​Runshaw Ulnes Walton Leyland
Fine slight breeze
Monday 3rd June

A party of 28 met at The Plough PH (Jerries)at Runshaw before walking east to Tithe Barn Lane on the left. This had lots of birds on the lane including Dunnock and Song Thrush.
A gate on right gave views across to the rear of Runshaw Hall with a field full of birds including Lapwing and Stock Dove.
Continuing to corner of lane at Altcar Farm this now became Altcar Lane.
Followed this to the 17th century Snubsnape Farm. Turned left here then a path around large house. Followed track south and after picking our way through a herd of bullocks, we picked up path that eventually led to Bourne's Farm. A bonus here was a Lesser Whitethroat singing but quite a way off so not seen.
It was a lovely summers evening  and a joy to be out.
Some of the party had a well deserved drink in The Plough after a bird filled evening.

​The group gathered under overcast skies in South Cumbria and met our leader, David Morris. Following our briefing, we squeezed into three cars for our day of exploration.

Everyone was very upbeat about visiting reserves, new to some, with the chance of seeing species, not previously identified. One member immediately donned her waterproof trousers, “just in case”, usually a harbinger of sunny weather! Many of the group usually spend their time, looking upwards, scanning the trees for birds, whereas today would be spent mainly staring intently at the ground..!!

We started at Whitbarrow, Township Allotment and headed off through the wood. In almost the first clearing that we came to, we found a Duke of Burgundy butterfly, who patiently sat, as everyone took photographs. This was one of the “Star Species” for the Workshop, so got the day off to a flying start! (No pun intended!) This was closely followed by another rarity, a White Spotted Sable, a local day flying moth, which frequents limestone pavements around Morecambe Bay. So, we were on a roll! The Greater Butterfly Orchid, Early Purple Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Common Twayblade Orchid and Dark Red Helleborine were also all found on the reserve. Amongst other key flora, were Limestone Oak Fern and Rusty-back Fern, plus Common Whitebeam, flowering beautifully. There were numerous Yellow Meadow Ant nests but not a Green Woodpecker in sight! One of the group took a keen interest in the droppings of various mammals and everyone came away more enlightened about which mammals had visited the reserve before us!

So after lunch we headed for Meathop Moss, where we had excellent views of the Ospreys, Tree Pipit and Redpoll. We heard a Cuckoo in the distance and witnessed an altercation between a Jay and a Buzzard. Another “Star Species” was sighted; the Green Hairstreak Butterfly. Some members of the group tasted last year’s cranberries and people remarked on how tiny and widespread the Round Leafed Sundew is. There were numerous different types of Bee; we identified Tree Bumblebee and Orange Tailed Bumblebee. The Common Lizards kept darting off the boardwalk as we approached and the various Damselflies were busying themselves, as the sun started to break through the clouds. (So the waterproof trousers had had their desired effect!)

So, with the sun coming out even more strongly, we headed for Latterbarrow for our final stop of the day. The butterflies were taking full advantage of the good weather and we saw Small-bordered Fritillary, Large Skipper, Green Veined White, Speckled Wood and Peacock, as well as another appearance of the White Spotted Sable Moth. The find of the day had to be one sole specimen of Fly Orchid. One member of the group stopped to have a chat with the leader and after a couple of minutes looked down, querying what the plant next to their feet was? Just as well, they stood still! With binoculars or a good camera lens it is easy to see how the Fly Orchid got its name!

So, the day was drawing to a close as a Wolf Spider with an egg sack, also created a great amount of interest.

Members of the group got to their feet from various positions of kneeling or lying on the ground, from trying to get close-up images. They headed back to their cars, to go home, with the intention of identifying all of the species that they had captured on camera that day. Everyone was keen to stress how much they had enjoyed the day and how much they had learnt.
​
How much must we normally miss, walking past, without noticing…….?!

​Thank you to Gili Armson, John Finnan, Clare Matthews, David Morris, Kayleigh Roebuck, and Graham Thomas for supplying the photos and to David Morris for his never ending enthusiasm for the natural world.


