Our regular garden hare was again in it's favourite spot this morning while I ate breakfast. As I watched it performed it's morning ablutions, amazing to see the ear washing procedure. I went off to Church feeling I had had my "special sighting" of the day , came home to find two sitting side by side---- it was only coffee I was drinking !!

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Watched a hare in the garden this afternoon, sunning itself in the lee of the beech hedge. Saw a large Buzzard flying off with newly caught prey, it landed in conifer woods nearby. The garden seems full of pheasants eating anything we put out. Our resident Kestrel is still roosting in niche above doorway and often hunting in fields near house. The autumn colours are fantastic at the moment. Hollies are covered in berries and ivy berries are starting to form. Flocks of Golfinches have been feeding on seed heads by roadside.

Our Forest of Bowland Holiday Cottages

Butterfly Spotting at Bleasdale Cottages.

The butterflies have been out in force making the most of this wonderful weather. The buddleia had six varieties on at one time yesterday. There were Red admiral, Peacock, Small tortoiseshell, Painted lady, Large white and I don't know the name of the one in the picture.
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Trout for Breakfast....

We recently had an enquiry from a keen fly fisherman, I said he was very welcome to use the lake as we did stock with brown trout in 2006 but as it was primarily a wildlife lake there was rather a lot of pond weed. I did send him the leaflet Fishing in Bowland but he was " a man on a missision "and within hours of arriving he had his first catch, well over a pound and as he said "in perfect condition " I also learned its last meal had been freshwater shrimp and water snail. His challenge continued through the week with the rowing boat, rake ect. and an extremely patient wife standing by. He managed to clear enough to use the fly rod, more success and trout for supper !

Ringing Wagtails

The pair of Grey Wagtails that spend the Spring/Summer around Brook House have just reared their third nest of young. The first was in the house wall the second in a planter and the third in a last years blackbird nest. Yesterday Jean Roberts(B.T.O.) called to ring the five young wagtails under the watchful eyes of the very attentive parents.

We also ringed five young swallows from a second sitting in the bird hide.


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If you go down to the woods today??

While it was dry enough to take the tractor into the woods this week, Robert went to mow the pathways. The blossom on the guelder rose and the patches of dog rose look so pretty and we had a new find for us, some Southern Marsh Orchids.

The Joys of Spring

The Brook House wagtails have been busy again !!
We didn't spot this nest hidden in the planter until they were hatched and the parents were busy feeding them. After that we were careful to tell guests of their whereabouts (they had their very own"Springwatch" viewing into the nest from the bedroom window) After they had flown the nest and the weater had been so good,Robert went to water the planters with the hose pipe and I'm not sure who had the bigger surprise - birds flew in every direction, parent birds very cross at having to round them up and settle them down again!
The concrete block wall next to the planter is home to a family of bluetits, the entrance is a hole that used to be a gate fastening.
The first of the young swallows are now flying from their nest in the bird hide, I was relieved to see them as I walked by on the way to vote as I had been a bit worried that the jackdaws had been spending too much time in that area. It's been a regular sighting recently watching both the oyster catchers and the lapwings mobbing the buzzards. The buzzard was seen eating a waterhen last week.

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