Anglezarke Moors

[Leonard Poxon]

Lead Mines Clough to Sam's pasture to Higher Hempshaws to Old Rachel's and return.

Birds seen/heard - LMC - Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Wren, Dunnock heard, Magpie, Blackcap heard, Common Redstart heard, 4 Mallard with 3 Ducklings and a Treecreeper.

Moors - 40+ Meadow Pipit, 8+ Pheasant, 2 Snipe, 6+ Curlew, Red Grouse heard, 4 pairs of Stonechat, 2 Goldfinch, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Common Buzzard, 8+ Skylark, 3 Reed Bunting (m), 1 Pied Wagtail, 4 Lapwing, lots of Black-headed Gulls hugging the ground as they headed east to Belmont Reservoir and at a higher level as they headed towards the coast. 1 Swallow over heading east and also1 possible Sand Martin. Cuckoo heard.

Lepidoptera - only 2 Small Heath Butterflies seen in the very windy conditions and 1 possible Common Heath Moth.

Mammals - a Short-tailed Field Vole crossed my path.