Happy Christmas

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2010 From Robert and Anne at Bleasdale Cottages.

http://www.bleasdalecottages.co.uk

Christmas at Bleasdale Cottages.

The birds have been coming to the garden for extra feeding these past few days.
This thrush has been making the most of the holly berries.
Late yesterday afternoon we dashed out of the house to move some wayward sheep that had come over the cattlegrid and up the road. The house door was left open and on our return we found we had a robin in the kitchen. It was none too pleased when it was caught and put back outside.

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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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"Tramper" Birdwatch at Bleasdale Cottages.

Thankfully the weather was fine on both afternoons of the walks. The Sunday crowd seeing a good number of birds with plenty of sightings of the lapwing chicks and the redshanks behaving like they had young about though keeping them well hidden.

On the Tuesday afternoon the wind was fierce making it harder to get good sightings, but still managed to see lapwing chicks, curlew and sitting oyster catcher. The swallows in the birdhide have eggs in the nest.

Still keeping an eye on the oyster catcher sitting on her eggs in the old tree trunk, expect something to appear in the next few days.

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Oyster Catcher Sitting Tight.

This Oyster Catcher has chosen to nest in the top of an old tree stump in the fence. They usually choose to nest on the ground with a few stones or pebbles.
The nest is about a metre from the ground.

The visiting Northern Wheatear have now moved on to their breeding grounds higher up the hills. We enjoyed their stay with us, they are such pretty ones to watch.

The Grey Wagtail that nested in the wall of Brook House have now flown the nest. I kept an eye on them while painting the railings and was entertained with their antics trying everything for the first time, flying to the yard wall, then the roof and then a paddle by the brook.

Hope there will be lots of Lapwing chicks next week for the Garstang Walking Festival Tewit Teas and Tramper Birdwatch here in Bleasdale.

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Boxing Hares and Leverets

Found a special surprise today, not the "Easter Bunny" but three very young leverets. I have seen a Hare in that spot before but I would not have thought she would have given birth so close to the buildings and only a few feet from the washing line. It gave me a thrill last week watching down the front field with a guest, we saw hares "boxing" the fur was flying!
Our first swallows are back this week- always a welcome sight-must leave the barn door open for them.
Guests came back from their walk this afternoon reporting having seen lapwing chicks.

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Guest Sightings

Guests this weekend enjoyed watching the local pair of buzzards circling in the sky and at close range perched on a favourite post in the fence by the lane.
They were very surprised to catch sight of a stoat passing by the cottage still in his white winter coat with the black tipped tail.



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Tadpoles and Frogs

Tadpoles are swimming in the shallow pools after all the lovely sunshine last week, still masses of spawn in the cold deeper water.
Had to play "dodge the frogs" driving up the road tonight as they seem to be off "FLASH MOBBING".

Northern wheatear

What a week something fresh everyday. Saw the first toad this afternoon then as we stopped for a drink a northern wheatear arrived, a bat has been out and about this evening -- Wonderful!

On Monday RSPB field officers from various regions visited Bleasdale Cottages to look at our ongoing Lapwing conservation project. The Lawings and Curlews are calling, more pairs of Redshanks this year.


Bleasdale Cottages