Category Archives: General

For the first time in two decades a Barn Owl has been seen hunting locally around Hopwood woods. At this time of the year it is almost certainly a young bird of the year that is now looking for a good feeding area for winter. Come Springtime its thoughts will move to breeding and who knows where it will settle. Until then it has to contend with such lethal Barn Owl killers as the motorway and the railway – good luck.
To remind us how good a hunting Barn Owl is this weeks gallery is devoted to them. click here
During the past week I have encountered such contrasting migrants as a Swallow and a Fieldfare.

During the exceptionally warm days of last week I was out locally looking for late butterflies. Several Commas were encountered plus Large White, Speckled Wood, Small Copper with just a single Red Admiral. With a max. temperature of 24degrees it is not surprising that some butterflies are still on the wing, but for how much longer? Click here
On the 9th October I found my first Redwing and migrant Long Eared owl so as soon as the wind moves from its recent southerly direction the Autumn/Winter migrants will flood in.

Todays blog photo is of a Green Woodpecker sunbathing on a standing stone. Most nights last summer as I was on my way up onto the moors to film the Owls this Green Woodpecker was sunbathing on the top of a standing stone. It is only a record shot, as there was no way of getting any closer, but it shows that we were not the only inhabitants of the Pennines to enjoy that fabulous weather.
On the 7th October I flushed the earliest Jack Snipe that I have ever recorded. Ironically at the same time I still had a Chiff-chaff singing before leaving for Africa. Last winter I found only two Jack Snipe that didn’t fly off first so this weeks gallery is to remind us what we are looking for in the months ahead! click here

The wind and rain that we experienced in Wales last week had its effect on a species of bird that was already migrating south from its Arctic breeding grounds. Grey Phalaropes breed in Spitsbergen and two were blown onto the Lancashire coast. One turned up at Crosby and the other, featured in this weeks blog,  spent three days at a Lancashire moorland reservoir. I could hardly resist going to have a look at one of my favourite Arctic birds. Having filmed them in their red breeding plumage in Spitsbergen and Alaska it was hard to believe that the bird I was now looking at in the foam and scum of a Lancashire moorland reservoir was the same bird. Click here
I wish it well and hope it survives to return to Spitsbergen next summer to breed.

Last week to celebrate our Golden Wedding we stayed in our favourite cottage along the river Dee at Rivercatcher , near Bala. On our wedding day fifty years ago it rained all day and last week over two days we had five inches of rain!! Swallow Falls looked spectacular in the floodwaters but our attempt to reach Wales highest waterfall was thwarted by roadside debris which ultimately cost us two new tyres!
The Berwyn mountains had only Kestrels instead of Hen Harriers. The forests this year have a very heavy crop of cones and whilst we did see Crossbills there should be more as we progress into winter. The RSPB reserve at South Stack on Anglesey produced a pair of Chough, in a raging gale, that literally blew you off your feet. The cafe at South Stack was a welcome refuge as were many others along the A5 during the week. Most had bird-feeders and at one there were more than forty House Sparrows present.Click here

There is little doubt that Golf Courses are in a prime position to provide a very special bird-habitat. The planting of Gorse, as a hazard for golfers, is a perfect nest-site for Long Tailed Tits and Linnets. This week’s photo, taken on my local golf-course, is of a superb male Linnet – one of more than six pairs using this hazard as a nest-site.
September is the quietest time of the year for my camera which is having a rest this week! Therefore  no gallery!