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Archive for June, 2009
Sunday, June 28th, 2009
 Saw seagulls swooping and diving something at the end of the Bay - I said to Dave, I bet it is either a bird of prey or a heron.
After what seemed like an age of relentless bombardment, a heron flew from the stone groin only to be set upon again as it tried to put some distance between itself and the angry seagulls.
Interestingly, a friend was in their back garden, on the same day (Thursday 25th June 2009) and saw the pursuit continue overhead. Poor old heron. It was a fair distance from original sighting to the second sighting, unless of course there is a heron heckling season that the seagulls observe this time every year and it was another poor old thing getting bullied! Our Morecambe B&B Website
Posted in The Wimslow guest-house | Comments Off
Saturday, June 27th, 2009
 We baled approximately 270 bales of hay today. It's been 4 years since we made hay! We had help from family, friends and neighbours and got it all carted into the barn before the rain came.
Posted in Caldertop Cottage | Comments Off
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
Sun is drenching the Bay, I have noticed the Cormorants are hanging around on the depth post at the end of the stone groin. Summer time is quiet for our feathered friends, generally they are off having their families. We have loads of sea bird that overwinter in the Bay; Oyster Catchers Dunlins, Shellducks, Curlews, Red Shanks, Knots etc. During spring it was interesting to watch the transition of the Little Gulls markings from the spot behind the eye, which makes them look so pensive, to the full dark head they exhibit during breeding season. We have a fabulous bird sanctuary called Leighton Moss on the Bay many of the birds that use this sanctuary also spread out along our shores to feed following the tides in and out busying about like frenzied shoppers in the January Sales! Our Morecambe B&B Website Posted in The Wimslow guest-house | Comments Off
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
The three chicks are growing bigger each day, its only when they have a little flurry and you see the impressive wing span which they already have at such a young age, that you realise it wont be long before they are ready to go.
Within a week they seem to have doubled in size and their snowy white down is now peppered with dark feathers. Mum is leaving the nest much more frequently as she tries to satisfy the seemingly never ending hunger of her fast growing brood.
If you have been putting off coming up to the Centre to see the birds up close, I would urge you to attend soon. Pete Wilson advises that the older chicks may start to fledge in the next 10 days or so - doesnt time fly while you're having fun (no pun intended :) )
Our Volunteer presenters are doing stirling work, their knowledge and enthusiasm for this bird of prey really brings the whole experience to life and is really worth the trip, so we would love to see you at Beacon Fell.
Posted in Bowland Hen Harrier | Comments Off
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
Our friesian heifer, Caldertop Nicola 35, has given birth to a heifer calf today and Caldertop Orchid 158 has given birth to twin heifer calves!
Posted in Caldertop Cottage | Comments Off
Thursday, June 18th, 2009
Hi Anne & Brian,
Sorry we have not got back to you sooner we have been rather busy. Thanks for a pleasant stay. As promised here is a list of the birds we saw whilst walking in the area roughly in a 5 mile radius as seen over 7-8 June 09 ;
blackbird, song thrush, magpie, jackdaw, carrion crow, curlew, buzzard, woodpigeon, house sparrow, lapwing, swallow, house martin, wren, kestrel, hedge sparrow, partridge, pied wagtail, goldfinch, mallard, chiffchaff, pied flycatcher, spotted flycatcher, dipper, grey wagtail, chaffinch, blackcap, robin, nuthatch, blue tit, willow warbler, greater spotted woodpecker, pheasant, merlin, siskin, coal tit, green finch, bullfinch. We hope this is of interest to you .
We look forward to our next visit.
Regards Ken & Shirley ( casual birders & walkers)
Posted in Broadgate Farm | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
 These 3 chicks were minding their own business in one of our outbuildings till I came along and disturbed them. This is just one of several nesting places we have for the swallows. If anybody can give me some assistance in siting bird boxes I wouuld very much appreciate it. Foxhill Barn Bed & Breakfast
Posted in Foxhill Barn | Comments Off
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
Is it me or are there more pheasants around than usual this year? Not a day goes by without seeing at least one of them trying to run off without being spotted. And if you can't see them you can certainly hear them! Foxhill Barn Bed & Breakfast Posted in Foxhill Barn | Comments Off
Monday, June 15th, 2009
Now even the greatest Hen Harrier fan would be hard pushed to describe this bird of prey as beautiful, or cute - amazing, enigmatic, breath taking definitely, but cute ....... umm perhaps not - However cute is exactly the word I used this morning when I had the pleasure of seeing all the chicks for the first time on screen. We are now blessed with 3 bundles of joy, all white, fluffy and typical of any new born their heads seemingly too big for their bodies; as they stumble around all bleary eyed with nothing more than sleep and food on their mind. We do still have another egg in the nest, Pete Wilson (our RSPB expert and man in the field) tells me that this egg will now not hatch and mum will probably remove it from the nest soon. Approximately 50% of all Bowland Hen Harriers are tagged, enabling the experts to track and learn more about them, as well as help in the protection of the birds. Interestingly this year neither of the stars of our show - male or female (mum and dad to me) are winged tagged, the odds of both birds being a Bowland bird and not being tagged would be slim to say the least (although of course not impossible) and may suggest that one or both of the birds do not originate from Bowland. Whilst it is a lovely thought that Hen Harriers who were not born in Bowland are choosing to come and nest here, as they recognise it as a viable and safe nesting area, it is pure speculation and it could quite well be that both do originate from Bowland. I will leave that one for the Hen Harrier aficionados Pete and Stephen to discuss and make educated determinations - good luck lads :) Whilst coming up to the visitor centre to see the footage of these magnificent birds of prey on the big screen is a fabulous experience; it really is a privilege to be able to see these birds of prey up close. I would also recommend attending one of the Hen Harrier Safaris that our RSPB colleague Pete has been running. These have proved really popular and regrettably there are just 2 more in the series this year. So why not join Pete and take the chance of seeing a Hen Harrier and other birds (merlins and ouzels) in the wild, as well (of course) enjoy the expert commentary and knowledge of Pete (he didn't even have to pay me for that one :) ). There are only a couple of places left so if you want to book a place please click on the following link Hen Harrier Safari Posted in Bowland Hen Harrier | Comments Off
Monday, June 15th, 2009
Steve heard the cuckoo singing clearly this morning in the wood.
