Presume you mean female Dotterel Craig?

Monday 22nd June 2020. 11:00 - 15:00 hrs.

Walked from Pendleton village (just to the south west of Pendle Hill) up into the surrounding countryside.

Highlight was a male Redstart.

Other birds seen included:
Buzzard x 5 sightings
Kestrel x 2 sightings
Linnet x 1
Skylark x 5
Curlew x 1
Long Tailed Tit x 1
Swallow x 10
Swift x 6
House Martin x 4
Meadow Pipit x 1
Pied Wagtail x 1
Grey Heron x 1
Jackdaw x 15
Carrion Crow x 7

08.00 - 11.30

Good walk up the hill to hopefully see some Snow Bunting however sadly not to be today. The top was covered in snow some fantastic views across 360 degrees.

Two dippers by the stream in Barley though great little birds.

Late report for Saturday 5th,

Golden Plover 6
Red Grouse 3
Wheatear 7


No sign of any Dotterel

Pendle Hill, Downham Moor 9.00 - 11.00am,

Snow Bunting 5, Unfortunatly no snow, but the right environment to appreciate just how tough this little bird is
Red Grouse 2, several more heard
Raven
And a possible Merlin flashed down the hill side low and at great speed on the decent

Early morning jaunt before the masses ascend 7.30-10.00am, Highlights

Wheatear 11
Ring Ouzel 4m, 2f
Stonechat 2m, 3f
Golden Plover 1m, 1f
Curlew 2
Swift
Red Grouse 3

No Dotterel for me, However 3 reported on Birdguides early afternoon.

0900 - 10.30 this morning rather bleak conditions. Walked up via Ogden Clough (past the 2 reservoirs) which is a pleasant route.

Sadly, no Dotterel were to be found by me or another 2 birders after a good search.

6 Wheatear
Numerous Meadow Pipit and Skylark
4 Red Grouse heard only.
1 Curlew heard.

Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 2015.

Walk from Barley - Pendle Hill - Lower Ogden Reservoir - Upper Ogden Reservoir - Newchurch in Pendle - back to Barley.

No sign of Dotterel (felt sorry for guy from Sussex who had been there since 08:30 without any sightings! I will be back!)
Stonechats x 4 (3M and 1F)
Linnet
Kestrel
Red Grouse
Grey Wagtail
Meadow pipits x lots (alas no sign of any Red-throated Pipits - sorry John (Rayner)!)
Skylarks x lots
Swallows x 7
Jackdaws
Carrion Crows
Blue Tits
Great Tits
Chaffinch
Magpies
Mallard
Robin
Blackbirds
Wren
Starlings
Coal Tit
Greylag Geese
House Sparrows
Lapwings
Feral Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Jay
Goldfinch
Dunnock



-- Edited by Steve Judge on Monday 4th of May 2015 04:45:57 PM

-- Edited by Steve Judge on Monday 4th of May 2015 07:23:12 PM

Great mid morning jaunt up Pendle for the Dotterel. Parked up in Barley at 10.20 and was at the summit just after 11.00. Four birds seen, two males and two females that at times gave very confiding views. They were spooked by a Kestrel at one point so got some superb flight views. As Rob says below, well worth the effort because the confiding nature of the birds makes for great photo opportunities. Also had a Golden Plover and a pair of Raven plus the usuals. Four Ring Ouzel had been seen earlier by an East Lancs birder in the quarry area. Small Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip and Green Hairstreak (3-4) seen whilst out.

We're you up there this morning Rob? There was a Manchester birder present but I have forgotten his name.

Ring Ouzel on the scree slopes. Golden Plover on the tops too

Hi I have been up pendle hill before but that was before I was into birding. I was just wondering what would be there this time of year and where abouts I should be looking for them. Cheers joel.

Hi John,

Sorry, I've just trawled back through my Twitter feed and the four were actually reported as at 17.00 last night. I misread that somehow, as being today.
I can see no reports so far today.

