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As Pete searches in vein in the suitcase for his lost youth (sporting a rather fetching hat I must say), the 2009 Hen Harrier Project is rocking and rolling and cooking with gas!!!
Tomorrow its lights, camera, action as we will share the first footage of the Bowland Hen Harrier Project 2009 at the Bowland Visitor Centre, Beacon Fell. Our presenter David will be on hand from 10am to share all the latest news as well as everything you would want to know about Hen Harriers and the Bowland project.
Pete, Stephen and Richard installed the camera on the nest yesterday evening and wait for it ....... it worked! Phew - not only is the weather truly shining upon us but the technology gods love us to!
I can think of nothing better on a glorious summers day to take a leisurely drive upto Beacon Fell enjoying some of the best scenary Lancashire has to offer. When you get there, take some shade in the cool visitor centre and catch a very rare glimpse of this stunning bird of prey. The Bowland Cafe is open every day and sell some rather fine icecream - quite possibly the perfect day!
I saw 16 Lapwing in the survey fields at Broadgate on my visit on 16th May. One pair definitely had young in the field near Bleasdale Tower as the adults were alarm calling and dive bombing me. The chicks were too well hidden so I couldn't see how many there were. I couldn't see any chicks with the 7 Lapwing in the field that the hide overlooks but it's possible that they were hidden in amongst the rushes or in the longer grass. The other possibilities are that the cool and very wet weather in the intervening 3 weeks has taken its toll on chicks or, a more optimistic possibility given the fact that there were fewer Lapwing than on the last visit, is that the chicks and parents have wandered off into the non-survey fields. As with many farms in Bowland Lesser Black-backed Gulls are constantly cruising around looking for a meal and 3 flew over the "hide" field whilst I was there.
Other waders seen on the 16th included 4 Snipe, Redshank, Oystercatcher and 3 Curlew.
It's so peaceful at the farm that I could hear a Cuckoo in the distance. Broadgate Wood was alive with birdsong from Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Wren and Woodpigeon. A Buzzard soared over the wood. 4 Sand Martin hunted for insects in the lee of the wood whilst Swallows flew around the farm yard. House Sparrows chattered in the bushes near one of the barns. Birds near the stream included Grey Wagtail and a Grey Heron. Other birds on the farm were Goldfinch, Jackdaw and a single Carrion Crow.
I managed to see a Roe Deer this visit. Finally, there were at least 11 Brown Hares. They seem to occur in just about every field!
Whilst the weather this morning was a bit grim, this afternoon the glorious sun shone down on Bowland. Not only is the sun shining on us, but the technology gods have equally been kind (those who will remember last years project will be all too familiar with that particular technological saga!!).
The nest has been identified, the technology is in place (working and everything - hooray!!!) Mum is new to us in that she is not wing tagged so I have no information regarding her. She has laid 4 eggs and Pete (or should I say Mystic Meg) advises that the first egg should hatch on Saturday 30th May (I don't know how he knows, just jolly impressed that he does).
We have decided to start filming the nest from Friday 29th May and the first screening at the Bowland Visitor Centre, Beacon Fell will start on Sunday 31st May. The screenings will only be available for about 5-6 weeks every day at the centre from 10am. We are very lucky to have a small army of volunteer presenters who are all too happy to share with you their impressive knowledge and enthusiasm for the Hen Harrier. So please do take advantage of this very unique and priveledged insight into this rare, enigmatic and fascinating bird of prey.
Well this is it the first day of my regular witterings on the latest happenings of the Bowland Hen Harrier. Today I share the sentiments of the late Jim Morrison when he stated "I am, to a degree, just a puppet, controlled by a lot of forces I understand only vaguely."
So with this in mind I must let you into a secret (that if you become a regular reader will become all too obvious). I write this blog with a cursory level of knowledge in respect to Hen Harriers or in fact birds in general. I mean I can tell you the difference between a bird and say a sheep, but my ignorance on the subject is all too transparent.
I hope that this ignorance does not detract from your enjoyment of this blog and that you will join me on a journey of discovery, learning all about this fascinating bird of prey,the progress of her nest and chicks as the weeks unfold; as I do have a cunning plan (a plan so cunning if it had a tail it would be a fox! - thank you Black Adder)
Despite my personal failings I am priveldged on this project to work with two people whose expertise and knowledge regarding Hen Harriers is amazing. Pete Wilson from the RSPB and Stephen Murphy from Natural England both Hen Harrier afficionado's who I will rely upon heavily in the writing of this blog.
