Tuesday proved to be another non-event with just 5 birds caught and zero records for the migration stats. I’d met Andy at 0700 for another ringing session, hopefully one where the weather on the day matched the forecast of Monday evening; at last,…
Six in the morning. I was wide awake as warm feet hit the cold floor. It was time to fill the Thermos, *pack baggin in the bait box and try again. Arctic northerlies for ten days and more put the kibosh on birding and ringing. Glacial winds and si…
A shot of Ouzo makes a fine nightcap – for a while. I slept a deep sleep but woke up early perhaps knowing that the forecast was OK, too breezy for ringing but fine for a spot of birding. I set off north to a couple of places to check out for the …
Last week saw a combination of rain, northerly winds and cold temperatures that conspired to prevent early migrants moving our way. Internet bird news confirmed the paucity of birds – a flurry of Chiffchaffs, the occasional Wheatear, and a smatte…
Last November I posted here on the blog a record of Coal Tit ALJ4344. “The Coal Tit is known as one of the most sedentary species of Britain and Ireland whereby ringing has shown that very few Coal Tits travel distances from their natal area. Str…
Saturday morning and Union Lane was closed yet again for repairs to the road that crosses Stalmine and Pilling Moss. Through years of neglect too many of our local roads are in constant danger of sinking into the quaggy mires of Lancashire, turn of t…
2020 was a frustrating year of stop-start ringing at our site Oakenclough, situated at the western edge of the backbone of England, the Pennine Hills. The year was one of consistently poor weather – cold, wet and windy with a distinct lack of sun…
It’s usual for me to spend a short time only at Braides Farm where the parking gateway allows views over a wide expanse of open fields devoted to growing grass. And more grass. And not many birds.After the autumn and winter of 2020/2021 there are…
We’re near the end of our Linnet winter. To some, it may seem odd that wintering flocks are breaking up during the cold days of early March, but that’s how it is just now. Spring starts early in the world of birds. About the same time as daffodils and …
That’s correct friends. This is a Blog One Get One Free offering to rival Tesco’s Finest. Two posts in one at no extra cost to yourselves, even though no one has yet bought me a coffee (see RH column). I ran out of time to update the blog from Th…