a quick mooch by the stream. A Kingfisher appeared and flew through the wood before reappearing further upstream – another four juvenile Kingfishers (all well grown) appeared to meet it. I tried to get close to digiscope them, however the adult sussed me and they all zoomed off together upstream. A singing Garden Warbler and a Nuthatch were the best of the other birds seen.
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I then went for a drive along the back road out of Abbeystead to Doeholme (along the side of Hawthornthwaite fell). The fields either side of the road were full of waders with young including Oystercatchers, Redshanks, Curlews and Lapwings. A few of them were quite obliging – I could have prodded one Redshank if I had wanted to! In the evening I took Bill for a walk to Halton Mills weir and watched the Dipper flitting back and forth with food to its nest site.
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Saturday morning we went for a walk from COL picnic site towards Halton Mills weir but this time along the south bank. Yet another new Garden Warbler (that makes ten on this stretch of river) which seems to indicate that migration is still ongoing at some level (does it ever stop?). I watched the Dipper again and a family of Grey wagtails. Just the usual stuff really. At the bridge I found a Kingfisher by its reflection in the still water – it was perched in the middle of overhanging branches of a Sycamore. Early afternoon a Green Woodpecker called around the van. The caretakers have told me from day one that there is a resident Green Woodie – this is the first time I have seen or heard one in 8 months. They also insist there is a resident Eagle Owl….I wondered why so many of the vans are empty!
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Late afternoon I wandered over to Leighton Moss. I stopped briefly to look at the Peregrine and her two youngsters. There was no sign of the male and the birds were doing their best to sleep. A fritillary landed on my scope and then had the bad grace to bugger off before I could either photograph it or identify it. I had a look at the OLady’s Slipper Orchid – enough said.
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At the Morecambe / Allen complex the Lesser Whitethroat was singing (if you can call this monotonic call singing) away by the path and on the pools (the bit without the drought) were 186 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Knot. A Kestrel flew over and was immediately mobbed by the Blackwits. A couple of Little Egrets were also present but generally it was quiet. At the car park a Garden Warbler flew into a bush at the side of me and perched there watching me. I seem to be tripping over this species at the moment. I had a brief visit to the Griesdale Hide where I watched a female Marsh Harrier and a male Sedge Warbler – four more Little Egrets were perched in the dead tree by the roost site.
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Sunday morning I wandered over to Heysham for a walk. Wish I hadn’t bothered – it was grey, misty and birdless with a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers being the sole interest. Later in the afternoon I watched the Dipper again at Halton Mills Weir plus a family of Grey Wags (2 + 2) and a Kingfisher.