Caldertop Cottage Nature Diary

Wonderful views

2011-12-30T16:41:00.000Z

Great spot to get out of the rain and see the wonderful views.
Chelsea & Michael

Snow in December

2011-12-17T11:12:00.002Z

Last day of the school term and it's snowing!

Appeal for rehomers for battery hens

2011-12-09T19:13:00.000Z

British Hen Welfare Trust still have access to a lot of battery hens from farmers who are looking to empty their barren cages before the ban comes in on January 1st and they are trying to rehome as many as they can. The hens are Shavers, a hybrid commonly used in caged systems.
If you have ever thought about keeping a few hens we recommend you contact BHWT to rehome some ex-battery hens and give them a chance of happy retirement whilst enjoying your own supply of free range eggs!
Register your details at: http://www.bhwt.org.uk/cms/register-your-details/
Rehoming Day Bookings, queries etc (excluding Bank Holidays)
Mon-Fri 9.30 am to 4.00 pm Adele Hall, Haslingden - 0161 408 8355

Rescued hens

2011-12-01T18:07:00.000Z

We have taken in 8 more rescued battery hens - picked them up on Saturday afternoon from a British Hen Welfare Trust collection. They are pale and missing a few feathers but are settling in well with our existing flock. The cock thinks that Christmas has come early - 8 more girls for him to keep charge of!

Bird hide nature diary

2011-10-29T17:38:00.000+01:00

Had a lovely rest and lunch gere with our dogs. Weather awful but had lovely views and watched birds and sheep. Thanks.
Edna, Jimmy and dogs, Southport

Bird hide views

2011-10-16T14:39:00.000+01:00

Enjoyed the shelter nce again. Great views.
The Lloyd Family

Great shelter!

2011-10-02T18:37:00.000+01:00

Great shelter!
Noted in the Bird Hide Nature Diary by the Smiths, Ormskirk

Shelter in the bird hide

2011-10-01T19:36:00.002+01:00

Thank for the shelter, very nice view from here!

Cottage Nature Diary

2011-09-18T17:07:00.000+01:00

Pied wagtail, sparrows, swifts, robin, chaffinch, long-tailed tits, blue tits and starlings - all in the garden.
Alwyn and John Bulbeck

Cottage Nature Diary

2011-09-11T17:29:00.001+01:00

We saw blue tits, a heron, a wren, swifts, sparrows, pheasants, hares, pied wagtail.

Carole, Frank and Elaine

Views from the bird hide

2011-09-02T19:34:00.000+01:00

Wonderful views - great to see calves playing.
J & R, St Annes on Sea

Jay in the garden

2011-08-26T18:48:00.002+01:00

A Jay visited our garden today - first time I've seen one close up! It didn't stay around for long - as soon as it saw me it gave a loud 'skraaak' and flew away into the trees.

Views from the bird hide

2011-08-21T18:33:00.000+01:00

Thanks very much for the shelter and enjoyable views from the bird hide.
Patrica & Martin

Lancashire & Blackpool Tourism Awards 2011/12

2011-08-12T16:42:00.002+01:00

Received notification today that we have been shortlisted in the Sustainable Tourism Award category for the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards 2011/12 which will take place on Thursday 22nd September.
Need to complete the application and gather all the evidence together before the end of August (and we go on holiday for a week tomorrow)!

Bird Hide Nature Diary

2011-07-18T14:31:00.001+01:00

Thanks very much for the shelter.
Lots of love, Duke of Edinburgh walkers.

Cottage Nature Diary

2011-07-16T15:04:00.000+01:00

We saw pied wagtails, great tits, hedgehog, pheasants, swallows,chaffinches, blackbirds, rabbits and wrens.

(Thank you to the Miller Family for making a note of these sightings in the nature diary).

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-07-07T17:49:00.000+01:00

Lost count after 100+ lapwings! 5 cock pheasants, 3-4 swallows. Starlings (amongst lapwings). 1 hare, 1 oystercatcher, 4 dicks (mallard), 30 gulls - too far away to identify exactly (possibly black headed), 2 magpie, 1 curlew and 3 pigeons.

Hedgehog at the door

2011-07-06T17:53:00.002+01:00

Got a surprise this afternoon when there was a young hedgehog just outside the door!

Pond Iris

2011-06-24T20:05:00.001+01:00

Walked up to the pond this evening and the iris are flowering - one of my favourite flowers!

