Monday 24 April 2017

Cuckoo arrived!



Cuckoo (Click over to enlarge)
Photo: Kindly supplied by C.K. Bell Images.  If you wish to check out more of Craig's images please click here

Wednesday April 26th 2017 - Dalton Crags 1100hrs to 1230hrs

Cuckoo calling from his regular place close to the Lancelot boundary.  Stonechats about.  One additional Tree Pipit displaying and calling (2 sites now) still awaiting a further three in Dalton. NO WHEATEAR, NO GARDEN WARBLERS, NO REDSTARTS TODAY...... did have a male Orange Tip butterfly in Plain Quarry.

Also: from Robert of Kendal - today he also had a further two TREE PIPITS at the top of Lancelot Clark Storth. Also over 200 Swifts seen above the Chew Valley in Somerset today.

Tuesday April 25th 2017 - Dalton Crags 0930hrs to 1030hrs

Just a quick checkover of the Lower Section to see if any GARDEN WARBLERS had come in during the night, but still quiet nothing recorded. Temperatures have took a massive drop and although nice in the sun the general temperature was down to 6 degrees which I would imagine would make things difficult for the Warblers, yet after saying that the WILLOW WARBLERS seemed to be singing from everywhere.

Monday April 24th 2017 - Dalton Crags 0900hrs to 1100hrs

One of our Cuckoo's is back and calling regular from his favourite territory in Dalton Crags close to the boundary with Lancelot Clark Storth. It was nice yesterday to hear from Celia up at Elterwater to tell us that her Cuckoo had arrived back and was calling, which made me wonder whether ours might be back today.  I wonder if they had come in together!!

Still only the one Tree Pipit doing it's marvellous parachuting displays whilst singing its diminishing crescendo calls.

No Wheatears today, but the Stonechats are doing fine and I think I may well have had a further bird this morning.  Still No Garden Warblers although they have been reported over at Warton Crag yesterday.   Odd Swifts being reported from Arnside, Leighton Moss and a possible seen over the village (unconfirmed).  More Blackcaps have been reported and the regular Chiffchaff "PEAR" has now arrived back in Dalton hamlet and keeping to her late arrival schedule. It has become noticeable that the early arrival birds are the same every year and from the same geographical locations.  And the same applies with the late arrival birds, they too are always from the same locations and always appear to be the last to arrive. This also seems to be a similar situation with Willow Warblers. Also had the Tawny Owl calling from Storth Wood (Dalton)


Click over to enlarge