All Steamed Up

This weeks photo shows Lapwings that appear to be deliberately roosting in the steam outlet from our local Industrial estate. It is another example of how Lapwings are taking full advantage of our central heating system in cold weather. There have been as many as three hundred Lapwings on this roof and they are perfectly happy to have the warm steam from the unit below blown over them. click here
During the week in fields near Heywood I came across twenty eight Tree Sparrows feeding on grain that had been put out for them by the local farmer. It is the largest number of Tree Sparrows that I have seen locally for many decades. A pellet and droppings on a post nearby indicated that the local Barn Owl had also been feeding on the mice and voles that would have been present on the grain overnight. A clear example of how one farmer can provide a great benefit to his local wildlife.