Just here for the summer

LAST week I enjoyed a Scottish Trio but this week East Lancs turned up trumps.

For a few weeks now I have been keeping an eye on a disused quarry near Clitheroe. I had seen a pair of little ringed plovers displaying. These are summer visitors which spend the winter in Africa.

Until very recently the species was very rare indeed and their favourite nesting sites seemed to be in industrial areas such as quarries or iron works.

At first sight this may seem strange but when you realise that very few people go into these areas the birds take advantage of the peace and quiet.

The little ringed plover is easily recognised by the prominent ring around its neck. This is also a feature of the common ringed plover. The little ringed plover, however, also has a very prominent yellow ring around its eye.

The first breeding record for Lancashire was at Worsley near Manchester in 1946 and from 1980 onwards there have been an increasing number of records. They are still not common, however, and I am delighted to find that a pair had managed to raise three chicks.

Creeping up...

I LOVE the area around Hurstwood not just because of its history and associations with Edmund Spenser, the Elizabethan poet, but because of its rich natural history.

I watched a delightful little treecreeper working its way up trees using its carved bill and sharp claws to keep climbing. Its method is to work its way up a tree in a zig-zag direction poking at the bark with its bill. It feeds on insects which it finds hiding in the bark. When it has got to the top of the tree it flies down to the base of the next tree and starts again.

Its climbing movement is mouse-like but jerky and some naturalists have described the action as like clockwork.

One thing we should not forget and that is not to clock watch when you are studying our wildlife. Take your time!

Monkey's tale

THE streams which feed Hurstwood reservoir are, by their very nature, fairly unpolluted. Here is the place to find water cress, water mint and between August and October the bright yellow monkey flower. It grows in the shallows of most unpolluted streams including the shallows of the Ribble and near the waterfall at Roughlee. It is now growing more often along the Calder and the Darwen, both of which have become cleaner in recent years.

The monkey flower is a good indicator species for aquatic pollution. It gets its name from the pattern of red on the yellow petals. I can't see it myself but some say it looks like the face of a monkey. Don't take my word for it -- go out and look for yourself.

Canada geese dilemma

A FEW years ago lots of people got very excited when Canada geese began to increase and start to breed.

As its name implies its origins are in North America but because it was such an attractive species it was brought to England by settlers in the 17th century.

Charles II, who founded the Royal Society in London, had a large collection of exotic birds, including Canada geese.

Since the 17th century Canada geese have increased in numbers and extended their range. They have found the old mill lodges of Lancashire very much to their liking and are present almost everywhere.

But many whose job it is to look after the environment are becoming worried at their rapid expansion.

We all love our wildlife but there are times when we do wonder how to distinguish between friend and enemy.