Friday, October 14, 2016

Fly Flats and Withens Head

Blustery and showery afternoon with mist on and off in between just one or two bright spells.
Fly Flats
21 Cananda Geese
28+ Mallard
20+ Meadow Pipits and a single Skylark with them feeding in the grassland
1 Lapwing on the mud
1 B H Gull >N
Red Grouse vocal

Withens Head
I tried at Slade, checking the piles of rubble and stones for yesterdays Black Redstart and 2 Wheatears. No luck there at all after nearly an hour so on leaving I checked the walls at Withens Head Farm (opposite the wind-farm car park) viewing from the road with binoculars and scope. Just as the weather improved I spotted a bird flitting about on a wall near the farm with a single Wheatear and there it was again- the Black Redstart. Too distant for a any photos but I got it through the scope pretty well. Don't think it's an adult male - maybe a juvenile male (?) but need better views to confirm.
I went away well pleased with the afternoons outcome !

Hope someone else can get it before it moves on - a good idea to try find the Wheatear/s with whom it seems to associate though it is pretty elusive and more or less the same colour as the dry stone walls (except for its tail) !

1 comment:

Brian Sumner . said...

A just reward for a good show of patience in lousy conditions Dave, Top Man.