LANCS: Hen Harriers in Bowland.

Cross o' Greet near Slaidburn in Bowland.

Spent this morning in a pretty remote part of Bowland surveying a kilometre square just before the heavens opened. At least they did there, it appears the other half of Bowland west to Preston didn't get a drop. A female Hen Harrier on the opposite fell was the highlight for sure and reminded me to add another link to the "Blogs I like" section (see right). Bowland is the breeding stronghold for Hen Harriers in England and although they can be difficult to find out on the moors you can always pop into the Bowland Visitor Centre at Beacon Fell and see them on screen. A CCT camera has been set at a nest containing two chicks allowing an intimate view of a day in the life of one of UK's rarest breeding birds. Check out the Bowland Hen Harrier Project blog and why not read a bit more about the Forest of Bowland AONB?
Yesterdays ramblings produced a nice selection of birds near Slaidburn including a female and 5 male Redstarts. Now, I don't want to "come over all Springwatch" but they really are cracking birds to see sitting up on top of the highest branches of a tree, belting out their song. Male Pied Flycatcher in the same wood as a pair of the Redstarts made a nice double.

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