Red Grouse (or Willow Ptarmigan!), Gannow Fell CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LIGHTBOX
ANOTHER HIGH ALTITUDE HIKE ON GANNOW FELL reached the dizzy height of 320m ASL! The sunrise was blocked by clouds and was not much to look at but birding was interesting again with a Short-eared Owl fly-through, sent on its way by angry curlews. Luckily some of the birds of the higher fells of Bowland swing by Longridge Fell from time to time on their travels. Other notable sightings included raven, woodcock and a minimum of seven stonechats. Red Grouse were again conspicuous with a couple of quite bold males, with large red combs. They are paired up now, the females much harder to see until they take flight with their attendant partners. The morning bird chorus of curlew, Red Grouse, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Chaffinch and Goldcrest also included a lone skylark, I do hope there are more up here this year! Down at the small reservoir, which was partly drained to fight the forest fire last year but has recovered to former levels, a couple of Grey Herons was present but none of the waterfowl (Mallard and Canada Goose) were settled yet. A female Reed Bunting here was another early returnee to the fells. The usual buzzard and kestrels were also present. All of this falls within 5km of my house, as do all of Alston’s reservoirs and wetland. I should get around to working out what my 5km from home list is.
Red Grouse, female - much more cryptically plumaged than the male, obviously.
European Stonechat males are starting to look quite smart now as their head feathers wear to their solid black bases.
Short-eared Owl, record shot of a rare visitor to the fell
Gannow Fell looks like it ought to hold the typical predators of Bowland like Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl and Merlin but they are absent from this site, which is probably too small, too low and too disturbed?