Venue: Brinscall Moor
Date: Monday 26th June 2017
Weather: Dark overcast, rain later
Leader: Graham Thomas
Party Number: 13
Distance and Time: 2 miles. 1 hours
 
A party of 13 set off from Brinscall Baths and walked along the pool before climbing up through Wheelton Plantation to listen for Wood Warbler without success but it was a good way to have a rest as well. A few other birds could be heard but being the end of June, most of the birds had stopped singing. At the top we went left then after a few yards took a path on right in woodland eventually coming out onto the Moor. We turned right and skirted the wood to a point where a path came out of the wood near the ruins of Liptrots Farm. The path continued up past an old quarry and sheepfold coming to a wide track. Went left and ended up at the top of Well Lane. The evening had been dark and overcast and now it started to rain so it was decided to call it a day and descended Well Lane back to Brinscall.
8 of the party had a well-deserved drink in The Golden Lion at Higher Wheelton.
This was a quiet evening because of the weather and because it was the end of June.

Venue: Barbondale
Date: Saturday 24th June 2017
Weather: Breezy, warm later
Leader: Graham Thomas
Party Number: 9
Distance and Time: 4 miles. 5 hours
 
A party of 9 people set off from Barbon Village Hall and went behind buildings and alongside Barbon Beck. At a lane went left to cross a bridge then turned right down a track at Oak Tree Farm. Here we saw a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher flitting around. The track crossed a disused railway then onto the Barbon Estate land.  We followed the tarmac access into the wood then continued through the wood into the Barbondale valley.  Eventually we came back to Barbon Beck where we had lunch. 
Here watched a juvenile Grey Wagtail looking for food between the rocks.
After lunch we crossed a new footbridge, the former having been damage by the floods in 2015. A juvenile Wheatear was seen among the rocks.
We returned to Barbon via a lane with Bracken and the hillside on the left and the valley and hillside on the right. A lone Roe Deer was seen looking back at us high on the far hillside in trees.
We turned left after High Bank Farm and soon found an old enclosed track on the right consisting of dry stone walls and hedges. This old hollow way descended into the village. Enroute we watched a Spotted Flycatcher flitting from a wall to a barb wire fence in its characteristic flight looking for food. Finally we turned right to the village hall.
We retired to the ancient Barbon Inn and sat in the snug for a well-deserved drink. This Inn has character and lots of pictures and Antiques.
A perfect end to a lovely day in the beautiful Barbondale Valley.

Venue: Torver Common
Date: Saturday 15th June 2017
Weather: Warm Sunny
Leader: Graham Thomas/John Wilson
Party Number: 13
Distance and Time: 4 miles. 4 hours
 
The party of 13 set off from a point half a mile south of Torver and just off the A593 on a grass verge. We had been here last June with The Lancaster RSPB where a local lady had been our guide. This had given me the inspiration of bringing The Preston Society.
I think that the long journey up was justified at such a fantastic habitat.
After passing a house we forked left down an old lane were some oaks and a barbed wire fence were places to look for Redstarts and Flycatchers. We saw a female Redstart on a fence. When the walled lane opened up onto the common we took a path to the left. The common is open undulating land interspersed with scrub Juniper and Gorse. Ideal areas for wildlife.
We continued walking on a well defined path to a small pool with Water Lilies. It was here that we saw the first pair of Whinchat. On the way we heard then saw one then two Cuckoo's fly to a wood.
A path going left took us to the east then south and eventually came to the reservoir and sat down for lunch in the same place as last year. The water was higher so no mud which had been good for feeding Wagtails and Dragonflies.
Back along a track then a path on right took us around the bottom of reservoir and along to Inkling Knott, an outcrop of exposed rock. We continued up and over a hillock and back to the small pool then retraced steps to the lane then the cars. On the way we watched a Cuckoo fly to a bush being pursued by a small bird.
Some of the party drove down to Broughton in Furness, a delightful village with a square.
We sat in the rear beer garden of The Old Kings Head.
A lovely day for everyone and a great habitat.

Venue: Hesketh Out Marsh
Date: Monday 12th June 2017
Weather: Overcast. Dark. Breezy
Leader: Graham Thomas/John Wilson
Party Number: 20
Distance and Time: 2 miles. 2 hours

The party met at Hesketh Out Marsh and eventually ended up at 20.
Tony Baker, the reserve site manager suddenly appeared and told us about the history and development of the site from 2006 before we set off along the embankment walking to the west.
The shelter was no longer there. It had been blown away during the storms of last year. Our thoughts were that this is a good time to build a vandal proof hide but the manager said it would have a lot of problems including cost, and would need locking every night but it would be a godsend in winter and it would mean that people would stay longer if out of the weather.
We didn't reach the gate at the end of the embankment but turned back to reach the car park before the light started to fade.
This reserve has two habitats. The outer marsh that is still being established, and the arable fields and hedgerows inland. All this is an excellent area for wildlife and there are always things to be seen.
This was a good evening for the society as the weather didn’t deter people.

Venue: St Michaels. River Wyre. Tarnacre House Farm. SharplesLane. Sharples Quarry Pool. Fairfield Farm.
Date: Saturday 3rd June 2017
Weather: Fine Sunny Warm
Leader: Graham Thomas/John Wilson
Party No: 10

The party of 10 set off from St Michael's Village Hall and walked to the river Wyre then turned right at the bridge to follow the river. At a bend in the river we viewed up stream for wild life and was very lucky to see a Kingfisher flying low across the water. We left the river soon after to follow a track to the main road. En-route we saw a small flock of Badger Faced Welsh sheep. We walked north along the main road until we saw a cottage on the left with 2 date stones. Just beyond was a stile leading to the Wyre Way. We followed the Wyre Way which was very rough in places but were rewarded with excellent views of a pair of banded demoiselles. Eventually came back to the main road and continued north for a few hundred yards, then crossed the road to go through a metal gate and along Sharples lane where we had lunch. During lunch we were rewarded by watching swallows and house martins drinking from a puddle just in front of us.
We walked west down Sharples lane which was a lovely hedged track. Gravel was being extracted on the left and large body of water had been formed which attracted many species of birds including Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher. Eventually found the path leading south to pass pancake wood then continued on to Fairfield farm. Followed their access lane back into St Michael's.
Finally the party gathered at The Grapes pub and sat in the beer garden for a well deserved drink.
This was an excellent walk in lovely, interesting countryside.