Skylarks for Valentines Day !!



I have been going up on Hutton Roof daily and as yet no returning Skylarks, but there again the weathers not been at its best for returning birds, but would expect them to start coming over sometime during the next fortnight.



Comes with the Territory!



Yes it really has happened before. Being visited by the Police after someone has reported you as being a suspicious character and you are left having to explain and prove to them, that you are simply doing a bit of bird watching.  Also whilst birding the odd dog or sheep has sneaked up and grapped things out of my butty bag.  I have also been used as a “lampost”, I have been surrounded and almost attacked by four chunky Rams (at first I thought they were heavy duty sheep)  It also is so funny that so many passers by think all birders are "twitchers", which is definately not the case.  And one of the regular greetings is "Are you one of those twitcher fellows?" and then go on to say "and have you seen anything special.  Sometimes I want to reply with yes I have!  I've had one kangaroo, four rattlesnakes and one hippo flying past on a broomstick"  

  



This is down in Aylesbury were the Peregrine nest on the County Hall. Down there they are monitoring the various bird species catches made by the Peregrine has it hunts during the hours of darkness by using the city lights. So far the following species have been recorded: Woodock, Golden Plover, Lapwing (regular), Snipe, Fieldfare (regular), Wheatear, Arctic Tern (possibly taken during the daytime), Song Thrush, Black Tailed Godwit, Ruff, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swift, Woodpigeon (regular) and Pipistrelle Bat.

There is also another one hunting the City of Bristol and this is known to have taken Corncrake and Leach's Petrol during the evening hours amongst a varied species diet.  Just shows you what must be passing overhead (probably quite a lot of the species would be on migration).



Must be two of Hutton Roofs Revellers

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Whats been happening?  well nothing much really, just odd bits and bats eg:
Late December Started to notice towards the end of December that the Snowdrops were starting to come through.

3rd January 2012.  Odd Fieldfare calling up near Trig Point on Hutton Roof.

Between the 3rd January and the 6th January 2012, Lots and lots of reports about large skeins of Pink Footed Goose moving over from Norfolk and Lincolnshire heading west into Lancashire with reports of into thousands crossing over Brockholes on Sunday last.

5th January 2012.  Saw large Toad in Clawthorpe.  I dont normally start seeing them until about the third week into February.

6th January 2012.  Every morning over the past couple of weeks, during the hours of darkness (maybe about 0645hrs), There have been Robins singing their little heads off, up to three regulars) on Vicarage Lane, Burton In Kendal, noticed the songsters where all at various places where there was a "street light"