Tuesday 8 March 2011

Great Grey Shrike on Hutton Roof again today..


Please click on sketch above to enlarge. The bird was last seen from standing at the rear of the Trig point and then looking South towards Carnforth. You will then notice a large thin tree which I have tried to identify its features within the sketch. Look there first! and good luck....

Went back up on Hutton Roof again today to check out the Great Grey Shrike. Went usual way via Slape Lane, Burton Fell, Lancelot Clark Storth and onto the Common.

Earlier had about 20 to 30 Curlews, very noisy at 0620hrs over Drovers Way, Burton, heading from N to South.. Wondering why they would be going in this direction? Is it too cold for them on yon moors!! and they've decided to come back..

0930hrs - 1300hrs
Redpoll calling from off Snape with Chaffinch as well,
Still lots and lots of Blackbirds, perhaps twenty or more,
And also earlier, 20 or more at Clawthorpe too, but again
all males, perhaps 40 birds but only two two females.....
Side of Slape last years ploughed field, had thousands
of stones which had now come to the surface.. Across
on the other side, a field full of remnant base stalks of,
long harvested maize, overwinters and waits to be ploughed in.
Fresh mole hills on the side of Slape, perhaps 24-48 hours old,
still fresh and the ground was so hard, where they had dug..
Strong fresh smell of fox musk at broken wall between,
Burton Fell and Lancelot..
Great Tits repetitive "Squeaky gate" opening and closing rapidly at
ten miles per hour.
Dry, deep black, peaty footpath from ancient dead old bracken,
recently churned over by maurauding grazing cattle let loose.
Two Roe Deer gave me as much suprise as I gave them,
heard them with shock, just at the side of me, from cover,
they left and bounded, and where a long way away within seconds.
Just landed at the Trig and looked South to find that beautiful
of birds, the Great Grey Shrike, I watched for over half hour,
before it skulked away yet again..
On leaving Lancelot, just within Pickles Wood, was a pair of
Marsh Tits......