Romping Up The Ribble

I spent most of the day in the glorious sunshine surveying some farmland next to the River Ribble near Gisburn. For a change it wasn't just birds I was looking at as I had to do some botanising. I started at the top of the valley and made my way down to the river. From the top there were views south to Pendle and east into the Yorkshire Dales.

Pendle

From a birding perspective I didn't see anything unusual but had a nice selection of woodland/scrub birds including 4 Blackcaps, 7 Willow Warblers, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a party of Long-tailed Tits, 3 Buzzards and 4 Mistle Thrushes. The best woodland birds were a pair of Redstarts giving a Grey Squirrel some 'stick' presumably as it was too close to their nest site. The male looked absolutely gorgeous in the rich morning light. Down on the river was a female Goosander, but little else of note.

  

Views of the river above and below

There was a good selection of flowers including Meadowsweet, Common Dog Violet, Wood Anemone, Water Avens, Lesser Celandine, Primrose, Pignut, Early Purple Orchid, Bugle, Tormentil, Ragged Robin, Rough Hawkbit, Greater Stitchwort, Ramsons and Bluebell. So quite nice!

 Early Purple Orchid

I also came across this fungus below, which I think I have identified correctly as Laetiporus sulphureus. I am sure you will tell me if I haven't! All in all a pleasant day and I was getting paid!