Janet Wall
Field Trip Organiser

​Altham. River Calder.
Monday 27th May
Fine slight Drizzle at 8.0pm

A party of 10 left The Walton Arms and walked the short distance down to the River Calder. We looked over the bridge and was surprised to see Common Sandpiper, Kingfisher , and Grey Wagtail. What a start. We walked along the River and was joined by 3 more members.
Did the usual walk to the bend and looked around. Could see 4 female Goosander’s just around the bend that took off as soon as we arrived. It started to drizzle so that was our cue to retrace our steps.
Most of the party retired to The Walton Arms for a well deserved drink after another visit to a lovely area.

​Venue: Haverthwaite. River Leven
Date: Saturday 25th May 2019
Weather: Fine Breezy later
Leader: Graham Thomas
Party Number: 4
10.00 14.30
4 miles
A party of 4 met at The Gilpin Bridge Inn at 09.30 then drove in convoy to Haverthwaite.
We parked down old road by The Anglers Inn then continued along this road that had been cut off by the Bypass. A section of the old railway was visible at the end of this road were it had passed under the road.
A path on started here leading to the Hamlet of Haverthwaite. We followed a footpath sign to Friendly Cottage but had to be careful to chose the right path.
Continued along a walled track with a field on the left then through Great Close & Cat Crags Woods to a gate that led onto an open Marsh.
We walked across the Marsh to an outcrop where had had a rest. We had had a rest here when we had visited this area in 2013. Suddenly I saw a head pop up from behind the outcrop and when it flew could see that it was a Green Woodpecker.
After a rest here, we continued to the River Leven and followed to the left.  
We followed the river and heard a Cuckoo that was in Cat Crags Wood but never saw it.
Eventually we came to a Bridge over River Leven. This used to take the Railway over the River. We sat down here for lunch.
Turning left and through a wood we soon came to The Cumbria Coastal Way and by turning left we followed a lane.
Could see the Raised Bog of Roudsea Wood over to the right. Was serenaded by a Tree Pipit which conveniently  perched on a bit of a branch that was devoid of leaves.
Eventually a path left the lane and followed the river back to a bridge which we crossed. There was lots of Ivy Leaved Toadflax growing out of the cracks in the brickwork.
A path on the right followed the river to some cottages where we turned right to pass these splendid old buildings then back up the road to The Anglers Arms were we had a well deserved drink after a satisfying bird watch. Just a pity that we didn’t have more people as they missed a lovely day out.

​Venue: Mere Brow Ashcrofts Farm
Date: Monday 20th May 2019
Weather: Warm
Leader: John Finnan/Graham Thomas
Party Number: 15
The Preston Society met on Park Lane just down from the Chapel and parked in a rough layby just above Ashcrofts Farm. It was a lovely summer's evening and the party of 15 set of but took the road towards Mere Brow then turned left onto The Marshes Lane. After half a mile turned left up track that eventually came to Ashcrofts Farm from the rear. No Owls were seen but we heard then found 2 Corn Buntings singing.
Passed through farmyard and soon came to the cars.
Some of the group retired to The Cock and Bottle PH Tarleton after a very satisfying evening's bird watching.
Three miles in just over two hours.

​White Coppice Preston Society
Monday 13th May
Fine Warm
7.00 to 9.30

A party of set off from the Cricket Ground and assembled at the bridge over the Goit. A lone Dipper was seen just down from  the bridge.
A total of 26 members assembled before walking south down the valley.
Stopped at the first bridge as usual to look up the stream and could see 2 Grey Wagtails feeding between the rocks in the shallow water.
Eventually waited at the gate on left to allow people to catch up. Some walked to Anglezarke Reservoir while waiting.
Returned via the Cycleway and just after 9.00pm heard then saw a single Cuckoo perched on dead stump just below the Quarry. Also a young Stag Roe Deer was seen creeping through the undergrowth just over the Goit.
It was vertually dark when we got back to White Coppice after another successful Cuckoo walk with lots of birds around.

