Dippers
104 days ago
It’s always a good feeling to be out and about early. I may not feel like it – getting-up at times – especially if I’ve to get in a car, because that generally means a long journey and perhaps a business meeting at the end of it.
Not this morning though, it was easy. I woke early anyway and Rufus (always eager to be out-and-about) and I set-off to the beck for a visit at the other end of the day for a change. The reward was finding a pair of Dipper.
Earlier I’ve mentioned that the Dipper seems to have died out around here, so I was pleased to find them. Although, at first I thought it was the noisy Kingfishers – as the Dipper’s song is a tuneful warbling. Maybe this meeting was a couple at the edges of their respective, clearly defined boundaries and they were exchanging pleasantries, or maybe it was a family discussion. Either way, it’‘s good to know they’re still with us.
LHC
118 days ago
OK, so I can’t blame the Large Hadron Collider for the partial destruction of the new water-gate, I’ll just have to blame the vast amount of rainfall we continue to have instead.
There seems to have been an astounding amount of panic about (well any level of panic is astounding to me) in the end of the world is nigh type vein. Although I’ve been absorbed by the day’s activities at CERN without the least bit of worry, the poor Sand Martins have had a whole season of consternation to deal with. There doesn’t seem to have been a week go by without their nest burrows been below the water line, wonder how many fledglings got away.
The latest deluge has exposed some sheep remains next to the burrow entrances:
Mosber Lane Owls
204 days ago
The pair of Tawny Owls that live on Mosber Lane have been successful with at least two Owlets this year.
My morning walk usually takes me along this lane and this particular morning there was quite a commotion, not only with the usual alarm calls of the hedgerow birds, but the clamouring of young Owlets to be fed.
As I stood under the old shattered Ash tree they live in, trying to get a glimpse, one of the adults flew across the lane clutching a sizeable prey – looked like a Blackbird. Having young, the adults will probably be doing a bit of 24 hour hunting to keep the youngsters satisfied.
An unusual amount of Toads seem to be meeting a grisly end on the lane, unlucky to be squashed under the infrequent farm traffic. Perhaps that means it’s a good year for Toads – overall population wise – not so good for the Mosber Lane casualties though…
Quiet moments
266 days ago
Always love to see the Sand Martins return, so I took a little time out to sit on the river bank and watch them.
It’s cool watching birds as agile as the Martin flying so close. You get to see all angles as well, as they waft along just skimming the water below the bank then wheel around you and peel off across the meadows.
Despite their grace, they’re not quite my favourite to watch though, they always seem a little fragile. Nor the falcon’s power and ultimate speed, or the Swift’s relentless speed, for me it’s the liquid flight of the Swallow that’s tops. Always thought Mitchell must have had a Swallow in mind when he drew the Spitfire.
Almost jacket-off weather, well today anyway, the the first May Blossom is showing.
Another season begins
296 days ago
Driving over Blubberhouses on my way back from York on Friday afternoon, I saw my first Curlew of the season, doing their paragliding impressions above the moors.
Later on, walking Rufus, I was therefore not surprised to find our largest wading bird had arrived at the Beck as well. What I was surprised by though, were the numbers they had arrived in. It seems every year their populations grow – as say compared to the Lapwing (or Peewit or Green Plover) and the air was full of their burbling crescendos.
Swelling the ranks were just a pair of these nomadic Lapwing, a pair of Goosanders and half a dozen of the summer visitors from Africa – Common Sandpipers. Easter is early this year, but the birds seem to be lagging behind last year and the Long-tailed Tits certainly seem to be sticking to their flocks – wisps of them drifting through the plantation.
Well Rufus has just appeared (dirty stop-out), back from an extended walk-voluntary which he took at about 4pm on the canal towpath. There must have been some very interesting bitch pass by. I tracked him for about 3 miles, but turned round on nearing Barnoldswick as the last person I met coming the other way, said he’d not been seen, and explored other favourite routes. It’s now 10.30pm and I’d better give the Police answerphone another ring – in the morning I think.
Greenshank
419 days ago
Little bit of a round-up for the last few weeks.
The large mystery wading bird that had been hanging around the beck last month and that I finally managed to get a good look at on 6 October, turned out to be a lonesome Greenshank. Well, it’s now moved on. Getting it’s name from the olive-green colour of it’s legs, the Greenshank rises strongly with a flash of white rump and has a much more resonant call than it’s more usual local cousins.
Maybe the recently renewed river straightening operations, have helped move it along. I previously mentioned this riparian vandalism, well naturally the river largely reverted to it’s previous course, only to be forced back into line, but I suspect not for long.
24 October – first noticed the usual influx of Redwings and Fieldfares from Scandinavia – well probably directly from there rather than the Netherlands – as we’re northerly here in Yorkshire. They cross overnight in calm conditions, of which there has a good stretch of late, and can be seen at times flying against a large, clear moon.
These calm conditions have left us with an extended period of leaves on the trees and a magnificent showing of autumn colour.
There have been a few Starlings gathering as well, but not in the same numbers and certainly not anything like I seem to remember them being. Though small flocks of both Starlings and Fieldfares, are leap-frogging across the pastures in the search of invertebrates – Leather-jackets and the like.
The morning of 18 October was our first frost of the year. Very clear, breathless night. Signalled sloe picking time.