Phil Barnett wrote:

---

Hi Adam (or anyone who knows Pendle hill)

I've been planning a trip up here some time, but I'm a bit concerned due to my mobility issues.

I can manage a bit of moderate climbing but I'm not sure about Pendle.

I couldn't do Shuttlingslow from the Trentabank car park these days (for example), but I could just about do it from the Standing Stones car park.

---

Hi Phil, my apologies, only just clocked this. I parked in the visitor centre car park and followed the public footpath to the base of the hill. I would recommend following the path to the left also, rather than the steps to the right. More bird life this direction too.

I see 4 Dotterel have been reported this afternoon close to the trig point.

Agree. Barley lane nr pendleside farm is the closest route.Park in layby. Usually enough spaces. Cross the cattle grid. When route forks Travel up the left path is the easiest if you ask me. Flat hill rather than steps. Its worth it if the birds are there. Ring ouzel been seen in the quarry too

-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Wednesday 14th of May 2014 11:01:57 AM

Hello Phil. I don't know the routes you want to compare too but its a 5 miles loop from Barley up the side of the reservoirs to the top and then back down the slope which has been turned into steps to get from the top back down. Total climb is about 1600 feet that way. A shorter route would be to park in the limited layby on Barley Lane about a mile north of the village in the saddle between the two valleys and then strike out for just north of the trig point and follow the path south to the trig or beyond to where the birds have been. That route is about 230m height gain in about a 1.25 mile climb. Let me know if you want grid references but its not a flat route by any means - nearest I can think is the last third of the path up Ingleborough if that helps? Peter

Phil Barnett wrote:

---

Hi Adam (or anyone who knows Pendle hill)

I've been planning a trip up here some time, but I'm a bit concerned due to my mobility issues.

I can manage a bit of moderate climbing but I'm not sure about Pendle.

I couldn't do Shuttlingslow from the Trentabank car park these days (for example), but I could just about do it from the Standing Stones car park.

Does it compare to either of these (I think you probably know these routes, as I've seen postings of yours from Macclesfield Forest)

Cheers,

Phil

---

Hi Adam (or anyone who knows Pendle hill)

I've been planning a trip up here some time, but I'm a bit concerned due to my mobility issues.

I can manage a bit of moderate climbing but I'm not sure about Pendle.

I couldn't do Shuttlingslow from the Trentabank car park these days (for example), but I could just about do it from the Standing Stones car park.

Does it compare to either of these (I think you probably know these routes, as I've seen postings of yours from Macclesfield Forest)

Cheers,

Phil

A great day though no find of dotterel. Close up of golden plover in full summer plumage on the peak top on west side of stone pile. Dotterel wasn't at their usual spot at this location. Male common kestrel hunting the slopes. .nice to see how easy it is to get great views of red grouse, a first for my mother. Best location I've come across. Will try next year for dotterel.

I had a fantastic day up Pendle Hill today, one I'll never forget. Not being the fit, slim(mer) or young bloke that I once was, I had severe issues thinking about the steep climb up Pendle carrying all my photographic gear in pretty hot weather. However, with reported Dotterel sightings yesterday and good weather, I decided to go for it, thinking I'd just take my time and set myself small targets to reach along the way with plenty of time to enjoy the scenery (no, not get my breath back). This worked for me and I made it to the trig point at the top in just less than 40 minutes, a time with which I was quite happy, in spite of meeting a couple of girls walking their dog who said they'd done it in 15 minutes and set themselves a new record!

At the top it was very windy and even quite cold at times and there was nothing much about except for the odd Curlew call and plenty of singing Skylarks. Three Swifts (my first of the year) did shoot through at one point and so I thought things were looking up, but apart from some crows and maybe a couple of tumbling Ravens, I didn't see much else in my search for the Dotterel. I spoke to a bloke from Chorley Naturalists (sorry, I've forgotten your name) who usually sees the Dotterel here every year but who hadn't seen them today and he gave me a few pointers about areas they've favoured in the past. Another local birder told me he had toured the whole area and not seen them today, so things weren't looking good.

