√Swalesmoor and Wainstalls - Castle Carr - Slade - Circular

Swalesmoor

10:15 - 11:30 (ish)

A look for Yellow Wagtail along Ringby Lane and on towards the recycling plant this morning.

A chance meeting, later, with DJS who I bumped into up there.
I enjoyed a short and very informative chat , before we had to make tracks.

c10 Pied Wagtail were difficult to find in the tall grass on a blowy morning.

A Kestrel and later a Sparrowhawk were both being mobbed by several Corvids here.

Lots of Lesser Black-backed Gulls with a couple calling loudly.

A few Butterflies and Moths were here also.

A few Linnet and a Swift (spotted by DJS) was about it really.

Nevertheless an enjoyable, if short, jaunt.

**********************************************

Wainstalls - Castle Carr - Slade - Circular

12:55 - 15:35

A really pleasant leg stretcher this aft along quiet lanes and over moorland with the Heather in good form.

(Although a chap mention, later, that the Heather Beetle was destroying a good bit of it).

The gusty wind helped keep me cool but did not help the bird life.

The moors are quite boggy in places with the main path , approach to Slade Barn just passable with care.


Sparrowhawk and 3 Kestrel seen - seems like a good Kestrel year.

A skylark flushed as I crossed the moor - the call was unusual.
The bird flew 10yds and landed and disappeared.

At Slade Barn in among the stones a large Pipit was seen - probably a Meadow Pipit.

An interesting chat with a chap on the moors who had a Snipe and 2 young through his yard earlier in the year.
He had also seen Red Grouse and Wheatear earlier today - both of which eluded me.
He also mentioned that Buzzard had, had some breeding success hereabouts.

A flock of c50 birds - looked like mixed Goldfinch and Linnet were seen from Cold Edge Road.

The walk turned out to be a tad further that I had time for, so I had to get a clog on later in the day.

A splendid moorland yomp.

'Pool- snooker' night - better get a move on.

Swalesmoor:

Calling Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Wainstalls Area:

The start of the moorland path across to Slade

Spot the Linnet

Cropped from above

Seen through the 'bath room window'!!