Wildlife in the Forest of Bowland A.O.N.B.

MORE GIRLIES HAVE ARRIVED!

On Saturday we collected 6 more ex-battery hens to join our remaining 14 residents. They are settling in well and enjoying their well deserved freedom. Also to join them we bought 2 speckled hens that are on the point of lay so hopefully we will have some nice brown eggs.

Nuthatch, Greater Spotted Woodpecker both male and female, various Tits, male and female Bull Finch and a pair of Jays sighted on or around bird feeding station.
Good views of Sedge Warbler, White Throat, Goldcrest in woods near farm.
Barn Owl seen near barn and Otters at Lower Hide.

MID MAY - Red Deer seen on path into reserve. Marsh Harriers nesting on edge of mere about 150 yds from Caravan site observed 'passing' and changing places. Other sightings of Tawny Owl, Lapwing, Shoveler, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Reed and Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Avocets at Allen and Morecambe hides.

At Gaitbarrows sightings of Butterflies including Duke of Burgundy, Brimstone, Comma Blue, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Orange Tip, Dingy Skipper and Pearl Borded Fritillaries.

On Warton Crag many sightings of Peregrines and Green Hairstreak, Small Heath, Broad Bodies Chaser and Blue-tailed and small red damselflies.

End of May saw Ladys Slipper Orchid out.

3rd MAY 2010

Success at last! We have 2 hatched and 3 more hopefully to hatch in our secret location. Will keep you posted.

Great activity still on our bird feeding station with male and female Great Spotted Woodpeckers visiting frequently. A very colourful Bull Finch visiting regularly but no sighting of Nuthatch for a couple of weeks.

Trees coming out all be it slowly but things are stiring and more colour in the countryside. 25+ Red deer sighted grazing in field behind farm.

Last week one of our guests saw an Otter at Lower hide around 6 am swimming around, then catch an eel and then disappear into the reeds for breakfast.

Four legged Green Tourists, who came to stay with their riders.

My 'girlies' during the Winter seige!











Winter at Grisedale looking out across Leighton Moss RSPB reserve and the Lake District.

Some of our Green Tourists going for a ride in our beautiful countryside.

SATURDAY 3rd APRIL 2010

29th March - Marsh Harriers - male and female seen near lower hide, also 3/4 swallows, house and sand martins over public hide.

30th March - 3 Marsh Harriers at Lower hide, 2 Willow Warblers and several Chiff Chaffs, Tree Creeper, Goldcrest and 2 Longtailed Tits on causeway.

31st March - 2 male and 2 female Marsh Harriers seen over Lower hide. Siskin, Nuthatch, Gold Finches, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bull Finch, Chaffinch and all manor of Tits still visiting the bird feeding station outside the dining room window. Also numerous sightings of Red Deer in the fields around the farm.

Thursday 18th March 2010

HOUSE MARTINS sighted flying over the farm this afternoon. They must know warmer weather is on its way. Much warmer today 14.5 oc although it has rained this afternoon for the first time in ages.

This morning saw my first Bubble Bee on the wide awake Crocuses - what a marvellous sight - and this aft. a host of wild, golden daffodils near Leighton Moss.

Earlier this week one of my guests saw a pair of BARN OWLS fly out of the owl nesting box near by. Last year unfortunately the box and eggs were abandoned - do hope they succeed this year.

Everywhere still looks drab and drained of colour however the Snowdrops are still looking marvellous.

1st MARCH 2010

Ofically the First Day of SPRING and St. Davids Day, what a beautiful sunny morning and the day here has certainly come in like a lamb - lets hope it stays that way this month and does not go out like a lion! The birds are in a frenzie of activity around the bird feeders and I caught my first sighting this year, of a Gold Finch on the niger seeds. The Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and all the varities of Tits are still frequent visitors to the feeders.

One of my guests thought she may have heard an early call of the Bittern. It has been heard this early so we will have to keep our ears tuned in for its BOOM.

Everywhere the grass in the fields and countryside is still looking so bleached and yellow from the long cold winter lets hope spring weather will not be too late in coming.

