Lancashire wildlife

As we arrived home last week from our trip to Australia the beauty of The Bowland Countryside was just stunning. The hedgerows, trees and wildflowers had all burst forth.
Visiting some last years cottage guests, they showed us the Australian Lapwing. We would not have recognised them, no crest on top and no purple/green shimmer in the feathers. What they do have is " bright yellow, dangling ear flaps " !!!
After another successful breeding season our visiting lapwing are now gathering into groups enjoying the wider area before leaving till next year.
Our family of Greylag Geese are still with us, looking in exceptionally fine form. I must say they have been the most attentive and protective parents I've seen in a long time.

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Gavin Thomas (RSPB ) took this picture today of an Oystercatcher chick down by the wildlife lake. They really are very well camouflaged.
The five Greylag goslings are doing well with their very attentive parents. While grazing they suddenly shoot off running with the young having to dash to keep up, then they seem to have wing flapping lessons. We await the take off !!

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

On Monday Robert did the Tewit Teas Walk with Gavin Thomas ( R.S.P.B ) for one of the events in the Garstang Walking Festival. It was quite a cold afternoon but they still managed to see a good number of lapwing chicks, an oyster catcher nest with an egg in and very good views of a Curlew sitting on her nest. They also watched another curlew " seeing off " a cock pheasant in a very determined manner.

The Wheatear are back with us for a short stay before they move on to nest, such pretty birds.

Quite relieved to have the Grey Wagtails back, they are so late, we thought we would not have any this year.

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Down at the lake we usually only get visiting geese dropping in for a short break (no more than 3/4 days ). This Spring a group of Greylag decided to have an extended stay and the out come is that there are now five young ones.

They are very protective and proud of their brood.

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Over the weekend we had the third annual stay of the Haiku Group. On one of their walks they heard a group of aggravated oyster catchers, as they looked to see what was bothering them they had a very good view of an osprey flying over. We have never seen one but they tell me that it would be migrating back to the north.

Another family staying had a lovely surprise, spotting two very young leverets sitting very still in a clump of rush.

It's good to have the first of the swallows back and the bats out feeding in the evenings.

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As Robert drove down the road at seven o'clock to a Parish Hall meeting over a hundred frogs were on the move. And by nine on his return there were even more, home for the camera to record " The Night Manouvers ". I think it's going to be fun, fun, fun on the pond tonight.

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Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Over the weekend I kept thinking I could hear the sound of Redshank but t wasn't until Monday that I saw them for sure. That's the last of the ground nesting birds to arrive for their breeding season here with us.
Tues. 16th. March.
Even though we can still see a patch of snow above us on the side of the fell it's been the most lovely springlike day. A day of first sightings this year, frog spawn on one of the scrapes and coltsfoot and celandines flowering by the side of the brook.
We never come back from a walk without seeing Hares, and last week we were treated to a show of "boxing Hares" without even leaving the house, through the window, as I sat at the computer.
I will have to hope for some good sightings for the Hare Walk with the Countryside Rangers this coming Sunday.

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Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages One of the animals that has not only survived but positively thrived in the extreme winter weather is the mole. Mole hills seem to be popping up every way you look. On Saturday I could put it off no longer and the traps were retrieved from the depths of the garage and with more gritted teeth than enthusiasm I set out to set them. By Monday the population was five down. Tuesday morning was misty and cold and as my fingers tingled with cold delving into the sodden soil I was wishing I had chosen a warmer job when out of the mist a lapwing got up and flew to the next field__ the first tewit call of the year !And if that didn't manage to warm me through five minutes later I was glowing, seeing and hearing a pair of curlew. So even though the morning began looking bleak, there is light at the end of the tunnel and Spring will soon be here.

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The birds have been coming to the garden for extra feeding these past few days.
This thrush has been making the most of the holly berries.
Late yesterday afternoon we dashed out of the house to move some wayward sheep that had come over the cattlegrid and up the road. The house door was left open and on our return we found we had a robin in the kitchen. It was none too pleased when it was caught and put back outside.

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Our regular garden hare was again in it's favourite spot this morning while I ate breakfast. As I watched it performed it's morning ablutions, amazing to see the ear washing procedure. I went off to Church feeling I had had my "special sighting" of the day , came home to find two sitting side by side---- it was only coffee I was drinking !!

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Watched a hare in the garden this afternoon, sunning itself in the lee of the beech hedge. Saw a large Buzzard flying off with newly caught prey, it landed in conifer woods nearby. The garden seems full of pheasants eating anything we put out. Our resident Kestrel is still roosting in niche above doorway and often hunting in fields near house. The autumn colours are fantastic at the moment. Hollies are covered in berries and ivy berries are starting to form. Flocks of Golfinches have been feeding on seed heads by roadside.

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

The butterflies have been out in force making the most of this wonderful weather. The buddleia had six varieties on at one time yesterday. There were Red admiral, Peacock, Small tortoiseshell, Painted lady, Large white and I don't know the name of the one in the picture.
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