So grab yourself a cuppa and keep logging on and follow the activity over the next 6 weeks. Post a comment and ask me anything, I will do my best to find the answer for you. Cx
Wagtails and yellow finches are now flying about, dipping and weaving everywhere. Wild poppies with their glorious red are appearing and also their counterpart the icelandic poppy. The mayflower is now more abundant and cow parsley is starting to appear. Owls can be heard in the evening communicating with one another and the pheasants also with their familiar loud screeching sound.
Lovely sunny day, though very breezy, went to Samlesbury Hall for a Green Tourism meeting. At lunchtime wandered in the grounds and looked at their new maze which is planted with both native and garden flowers. Several Speckled Wood Butterflies were sunning themselves on the woodchip paths in the maze. Horse Chestnuts were also in full bloom filling the air with a lovely fragrance, Ramsons all blooming in the shade beneath the trees.
Continuous footage of a Hen Harrier nest in the Bowland Fells can be viewed seven days a week at the Visitor Centre on Beacon Fell Country Park near Preston.
Volunteers and staff from the Lancashire Countryside Service will be available every day from 10am – 4pm to talk to visitors about what the birds are doing and the Hen Harrier project in Bowland.
Viewing is possible 10.00 am to 5.00pm every day, the Bowland café is also open for drinks and light snacks.
The unedited footage comes from a hidden camera which will be shown on the big screen at the Bowland Visitor Centre. Viewing starts on Monday 25th May and will run until the young have left the nest around the end of June.
Daily updates on the bird and her chicks progress will be posted on our blog - so save us to your favourites list.
We look forward to seeing you at Beacon Fell where you will enjoy unique footage of this magnificent and rare bird.
Thankfully the weather was fine on both afternoons of the walks. The Sunday crowd seeing a good number of birds with plenty of sightings of the lapwing chicks and the redshanks behaving like they had young about though keeping them well hidden.
On the Tuesday afternoon the wind was fierce making it harder to get good sightings, but still managed to see lapwing chicks, curlew and sitting oyster catcher. The swallows in the birdhide have eggs in the nest.
Still keeping an eye on the oyster catcher sitting on her eggs in the old tree trunk, expect something to appear in the next few days.
Spring is well and truly here. We have a blackbird nesting in the clematis that grows around our back door. Alan has fixed a tiny camera up so that we can watch the 'comings & goings' via our tv, ....its really fascinating. There appears to be two 'babies' who keep mum & dad very busy as they seem to need feeding constantly!
The new hens have settled in and are laying fairly well so our visitors can now enjoy a new laid egg for their breakfast.
Ron & Annie from Devon are here for their second visit and love the changes to the Dairy. Ron has doubled up as shepherd & poutry man already. We were away for a few days and the sheep managed to find their way out of the field and into the lane. Fortunately, Ron was just returning from a day trip to Windermere and was able to get them back into the field, then the hens decided that the grass was greener in our garden than in their pen so made their 'great escape'!...
I'm also entering the 'Race for Life' to raise funds for cancer research. If you would like to sponsor me you can do so online at www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/elainestubbs1 . I am hoping to raise around £500
We are thrilled to bits, the result for all our hard work has payed off, we got a gold award from the G.T.B.S. It was presented to us at Hornby Village hall on the 23rd of April, they were great hosts, we had a lovely day.
The swallows and house martins are back. Lesley and I spent ages getting one out off my bedroom. We converted the barn in 1995, the swallows still try to nest in here every year.
In flowery fold wood the bluebells and wood anemonies are out they look good together. The weather has been so dry and sunny it was great walking through the wood. We have a family from Holland in one of our cottages, I'm pleased the weather was good for them last week, this week hasn't started off to well.
We have just got 20 more hens, as we couldn't keep up with the demand for eggs, they are settling in ok!
Met Jim Brown, the resident Faulkener at Leighton Hall, outside our house who had just picked up some BARN OWL castings from our Dutch Barn where we believe there are a pair nesting. He was taking them home to do some research into what they had been eating as he said they were quite unusual in their shape. He will email me with the results so keep reading the blog for the results.
Jim has developed the Hawk Garden at Leighton Hall where you can experience his BIRDS FLYING, go on a HAWK WALK, have an OWL EXPERIENCE or an AVIAN ALCHEMY and he even offers an OWL ROADSHOW! You can contact Jim on 07990 698451 for details.
