​Carr House Green Common. Inskip
Monday 22nd July
Sunny warm
2 miles
Parked at The Derby Arms (with permission) then a party of 16 walked down through the village to the common. Turned left following a ditch to Woods Lane. Left along the road to Stavens Pool Bridge.
Returned via an overgrown embankment opposite the bridge that skirted the north edge of the common then through Green Farm. Right along the road back to the pub.
Visited The Sitting Goose PH at Catforth for a well earned drink after a beautiful summer's evening walk.
Canada Goose 15+
Mallard 1
Pheasant 1
Common Buzzard 1
Lapwing 2+ 2 juvs
Curlew 2
Swallow 5+
Black Headed Gull 5+
Lesser Black Backed Gull 5+
Wood Pigeon 5+
Collared Dove 2
Carrion Crow 10+
Jackdaw 100+
Magpie h
Blue Tit h
Long Tailed Tit 13+
Willow/Chiff h (call note)
Blackcap 1
Sedge Warbler h
Wren h
Starling 10+
Blackbird h
Song Thrush h
Goldfinch 1
Linnet (male)
Red Bunting h
Brown Hare 3
h=heard only

​Abbey Village. Dole Lane. Track by Quarry. A675. Roddlesworth Lane. Lower Roddlesworth Reservoir. Rake Brook Reservoir.
Monday 15th July
Light Rain
19.00 to 20.45
2.5 miles 240 feet climb
Parked on Dole Lane then 6 brave members set off by walking to the top of Doles Lane. Left along a track by a Quarry.
Turned right at the A675 then up Roddlesworth Lane. Left through Lower Roddlesworth Farm.
Entered a wood then found a new path that followed the side of Lower Roddlesworth Reservoir.
Over a footbridge to view the top edge of the reservoir.
Returned via a path to Rake Brook Reservoir and back to Abbey Village.
Because of the weather I had decided follow a more sheltered route.
The landlady of the Hare & Hounds had kindly stayed open for us.
Most of the birds have stopped singing now but a loud Song Thrush serenaded us in Roddlesworth Wood.
Canada Goose 20+ R
Mallard 8 R
Oystercatcher 2
Black Headed Gull 2
Wood Pigeon
House Martin 2
Swallow 15+
Swift 2
Carrion Crow 10+
Jay 1
Magpie 1
Great Tit 1 + juv
Starling 2
Robin 1
Blackbird 1
Song Thrush 3
Dunnock h
Pied Wagtail (female)
Greenfinch 1
Goldfinch h
Rabbit 2
h=heard only
R=Rake Brook Reservoir

​Rufford. Mawdesley Moss
Monday 8th July
Sunny warm
2 miles
2 hours 10 mins
Parked at the east end of Church Road, Rufford, then a party of 14 walked over the Canal and Railway to White Bridge over the River Douglas. Right along the B6246 for a few 100 yards to a path on the left inside a new fence and alongside a ditch that led to a gate. A new fence had been erected but had forgotten about a stile in a corner. Thats why we had to follow inside this fence.
Followed a rough track consisting of rubble to a collection of farm buildings just north of Home Farm.
Followed an overgrown path on an embankment with New Reed Brook on the right.
Eventually came to Gales Lane. Right then right again just before a LH corner and over a ditch.
Followed a path south along the side of a large field then into a copse with a stream on the left ending up at Black Moor Road.
We had left 2 cars on Sandy Lane earlier so with 5 in each car, drove back to Rufford to pick the cars up while the others (4) walked into Mawdesley and the Red Lion PH for a well earned drink after a beautiful summer's evening walk.
Mallard pair
Pheasant 1
Red Legged Partridge 1
Kestrel (seen from the car later)
Oystercatcher h
Lapwing 10+
Swallow 5+
House Martin h (Mawdesley Village)
Black Headed Gull 20+
Herring Gull 5+ (with above)
Lesser Black Backed Gull 5+ (with above)
Wood Pigeon 5+
Collared Dove 2
Feral Pigeon (several)
Carrion Crow 40+
Jackdaw 20+
Magpie 5+
Chiff Chaff h
Skylark 3+
Wren h
Starling 10+
Dunnock h
Blackbird 2
Song Thrush h
Mistle Thrush 1
Pied Wagtail 2 (female/juv)
Goldfinch h
Greenfinch 1 (male)
Yellow Hammer 2 (male)
Rabbit 1
h=heard only

​Monday 1st July
Knowles Farm. Brimmicroft
Damp
19.00 to 20.30
1.5 miles
Parked on the layby just north of The Hoghton Arms and on the opposite side of the road, then a party of 10 set by walking along the grass merge to Knowles Farm. Walked down through the yard of what was once a C de Hoghton Farm.
From the initial farmyard, the route went slightly left around a barn then through a gate to pick up a path that eventually led through several fields to a footbridge over the M65.
4 more members joined us and we crossed the M65 via a footbridge and walked through the ancient hamlet of Brimmicroft then along the main road to the right back to the motorway junction. Found a footpath that cut the corner off and kept us off the main road.
The going was difficult due to the long wet grass and several stiles that needed attention.
Found a couple of Common Spotted Orchid plants on a gassy verge at junction of the Motorway.
Common Buzzard 1
Swallow 15+
Black Headed Gull 1
Wood Pigeon 20+
Carrion Crow 10+
Jackdaw 10+
Wren h
Blackbird h
Song Thrush h
Dunnock 1
Goldfinch 2
Small Yellow Moth
h=heard only