Saturday 7 May 2011

Lily of The Valley - Cow Wheat Etc - Lancelot Clark Storth

I did have a new Garden Warbler singing closeby to Pear Tree Cottage at Dalton 0730hrs. I decided today to have a walk up Slape and checkout some of the Limestone Pavements for Lily of The Valley (1st photo below) and I was not to be dissapointed. I did find quite a large colony in the Lancelot Clark Storth Area. Also closeby was some Common Cow Wheat (2nd photo below) which I also found again within some 200 yards. (Please click over the photos to enlarge)

Probably the most striking thing today was all the Warblers, Robins, Dunnocks etc singing together and blending in a sort of "dawn chorus" which carried on throughout the morning. I am sure this was the birds showing how happy they where, because there had been much required rains the previous night which totally refreshed everywhere. Even the misbeat calling "Chiffchaff" was singing his little dittie....

Checked out the Alpine Ladys Mantle ( 3rd photo below), and there was several closeby populations.

1500hrs & 1700hrs I am sure the Swifts must have come in today in masses, I had about 12 circling above the River Kent in Kendal and also had 4 circling over Milnthorpe a little later on. 5 of the Burton birds where noticed the following morning (8th May 2011)