We went for a walk across the field to check the redshank nest today. The nest was empty and so we had a good look round for redshank chicks but didn't find them, but we did come across three lapwing chicks. Two kept running but one stopped and crouched down in the grass.

Went to Coal Pit Lane last night about 10pm for our usual walk with Bramble. As we were driving down the lane, a small, grey animal ran across the road, looking for all the world like a small grey guinea pig. It then stopped on the verge and appeared to stand up on its hind legs to look at us. It was only as we got closer and stopped that we realised it was a Little Owl. It glared at us and then took off. I had never imagined Little owls as running around on the ground, even for worms I thought they would swoop and grab, absolutely delighted to see one like this. Also wonder if it is where stories of goblins and things come from, after a few pints, walking home with a flickering lantern on a lonely country road you could have imagined it was a Little Man not a Little Owl. Also watched Pipistrelles flying overhead and swooping quite close, lots of moths out, even Bramble tried to catch one.

Back in February, we posted photos of our new bird boxes. Almost immediately two were occupied by blue tits. The nesting material inside this one is as varied and colourful as the boxes!  

 

 

 

 

 

About eight young have hatched and seem to be doing well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue tits in the other box are a bit more developed and don’t look far from fledging.

 

 

 

Also seen in the last couple of weeks were this leveret trying to blend in with its surroundings and some growing ducklings.

 

 

At long last the drought has broken with 16mm (0.6 in) over the last two days with the volcanic ash and pollen dust washed from the greenhouse roof.

We have had at least three families of robins raised in the garden this spring, one perched betweek two trays of young fern plants awaiting (delayed) planting and another in the top of a sack containing used flower pots where a 1 litre pot was on its side giving an effective roof to the nest. The newly cultivated soil for sowing the vegetable seeds in the new kitchen garden gave up many tasty morsels to be taken to the young chicks.

In mid April we had a visit from a Tree Creeper visiting an old oak tree at the bottom of the garden and after exploring each tree it flew onto the next announcing its arrival with a shrill call before setting to work finding insects in the deep crevices of the bark.

The bird feeders have been well used and in the drought bowls of water have been regularly replenished. A Nut Hatch has been a frequent visitor plus many types of tits and finches as well as robins and sparrows. A couple of ducks tried to gain access to the small garden pond but we have had to discourage them with wire netting in order to protect the young tadpoles as we lost five members of our frog population in last winter's freeze. A week ago two young frogs were found hopping around when we cleared up the yard so they were safely transferred to the pond in the heatwave.

The newly planted raised alpine bed made of stone is proving an attraction for small birds looking for insects in the stone crevices and yesterday I saw a sparrow collecting strands of hair from our dog that were lodged in the wall, presumably for a new nest.

Recent plantings have included old pieces of old decaying timber in order to encourage beetles and other wood eating insects.

Well it was touch and go it must be said, but the 2010 project as of tomorrow is up and running and raring to go.

The technology gods were having their usual fun at our expense and I think our man in the field Pete gained a few extra grey hairs in the process, but thankfully all our technical woes are behind us (fingers crossed) and we once again can bring you the Bowland Hen Harrier Project from the Bowland Visitor Centre at Beacon Fell, Goosnargh, Preston.

The star of this years show is an old friend we are very pleased to annouce. Olivia (or bird 206 to the scientist type folks :) ) is our mum. I will bring you more information on Olivia as the weeks unfold.

So do come up to the Visitor Centre at Beacon Fell to see the latest footage of this fascinating, rare preditor and her young. It is a sight you will not see anywhere else!!!!!

Sunny, breezy spring day so we decided to go to Brock Valley to see the Bluebells and Wild Garlic. The path follows the river amongst Oak, flowering Hawthorn and Lime trees that shade patches of Bluebells and swathes of Wild Garlic with the delicate flowers of Lesser and Greater Stitchwort gently nodding between them. As we walked alongside the river, sometimes the scent of the garlic was strongest and sometimes the delicate scent of the bluebells. Lots of Red Campion out too and the sturdy flower spikes of Butterbur look really ornamental now covered with white downy seed heads. Watched a young Thrush trying to balance on ivy stems waving in the breeze. Right next to the path, with dogs and people walking past, we spotted a Great Tit going into a hole in a tree about 3 ft up from the ground. As it entered we could hear all its chicks calling. Perhaps the people and dogs going past and their scent deters any would be predators, it didn't seem at all perturbed by us sitting and watching it as it came back with juicy caterpillars. We also saw three dippers, one of which was a youngster with mottled plumage, feeding itself. Watched two Grey Wagtails battling in mid-air and bobbing over the rocks in the river bed. Click photos to enlarge

Juvenile Thrush

Grey Wagtail

Great Tit going into nest...

Young Dipper

....and out again.

Young Dipper

Adult Dipper

Gavin Thomas (RSPB ) took this picture today of an Oystercatcher chick down by the wildlife lake. They really are very well camouflaged.
The five Greylag goslings are doing well with their very attentive parents. While grazing they suddenly shoot off running with the young having to dash to keep up, then they seem to have wing flapping lessons. We await the take off !!

