Canal - Carnforth - Borwick then Priest Hutton to Burton

A very nice morning and having left the car at Carnforth for repairs decided to walk back along the Canal to Borwick, then off the Canal entering the village of Borwick, onto Priest Hutton and then over the fields to Burton....


Just after leaving Carnforth, a calling Grey Wagtail passed us, then we saw no less than three sitting Moorhen all within the space of maybe quarter of a mile from the bridge at Carnforth, also had another 6 males at various points to Borwick where the females must have been sitting tight.. Blackcaps: 1 in song near Carnforth, then another at Capernwray staging (near to Mobile Homes/Holiday Caravans?) and also another singing in the Woodland to the left on entering Priest Hutton.


Also along the route I had 6 calling Chiffchaffs, 5 full call crescendo Willow Warblers, a male Reed Bunting singing its little heart from the top of a hawthorn tree overlooking "a phragmites patch".


Getting closer to Borwick and a farmer was seen on the opposite side ploughing his field (last years spent maize stubs) and there was lots of Black Headed Gulls following the furrows, and also a party of approx 30 calling Linnets constantly flying around and then going down on the furrow tops for food.

Other stuff was seen, a party of 8 Goldfinch, and several pairs of Redpolls. Yesterday I had lots of Redpoll over Capernwray, Lords Lot Wood and Havelock House areas, best a party of four, but lots of pairs, probably forest hopping...

Also had 1 Peacock Butterfly, and 2 Comma butterflies near Coat Green Farm..

Flowers: Wood Anemone (side of Canal), also at Priest Hutton. Butterbur very thick area between Borwick bridge and next bridge towards Carnforth direction. Lots of Celandine everywhere. Also Herb Robert in the walls at Priest Hutton.

"Canal with all your twist and turns,
Your shivering rippled waters, ebb and flow,
Waterhen's sits on their eggs, so tight, not to let go
And Celandine, Coltsfoot and Butterbur and many others grow"......