Thursday, August 24, 2006

Glovershaw 24-08-2006

David,

Today Glovershaw was at its glorious best, clear blueskies and a gentle breeze from the north-west made itperfect for watching birds. The birds were showingwell and there were plenty of them. A family ofStonechats greeted me as I left the car. They were onthe left of the Glen Road, using the bracken forperching and cover. I counted two adult birds andthree juveniles. As I walked further along ReedBuntings and Meadow Pipits were prominent on thebracken on both sides of the road and on the overheadwires. My attention was attracted by an adultWhinchat on the adjacent wall, it was shortly joinedby others, and thereafter, a gathering of five of thebirds (two adults and three young birds) were seensitting along a wire fence. Alongside the moorlandedge with the Golf Course on my right I stoppedfrequently to check the wall on my left. Sure enough,it proved to be worthwhile, as four birds wereprominent, these proved to be another Whinchat, afemale Wheatear, a male Stonechat with a juvenile. Flitting around the Golf Course and the nearby brackenwas another juvenile Stonechat and a Whithroat movedfrom the tall grasses onto a fence post as a WillowWarbler probed in the branches of a spindly plant. AsI walked towards Golcar Farm, another female Wheatearwas using the field boundary, fence and ditch on myleft and another family of Stonechat was present. They were feeding near a gorse and make use of someadjacent scrub. I noted two adults and two juvenilesthis time, the party being joined by Goldfinches andGreenfinches which were attacking the many thistleseeds. I waited a little while by Golcar Farm and itwas no surprise to see the pair of SpottedFlycatchers, that I first noticed on the 8th August.They were using the field and hedges to the north ofthe farm. As I turned to leave I noticed that a flockof about twenty House Martins had moved in,supplanting many of the Swallows which were generally feeding up over the fields and moving through in asoutherly direction.

In total : 12 Stonechat, 6 Whinchat, 2 Wheatear, 2Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Whitethroat and numerous Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit,Willow Warbler.

Paul King

Interesting stuff Paul,
Dave