Bleasdale Delight

2011-06-21T19:59:00.000+01:00

The newest addition to our cattle herd - Bleasdale Delight - a pedigree Charolais heifer.

Duck and ducklings

2011-06-10T18:17:00.000+01:00

More ducklings waddling around the farm!

Viewings from the birdhide

2011-06-06T21:23:00.001+01:00

2 pheasants - 1 being harrassed by a lapwing!
7/8 lapwings, 5 curlews, 2 hares and 3 crows

Viewings from the birdhide

2011-06-03T19:22:00.001+01:00

We saw lapwings, curlews, oystercatchers, pheasants. Also hare, grouse and wagtail nearby.

Viewings from the birdhide

2011-06-01T16:20:00.000+01:00

We saw a lapwing and a curlew. (Noted by Luke)

Viewings from the birdhide

2011-05-29T22:19:00.001+01:00

We saw lapwings and a frog and lots of lovely buttercups.

Cottage Nature Diary

2011-05-07T17:04:00.000+01:00

We saw red squirrels at Formby Nature Reserve (N.T.).
Lapwings, curlews, hares etc. here at the cottage.
Lapwings & babies, whimbrel, oystercatcher, curlew.
Shellduck, pink footed geese at Pilling Bank -
and, of course, glorious bluebells!

Pam Shaw, Eric and Diane Kingswood
30th April - 7th May 2011

Viewings from the birdhide

2011-05-05T13:02:00.000+01:00

Seen at 9am - 4 lapwings, 2 oystercatchers, 1 hare and 1 curlew.

Viewings from the birdhide

2011-05-02T15:16:00.001+01:00

26/4/11   1 lapwing
30/4/11   1 snipe
1/5/11   11 lapwings (noted by Joanne)

Lapwing chicks

2011-04-25T17:42:00.001+01:00

There are several lapwing chicks in the fields around the farm now.

Viewings from the birdhide

2011-04-24T18:14:00.001+01:00

4 lapwings and 1 chick, 1 pheasant, 4 oystercatchers, 1 redshank, 1 bird and 11 chicks.

Easter Sunday sunrise!

2011-04-24T18:06:00.000+01:00

Hannah and I walked up Parlick Fell at 5.30am this morning (along with a few other mad people) to watch the sunrise. It was a beautiful morning. The views were amazing!

Sightings around the cottage

2011-04-24T17:46:00.003+01:00

We have seen these birds at the cottage, or very near by:-
Pheasants (loads of them)
Lapwings
Curlews
Whimbrel (roosting at Barnacre Reservoir)
Swallows
Pied Wagtails
Wheatear
Partridge
Saw a deer walking across the field next to the cottage one day. Also saw bats at night. Saw a hedgehog near Barnacre Reservoir and lots of brown hares near the hide, along the lane.
Loved it!

The Lockwoods (Huddersfield)

Bird Hide Viewings

2011-04-23T18:13:00.001+01:00

1 pheasant and 3 oystercatchers.

Thank you to Sophie, Emily & Polly Harris.

Ducklings!

2011-04-20T14:51:00.001+01:00

One of the ducks that has been waddling around the farm appeared with 16 ducklings!

Spring flowers

2011-04-15T15:58:00.001+01:00

We have lots of primroses out on the lane to the cottage.

Bird Hide Viewings

2011-04-14T18:11:00.000+01:00

Lambs and sheep, lapwings and rabbits.

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-04-10T18:28:00.001+01:00

Loads of lambs and sheep, 2 curlews, 6 lapwings and 7 pheasants.

Thank you to Jake for making a note of these sightings.

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-04-03T18:26:00.002+01:00

7 lapwings, 2 pheasants, 4 redshanks and 2 pied wagtails.

Thank you to Lynda, Tim and Katie for making a note of these sightings.

Green Tourism Award

2011-03-30T18:37:00.001+01:00

We attended the Wyre Stars in Tourism Awards today at Thornton Little Theatre and were presented with the award for Green Tourism. A great achievement.
Well done to all the other award winners!

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-03-27T20:29:00.001+01:00

2 pheasants, 5 lapwings, 1 hare and many sheep

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-03-25T20:28:00.001Z

Very springlike and warm. Many lapwings, one hare, many pheasants, curlews and herring gulls.

Lapwing Nests

2011-03-23T21:13:00.003Z

Found 2 lapwing nests in one of the fields this afternoon - one with 3 eggs and the other with 4 eggs.

