We are now in Summer time!
The snow of last weekend remained in places for four days and with the north wind has held back the Summer migrants – only one day of March left and I haven’t seen any yet!
In deep snow drifts I walked the moors east of Burnley. Red Grouse were very active and a Woodcock was flushed from a pine plantation. A search for Long Eared Owls only produced two Tawny Owls and as we know if there are Tawny Owls in a wood then there will not be any Long Eared Owls as Tawny Owls dominate.
More Long Tailed Tits nests have been found but filming has been almost impossible due to a strong wind blowing on most days, the gorse bushes that they were in would not keep still!
One morning I spent an hour under the camouflage cloth along the river Irwell hoping to film a Heron feeding at the weir. The Heron failed to appear and I had to put up with a procession of dog walkers and their dogs – although none saw me.
A local farm at Heywood had a Little Owl calling and establishing its territory for the breeding season ahead. At Ogden Goldcrests were also becoming vocal.