I spent an hour or so in the area around the trig point with no luck, and a couple of birders who'd come up from the Sabden path in the opposite direction to me said they hadn't seen them on the way. Whilst I was talking to them, a small bird of prey flashed past flying low over the top of Pendle Hill, which we both agreed must have been a Merlin. With this news of no sightings I was beginning to think I'd be out of luck today, so I decided to try the path along to the Scout Hut cairn which I'd been told earlier was a favoured place. However, apart from some very low flying Skylarks, some Meadow Pipits and a lone Red Grouse flying over the path, there was very little else.

Feeling a bit fed up I decided to try the trig point area again before giving up and going home, as this seemed to be where all the event reports had been. Lucky I did because quite by chance I met another local birder on the plateau near the trig point, and he told me he had just seen two and possibly four Dotterel in this area, but they had flown down the path towards Sabden. When I told him I'd never seen a Dotterel, he very kindly said he'd take me to exact place he'd seen them, which was about half a mile or more down the Sabden path in the area of the fifth small cairn on this route. We walked down the path and after a few false alarms with Skylarks and Wheatears, I eventually spotted one and then two and eventually all four Dotterel about 30 metres to the right of the path. Bingo and lifer! There were two male and two beautifully marked female birds.

We were soon joined by four other birders who were all keen like me to get some photographs. So after everyone had had a good look by observing the birds through binoculars, we slowly approached them until we got down to a reasonable distance. Then we all snapped happily to our hearts' content with the birds down to three of four metres on average. At one point we all lay down in the grass along the path and the birds walked closer and closer and eventually walked past us to within one metre, so close I couldn't focus. I knew Dotterel were pretty confiding, but I was half expecting one to jump up on my lens.

This was a truly amazing birding experience and like I said earlier, one I'll never forget. Thanks must go to the original local birder who took me to the birds and who did tell me his name, but which now escapes me. It was also nice to meet the couple from Knaresborough and Gareth and his Dad, who helped guide the birds in our direction for photos. They are some of the best bird photos I've ever taken, true frame fillers, and some will be on the LeighOS Facebook page later tonight and my Flickr site and blog later this week.

A hike from Barley to Pendle Hill and back yesterday saw us walking in constant rain and fog so I was grateful that my daughter spotted a few Wheatear, several Red Grouse and then three Dotterel - 2 females and 1 male - feeding alongside the path about half a mile from the trig point, at midday. I never tire of seeing Dotterel and it cheered up an otherwise damp walk.

1 Dotterel near path north of trig point 09.30 today 14th April
2 Red Grouse also

Karl

-- Edited by Karl Bishop on Monday 14th of April 2014 01:50:14 PM

Decided to chance it today up Pendle Hill for a possible Dotterel or two with John Barber for company.

Having never been up there before, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had heard the walk up was a bit strenuous. That had to be the understatement of the year as the way up was a proper lung buster.

Anyway, as luck would have it we couldn't locate any Dotterel anywhere around the trig point or in the surrounding area. Another birder did tell us that some had been sighted up there on the 23rd though - which I believe is about a week earlier than usual.

We did however get reasonable views of two Red Grouse and also a female Ring Ouzel which must have got the surprise of its life when I appeared behind it on the ridge at a distance of only 12 feet. Needless to say it soon disappeared!!

Other birds seen where several Raven on the way up along with at least 6 Wheatear and Mipits everywhere.

Think I'll fetch the iron lung next time!!

Nothing doing yet, unfortunately. Reading the East Lancs site, a guy was up there twice yesterday, afternoon and evening without luck. Hoping the clag today will have grounded one or more, so tomorrow morning could be productive. Here's hoping.

Last year's date range was 24 April to 4 May although numbers wise early May was better with a peak of seven seen on, I think 3 May. Early May is generally regarded as 'the time' and I have been lucky during the first week some years back. Stoney area just around the trig point. Park up on the large car park in Barley and head up to the top via the Pendle Way path and Big End.

Cheers Sid