Frog spawn

2011-03-21T18:50:00.005Z

Found several clumps of frog spawn in the field dyke.

Lapwing nests

2011-03-21T18:47:00.002Z

Went for a walk across the field in front of the bird hide this afternoon. Found 7 nests just in one small area of the field and there were several lapwings flying above.

Spring Lambs

2011-03-20T21:04:00.000Z

Lambing season 2011 has officially begun!

Hen harrier sighting

2011-03-16T21:45:00.003Z

13th March 2011
Walked down to Cobble Hey, then up Peacock Hill over to Delph Wood and then back across the fields to Landskill. Saw a rolling flock of starlings moving like a wave over the field. Many lapwings around, some of which looked to be protecting nests. Heard the call of the curlew a few times and then spotted one flying over. As we walked over Peacock Hill a brown hare rose suddenly out of the grass a few feet in front of us and hurtled away across the field.

14th March 2011
Walked to Bleasdale Moors and up to the peak of Hazelhurst Fell. As we sat up there we saw a hen harrier flying over us, swooping and rising and making a distinctive rasping 'kek kek' sound. We also saw lots of grouse and, on the way back, pheasants.

Thank you to our guests, John and Joy of Harrogate, for making a note of these sightings in our nature diary.

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-03-05T18:39:00.000Z

Lots of lapwings and starlings. 3/4 curlew and 2 mallards (1 male and 1 female)

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-02-26T18:08:00.000Z

12 mallard ducks
500+ starlings - a great aerial display!

Hens and pheasants

2011-02-26T12:06:00.003Z

The hens are being joined by the local pheasants every morning at feeding time!

Sheep in the garden

2011-02-25T11:23:00.000Z

Got up this morning to find 5 of the next door neighbour's sheep in the front garden, much to the amusement of the guests in the cottage!

I didn't find it funny, although, fortunately there wasn't any damage done - just a bit of pruning!!

Viewings from the bird hide

2011-02-20T20:12:00.000Z

60+ lapwings, 90+ starlings, 2 curlew and 1 pheasant.

Noted in the nature diary in the bird hide.

More signs of spring!

2011-02-16T16:56:00.000Z

The daffodils are almost flowering.

The lapwings have returned - can hear their unmistakeable call.

First signs of spring

2011-01-29T11:52:00.000Z

The snowdrops are out at last. Spring is on the way!

Hens and snow

2010-12-18T14:12:00.001Z

The hens do not like the snow - they wouldn't come out of the shed!

Snow

2010-12-18T11:53:00.001Z

First day of the school holidays and we are covered in snow. Perfect timing!

Sightings on Calder Vale walk

2010-11-04T14:25:00.001Z

Walked from Caldertop Cottage on 1st November past St John's Primary School down the church wood and back up from the village of Calder Vale (circular walk). Saw 3 deer on west bank of River Calder, squirrels, rabbits, magpies, pheasants, blue tits, wrens and a robin.

Thank you to Michael & Elaine Johnston for making a note of these sightings in the Wildlife Diary.

Free range chickens

2010-10-23T16:35:00.001+01:00

Collected 5 more ex-battery hens from the British Hen Welfare Trust today. We will keep them separate from our existing hens for a few days to allow them to get used to each other!

Viewings from the bird hide

2010-08-20T17:15:00.002+01:00

11/8/10 - starlings, magpie, lapwings, ducks and pheasants
15/8/10 - heard curlews but didn't see them
19/8/10 - sheep, pheasants and rabbits

Caldertop Cottage Nature Diary

2010-08-09T16:47:00.002+01:00

Seen at Caldertop Cottage between 1st and 6th August 2010:-

Pheasants, swallows, swifts, great tits, blue tits, magpies, robins, goldfinches, pied wagtails, collared dove, hares, rabbits, chaffinches, partridges, mallards, wrens, blackbirds, starlings, house sparrows, dunnocks, kestrel, curlew, bullfinch, redshank and pipistrelle bats.

Thank you to Kelvin, Sarah, Thomas and Benjamin Raby for a making a note of all these sightings in our Nature Diary.

Sightings from the cottage.

2010-07-08T08:45:00.001+01:00

The following were logged in the cottage nature diary by guests Maggie & Peter Gentry:-
29/6/10 Woodpecker on fat ball on bird table in the garden. Curlew, oystercatchers and magpie seen on the farm.
30/6/10 Swifts around cottage and also swallows and red admiral buterflies. Dunnick, chaffinch and sparrows at the bird table. Blackbirds on the lawn.
2/7/10 Magpie at the bird table.
4/7/10 Young pied wagtail on the garden wall. 3 brown hares in the field next to the cottage.

