Cromwell Bottom....Wheatear and Whimbrel

Singing males only(warblers

Blackcap    17
Chiffchaff  10
Willow Warbler  12
Garden Warbler   1
Whitethroat         1
Wren                15
Song Thrush    2
Kingfisher       2 sightings
Bullfinch        pair
Green Woodpecker calling
Grey Wagtail   2 near the weir

A fine male Wheatear on the cricket pitch and a calling Whimbrel over the house....good doo

House Martin

2 House Martins north west over the house today with 6/7 Swallows the same way. Buzzards , Sparrowhawk , and a Peregrine down in the valley. 3 Canada Goose ,Linnets , Grey Wagtail , Stock Dove and Grey Heron....

Raggalds Flood

Been keeping an eye on the bit of water known as Raggals flood of late...last week or so has produced
Ringed Plover x 2
Little Ringed Plover x 1
Redshank x 2
Oystercatcher x 1
Lapwing x 5
In 2013 also had Dunlin , Snipe ,Curlew , and Golden Plover one more species of wader to make double figures (Common Sand maybe) on a muddy puddle in Queensbury....Amazingly one day there were 2 Shelduck on it..???

Wheatear

One female Wheatear on the cricket pitches this morning along with 4 Pied Wagtail , 2 Goldfinch , 4 Greenfinch,1 Blackbird and 20 Starling ..all collecting nesting material...

Swallows return

First dates seen from the house in Northowram in the last few years....
2011......1st April
2012.....21st April
2013....10th April
2014....12th April
2015....13th April
2016......4th April
2017.....21st April

Cumbria 15th - 21st April

Lots of walking in the hills for a week , 2 Singing Ring Ouzel was great to hear with at least 15 pairs of Wheatear in and around. On the coast 100 Pale bellied Brents , 5 Greenshank , 2 Green Sandpipers , 20 Ringed Plover ,Blackcaps , Willows and Chiffs  Swallows , House martins and Sand martins in good numbers ,

Cromwell Bottom

A walk round mid afternoon produced --
8 Singing Willow Warblers
8 Singing  Chiffchaff
7 Singing  Blackcap
11 Singing Wren
4  Singing  Goldfinch

1 Green veined White
1 male Orange Tip
1 Speckled Wood

Sunday 2nd April

Started well with 2 Sand Martins north low over the fields.soon followed by 2 Cormorants, 2 grey heron , 2 Greylags and 3 Canadas . 1 singing Skylark , upto 5 Buzzards about  and a cracking young female   Peregrine . The local Starlings have been collecting all the grass  cuttings on the cricket pitch to line there nests and the local Greenfinch have been is display mode all week....

March Swallow

Never had a March Swallow before so i was very glad to see 2 on the 29th March this year near Ravenglass , also in the area 10 Greenshanks , 2 Sand Martin , plenty Chiffchaffs , 10 Little Egrets , Pink footed Geese (40 north) , Peregrine and 2 Orange Underwing.