Lots of Owls

Been a good week for seeing owls. On Saturday as we drove through Holden Clough we saw a Little Owl sat on the wall by the road. Damp, mizzly weather so perfect for it to catch earthworms. On Monday as we arrived at Bank House Fly Fishery we were greeted by a cacophony of Blackbird alarm calls and suddenly a Tawny Owl broke out of the trees in front of us, persued by at least half a dozen blackbirds. They followed it into the copse opposite the house where they were joined by more blackbirds, blue tits and great tits, the noise was amazing. Eventually the tawny had enough and took off over the fields. On Saturday we also watched a hare in Anne Gardners garden up at Bleasdale cottages. It sat there for a while at the base of her hedge before ambling into the field, where I photographed it hiding. We also surprised a Buzzard which had just made a kill in the field near the hide as we drove up, took off carrying something dark with a tail! Looked huge so close, beautiful in the sunshine.


Little Owl near Holden Clough Nursery

Tawny Owl at Bank House Fly Fishery

Hare hiding in grass at Bleasdale

Pumpkin

This is the first year I've tried to grow Pumpkins, lots of fruits but only one got big and matured. Very proud but Bramble unimpressed.

Autumn

Had a walk around Gisburn Park. Sweet Chestnuts covered with spiky husked fruits. Hornbeams look very elegant and attractive with their bright yellow foliage and long drooping clusters of nuts in their leafy bracts. Have yet to find any acorns on any oak trees though I've found plenty of marble galls and artichoke galls. Horse Chestnuts seem to have less conkers too. Seems a good year for berries though, the Hollies and Rowans are covered with them. Hawthorn has done well too though not as well as last year when they were spectacular. Jays and Grey Squirrels are easier to spot now as they are so busy making their winter stockpiles. Still got wasps flying around and plenty of spiders are getting into the house. Bramble my pet ferret has developed an unfortunate partiality to House Spiders. There was a full moon on Sunday, so bright it was hard to sleep, lovely to go out walking in. The birds are starting to come back into the garden to feed, really pleased to see a little Wren bobbing around. Found a Woodlouse in my compost bin moulting its old skin, really surprised as didn't think they lived long enough to need to do that.

Mature Marble Galls

Young Marble Galls


Mature Artichoke Galls

Young Artichoke Gall

Hornbeam Nuts

Saturday 13/06/09



Fantastic sunny day with a lovely light breeze, perfect for insect hunting (photos only) up at beautiful Stocks Reservoir. Lots of patches of nettles, wildflowers and thistles and marshy areas. Settled on nettle leaves or flying weakly about there were several damselflies, these looked stunning when took off as their wings glittered in the sunlight like they'd been spun out of delicate silver thread. I think one was definitely the Large Red Damselfly and the other I photo'd was possibly the Blue Tailed Damselfly.






Quite excited as there seemed to be quite a few Grasshoppers around, not confident as to their identity though. Also found a lovely little spider in a curled over nettle leaf, probablyAraniella cucurbitina, gorgeous colours.





In nettles next to the cafe found the Sawfly Rhogogaster viridis, highly decorative colours, blown over the water I can't imagine any Trout would miss that, I always thought Fishing Flies looked really garish now I know why. Down by the water amongst the wildflowers found an incredibly delicate looking Lacewing, probably Chrysopa perla bluey-green with black markings down the centre of its body. Also looked slightly sinister I have to say and after reading how their larva suck all the juices out of aphids and then sometimes decorate themselves with the shrivelled corpses I think I was probably right, still stunning though.

My Wildlife Art website www.elizabeth-mills.co.uk

12/05/09

Lovely sunny day, though very breezy, went to Samlesbury Hall for a Green Tourism meeting. At lunchtime wandered in the grounds and looked at their new maze which is planted with both native and garden flowers. Several Speckled Wood Butterflies were sunning themselves on the woodchip paths in the maze. Horse Chestnuts were also in full bloom filling the air with a lovely fragrance, Ramsons all blooming in the shade beneath the trees.

My Wildlife Art website www.elizabeth-mills.co.uk

Here are some wildlife sightings from Paul Booth, the manager of Rimington Caravan Park:
(Toad photo) I came across this little fellow whilst out in the fields opposite the caravan park...the dogs were most impressed!!!
20/3/09 My two boys were very excited to see frog spawn in our garden pond (we "rescued" the pond and all its occupants from one of the Park Homes on site last summer)
22/3/09 Came across a fine example of a Hedgehog on the site (approx 40cm long) obviously had come out of hibernation after the recent spell of warm weather.
25/3/09 Sadly and rather tragically a dead Badger on the A682 near Gisburn, the first I have seen in this area either dead or alive.
27/3/09 Plenty of Lapwing and Curlew activity in the fields behind the house together with a large mixed flock of Fieldfare and Redwing.

My Wildlife Art website www.elizabeth-mills.co.uk

Lower Fairsnape Farm 18/03/09 saw my first bat of the year at dusk flying over Bleasdale cottages. 20/03/09 up at Stocks Reservoir saw my first two bumble bees of the year zipping around the car park and my first toad of the year sunning itself by the picnic tables. Sunny, mild weather all week. Wood anemones coming out in old hedge bottoms and woods and rich yellow celandine flowers appearing. Wild garlic leaves greening up the woodland floors.

My Wildlife Art website www.elizabeth-mills.co.uk