Merlin chasing Skylark - and Skylark got away by using its gifted ascension methods....

 

Meadow Pipit - Photo thanks to Phil Slade

If you want the most up to date blogs about birding and vismig and other stuff please click over this link:

Early movement and Spring Bird Migration over Burton In Kendal.

Merlin chasing Skylark, yet Skylark evades capture by clever tactic

read more below these links:

Notes on Lapwings (3rd March 2021) Demise (local 1960s onward) and also Winter Roosting on Factory Roofs in East Lancs between 1980s and 2000 see below the links:

Click over the Shortcut Links below: 

12th Feb 2021 - Just starting to see new growth etc

Thr 11th February 2021 - Early movement and Spring Bird Migration over Burton In Kendal.

Tues 9th February 2021 - Intertwined

17th Dec 2020 - Finding a new Polypodium cambricum on HRoof Crags

Thursday 19th November 2020 - Nice stroll or wander with fabulous wonders and my December copy for the local magazine - SEE BLOG BELOW THESE LINKS.....

CHECKING OUT SOUTHERN POLYPODY AND BLACK SPLEENWORT PLUS FUNGI, FUNGI AND MORE FUNGI - Click here

Another recent blog on"The best moments of vis so far this year - click here

 2020 Visible Bird Migration records 

"Strange Polypodium Interjectum found in Burton (17th Oct 2020)

Cloud and Sunrise photo blog - click here

The new Orchid book "Britains Orchids" by Sean Cole and Mike Waller - please click this link for details.

Varieties of our local Hutton Roof Gentians and the reason for the 50/50 Purple and White, plus my research survey results. Plus "Upland Enchanters Nightshade (circae x intermedia)

 More Autumn Gentian photos (2020) can be seen here

Dark Stemmed Hybrids (Epipactis schmalhauseneii - helleborine led)

Primula vulgaris and Primula veris (Primrose and Cowslip)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) and Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

Northern Greenland Wheatear (Oenanthe o. leucorrhoa)

Rb Fotoman Close Up photos

Fieldfare numbers of Wintering Birds almost non existent Sth Cumbria

2020 Visible Spring Bird Migration Counts at Burton In Kendal

 Dryopteris sub-montana (Rigid Buckler Fern) on Hutton Roof, Cumbria

 Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomons Seal) on Hutton Roof, Cumbria.

Starlings

A Beech Mast Year

Chaffinch - large numbers overwintering/high beech mast yields 

Crossbills (chicks in late December etc)

Holly Ferns on Hutton Roof and how they are fairing

2019 a exceptional year for the berries

A very special Orchid - A branched Epipactis atrorubens

Redwing at roost (Birdy Brow-Kemple End) 

Linnets - Extroadinary High numbers

It came back to me this morning whilst out vismigging, remembering one special occasion down in the Grane Valley, Haslingden, East Lancs. Probably from around the mid 1980s, I would set up my old bivvy to keep out the winds and would sit in the entrance looking out, it was quite remote were I did vismig in fields with little conifer plantations, occasionally a noisy car would pull up on the nearby main road and guys would jump out and go in search of magic mushrooms which they successfully found. But that is not really the point of my memories. They are from that day when I saw and heard a Skylark in much distress has it was being chased along the moorland edge by a Merlin, I watched them for about 100 yards and the Skylark suddenly went into a ascend in short spirals, just like a Skylark does, the Merlin also tried to catch the bird, but his spirals were far to large and could not gain the same speed of ascend, and soon the Merlin gave up whilst the Skylark lived to see another day. How clever nature can be.

Notes on Lapwings (written 3rd March 2021) Demise/Roosting on Factory Roofs in East Lancs.

Notes on Lapwings (3rd March 2021) Demise (local 1960s onward) and also Winter Roosting on Factory Roofs in East Lancs between 1980s and 2000 see below the links:

Click over the Shortcut Links below: 

12th Feb 2021 - Just starting to see new growth etc

Thr 11th February 2021 - Early movement and Spring Bird Migration over Burton In Kendal.

Tues 9th February 2021 - Intertwined

17th Dec 2020 - Finding a new Polypodium cambricum on HRoof Crags

Thursday 19th November 2020 - Nice stroll or wander with fabulous wonders and my December copy for the local magazine - SEE BLOG BELOW THESE LINKS.....

