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

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker and fledglings are daily visitors to our feeder by the bedroom window. Only slight niggle - starts hammering away at the peanuts about 5.30 am, whilst constantly softly calling (sounds like a small dog yapping in the distance). I will grind up some peanuts and put them on the bird table then we will all be happy. The young Woodpeckers are stunning and wait patiently in the fir tree to be fed, annoyingly when she does, she takes them into denser foliage so I can't photograph them. We also had a young Carrion Crow in the garden, this sent our local Jackdaws potty, they really were not happy. Found a Narcissus fly in a friends garden in Foulridge, thought it was a Bumble Bee at first till I noticed its eyes and flat abdomen. We had a walk from Cross o' Greets and saw some Large Red Damselflies flying in tandem by an iron stained pool. Every so often a pair would bob down to the water surface so the female could lay her eggs, wings glittering in the sun. We also saw two Gold Ringed Dragonflies flying over the water and resting on heather - if they are not please tell me.

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Its been a wonderful week weatherwise here in Gisburn, long sunny days with a pleasant breeze, making a walk in the countryside very inviting. Treetops and hedgerows are full of fledgling Blue Tits and Great Tits insistently calling all day long to their poor harassed parents who look very tatty. Watched a pair of Blue Tits feeding their young all constantly calling as the adults worked their way through one tree gathering beakfuls of caterpillars, then all at once took off as one to the next tree along, and carried on in this way along the hedge. One Blue Tit seemed to think its sibling was being unfairly favoured over it and edged along the twig until it was above its rival then landed on it knocking it off its perch! We have also been watching a family of Blue Tits nesting in a broken bough, the parents squeezing through tiny holes to feed their noisy young, who are starting to look out of the entrance, hopefully they'll fledge soon. Watched a Grey Squirrel collecting fungus. Saw three woodpeckers all sat on a tree trunk, noticed them as heard drumming, do youngsters get lessons? Friday afternoon saw a large flock of Lapwings near Foxhill Barn, wheeling and calling, also saw a Bullfinch in the hedgerow, Bullfinches have the most boring call I have ever heard. Female Woodpecker and young are coming to peanut feeder in garden, female keeps pecking twigs off Fir Tree and chucking them away.

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