6th February - Around 7.45 am wonderful view of a mother OTTER and her two kits swimming in the mere at Lower hide on Leighton Moss. Red Deer sighted in field near farm around 8 am. Birds busy feeding on Bird feeding station by dining room window with Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker making numerous visits.

7th February - Tawny Owl sighted from Lower Hide.

10th February - Several Red Deer Hinds with last years calves seen around 2 pm in field next to road between Leighton Hall and Farm.

17th February - Dog Otter seen walking along causeway around 8 am.

18th February - Snowdrops nearly at their best in the Orchard. My girls (the hens) are starting to produce more eggs again and really enjoying basking in the sun again.

MONDAY 10th JANUARY, 2010

For the past 3 weeks life on the farm has been very difficult due to the snow, frost and ice. Some of the buildings have had no water so all the water has had to be carried across the yard to make sure all the animals have had water to drink. The roads have been impassable even in the Land Rover - the postman has only been able to get to us twice in 3 weeks!

However, now it is thawing with rain falling on the ice which has made certain parts that had ice cover, treacherous to say the least. This hasn't stopped the woodpecker who could be heard this morning drumming away. The bulbs in the garden are showing quite well and soon the snowdrops will be flowering reminding us that Spring it on it's way.

The B&B has been very quiet but now a few enquiries are starting to come in which will be very welcome indeed as we have not been able to be open for the last 3 weeks, due to the weather.

5th January 2010 - Walked across the causeway on Leighton Moss to RSPB shop for more nuts and seeds for my feeders. Meres all iced up and very icy underfoot. The sun looked beautiful as it was very low in the sky and was shining through the reeds.

We are very fortunate that there have been regular sightings and great views of an otter swimming around and catching fish during the day which is quite unusual. Their return to Leighton Moss is thought to have been helped by the recent removal of excess sediment from the reserve's pools which has improved water quality and thus fish stock for the otters to feed on.

The Woodpeckers can be heard most days drumming away in the woods and tonight snow is falling again.

December brought us a White Christmas and New Year with snow falling in the week before Christmas. Whilst looking beautiful this brought it's drawbacks with us being restricted from leaving the farm via our main access for about 9 days! Luckily I have a big freezer!

On a couple of days we dare not let the hens out for fear of them becoming stuck in the snow but then as the frost set in it became more solid for them to walk on.

The bird feeding station, outside my front door, has constantly needed to be replenished during this cold spell. Great spotted woodpecker, Nuthatch, Robin and all varieties of Tits have been visiting including a Pheasant which decided to balance on my B&B 'A' board to reach the fat balls and also sat on top to feed off the little tray. This has changed my opinion on how bright a bird they actually are!

On Christmas Eve, from my kitchen window I saw 4 beautiful stags with quite big antlers jump over the fence in our paddock. Against the background of the snow it was a magnificent winter scene.

Mid November - this is an excerpt from my Flora and Fauna Diary written by one of my Guests........ what a wonderful location from which to visit Leighton Moss. A Bittern flew across - what a sight! Kingfisher from Public hide. Ducks, mallard, teal, wigeon, golden eye (pair), lapwing, curlew, little egrets, great white egret and the sound of Cetti's Warbler. But the best.......... the Starling Roost! I saw them come in, in the evening, walked the reserve very early, heard them all chattering, then a loud whooshing like strong wind and they were up and away.

Whilst walking the dogs at dusk in our fields, I have almost had to duck out of the way of these murmurations and have seen the sparrow hawks hunting in amongst them.

It's the rutting season for the deer and we certainly know about it. Strange noises penetrate the night, beginning at dusk and well into the small hours from the antics of the love struck deer. From our doorstep, can be heard the clashing of antlers as they fight for their ladies.

The nights are drawing in and soon the clocks will go back which will curtail my evening walks with my 2 dogs. This will have to move to an earlier time of day.

The very wet weather this Summer has really held us up with our harvesting for winter provisions for the cattle. Earlier in the Summer we managed to get only about 200 small bales of hay which we need to feed to our beasts in the traditional, old buildings during the Winter months. We do not seem to have had two dry days together which is not enough time to make traditional hay. Still we live in hope as that is all that we can do - surely it can not rain for ever?

