Barden Scale Watch-Point

SE051568

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Specialities
Buzzard 
Red Kite
Osprey on passage 
Raven
Sparrowhawk
Snipe
Stonechat
Red Grouse
Lapwing
Curlew
 

 

Notable Sightings - 2003
16th March 2003 A Barnacle Goose, of unknown origin was seen flying past.
22nd March 2003 Female Marsh Harrier with probably the same bird flying east at Sandwith Moor later that day.
31st May 2003 A first-year Hobby was noted on the 31st May and then four birds throughout June and early July with the last there, a single on 9th September
3rd April 2003 A Marsh Harrier.
18th April 2003 An Osprey with a further record of 9th May and 1st June.
April 2003 Displaying Sparrowhawks
Buzzard reported every month of the year with a bird seen carrying food in June indicating that breeding is likely here. Monthly maxima at this site included six in May, eight in April and 11 in August.
15th May 2003 A Marsh Harriern on 15th May with an adult female there on 11th, 20th, 22nd and 29th June. This site also yielded a bird on 21st July and almost daily sightings between 14th and 29th August.
August and September 2003 Up to three Peregrine Falcons seen during this time.
6th and 20th September 2003 An Osprey.
Notable Sightings - 2004
10th January 2004 115 Pink-footed Geese flew over
21st January 2004 14 Greater Black-backed Gulls flew north-east.
February Four Ravens were noted, with five in April, eight in August and at least six, (and possibly 12) in October.
6th & 12th April 2004 Single Osprey
14th April 2004 500 Fieldfares over.
May 2004 Up to five Sparrowhawks displaying.
5th May 2004 Single Osprey
12th May 2004 White Stork soared around with other birds, before departing to the east.
20th May 2004 Marsh Harrier passed
9th June 2004 Single Osprey
12th July 2004 An adult pale-morph Arctic Skua bird flew north-west. This is only the fourth Group record, and the first since 1994
26th September 2004 A female Hen Harrier and at least seven Buzzards. 
30th November 2004 1450 Wood Pigeon
4th December 2004 1270 Wood Pigeon

 

 

At Barden Scale, near Barden Tower a small car park affords excellent views across the valley to Barden Fell. In winter many raptors can be seen, whilst spring often provides good views of Ospreys on passage to their breeding sites in Scotland.

Notable Sightings - 2005
1st January 2005 198 Pink-footed Geese flew over and on the 13th 110 irds pased.
13th January 2005 A flock of 20 Goldcrest.
16th January 2005 14 Buzzards 
5th February 2005 140 Pink-footed Geese flew over.
January and February 2005 There were nine records of up to two Short-eared Owls, and three reports in November and December. Three were seen in early August.

Hen Harriers - In the first winter period, records from here and adjoining localities comprised single ringtails on nine dates to the end of March, and an adult male on 23rd and 25th March.

Birds seen in April and May were almost certainly on passage, and consisted of individuals on four dates. Autumn passage became evident from 15th August, when a bird was seen, and there were further sightings on three days in September, including two birds on 24th.

Seen on five days in November and one in December. These generally involved a single bird, but two were seen on 12th November.
Common Buzzard - This location had daily double figures in every month but July, October and December, and on 6th September no less than eighteen different birds were seen, a record for the Group.
March 2005 600 Fieldfare over..
March, May and June Snipe displaying.
5th April 2005 17 Whooper Swans flew past.

Osprey - First bird seen 6th April, there were three more April records of up to three different birds.

During May there were nine reports, beginning with at least two birds on 9th, and between 15th and 20th there were further sightings of up to two birds, including several on consecutive days. From the pattern of observations, seven birds could have been involved.

Beginning on 4th June, there were ten reports, but, particularly towards the end of the month, it was thought it was the same bird, or perhaps two.

July had only one record, on the last day of the month. In the following month, the first two days had records of the bird seen on 31st July, and a different one on 21st August.

21st April & 1st May 2005 Marsh Harrier. Autumn passage produced birds there 22nd July, 21st August and 12th September. Nearby at Langbar, a hasty exit from his car enabled the observer to get good views of a cream-crown bird which flew across the road in front of him on 30th August.
22nd April 2005 Last reported Fieldfare.
June 2005 7 Sparrowhawks recorded during the month. Pre-breeding display activity was also most frequently witnessed at Barden, mostly from late March to early May, but with some activity there to as late as 21st June.
8th July 2005 A flock of 35 Linnets were seemingly surrounding a Kestrel perched on the same wire.
25th July 2005 12 Crossbill.
1st August 2005 35 Common Scoter represented the second highest total ever recorded by the Group.
2nd August 2005 Six Ravens, there had been many records many records of four and five birds at other times.
August 2005 Post-breeding, up to 12 Kestrels could be seen.
19th November 2005 Six Red Kites
8th December 2005 55 Mistle Thrush.