CHECKING OUT SOUTHERN POLYPODY AND BLACK SPLEENWORT PLUS FUNGI, FUNGI AND MORE FUNGI - Click here

Another recent blog on"The best moments of vis so far this year - click here

 2020 Visible Bird Migration records 

"Strange Polypodium Interjectum found in Burton (17th Oct 2020)

Cloud and Sunrise photo blog - click here

The new Orchid book "Britains Orchids" by Sean Cole and Mike Waller - please click this link for details.

Varieties of our local Hutton Roof Gentians and the reason for the 50/50 Purple and White, plus my research survey results. Plus "Upland Enchanters Nightshade (circae x intermedia)

 More Autumn Gentian photos (2020) can be seen here

Dark Stemmed Hybrids (Epipactis schmalhauseneii - helleborine led)

Primula vulgaris and Primula veris (Primrose and Cowslip)

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) and Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

Northern Greenland Wheatear (Oenanthe o. leucorrhoa)

Rb Fotoman Close Up photos

Fieldfare numbers of Wintering Birds almost non existent Sth Cumbria

2020 Visible Spring Bird Migration Counts at Burton In Kendal

 Dryopteris sub-montana (Rigid Buckler Fern) on Hutton Roof, Cumbria

 Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomons Seal) on Hutton Roof, Cumbria.

Starlings

A Beech Mast Year

Chaffinch - large numbers overwintering/high beech mast yields 

Crossbills (chicks in late December etc)

Holly Ferns on Hutton Roof and how they are fairing

2019 a exceptional year for the berries

A very special Orchid - A branched Epipactis atrorubens

Redwing at roost (Birdy Brow-Kemple End) 

Linnets - Extroadinary High numbers

2019 Visible Migration Bird Counts at Burton In Kendal

The Lapwing 

Photo: Craig Bell

I have fancied doing a piece on The Lapwing for ages It was about the mid 50s that I became aware of that most beautiful of birds The Lapwing. I would go over to the local Haslingden moors where they used to nest on an annual basis. Their incredible fluty call was so so special, like no other sound offered within the text my bird book! They would sort of ziz-zag with their flight with incredible angles, and even more so when under distress, again like no other bird I could compare it with. 

They laid four eggs which had a darkish creamy/dark green background with spots, blotches and sharp squigly dashes or lines which almost blended in with the shallow nest and background offered, and I remember they were so difficult to find. At one special location I could count up to about 30 pairs of birds, but over the years those numbers have depleted into a handful! And there may have been several reasons responsible for this fall in numbers, but I know for sure one of the reasons if not the main reason for the demise of these beauties was without doubt to the more recent presence of visiting corvids preying on the nesting birds, let me try and explain.

Many times especially during the 1960s I would watch the Lapwings on the moorland edges who were being constantly pestered throughout the day by local Carrion Crows. Within half a mile away from the breeding ground I remember recording a corvid roost (Fairy Glen, Haslingden Grane) which had several hundred birds within it, and during the daytime, what was thought to be non-breeding birds probably from this very roost would come and sit on the drystone walls and occasionally fly off and start annoying the nearby breeding Lapwings. The corvids had come to understand just how to be successful at raiding the Lapwings nest. They would somehow annoy the sitting bird so much that she would eventually leave the nest with much distress for her to try and attack the crow or crows and they would try and take her away from her nest, whilst at the same time another crow would then quickly go to the nest and rob one of the Lapwing’s eggs and carry it off and this behaviour over time led to the demise of the Lapwing.

The area I mention is called Haslingden Moor in East Lancashire (Moor Lane and near to the old Smallpox hospital). Crows were hardly ever recorded in this area until the late 50s when they seemed to gain ground, but sadly the success of one species can also be at the detriment to another. I am informed by a friend that there has more recently been some Lapwing uptake in these same areas, but only a very small prescence.

Other lovely memories of the local Lapwings and of special note was again down in East Lancashire. During the Autumn/Winter months during the 80s,90s.  I would spend time watching them come in as the evening approached, and after some time doing many murmuration twist and turns would eventually land and roost on the nearby factory roofs. Over years good roost were always recorded at Durie and Millers roof on Broadway, Haslingden, I think these birds had fed near to the Holden Wood Reservoir during the daytime, also I noted Lapwings on the Walker Steel roof in Blackburn, were during the day they fed on the fields edging the nearby Fishmoor Reservoir and as late afternoon approached would make their short distance of a few hundred yards to the Walker Steel roof. I also witnessed them even during the late morning on the roof of a more modern building at Burnley which housed amongst others Halfords. I am still of the opinion that in all the three examples they chose these special areas because they were warmish at night with the two factories operating 24 hours and possibly the unit roof was also warm. To my understanding this behaviour of Lapwings roosting on factory roofs is more of a “Northern thing” and generally recorded from either Lancashire or Manchester areas. Whether this is still the situation I really don’t know. 

