Stone me!

A trip to Dukes Road this afternoon but no sign of the Rough-legged Buzzard although viewing conditions were not ideal being rather murky and with a head to match. We spent the afternoon viewing from Hurkling Stones. Red Grouse were extremely numerous and a final count came up with…….. shed-loads! A couple of Ravens flew south at about 15.10, mirroring yesterdays birds, albeit a little earlier and one would suspect they were the same birds moving off the moorlands to roost. A Goshawk also slipped off the moors later on (presumably to roost) and although this bird was probably outside the area it was still viewable from the border. Also on the moors a single male Black Grouse had been observed feeding in Silver Birch at Ewden Heights. 

At Old Moor, two Bitterns showed well tonight roosting up at the top of the reeds at the Reedbeds where the Cetti’s also gave a couple of bursts of song. I am still waiting for the final duck counts to fly in but will hopefully add these soon as there seemed to be a lot of birds.