A few sightings from the past week at Stags Lodge CVP

Buzzards can be seen quite frequently flying across the patch often being chased by a corvid or 3. A good place to see them is perched on the dead tree at the top of Stags Lodge.

 Warblers are a common visitor to the patch with up to 5 Chiffchaff (top) calling across the patch. Blackcap (below male) are a little harder to come across though I have seen up to 4 at any one time and mainly frequent the wooded area across the river lostock. I have only seen the Reed Warbler (bottom) twice on the patch with this one arriving on the 3rd July and hopefully staying longer than the week one stopped last year. It is very elusive but can be heard calling in the left reedbed next to the bench at the pond.

 The Reed Bunting (below) is a rare visitor to the patch with this male being only the second one I've seen here. I first saw it in the trees at the side of the pond and later in the reedbeds.

 Dragonflies etc are a rare visitor to Stags with only a handfull of sightings throughout the year so when I came across these Banded Demoiselle (female above male below)  hawking flies over the river lostock I was glad I had my camera with me. It's only the first time I've seen them on the patch though they may breed along the river somewhere as there are several sites suitable that are close to where I saw them.

 Butterflies have been low in numbers across the patch with numbers only reaching a handfull on any of my recent vists. The Orange Tip is currently the most common sighting (female top and below) with the much larger and stronger flying Peacock (bottom) seen in ones or twos.

Stags Lodge, Cuerden Valley Park - 27th March 2011

Well a pretty eventful day and not just because I had three trips up to the local patch, Reece managed to get his nose broken playing rugby so all plans of heading out somewhere in the afternoon went out the window. So with about an hour to spare I decided to hit the Stags Lodge without the dogs in hope of photographing one of the returning Chiffchaff.

The one by the bridge over the river Lostock gave me the run around for about 20 minutes so I gave up and had a wander around the patch to see if anything interesting was about. A single Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow 6+ Chaffinch, 2 Greenfinch, Blue, Great and 4 Long-tailed Tit, 4 Mallard and a calling Greater Spotted Woodpecker were about all I could find. A second Chiffchaff by the bench at the top of the meadow was much happier to hang around for me to photograph.

Back home the feeders seem to have started to bring the birds back in though a different mix of species. The Golfinch have returned in smaller numbers and though I have seen the Greenfinch locally they don't seem to like the new feeders. 2 Dunnock are regular visitors as well as Starling, Collard Dove and new on the feeders over the weekend Woodpigeon, okay not a spectacular bird but we were both happy to see them and add them to our back yard list.



Local Patch and other bits - 26th March 2011

An early visit to the local patch brought the first migrant back for this season in the form of a Chiffchaff calling near the car park. A walk around Stags Lodge and a second Chiffchaff was again calling this time near the bridge over the river lostock. Last year there were 5 Chiffchaff on the patch from what I rememeber but no sign of them breeding unlike the Whitethroat which successfully produced 4 young. Plenty of Chaffinch calling, Songthrush which look like they are breeding here this year, Jay, Carrion Crow, Mallard, a single Coot the other presumably on the nest and the usual Great and Blue Tits.

During the week I saw my first migrant whilst working at Nestle in York (for those of the older generation the Rountrees Factory). This ringed Chiffchaff was calling for most of the day  along the boundary.

CHIFFCHAFF 

This Buzzard was sat on a fence post at the side of the road whilst I travelled to Holmeswood but by the time I pulled over and stuck my head over the bank with my camera it was well on its way!

BUZZARD