​Newt Carving

​The day dawned slightly overcast but dry, as we headed across the Pennines to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve of Potteric Carr. 
On arrival, those wanting to have a leisurely start to the day, headed to the café, to try the homemade cakes (which I am told, didn’t disappoint!). The rest of the group split up, to head in different directions, depending on their specific areas of interest; flowers, insects, birds etc. 
At varying points in the day, our paths crossed and we swapped sightings, as we made our way around the different trails and visited the large number of hides. We got caught in a ten minute heavy downpour later on during the day, causing some of us to don our over trousers but those in hides at the time, barely noticed it.
One of the more memorable moments of the day for the birders was when, through a team effort by a group of spotters, we found a skulking Water Rail, which decided to oblige and swim across a water channel right in front of the hide. One member got so excited that she shouted at the top of her voice, “Water Rail!”.  This caused the poor bird to dive into the reeds as fast as it possibly could, to escape the attention of the marauders. Unfortunately this meant that the rest of the hide full of people missed the rare sighting! 
Later on during the day in the hexagonal hide (they’re posh in Yorkshire!), a Bittern was spotted sitting on a branch, with most of its body visible above the reeds. Now, only the spotter got onto it in that position but the rest of the hide caught it as it flew across the back of the lake.
On the mammal front, sightings of Common Shrew and Wood Mouse caused some excitement, as did Yellow Archangel, which was definitely the plant of the day, found by our intrepid flora duo, who spent a lot of time on their knees, examining the undergrowth at close quarters!
There were clear views of Seven-Spot Ladybird, Nettle Weevil and Scorpionfly.
Brimstones were seen from various hides, as well as some of our more regular butterflies. 
And for those who are less eagle eyed, the rather large carving of a newt was rather appealing.
One of the noticeable features of the day was that despite the precautionary warnings to take insect repellent (and some people had definitely bathed in it!) there was a distinct absence of biting insects. Only one bite was recorded, unlike on the recce the previous year, when one poor soul virtually got eaten alive! A tasty mortal, obviously!
We all met up at the end of the day on the decking outside the café, with many of the group savouring one of the variety of flavours of local farmhouse ice cream.
People were reluctant to leave, despite the early start that morning but finally everyone got back on the bus for our journey home. We were back in Bamber Bridge, before you could shout, “Water Rail!”. 
A gentle snoring floating down the bus throughout the drive back to Lancashire.
Between us, the group identified 62 species of birds, 5 species of butterfly, 6 types of mammals and 48 species of plants. 
Thanks go to Thomas, who reduced the average age of those on the coach significantly and who had the sharpest eyes and longest bird list of the trip (all sightings verified).
A big thank you to Peter Ross & David Norton for providing the plant list and Linda Shearwood for acting as the bird, butterfly and mammal recorder.
Photos courtesy of David Norton and Kayleigh Roebuck.




Janet Wall
Field Trip Organiser

A party of 18 set off from The Old Liverpool Road at Sollom and crossed the main road (A59) to walk down Smith's Lane. The first birds seen were 2 Common Buzzards which was a good start. This lane was Tarmacked as it was the access to Moss Side Farm. Beyond the farm it became a track.
At least 12 Hares were seen and at least 50 Lapwings. Someone spotted a Little Owl near a Barn at the farm plus a couple of Stock doves.
A single Corn Bunting was heard faintly then spotted perched on a scrub on the edge of a ploughed field with a typical stance.
At 8.15 we retraced our steps as a large black cloud was gathering.
We just got back to Sollom before it started raining.
Six of the group retired to the Cock and Bottle PH Tarleton for a well deserved drink. This area lived up to its name as a perfect Mossland habitat and a good evening was had by all.