Around the 15th September, some of our guests were lucky enough to see a Tawny Owl and a Marsh Harrier, plus a pair of Kingfishers and numerous Migrant and Brown Hawker Dragonflies at the Allen hide on Leighton Moss.

On 20th September, guests delighted to have seen a Bittern flying around the Public hide on the causeway. Also a Great White Egret and Greenshank at the Eric Morecambe Hide. Just up the road from the farm at 7.55 pm they saw 3 Tawny Owls sitting on seperate fence posts.

Finally, at the end of the month we can say all our crops were safely gathered in!

Early August - Several Scotch Argus Butterflies seen near the top of Arnside Knott.

We rescued 6 more battery hens - they are settling in well and are learning the ropes from our resident girls. It is so sad to see them when they arrive as they don't know how to walk properly and don't even want to come out of the hen-house. It is so satisfying, after about a week, when they realise that there is a world out there and they start doing all the things that hens should do - taking dust baths under the pear tree in the orchard - scratching about around the farmyard and of course providing us with their beautiful eggs.

A Pair of Hen Harriers sighted over Leighton Moss and 3 stoats playing on the path from the reserve to the farm.

Late July an Otter sighted swimming in front of Lower Hide at around 6 a.m.

Also over the months I have had numerous Green Tourists staying in my B&B and also on the CL site. Guests who arrive by car and then either leave their cars in our yard and walk, cycle or use public transport, also guests who arrive by bicycle, train or the local bus which dropped them off at Leighton Hall. We even had one couple who had a doggie back pack for their bicycle and two ladies who arrived on Horseback! I have some photos and when I have mastered the art of adding them to my blog you will be able to view my Eco-Friendly Tourists.

It's been rather a long time since I updated my blog but running a B&B, Caravan Site and all the seasonal happenings on a farm just don't give me a great deal of spare time! However, I will endeavour to to give you a summary of all that has taken place over the last 6 months from the records in my FLORA and FAUNA journal made by my numerous B&B guests, and personal sighting.

Met Jim Brown, the resident Faulkener at Leighton Hall, outside our house who had just picked up some BARN OWL castings from our Dutch Barn where we believe there are a pair nesting. He was taking them home to do some research into what they had been eating as he said they were quite unusual in their shape. He will email me with the results so keep reading the blog for the results.

Jim has developed the Hawk Garden at Leighton Hall where you can experience his BIRDS FLYING, go on a HAWK WALK, have an OWL EXPERIENCE or an AVIAN ALCHEMY and he even offers an OWL ROADSHOW! You can contact Jim on 07990 698451 for details.

Thursday 23rd April 09

Attended GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS Forum at Hornby, which is in the Forest of Bowland AONB, near Lancaster, where I received my SILVER AWARD for the green tourism scheme which I was delighted to be awarded. Also met other members and talked to Colin Newsham, from Forest Hills Centre, near Lancaster University, who has, and is developing, an amazing Green Tourism venture, about BEES as I am very interested in perhaps keeping them.

Tuesday 28th April 09

Must just mention that we had an EARTHQUAKE measuring 3.7 - It was the largest we have had in about 40 years! It was terrifing - the whole house shook for what seemed an eternity and the noise was incredible.

3.30 pm Just had first heavy rain shower that we have had in about 3 weeks. Very welcome as everywhere is so dry and in need of some rain! The bluebells are now almost all fully out and look an absolute picture in the woods. My favourite 2 cowslips are now fully out in the hedgerow at the top of Big Seeds field. They were a long way behind others on the farm that I thought we had lost them.

One of my B&B ladies was sat in bed yesterday morning and she saw the Barn Owl fly by also spied the Marsh Harrier over Leighton Moss. I have just seen Green Finch on the bird feeder and Siskin. It is really lovely at the moment with the trees bursting into leaf although, as usual, the Ask and the Oak look miles behind.

The 3 farm kittens are becoming very mischievous and we have been able to ascertain that one is female so she it to be called Millie and has a lovely family waiting to adopt her.