It started off a beautiful day, and the view across Bolton and Wigan from where I parked the car was excellent. My plan was to follow Mast road which, unsurprisingly, leads to the mast on Winter Hill. It was a pretty ordinary outing to be honest. Lots of Mipits, Skylarks aplenty, the odd Curlew, Kestrel and Raven but significantly NO RED GROUSE. Not sure what I have to do to add this species to my GM list!!
In fairness its not the 'best' habitat. Its still a lovely place, and normally in scenery like this I'd be in the Cumbrian Fells, but there's not as much heather as I'd like for Grouse and it doesn't surprise me that they are not as easy as in other moorland spots I've been to. Still it was a stunning morning, and the air was literally filled with the song of Skylarks and Meadow Pipit. I do think the latter is very underrated as a songster. Its a sound I associate as much with summer as that of Willow Warbler and Skylark.
I spent a bit of time chasing some Lepidoptera! An orangey butterfly was giving me a bit of a run-around, and its powerful, direct flight fooled me at first into believing it was a moth. I eventually pinned one down though and it was a Small Heath butterfly. Unfortunately every one was very easily spooked and I couldn't get within 5ft to get a photo. I also spent quite a bit of time chasing what turned out to be another 'heath'. A moth this time, the Common Heath.
The Common Heath was slightly less jumpy, but the breeze, the fact I was handholding the camera on the highest zoom and the fact I was at least four feet away meant I still struggled to get a decent shot. This one is about the best of 20 or so! I actually enjoyed the moth and butterflies more than the birds today. Think I need to get the moth trap out again!
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