TWO birds have been to the forefront this week. These are the goosander and the tawny owl.

From mid-January until April both species will become more and more noticeable. Tawny owls are already beginning to hoot in order to establish breeding territory. Goosanders will be with us until April until they move off to their breeding grounds. More and more goosanders now breed in England.

The male goosanders have white bodies and green heads. The females have grey bodies and reddish heads.

They will be present on many of our reservoirs at the present time. The goosanders bill has a serrated inside edge and looks like a saw.

This enables the bird to dive, catch a fish and get a good grip on it. This is why anglers do not like fish-eating birds but most have a 'live and let live' attitude to wild creatures.

Records this week have been sent in by Bernard Lee, Peter Gunson, Maud Jobson, Bert Ellison, Jane Watson, Ben Collins and seven-year-old Paul Blenkinsop.

ROSSENDALE, BURNLEY, NELSON AND COLNE: Birds -- Long-tailed tit, grey wagtail, kingfisher (Bacup), dipper, heron, pied wagtail (Crawshawbooth), goosander, tufted duck, pochard, great crested grebe (Foulridge). Mammals -- Fox (Rossendale), mink (Bacup), grey squirrel, weasel (Barrowford). Plants -- Lesser celandine -- one bloom, daisy, Jews ear fungus, hazel catkins (Brierfield Woods).

BLACKBURN, DARWEN AND ACCRINGTON: Birds -- Pied wagtail, tawny owl, jay, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin, coal tit (Sunnyhurst Wood, Darwen), treecreeper, nuthatch, long-tailed tit (Witton Park, Blackburn), kingfisher (Pleasington), pheasant, little owl, grey wagtail (Foxhill Bank), goosander, tufted duck, little grebe (Parsonage Reservoir).

Mammals -- Stoat, grey squirrel (Witton Park), roe deer (Pleasington). Other animals -- Small tortoiseshell butterfly seen in the pouring rain on the wall of Blackburn Cathedral. Plants -- Ivy leaved toadflax, common spleenwort, wall rue, orange spot fungus (Witton Park), daisy, pineapple mayweed, red campion, leaves of lords and ladies peering through, dogs mercury (Pleasington).

RIBBLE VALLEY: Birds -- Goosander, red throated diver, great crested grebe, goshawk (Stocks Reservoir, Slaidburn), heron, kingfisher, dipper (Gisburn Bridge), jackdaw, moorhen, tawny owl, chaffinch, long-tailed tit, sparrowhawk, peregrine, raven (Chatburn). Mammals -- Roe deer, short-tailed field vole, stoat (Chatburn).

Other animals -- Angle-shade, chimney sweeper moths, small tortoiseshell butterfly (Chatburn), Mayfly larvae (in the river at Edisford Bridge). Plants -- Herb robert, harts tongue fern, ivy-leaved toadflax, red campion (Chatburn), leaves of lesser celandine, dogs mercury, King Alfred's cakes, candle snuff fungus, yarrow (Downham), bracket fungus, witches broom, oyster fungus (Gisburn Bridge).