Just to let you know, I will not be able to do vis from Laund or Grane this year, because we have now moved from Haslingden (after 61 years) up to Burton In Kendal (just north of Carnforth) but easy access to: Gait Barrows, Arnside, Warton etc.
I will still continue to do vis but obviously it will be from up here (at present considering several locations, but probably will take me all Autumn, just to chose my spot!!
It has been a great experience belonging to such a great Club as Rossendale, and over the many years, I have met some fantastic characters, birders and friends, and will always have happy memories of such a great lot of lads and lasses, and I dont want to lose touch, and will keep the Club shortcut on my desktop, so that I can access whats going on, on a regular basis.... I want to keep up my membership, but just to let you know that my vismig or bird record contributions will certainly go quiet from now.... thanks to everyone and all the very best,
Bryan. (Bryan Yorke)
My email address remains the same: bryan.yorke@sky.com and my new telephone number is: 01524 781562 (available from Aug 4th)
-- Edited by Birderbryan on Saturday 1st of August 2009 07:11:33 AM
Bloody hell Bryan. That's a shock...more than Owen signing for UTD.
Personally speaking I will miss your posts and in particular your Vis mig reports through the valley as I used these to keep an eye on the sky.
I hope you will continue your vis mig from up north as they will still be great to read. The web updates on top oth slate will be missed as I thought you had a good all round naturalist mix to appeal to a large number. I guess it will be quite a tear from this place and no wonder your last walk out will be...well emotional!
I really do wish you and your family all the best in your new "top oth World" spot in Kendal. I am sure the change of scenery will be a great challenge finding new places etc.
PS Will be in Goa again in 2010 so who knows me may catch up with you!
All the best and don't be a stranger.....well no stranger than any bird watcher is LOL!
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www.wildrossendale.blogspot.co.uk/ Go On...Go Wild!!
Thanks everyone for your kind wishes. It was a sort of last minute thing over the past six weeks. Our intentions where to retire to Beetham (just around the corner)and planned for 2010, but we were offered this opportunity in partnership with daughter and son in law (theyve been after house over there for a while, he works at Heysham Power Station).. and this seems to meet all the criteria with open fields immediately adjoining the property (North East) and views over Limestone escarpments (Farleton Fell & Hutton Roof Crags) and to the North direct views to the Lake District Mountains (Helvellan etc) and immediately to my West, is the rear of Leighton, Sandside, Arnside, Beetham, Gait Barrows (this should be the direct main flight path especially the autumn route of the Fieldfare and Redwing. I have witnessed them going through here many times in years past... I have already got my permit for "Gait Barrows" Yesterday I was up at the new house painting and we must have had at least 50 to 60 Painted Ladies on the many buddlea plants, along with the odd tort, and many whites.... It very much looks like we are going to have a bumper Painted Lady year..... I am told by my birder neighbour that we are priviledged to have Hawfinches come down in the garden on a regular basis. It seems quite a lot of the neighbours are birders!!
Ina, the avatar is one of the magnificient 27 flowers which Charlie found on Gait Barrows earlier this year, I know the one you mean on Silverdale, but did not get round to visiting this year. I think Charlie did...
Jim, it would be great to have a little Burton/Gait/Arnside/ etc etc site and I would only be too pleased to put stuff on regular.. I might even at some stage along the line participate in a blog also.... but for now it would be great.... I could then put my Fieldfare/Redwing counts on etc.... also this would I am sure benefit Charlie whom is up at his holiday home at Beetham every weekend
Last day of packing ready for off tomorrow and must place my binos near the top of the bag!!!
I've just read this and admit to being in shock. It's been great to read the things you have seen over the years and even better when I've spoken to you or you have managed to get a a meeting. In the good old days we could always depend on you and Bob to fill half an hour with interesting stuff.
Looks like I am going to have to find my own Crossbills from now on (I have never seen a Hawfinch!!!)
Wishing you all the best for the future and please remember to keep in touch, maybe you could show us some of the area for a meeting one day>
Hi Bryan, Just picked up on your post saying good bye and sorry to see you go; who's going to fill the R.O.C. report now! The area you are going to sounds great and I hope you enjoy it! Best Regards, David.
I have not known you as long as the rest but its definitely been a great pleasure knowing you and reading your posts. The vismig reports will be missed - one day who knows I may even give it a try.
Your retiring in a good place and one that will keep you busy with birding. What will happen to the Top of the Slate blog?
Maybe it would be a good idea to open another section Rossendale Birders birding outside of the borough?
Thanks to everyone else also for their kind wishes, much appreciated.
Jim, I have been vismigging at Hutton Roof, Cumbria this last few days mainly to see how we will go on with the Pipits and Chaffinch, which is just behind me and takes me about 10mins by car each morning.
If you want to put my records on a Burton In Kendal it would be great. Alternatively if you just want a summary you could I suppose go to
It would be better for me to have a heading on the ross bird club site so that I can also put down the thrush stuff which I will be collating from my back garden in the next few weeks.. thats if no one has any objections!!
Cheers for now, Bryan.
PS: By the way I think I might have found another really great site but sadly its about 15 miles away and means a 30 minute run costing a fortune in juice!! but theres great stuff going through vismig - Barbondale Valley (Mountainous region on both sides going up to about 1500 above sea level, but I go to the far end above the villages of Dent (via Kirkby Lonsdale, Casterton, Barbon Village and then heading over the mountain (running East to West) to above another village which also has a n-S mountainous valley adjoining. Wish I could spend some time here I b et it would be great....