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RIBCHESTER OSPREY!

Osprey over Ribchester (collage, photos by Phil Larkin)

AT LAST! After so many hours spent sky gazing this spring an Osprey finally flew over Ribchester riverside. We had done the short version of our usual walk along Shorton Lane without much to show for our efforts in the gusty westerly wind. A couple of swallows were battling into it, their numbers way down and I suspect some will have perished in the frosts and windchill of the last couple of days, and we were well pleased to see a drake Red-breasted Merganser fly downstream past Churchgates! This is a rare bird this far down in the valley even though it breeds in several places not far away in Bowland. Phil suggested we try watching from the benches for a while before we packed in, ‘hoping for a double ?’ I joked. I rang Bill Aspin to order some merganser factoids and just as I was moaning that Stocks was getting yet more osprey action (and we still hadn’t managed to see one this spring)...’OSPREY!’ I yelled into the mobile as one swung into view right in front of us only just above rooftop level. It crossed the river and headed north over the allotments (and therefore Phil’s house). Wow! That was exciting! Another ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a _____’ moment. A couple of other Rib lane-walking regulars managed to see it before it flew north out of sight. Looking at Phil’s photos it looks like an adult with a dark tail band and solid black greater coverts. Phil had one do almost exactly the same thing on 6 April last year and it is ironic that the factoid request revealed that Red-breasted Merganser is actually a much rarer bird on the lower Ribble than Osprey! There have only been four records at Brockholes! Oh and sorry to deafen you Bill.

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EASTER MONDAY ARCTIC BLAST

Common Buzzards remain very conspicuous around Ribchester, this one is an adult with a barred breast and broad dark trailing edge to the wing.

THE BIG PUSH OF ARCTIC AIR brought a dusting of snow overnight to Ribchester. I was wondering what it might be good for, it’s an ill wind etc. However, it seems it isn’t good for anything. It was bitingly cold this morning, which must have been a shock to the system for the poor swallows and Sand Martins. I was pleased to see that there were a few still feeding over the river around lunchtime in sheltered spots where there were still insects on the wing. Prior to this nasty weather reversal after such a warm end to March another Willow Warbler had arrived at Red Bank on 4 April, one Redshank is still around as is the pair of Little Ringed Plovers. There are now a few Blackcaps singing despite the extreme cold along with a couple of Chiffchaffs. A pair of otters on 3 April was the first sighting for a few weeks, they come and go and it was nice to see that the usual Tawny and Barn Owls were still around as well. More Osprey near misses continue to frustrate us in Ribchester (Brockholes on 2 April and Calder Foot on 3 April). The vigil continues!

As do Brown Hares! This one almost ran into me today and then stood motionless for a while contemplating its error of judgement.

One of the Little Ringed Plover pair on the riverbank, they would be crazy to nest there with the fluctuating water levels.

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WELCOME BACK WILLOW WARBLER!

Willow Warbler singing at Red Bank, Ribchester on 2 April, back from Africa a couple of days earlier than usual.

THE LOVELY DESCENDING NOTES OF WILLOW WARBLER’S SONG greeted me at Red Bank today as more summer migrants return to the village, despite a drop in temperatures over the last couple of days. Red Bank is a regular site for Willow Warbler, which still breeds in a few spots around Ribchester. Swallows are more in evidence around the village now and there are also plenty of Sand Martins excavating their nesting burrows along the riverbank, albeit not in their traditional spots opposite the vicarage/school. A Blackcap was also singing at Red Bank today and a female was close in attendance.

We are lucky to have 5 or 6 pairs of Barn Owls within 5km of the village and they are very conspicuous hunting until well after dawn at the moment. Maybe they have hungry mouths to feed now? Sunny spring days usually also mean soaring birds of prey. Buzzards, kestrels and sparrowhawks have all been up high in the sky this week, a couple of the buzzards showing unseasonal wing damage, ‘Maltese Moult’ as it is known. I am still waiting for an osprey! March finished on 70 for 2021 and 80 species all time, making it the best month for numbers by far now but it also has the most checklists! The Rib yearlist moved on to 84 today as the commoner summer visitors appeared. April started with a pair of Mediterranean Gulls in breeding plumage that flew east along the river yesterday and a late Little Grebe was still at Red Bank today of note. At higher altitude another 12 Common Crossbills flew over in the early morning cold wind.

Barn Owls continue to delight. Everyone loves owls!

The Dell at Red Bank, Rib birding hotspot!

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THE WARMEST MARCH DAY IN THE UK SINCE 1968!

Northern Wheatear in H.A.R., the epitome of ‘cracking’! The first one of the year always looks best too.

PHIL ORDERED A WHEATEAR and sure enough one appeared on the wall in front of us in H.A.R. (‘High Altitude’ Ribchester}. A cracking male as well! A Ring Ouzel that flew over calling in the same vicinity was a new 5km patch bird and another Bowland speciality that doesn’t breed in the Ribchester area. Other migrants included swallow (one north over the fell and one along Shorton Lane}, double figures of Sand Martins buzzing along the riverbank and investigating nesting banks downstream from Boat House, a Chiffchaff singing there and at the last knockings, a pair of Little Ringed Plovers that flew in to the riverbank opposite Lower Alston Farm. What a great way to finish a lovely spring day, without a cloud in the sky and apparently the warmest March day in the UK since 1968! Winter migrants were still just about around in the form of five Fieldfares that flew north over the fell calling followed later by a Brambling and four Lesser Redpolls. Six crossbills were also coming and going between the plantations but they could easily be breeding by now.

There were plenty of other highlights (with the exception of narrowly failing to see an osprey, again!) including a pair of Barn Owls, one of which was very confiding and was hunting until well after two hours after the sun rose over the big end of Pendle at 0654. There appears to be three pairs of curlews on the fell and at least three singing Eurasian Skylarks. Only one pair of stonechats was a surprise but there were lots of Meadow Pipits and Red Grouse as usual. A Little Grebe was back on the tiny reservoir together with a Grey Heron and a pair of Canada Geese. On large clumps of gorse on the slope above were a Reed Bunting and a couple of Linnets. I spent a lot of time scanning the skies again today without much success but buzzards were also again easily into double figures with up to nine in the air at once and even four in a kettle over the house! Sparrowhawks and kestrels were also in evidence again. There is not very often a star mammal on the patch but a Noctule Bat hawking high over Red Bank just after midday was nice! There were also plenty of Buff-tailed Bumblebees and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies on the wing around the village today.

This Barn Owl looked like it was making up for lost hunting time at the weekend, dives into wet grass had made a real mess of it.

Dry stone walling Barn Owl

Incoming vole catching machine

Meadow Pipits are very common on the fell again this year. Did you hear that Merlins?

Whereas skylarks are not, we only saw three singing birds today.

Skylark ascending, one of the most beautiful sounds in nature.

LRP in the place to be, my Ribchester patch. Of course fluctuating water levels mean they could never breed here but nice to take an interest!

Dawn in H.A.R.

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