4th March

After a week spent getting brief views of Bramblings and Redpolls it was good to get back out on to the moors today with DF. It soon became clear that there were a lot of birds about, first a Stonechat followed by a flock of Starlings with 150 Fieldfares in with them. Then some raptors, an immature Peregrine, 5 Buzzards and at the top of the valley our female Hen Harrier. Around the wood were 4 Crossbill, Siskin and Mistle Thrush, 19 Oystercatchers and lots of Lapwing and Curlew were in the fields and a lone Raven flew over cronking. On to next site where we just missed 9 Whoopers and a Water Pipit but were treated to our local juv male and adult female harriers again.