Shatterford - 5th June

The weather was warm and sunny. Highlights were Redstart and Hobby.

We set off from the car park leaving a Carrion Crow searching for food there. At the first area of water there were a few dragonflies – Broad-bodied Chaser, Azure Damselfly, Keeled Skimmer and Large Red Damselfly. House Martins were coming down to get mud from the wet edges for their nests and we also saw a male Reed Bunting. Further along the track we stopped to study Round-leaved Sundew, Bell Heather and Cross-leaved Heath in flower, while a Meadow Pipit sang and displayed overhead. A Kestrel hunted over the heath and disturbed a couple of Lapwing, who must have been breeding there as they mobbed the Kestrel for a while.
The woods were fairly quiet, but we saw several Redstart and some young birds being fed. Heath Spotted Orchid and Bog Pimpernel were flowering at the damp, heathy edges of the wood. In some spots Foxgloves formed a sea of purple along woodland rides that we passed.
On the way back we stopped at the edge of the heath to see if any birds of prey would show up. A Willow Warbler fed in nearby bracken and Swallows and a Heron flew over. After 20 minutes Howard spotted a Hobby behind us and we watched it for a few minutes before it disappeared. The only other bird of prey we saw was a distant Buzzard, but after seeing a Hobby we were all very pleased.
Simon Curson