Stags Lodge - 5/6th May 2012

With the sun being out I decided to take my camera out on both of the early morning dog walks at the local patch. There was nothing like the patch tick of my last post but a year patch tick of a Swallow (though only passing through) was nice and the male Whitethroat that I’d heard back earlier in the week finally made an appearance on Saturday and a female and a second male were around on the Sunday. I’m pleased to see them back as they have bred successfully that I know over the past 2 years and hopefully that success will continue this year.

ABOVE MALE WHITETHROAT BELOW SONG THRUSH

Other species around on both days was a singing Song Thrush, one of several on the patch, at least 5 Chiffchaff and 2 Willow Warbler. Magpie and Blackbirds could be seen regularly feeding on the meadows as well as Chaffinch  and Greenfinch calling throughout the woodland. On the pond 4 Coot chicks as well as two adults, a single Moorhen and 3 Mallards which had bred with 8 chicks seen several weeks ago but those numbers dwindled down over a week or so and now I haven’t seen any for a while. As I was leaving the patch via the tunnel under the A6 a Jay flew out of the woods at speed swiftly followed by a female Sparrowhawk, the Jay managed to escape as the Sparrowhawk alighted briefly in one of the trees.

*An update for Sunday evenings visit included 2 Greater-spotted Woodpecker, 2 Male & 1 Female Blackcap, Wren, Robin, Dunnock and an Oystercatcher over the patch.

Nessebar, Bulgaria - 10th - 21st June 2011

Things have been quiet on the blog of late due to problems with my laptop which still infected with viruses and is soon to end up through the window! There have been a few trips out mainly to Brockholes and Stags Lodge but I thought I'd come back with our recent trip to Nessebar in Bulgaria. The trip didn't go to well as far as birds went but we did well with Butterflies which will be on a later post once I've ID them all. On the visit to Bulgaria we spent a day in a reserve on the Turkey / Bulgarian border but most of the birds were photographed in and around the hotel complex and having forgoten to take my charger these are few and far between.

 ABOVE AND BELOW YELLOW LEGGED GULL

The trip out looked promising with several nesting Stork on view and Little Egret, Grey Heron and Cormarant seen out of the Land Rover as we passed a wetland. Once we arrived at the national park though things took a downturn as we were accompanied by 60 Ukranian kids on a summer camp, you can't imagine!! Dipper & Kingfisher were 2 good birds along with a Grey Wagtail but chance of seeing much else went out the window. Apparantly there are Bears on the reserve and we hoped the kids would come across one!!

ABOVE AND BELOW GOLDEN ORIOLE 

The hotel grounds was fruitful with a Golden Oriole seen daily along with a Jay, Swift, House Martin, Swallow and House Sparrow all nesting on site. Yellow-legged Gulls were the only gulls we saw on the trip and were abundant around the hotel.

ABOVE AND BELOW CRESTED LARK 

 We discovered a Crested Lark on a walk into Nessebar, the local town and even though we spent 2 hours in the heat searching around a local sand dune reserve we didn't see much else.

ABOVE JAY BELOW WHITETHROAT

 Other birds on the trip iincluded Starling, Hooded Crow, Jackdaw, White Wagtail, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, and Goldfinch. Not a great list but I think we'll return in the coming years, next time hiring a car and spending a bit more time birding.

Local Patch, Warblers & Butterflies - 29th April 2011

I managed a few trips up to the local patch the first being on the way back from an early walk with the dogs at Cuerden Valley Park. On the way up I’d heard a Willow Warbler calling by the top kissing gate and more were heard on Cuerden itself as well as a Whitethroat calling near the paddock and Chiffchaff calling around the park.
On the way back through as well as the usual calling Chiffchaff there were 2 calling Whitethroat and 2 other Whitethroat in the area where 2 successfully nested last year which was a good sign and prompted a return visit with the camera.
Though I heard 2 Whitethroat calling the nesting pair were very elusive and it took a 45 minute wait sat in the long grass before I got the few shots shown.

ABOVE AND BELOW WHITETHROAT

Though the wind was up there were several species of butterfly in evidence and I came across a single Blue-tailed Damselfly which I think is a little early for them and the first dragonfly/damselfly I have seen this season though I have been checking the Dragonfly Pond at Cuerden regularly.

ABOVE AND BELOW MALE ORANGE TIP, THE FEMALE LACKS THE ORANGE TIPS

ABOVE WORN PEACOCK BELOW SMALL TORTOISESHELL 

ABOVE SMALL WHITE BELOW BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY

Brockholes Nature Reserve - 26th June 2010

Not much going on bird wise at the moment so I'm trying to learn a little more about other wildlife including Butterflies, Dragonflies and Orchids (as shown in previous posts). The Butterfly and Orchid books are on order so my identification of both should improve, if only slightly in the coming months. I spent the afternoon down at Brockholes not looking for anything in perticular but hoping that something new would pop up in the afternoon sunshine. Dragonflies included 4 Empreror, 1 Black-tailed Skimmer, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Common Blue Damselfly.

ABOVE BLUE TAILED DAMSELFLY BELOW BLACK-TAILED SKIMMER

Common Spotted Orchid were in abundance across the reserve, more so than last year from what I remember. Butterflies included Large White, Small Tortoiseshell, Meadow Brown and Large Skipper.

ABOVE COMMON SPOTTED ORCHID BELOW LARGE SKIPPER

ABOVE MEADOW BROWN BELOW SMALL TORTOISESHELL

Of course there where some birds around including this juvenile Whitethroat singing over by the fishing pond.

                          

I also spent some time trying to photograph the Sand Martin over the River Ribble with this being my best effort.