The Deluge

Sorry no photo this week, back to normal next week.

A very hectic week watching amongst other things a pair of Short Eared Owls feeding their young that were almost ready to fly, that is until Friday came along and dropped four inches of rain on their moor. It was the heaviest and most prolonged day of rain I have ever seen in the Pennines and I fear that they will have perished in the deluge. The flooding in the valleys hit the television headlines. Closer to home all the Whitethroats on Hopwood have lost their young. It couldn’t have come at a worst time and I would imagine for Kingfishers it has been a disaster.

On a brighter note a puddle on a farm track caused me to stop suddenly in the car when I almost ran over a male Crossbill and its young having a drink. I returned twice thereafter but they had moved on – just my luck!

The highlight of the week has been filming my first ever local pair of Green Woodpeckers feeding their young. At one point two heads of the young could be seen in the hole as the adult regurgitated food. Next week’s photo should show this event