Always great to hear from you. In relation to the Mipits, well, I think I have found the ideal spot in "Hunting Hill" Carnforth, but sadly I realized it far too late this year and will have to wait until next year to check it out more thorough and give it some regular visits...for this year the small sampling over 3 or 4 sessions, showed it probably does have the potential to be the best quantitive site so far on the West side (this year) for me.
Although I like Hutton Roof, which is certainly superb for the Thrushes and I am sure will also turn out to probably be one of the best quantitive sites again on the West side, its not really the place for Mipits etc, although small daily amounts do come through (eg: scores to low hundreds at peak).
As you are aware, I was brought up on Mipits and to be honest with you until this last week or so was beginning to get the "withdrawals" having missed the action so much, in regards to how it used to be at Haslingden Laund (Top O'th Slate), those superb days there with the odd rare occasions at "push days or peaks" which did reached into the 4000+ birds some mornings, with parties of between 20s and 70s. What a place!! In fact I have on occasions thought about jumping in the car a hour before dawn and shooting down there to re-energize, but in fairness I dont think things like that are any good for the environment, let alone my wallet...
But I really do miss the mipit watching at Haslingden Laund, but hopefully the new "Hunting Hill" site will be superb for not only Mipits, but also finches and Hirundines. Hopefully this will all be checked out next year.
With regards to "Thrushes", I really did like doing the counts at Stoney Rake (Haslingden Grane), and the setting etc was superb, although I did miss thousands of birds which do pass through Deep Clough (Heap Clough) and many more which pass behind the Musbury Heights on the Edgeworth to NW routing. We did still manage to get a fair recording which usually entered the low thousands.
Going off last year (first time up here and spent at Hutton Roof), I do think this could be better in respect to "Thrushes" compared to Haslingden. Where last year I had over 20,000 in one day (peak count) alone. It does seem that it could well be a catchment of birds coming through the Bury/Bolton/Darwen to its North West, and birds coming through the Wenning/Aire Gap out of Yorkshire and closing in to Ingleborough and then us, and also the birds I used to see coming over the Slaidburn/Trough of Bowland, Clapham, Benthams,Caton and again heading our way. and then from us its as though they enter the "Lyth Valley" or thats how it looks in relation to directions etc.
So for now this is the place for the Thrushes.... for me!! I am now back up Hutton Roof on a regular daily basis where possible.
Lots of Redwings have poured into the Country in the past 48 hours I am informed by lads over on the Continent, together with regular "alerts" from "radar contributors etc etc. and so we are kept reasonably up to date with alerts of anything happening on the East Coast. And what would we do without mobiles??
I am glad you are still enjoying my notes, and if you get as much out of it as I do posting it, well that will do me!!
Yes beside my "poems", I am now making you suffer the sketches.. well why not!, its a great way for me to learn how to draw, horses and sheep!! with maximum expression!!
Take care, and have a look up at us to watch the Starlings (ready in about 4 weeks) now only in the hundreds and growing by 4/5 hundred per day....
India here we come!! (January-2nd week)
All the best, Bryan.
PS: give my regards to Joe in the shop!! thanks.
-- Edited by Birderbryan on Saturday 9th of October 2010 11:54:09 AM
-- Edited by Birderbryan on Saturday 9th of October 2010 11:57:00 AM
-- Edited by Birderbryan on Saturday 9th of October 2010 11:57:25 AM
Fri Oct 8th 2010 - Hutton Roof, Cumbria.
