Last Saturday 8th November 2014 there were still some traces of Fieldfare movement through the area. Whilst on my way to Oxenholme Station I had a party of 30 head South just near where the new Cattle Auctions is, also another 80 to the right side of Crooklands heading SW, then when I got to the station I had several parties whilst waiting for the train (one hour at least... late!) a party of 40, 50, and a wacking 350, another 50, then another 50 South whilst going over Shap, and another party of 30 going past Penrith Station. So I guess it must have been a good movement day if there was anyone about recording them!
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I was attending the Annual Recorders Conference held at the Tullie House Museum in Carlisle. A full programme with some cracking speakers, Richard Burkmar "What would Darwin tweet?", Elizabeth Croose on Polecats and Pine Martens, Moustafa Eweda on Habitat Connectivity Projects at the CBDC, Rich Flight - Recording Cumbria's Bats, Allan Pentecost on The Lichens of Cumbria, Jim Thomas on the Witherslack insects, Martin Tordoff on the Rare Mountain Ringlet in Lakeland, Stephen Hewitt - A Pressing Concern - the herbaria at Tullie House etc etc etc .
What a great day! a brilliant effort especially by Teresa Frost and Gary Hedges of the CBDC along with Stephen Hewitt and Moustafa for putting on the 4th Annual Conference which was a most successful event.
Added bonus to eventually see my sketch included in one of the screen banners! (see left - click over to enlarge). Its obviously going to be a most worthwhile effort to copy my nature records from Hutton Roof to the CBDC, at the same time as I copy them for the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. The more records they get from around Cumbria and the better. It certainly pays off and helps them tremendously with the distribution of facts and figures which they hold on many varied species. Not only is this stuff of great interest to people just purely enjoying nature and wanting to know just what is where, but also it has a great impact with planning etc. So its got to be thumbs up to the CBDC.....
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