Since coming to live in the South Lakes, I do see them but usually only at the coast were they roost especially in the winter months at the short spits at Morecambe (opposite the Golf Club) and also I have seen lots of them gathered on the fields near to where they hold the Stock/Drag car racing on the Warton side of Carnforth. During February I usually see lots that look like they have left the coastline somewhere near Arnside and are making their way East and give you the impression they are making their way back to the uplands and getting themselves ready for breeding, strangely I do see this same behaviour even though there may well be frost on the ground, I wonder at times why do they move when there is still frost on the ground! Sometimes you can be led into false judgements thinking these birds maybe moving through cold winter movements. But usually within my local area I would see them moving to my West to Ireland if this was the case (and not East). 

Just to finish I want to mention that I have always had much pleasure over the years in reading and re-reading a rare book in my possession called “The Lapwing in Britain” by Ken G. Spencer of Burnley. A really good detailed monograph written by the authority on the Lapwing. Hard as it maybe to get this long out of print book there are usually one or two shown for sale on Abe Books. Well worth it…… Also a very special thank you to my Rossendalian friend Craig Bell for kindly allowing me to use a couple of his fantastic photos. 

The Lapwing 

Photo: Craig Bell

1st March 2021 - So Whats been happening this week (first scollie rosettes - Lots of Chiffchaff reports - Mezereone on its way etc)

 

Well it's that time of year when it is smart! just like the very first day of Spring (1st March).

Sunday 28th February 2021.

Mollie the Scollie was found yesterday - 28th February 2021  so so early, well at least by a week or two for my records. Here are a couple of photos

Asplenium scolopendrium (Harts Tongue Fern) Dalton Crags 28th Feb 2021

"I climbed up to see Mollie the Scollie,

with her little nest of pearls,
who's always no.1 and cannot
wait to tell you its the first day of spring!
Ding a ling a ling.

She will unravel and stretch 

so she can be told

a "Harts Tongue" to behold"

Its lovely seeing the very first scollies, and then to watch them unravel over the coming month into little fronds with curled over ends...for me the very first fern of the year. 

Also noted two singing Song Thrush on territories, one in the area from Nineteen trees heading up to the Crags, and one in the woodland side of the Crags (deforested). A small group of 3 Stonechat in the Crags (deforested)

1st March 2021 - Daphne Mezereone - Holme Stinted Pastures

Daphne Mezereone in Holme Stinted Pastures - Hutton Roof - 1st March 2021

Daphne Mezereone in Holme Stinted Pastures - Hutton Roof - 1st March 2021

Daphne Mezereone in Holme Stinted Pastures - Hutton Roof - 1st March 2021

Daphne Mezereone in Holme Stinted Pastures - Hutton Roof - 1st March 2021

Daphne Mezereone in Holme Stinted Pastures - Hutton Roof - 1st March 2021

Always worth checking our dear Daphne who seems to have bodyguards all around her with close guarding gorse bushes, but even more sharp are the tall razor wire (almost) looking things which have large prickly brambly arms lying in ambush and ready for the unsuspected!  A flower that looks like a miniature little tree or shrub in its own right, with a very special unique fragrance. Looking at the yield of flowers so far this year it is doing OK, which OK means average, not it's best and not it's worst..

From mid- February a few sightings of Chiffchaff have been recorded from mid to South Lakes, the nearest I know is Helsington Barrows (28th Feb)

Monday 22nd February 2021 - Lancelot (CWT reserve)

What a special, is on it's way Spring Cinquefoil 

Hutton Roof is very good for the rare Spring Cinquefoil with at least 4 separate sites. Although there are several small populations in each site, none of the sites have heavy population but 2020 was especially good on the Clawthorpe Fell site. It must have been one of those very special once in ten year jobs!

Spring Cinquefoil - Lancelot Clark Storth (CWT)

Thursday 25th February 2021 - Walk through Dalham Tower - side of Bela

It was lovely to see four grouped Grey Wagtails scurrying along the side of the Bela in a fragmented group. Also several calling Goldcrest from two different areas of the park. 

Saturday 27th February 2021 at home Glebe Close Burton In Kendal (Garden)

My first wasp sighting and also a drone fly sighting (Eristala tenax - thanks Neil) (photo below)