More regulars
478 days ago
The Redstart seems to becoming more common in theses parts, and it’s not just me finding more, my farming friends tend to agree.
I’ve seen them in my garden in the mornings, but usually around the beck in the more densely vegetated areas. In the evenings, against the dark shadows of the woods, the fiery tail flashes in the low sun as they flutter up to hover before diving again after insects. It gets it’s name from the old English for tail – steort.
The other guys I’m seeing more of are the Whitethroats, they’re inhabitants of the back lane, but have been coming into the garden for the fruit.
Pretty sure the House Martins have really gone now – after a couple of false starts – they seemed to disappear for a day or two then come swarming back. Anyway, they haven’t been here for the weekend, so I guess that’s it.
Martins return
485 days ago
Strange. A few of the House Martins have appeared again, a youngster is scrabbling at my window – 22:12hrs!
Oh, to be a ground nester...
591 days ago
…now that spring is here… Well Spring has happened and the silaging has started, just as the ground nesting bird’s chicks are hatching out. The meadows are full of Curlew, Lapwing, Pheasant and Partridge chicks amongst others and a week ago I saw my first young Pheasant flying.
There are still a few meadows around here cut later in the year for hay and DEFRA’s basic Countryside Stewardship scheme prevents cutting of these grasslands between 1 April and 31 May to give these birds a chance, but silaging has a huge effect on these species.
However, that is not the only problem of course. There was a hell of a racket going on yesterday, with Curlews manfully trying to defend their chicks against marauding Crows. The Crows (probably 6 or so) were lined-up in a hawthorn hedge taking Curlew chicks out in the meadow. It seemed a well co-ordinated affair with one end of the line launching an attack, the parents defending there and immediately the other end of the line swooped in. It must have continued for at least 10 minutes, I watched from about 100m for a while then moved on, but the commotion was still going on as I moved out of earshot.
Last year the hawthorn blossom was very pink, seems very fresh and white this season. The same bush (with less blossom) for reference!
Quiet here, ain't it?
617 days ago
Got my head down doing work for forthcoming exhibitions, but over the past few days there’s been a good number of Swallows arrive and the odd House Martin.
I took a walk up ‘Little Switzerland’ as it’s called – the top end of the river valley I haunt – and was disturbed to see the level of the reservoir. Very low. It only serves the locality and is relatively small, but I suppose that makes matters worse as it is virtually at the ‘top of the tree’ as far as the water supply is concerned and if we haven’t got much water, there’s not going to be much for everyone else. Here in the UK, 2007 is meant to be a scorcer.
Anyway, during this walk I came across another pair of Kingfishers, good to see two pairs within a mile of each other. Also, surprised a Peregrine plucking a pigeon, if it had been more open country I may possibly have avoided spoiling his meal, but there again I’m sure I would have been seen first.
There was an article in our local rag about the last Golden Eagle in the Lake District (where my painting is set), he’s been on his own for what must be a couple of years now, although he is still doing a display flight and it sounds as if there may be an attempt to introduce a mate for him. There is always the possibility of a female flying down from Dumfries, but it’s a long shot, so I sincerely hope one can be found for him.
Swallow
633 days ago
Saw my first Swallows of the year today – only two – but it counts!
Kingfishers
649 days ago
Saw the Kingfishers again yesterday, well to be more accurate they started to ‘chee’ me loudly when I got close to their stretch of the river.
As I haven’t seen them for a while, I’m guessing they do move further downstream or out towards the coast in winter, although it hasn’t been that hard this year. With the changing climate, they may well be a species that benefits from a warmer winter, especially on the Scottish rivers.
I see that Britain is still behind on it’s Kyoto targets, with the increase in coal electricity generation and in the Northern Hemisphere, January has been the warmest since records began more than 125 years ago. But are the two directly linked? – the great debate rages on. With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report last month finding global climate change to be “very likely” or at least 90% certain that human emissions of greenhouse gases rather than natural variations are warming the planet’s surface, this latest bit of data does not point the finger directly at us humans, but at a moderate El Niño feeding the global trend.
There is still the occassional (and now regarded as controversial) theory about, that suggests our recent climate change has been caused by natural influences and not us, by comparing data from Mars missions. Could there be something in this? There are undeniable natural trends to our planets weather, but you get the feeling pumping out do many greenhouse gasses aint going to help the situation one bit.
Who's watching who?
930 days ago
Painting away, it had got pretty dark outside, so thought I’d better close the blinds. Then realised that this little guy was sat at the south window quietly watching me – seemed very fitting to be watched whilst painting wildlife by wildlife – so I let him be until he vanished. However, the blinds had better come down earlier if that’s going to be one of his perches, don’t want him hurt against the glass, even though it may spoil his viewing enjoyment!
Sticking it out
933 days ago
He’s still there, despite strong opposition, but no sign of a mate…
Wren take-over
935 days ago
This little chap has been spotted taking nesting material in and out of a martin’s nest just by my computer window – he’ll be lucky though, because the martins are keen as well.
New Nests
937 days ago
I was glad to see the Martins were starting to nest on my brand new extension, i.e. my office wall. However, after the initial interest things seem to have quietened down and it’s been at this stage for a week now, oh well, maybe they’ll be back next year.