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

We went for a walk through Calder Vale church wood on Sunday evening to look at the bluebells. They look beautiful! Well worth a visit.

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Gorgeous sunny spring day, so decided to have a day out looking at some of our wildlife hotspots. Went to Birk Bank Woods near Caton, which are a mixture of upland habitats and oak woodlands. The golden yellow banks of Gorse contrasted wonderfully with the clear blue sky as we followed the path through the mounds of flowering Bilberry. Cool and quiet amongst the oak trees. Found a large empty nest hanging in a gorse. Then we drove past Calf Hill and Cragg Woods then past Caton Moor windfarm where we spoted a Meadow pipit with a beak full of food. Drove on to Holme wood by Barnacre Reservoir near Oakenclough. Mixed deciduous woodland in a dell, with a streamside footpath leading down to Grizedale reservoir. Oak just finished flowering, Rowan, Hawtorn and Horse Chestnuts flowering and providing shade for the carpets of Bluebells, speckled with the white flowers of Stitchwort. Looked magical in the dappled sunlight with Small White and Large White butterflies dancing amongst the flowers. Lots of Chiff Chaff calls and Barrie saw a Nuthatch slip into a tiny hole in a tree and come out with a faecal sac. Walked down to the reservoir, where Barrie photographed either a Chiffchaff or a Willow Warbler (it didn't utter a tweet) catching caterpillars. On our walk back through the woods, I heard a plop behind us and saw something swimming through the stream and scrabbling over rocks, black, wet and glistening and very, very fast, couldn't get a clear view and didn't want to get so close we scared it, hope it was a Water Vole.
Click Photos below to enlarge

Birk Bank

Meadow Pipit

Nuthatch with faecal sac

Holme Wood

Small White

Chiff chaff or Willow Warbler

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Spring may have been late this year, but suddenly everything seems to be happening all at once. Blackthorn seems to have flowered really well this year and a few are still flowering here and there even as the Hawthorns start to flower. Red campion, Marsh Marigold, Garlic Mustard, Wood Sorrel, Violets, Bluebells, and Wild Strawberries are all flowering now and we still have Primroses out. Local woods smell richly of Garlic from the Wild Ramsons that will be flowering soon. Horse Chestnuts are starting to flower and the Apple Trees in the hedgerows are filling the air with their rich scent. It is hard to believe that a couple of weeks ago we were still having frosts and hardly any leaves were out. The Blackbird and Robin chicks have fledged, though I have only seen the Blackbirds feeding one chick in the open. The Robins seem to have done better with two. The Blackbird nest attracted the attentions of the local cats and on one occasion I saw a Sparrowhawk land in the conifer and head for the nest though I couldn't see if it took off with anything. The Swifts have made a welcome return over the past week and the House Martins are already feeding young. Twice during the day and in different areas we have seen Tawny Owls sat out in the open, one around 9 am and the other around 5 pm. Maybe they were after one of the numerous baby rabbits that seem to be everywhere at the moment. On our evening walks we have been delighted by the tiny Pipistrelle bats flitting amongst the trees above us. We are a bit worried that so far we have only seen a couple of hedgehogs, though sadly several corpses on the roads. BBC Wildlife magazine is encouraging people to go for an evening walk and the Forest of Bowland is a beautiful area to do so. Its lovely here at dusk as the sun sets behind Pendle Hill and the air fills with the scent of Apple Blossom, the bats come out and the calls of Curlews and Oystercatchers mingle with the bleating of the lambs.

Tawny Owl

Ramsons (Wild Garlic)

WHY NOT GO PONY TREKKING WHILST YOU VISIT BROADGATE FARM.



www.braedens.co.uk

Foxhill Barn Bed & Breakfast

This email was sent to us by a member of the Manx Arms Ramblers, 8 of whom stayed at Foxhill Barn recently while walking the Ribble Way. They were obviously delighted with their wildlife sightings.

Hello Peter & Janet,

As promised, a note to say thank you for a great nights stay and for going that extra step to make our walk enjoyable.

The rest of the walk went well with a much better amount of signposts to help us along. The weather stayed with us for the rest of the trip and we managed to complete the whole walk for Sunday afternoon.

We were lucky enough to see three deer crossing the river , in the location you described as being detoured due to land dispute. This was really a treat we did not think could be bettered until we spotted otters a few miles out of Preston.

Altogether a great trip.

All the best Paul and the Manx Ramblers

The duck that has been waddling around the farm for the past few weeks appeared this afternoon with 12 ducklings.

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

On Monday Robert did the Tewit Teas Walk with Gavin Thomas ( R.S.P.B ) for one of the events in the Garstang Walking Festival. It was quite a cold afternoon but they still managed to see a good number of lapwing chicks, an oyster catcher nest with an egg in and very good views of a Curlew sitting on her nest. They also watched another curlew " seeing off " a cock pheasant in a very determined manner.

The Wheatear are back with us for a short stay before they move on to nest, such pretty birds.

Quite relieved to have the Grey Wagtails back, they are so late, we thought we would not have any this year.