Tourism Awards

2010-06-14T20:52:00.007+01:00

Had the day off on Wednesday 9th June to go to the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board Tourism Awards Ceremony at the Mercure Dunkenhalgh Hotel, Accrington. We were shortlisted in the Sustainable Tourism Award category. After a lovely lunch we were surprised to be awarded Highly Commended in Sustainable Tourism 2010/11 by TV wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan.

This is our third award this year - we were awarded a Green Tourism Gold Award in March and a Star Newcomer Award by Wyre Tourism Association in April.

Not bad going for our first year of running a self catering cottage!

Swifts under the eaves!

2010-06-05T14:30:00.000+01:00

Whilst sitting in the garden having breakfast on a beautiful morning in June we saw the swifts flying around and disappearing under the eaves of the farmhouse to feed their young.

Redshank Chick

2010-06-04T20:01:00.001+01:00

Exciting afternoon!! Spotted a redshank chick this afternoon - first time I've seen one.

Couldn't get a particularly good photograph though because it wouldn't stay still!

Cottage Nature Diary

2010-06-04T19:41:00.001+01:00

Curlews, lapwings, oystercatcher and brown hare spotted.
Thank you to the Todd family for making a note of these sightings in the cottage diary.

Lapwing Chick

2010-05-31T21:55:00.000+01:00

We went for a walk across the field to check the redshank nest today. The nest was empty and so we had a good look round for redshank chicks but didn't find them, but we did come across three lapwing chicks. Two kept running but one stopped and crouched down in the grass.

Bluebell Walk

2010-05-25T21:03:00.003+01:00

We went for a walk through Calder Vale church wood on Sunday evening to look at the bluebells. They look beautiful! Well worth a visit.

12 Ducklings

2010-05-13T19:56:00.004+01:00

The duck that has been waddling around the farm for the past few weeks appeared this afternoon with 12 ducklings.

Viewings from the bird hide

2010-05-09T21:45:00.000+01:00

3 brown hares, 6 lapwings and 3 oystercatchers spotted from the bird hide.
Thank you to T Osborne for make a note of these sightings.

Redshank Nest

2010-05-09T18:01:00.005+01:00

Had a walk down the field to check the redshank nest this afternoon. It was sat on the nest when we got there and didn't fly off.

You can just see the redshank's tail poking out of the grass.

Cuckoo Flower

2010-05-09T17:54:00.001+01:00

There are lots of cuckoo flowers or lady's smock in full bloom in the field by the bird hide.

Cuckoo!!

2010-05-09T09:35:00.000+01:00

Steve heard the cuckoo this morning for the first time this year. He heard the church bells ringing and then the cuckoo started singing!

Free range eggs!

2010-05-07T23:32:00.002+01:00

Only a few of our free range hens are laying in the shed at the moment so we have been on the lookout for a nest somewhere on the farm. Steve found one today, under an old sheet of tin, surrounded by nettles!

Viewings from the Bird Hide

2010-05-06T21:15:00.002+01:00

Seen from the bird hide :- Lapwings 62 and 10 chicks, Redshanks 6, Snipe 1, Pheasants 4 cocks and 4 hens, Swallows 8, Starling 6.
Many thanks to I Thompson and I Fazackerley of Longridge RSPB for making a note of these sightings.

Redshank Nest

2010-05-03T21:30:00.001+01:00

Whilst working in the field Steve came across a very well hidden Redshank nest with 4 eggs in it.

Viewings from the Bird Hide

2010-05-02T21:27:00.000+01:00

Around 2pm - 12 lapwings spotted by Beryl Hartley walking through as part of the Garstang Walking Festival.

Viewings from the Bird Hide

2010-04-27T21:32:00.003+01:00

Spotted on Monday 26th April between 6 and 7 pm.
Lapwing 74 + including 3 + broods of chicks, Redshank 6, Curlew 5, Snipe 1, Skylark 1, Meadow Pipit 1, Reed Bumting 1, Oystercatcher 1, Buzzard 1, Stoat 1, Brown Hare 10.
Thank you to Gavin Thomas, RSPB, for noting these sightings in our nature diary.

Lapwing Chicks!

2010-04-25T22:30:00.000+01:00

The eggs in the nest close to the bird hide have hatched and there are now 4 lapwing chicks in the field.