Somerset Levels Holiday – Sunday 28 April – Thursday 2 May 2019 

Day 1 – The day dawned slightly overcast but dry, as we headed south towards Somerset. Our lunchtime stop was at RSPB Highnam Woods, near Gloucester, a site renowned for Nightingale and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. We spent a couple of pleasant hours there, walking through the woods, testing our plant, damselfly and butterfly identification skills and watching birds, until we finally got a brief glimpse of a Nightingale, having been teased for some time by its song! However the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker eluded us! We saw a selection of butterflies, including Peacock, Green Veined White and Orange Tip, as well as a Azure Damselflies. A good start to the trip, so we continued in high spirits towards Somerset. 
We arrived at our accommodation late afternoon, to be greeted by our hosts with tea and cake. We all settled into our rooms and gathered again in the early evening to head into Wells, for our evening meal. We explored the city of Wells, with its magnificent Cathedral and Bishops’ Palace, before having our meal.
Day 2 – We were up bright and early to head out to RSPB Ham Wall for a spot of pre breakfast birding. The weather was cool but clear and promised to be a warm sunny day. Within about half a mile of the car park, we managed to record 50 bird species, including several Great White Egrets, not bad for 2.5 hours before breakfast! Probably the highlight was seeing a pair of Kingfishers, on an early morning fishing expedition. Some of the group identified Mike Dilger of TV fame, with his cameraman and sound recordist! So we had lots to share with those in the group who had opted for a lie in, rather than an early morning walk.
We set off again at about 10.00 and headed to Natural England’s Shapwick Heath reserve, searching for Bittern and Hobbies. One of the group saw a Bittern, something we are unlikely to be allowed to forget (!), which unfortunately eluded the rest of the group. Later in the day, we headed over to Ham Wall, for the rest of the afternoon. We saw a number of Hobbies, flying overhead, devouring Mayflies on the wing. We had excellent prolonged views of Garden Warbler singing, followed by seeing a Water Vole swimming right across one of the channels. 
The remarkable thing about the duck population in Somerset, is that where back home we would see Mallards, instead we saw Gadwall. One member of our group became an expert in calling “Gadwall”, whenever we saw one! He gained something of a reputation that will stay with him, for a long time to come……
That evening we headed into Street for our evening meal, still spotting birds en route.
Day 3 – The hardy birders were up bright and early again, this time heading for the Somerset Wildlife Trust site of Westhay Moor. The day was clear and fresh as we tracked down a skulking Cetti’s Warbler. The usual Great Egrets gave us some good views as we scanned the reed beds.
After breakfast we headed for the lookout along the River Parrott, which is known for sightings of Common Crane. We were really in luck, with 8 flying over, calling as they went,
almost as soon as we arrived. So, we headed to RSPB Swell Wood to look at the heronry, with their neighbours, the Little Egrets, in the trees. People went off on different trails, with some being rewarded with views of Common Crane, plus their young and others with a clear view of the only Great Spotted Woodpecker of the trip. The ancient woodland was very special!
That evening we drove to discover the delights of Glastonbury, on our way for the evening meal. Glastonbury Tor dominates the landscape for miles around.
Day 4 – The morning dawned bright and warm as we headed back to the other half of the reserve at Westhay Moor. We were rewarded with sightings of singing Whitethroat, Hobby, Marsh Harrier and Linnet. On the way back to the bus, we decided to stop in the last hide, only to see an otter swimming across the channel, a special end to the last early morning foray.
After breakfast we decided to go back to Ham Wall, for another search for Bittern and to try and see the Garganey that were reputed to be there. Sure enough we found them in the pool at the furthest point from the car park. We had lunch in a little hide in the centre of the reserve, where we were rewarded with a view of a Sparrowhawk, flying past at low level. We sheltered there for a little while from the shower of rain, before returning to the bus. This was the only rain that we saw during the trip; usually we were wearing T-shirts by lunchtime.
We then decided to try the Hawk and Owl Trust site of Shapwick Moor on the way back but found very little activity.
So, on the last evening we walked to the local pub for a meal, just a minute away. That rounded off our time in Somerset.
Day 5 – We packed the bus and headed for WWT Slimbridge, to meet our guide, the brother of one of our party. We had 4 hours to absorb what the reserve could offer, with the hi-light being the hide opposite the Kingfisher nesting holes, where they were feeding young! The views of the feeding Kingfishers were probably the best that some of us have ever had!
So we headed north through the ever increasing traffic and torrential rain, just making it back to Bamber Bridge by 19.00, in time to return the minibus.
Overall, we recorded 88 species of bird, 7 butterflies, 4 mammals, 1 amphibian, 1 damselfly and 1 reptile. A very worthwhile trip!
A big thank you to my co-driver John Finnan for his excellent spotting and bird song identification skills, plus a thank you to the “Gadwall Kid”, (alias Ron Bartlett), John Finnan, Linda Shearwood and Graham Thomas for their contributions to this report.




Janet Wall – Field Trip Organiser