Crickets

In addition to the 4 species of grasshopper in Lancashire ( of 13 species found in Britain), we have three species of buch cricket in Lancashire which are found in a few scattered localities. These are the Bog Bush Cricket, a nationally rare species found at Winmarleigh & Cockerham Mosses. The Oak Bush Cricket is known only from woodlands in the Ribble Valley. The Roesel's Bush Cricket is found at Fleetwood. More information is in the book "Wildlife of Lancashire" publisherd by the Wildlife Trust in 2004 (available online or via bookshops). Hope this helps.

 

This was the response I got from emailing the Wildlife Trust in east lancs. My area is nowhere near any of these, you would have at least thought they would have shown some enthusiasm. I have discovered an area not know before to be populated with crickets, I would have thought they would have asked me for an exact location, but no, they didnt. So, its now my area, plus a few neighbours in the know, if they want to know where it is they can look for themselves. The same goes for the place that a rare specimen of orchid grows, I first found it 11 years ago and they still grow there.If I tell it to the world then it will get trampled on.Ive no doubt that they think I am a silly woman who cannot tell a cricket from a grasshopper, I spent 6 years in the middle east and I can differentiate between the 2.

 

Guess what I heard?

Tonight I stuck my head outside to see if the new moon was visible, could see plenty of stars but no moon. However, a strange sound drew me towards the back field. It was a cricket I could hear, Ive not heard one round here for many years. Even grasshoppers had become a bit of a rarity until foot and mouth disease kept everyone off the land. Now they have made a comeback and its good to hear them up on the Delph.

Was up at Trawden for the annual Pendle witch camp at the weekend, fortunately we were in a different field to last year, so no cow pats to fall in. Had a bright red fly land on me, havent any idea what it was until I have looked it up. Enjoyed listening to the curlews, they have a lovely call I think. I would have walked up to Wycollar country park on the sunday but the weather wasnt very good, quite foggy, cold and a strong wind. Will save that walk for a lovely day.

Hebden Bridge

Me and Angela, my youngest daughter, got a lift in with a neighbour today. Spent hours looking around shops then went onto the canal towpath. As we did so, a heron that must have been on the side of the canal suddenly swooped off, we got a real close up view of it. Earlier we saw a ruddy duck on the Hebden Water amongst all the mallards, quite distinctive with its red feathers and blue beak. Stroked a siamese cat and a persian female which must have weighed about 2 stones, I had to pick her up from the middle of a road.

The laburnum trees are in full bloom and a treat for the eyes they are. This year they are 2 weeks later than last year, probably because of the cold winter lasting so long.