Spring Lambs 2010

2010-04-25T22:21:00.003+01:00

Thank you to Danielle Freaney for these images of some of our lambs!

Spring Lambs 2010

2010-04-25T22:21:00.002+01:00

Thank you to Danielle Freaney for these images of some of our lambs!

Brown Hare

2010-04-25T22:19:00.001+01:00

Thank you to Danielle Freaney for this image.

Lapwing viewing

2010-04-25T02:30:00.000+01:00

9 lapwings spotted from the bird hide by Melissa, Ruby and Charlotte

Swallows return!

2010-04-19T02:02:00.000+01:00

Whilst in the bird hide watching the lapwings and redshanks we saw our first swallow of 2010.
There are at least 17 lapwing nests on the bird hide field, we think.

Nature Diary

2010-04-17T18:36:00.000+01:00

Visitors to Caldertop Cottage noted the following sightings in the cottage nature diary:-
Monday 12th April - a wren was seen on the stone wall outside the cottage. Brown hares seen in the field.
Wednesday 14th April - wren seen again on an old plough by the stone wall.

Thank you to the Roberts family for recording this information.

Lapwing feeding

2010-04-17T03:13:00.000+01:00

Spent some time in the bird hide late this afternoon, watching several lapwings, 4 redshanks, 4 curlews, 6 brown hares and a rabbit.

A sparrowhawk and crows were being chased away by the lapwings.

There are at least 4 lapwing nests close to the bird hide.

One of the lapwings came to feed at the scrape in front of the hide.

Ducks on the garden pond!

2010-04-17T01:06:00.000+01:00

We had two ducks on the garden pond this afternoon - being watched by our cat 'Twinkle'.

Sparrowhawk

2010-04-16T05:45:00.000+01:00

Spotted a sparrowhawk being chased away by lapwings this evening.

Viewings from the Bird Hide

2010-04-12T03:41:00.000+01:00

Lapwings 30+, Redshanks 2, Starlings 10, Cock Pheasants 2, Hen Pheasants 2, Brown Hares 5, Weasel 1.
Thank you to Ian Fazackerley of Preston for making a note of these sightings.

Lapwing Nest

2010-04-10T21:02:00.000+01:00

One of many lapwing nests currently on our land.

Ducks

2010-03-29T00:10:00.000+01:00

We have a pair of ducks waddling round the farm.

Waders at Higher Landskill Farm

2010-03-28T15:32:00.000+01:00

Gavin Thomas, RSPB Bowland Wader Project Officer, visited the bird hide on Saturday afternoon and saw the following:-

Lapwings 76, Curlew 6, Raven 1, Skylark 1, Meadow Pipit 2, Redshank 5, Oystercatcher 5, Stock Dove 2, Dunlin 1, Brown Hare 5 and several Starling. Most of the Lapwings were paired up and some were sat on nests.

Signs of Spring!

2010-03-24T17:12:00.000Z

The miniature daffodils are in full bloom!

Wildlife spotting.

2010-03-22T02:00:00.000Z

When I was looking round the sheep I saw several brown hares, rabbits, oystercatchers, curlew, lapwings and a white duck.

Lambing Season 2010

2010-03-22T01:55:00.000Z

Our first lamb of 2010 was born today! Lots more lambs to be born over the next few weeks.

Wading Birds

2010-03-20T00:20:00.000Z

The following birds have been seen today from the bird hide:-
Lapwings 42+
Oystercatcher 2
Curlew 4
Sparrowhawk 1

Bird spotting

2010-01-31T16:24:00.000Z

A visitor to our bird hide made a note in our wildlife diary of the birds seen:-
27 Lapwings, 20 Starlings, 2 Pheasants and 2 Crows

New Year 2010

2010-01-04T12:34:00.001Z

More snow - 2nd January 2010

Christmas 2009

2010-01-04T12:17:00.000Z

We had a white Christmas!!!

Spotted from the bird hide

2009-11-20T16:22:00.000Z

A visitor to our bird hide spotted the following birds:-
2 Lapwings
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Pheasants

Reeves Pheasant

2009-10-19T22:03:00.001+01:00

I went to look at the hens and found some pheasants in the run helping themselves to the hen feed. One of them was a reeves pheasant.

Ex-battery hens go free range!

2009-10-12T18:30:00.000+01:00

Today we let the ex-battery hens out of their run to roam free. They didn't venture far from the coop.