Posted in Caldertop Cottage | Comments Off
Monday, June 15th, 2009
 This woodpecker is busy feeding in the garden.
Posted in Broadgate Farm | Comments Off
Monday, June 15th, 2009
 Clough Bottom Farm Cottages Winner of the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board Self Catering Award 2009/10 On Wednesday 10th June 2009, we were invited to the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board (LBTB) Tourism Awards 2009/10 awards lunch. Clough Bottom Farm Cottages was nominated for two awards this year – the Self Catering Award and the Sustainable Tourism Award, which was a great honour and wonderful recognition for what we aim to do here – provide a truly memorable holiday experience in characterful, converted cottages on our 360 acre organic working farm in the Ribble Valley. We have a strong commitment to the environment and take a more responsible approach to tourism by reducing our waste and encouraging recycling. We also encourage our guests to ’stay local, eat local, see local, buy local’ thereby reducing car journeys and supporting local businesses. This together with our range of Food from the Farm ready meals (made with our own organic and home-grown produce as well as seasonal locally-sourced produce) means that our guests get a real taste of rural Lancashire.
Despite some incredibly stiff competition in both categories this year, we are very proud to announce that we won the Self Catering Award. Radio 2’s Stuart Maconie was the Awards Presenter, and as our holiday cottages feature in his latest book ‘Stuart’s Short Stories for Short Breaks’ it was even more thrilling to have won this category.
Now it’s off to Blackpool to compete in the Self Catering category for the North West regional award. Wish us luck!
Posted in Clough Bottom Farm | Comments Off
Monday, June 15th, 2009
 What can I tell you about Morecambe?
LOVE IT!
It's quiet up the East End, Central is lively and West End has super gardens on the Front. Our attributes are spaced out, but Morecambe is very flat and very easy to get round. We have a prom that is around 8 miles long - great for cycle rides with the kids, or if you use a mobility buggy expect to get a decent run of smooth pavements!!
 There are pockets of shops on the Crescent at Bare, the town centre in Central Morecambe and quite a few interesting shops down the West End including a massive antiques centre (free entry unlike some!!!). Lancaster is a short train journey away. Unless you are planning to go mad shopping I would take the train or bus. There are some lovely things to see in Lancaster, but it's nice to come back to the space and tranquility of the East End in Morecambe.  We have fantastic views of the Lake District and it's only 40 mins to Windermere by car! Just 40 mins eastward there are the Yorkshire Dales and slightly south and east is the Forest of Bowland. Good links to Manchaster, Liverpool, Carlisle and Edinburgh. You get the picture?? Our Morecambe B&B Website
Posted in The Wimslow guest-house | Comments Off
Sunday, June 14th, 2009
Saturday 13/06/09 Fantastic sunny day with a lovely light breeze, perfect for insect hunting (photos only) up at beautiful Stocks Reservoir. Lots of patches of nettles, wildflowers and thistles and marshy areas. Settled on nettle leaves or flying weakly about there were several damselflies, these looked stunning when took off as their wings glittered in the sunlight like they'd been spun out of delicate silver thread. I think one was definitely the Large Red Damselfly and the other I photo'd was possibly the Blue Tailed Damselfly.   Quite excited as there seemed to be quite a few Grasshoppers around, not confident as to their identity though. Also found a lovely little spider in a curled over nettle leaf, probablyAraniella cucurbitina, gorgeous colours.   In nettles next to the cafe found the Sawfly Rhogogaster viridis, highly decorative colours, blown over the water I can't imagine any Trout would miss that, I always thought Fishing Flies looked really garish now I know why. Down by the water amongst the wildflowers found an incredibly delicate looking Lacewing, probably Chrysopa perla bluey-green with black markings down the centre of its body. Also looked slightly sinister I have to say and after reading how their larva suck all the juices out of aphids and then sometimes decorate themselves with the shrivelled corpses I think I was probably right, still stunning though. 
My Wildlife Art website www.elizabeth-mills.co.uk Posted in Elizabeth Mills | Comments Off
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
The last few weeks have been delightful with all the warm sunshine. The sun umbrellas have been brought out of hibernation at last and now it feels as if summer is nearly here!
Mr & Mrs Galbraith are here from New Zealand visiting family. They have been on a coach tour for the last 21 days touring the whole of the United Kingdom so they are really enjoying the rest here and taking full advantage of the peace & quiet.
Went to see 'The Dream', at Sutton Manor in St Helens. For those of you who didn't see the Channel 4 programme 'The Big Art Show', its a sixty metre high sculpture of a girls head erected on top of a former coal mine. It is fabulous, well worth a visit and set to become as famous as the Angel of the North in Gateshead.
Posted in Martin Lane Farmhouse | Comments Off
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