cragman

Great night, his voice hasn’t changed, still getting the high notes. Well worth a watch if you get the chance

I’ll be listening to Graham Nash later when I go see him in halifax, he of Hollies fame and Crosby, Stills and Nash

Grey Wagtail chicks doing well

Too much music in it for me. I did ten minutes then binned it

Ill bet he was “Neil” anyway the farmers do it round here, working well into the night. Good luck to them, it’s a long day

Sold mine to a lad on moochers years ago. Bought all mine at the broughton show. Mr Hobson had a stall there

“Confrontation” it was called Fireman.

This is a Hobson. Used to have a few of his but sold them on after enjoying seeing them on a wall. I’ve just this one of his now. That car boot picture is a little like a Mick Cawston

Snipe chick Came to see me as I sat on the moor

But the pipit in this nest has been sitting on her clutch for at least six days before the cuckoo layed, so I’d say the cuckoo chick won’t hatch, it’ll be too far behind the others incubation wise. But you never know. I’m watching another nest on the same moor hoping the cuckoo will visit. If you fancy a trip to photograph any young ones let me know.

Found a parasitised Meadow Pipits last week. Lovely sight to pull the foliage back to reveal a cuckoos egg among the pipits eggs. I’d been watching this nest hoping a cuckoo would call

There’s got to be a way that people can have the BBC removed from their channel choice so that it becomes subscription only. Maybe they’re scared that no one will subscribe? I very rarely watch tv and even less the bias BBC

Photos here, Still for sale

They’ll lay regardless of if the host is there or not. They always lay in the afternoon and try to coincide it with the hosts being away from the nest, but it doesn’t always happen. As they glide to the nest, pipits especially will rise up and attack the female cuckoo with some ferocity, drawing feathers from the head of the bird. If you ever find a nest with a cuckoos egg in, look around the outside of the nest, there’s sometimes the odd cuckoo feather lying there if it was recent. I’ve watched cuckoos flying about and they’re always accompanied by a few small noisy birds. Some pipits almost welcome a visit by the cuckoo, as if it’s something of an honour

Lovely photos