I was very pleased to see seventeen people meeting at the car park on Longdale Lane on Friday, 5th June 09 for what we hoped would be an eventful evening. Dark clouds were looming but we decided to give it a try.

Garden Warbler was singing as we left the car park and we soon added Blackcap to the list.

While walking through the woods we heard a Cuckoo – my first of the year. As somebody said – “a new record” – for me it was, the latest I had ever heard one. We stopped at a crossroads and as expected we soon saw the first of five Woodcock, or was it the same one going round in circles!

We pressed on and as expected as we got to the furthest point from the car park the heavens opened. We bravely sheltered for about 20 minutes getting wetter and wetter until at last we gave up.

Seventeen very wet and soggy people said their goodbyes in the car park but not before planning a return trip the following week.

We recorded 11 birds on the night and we added 3 birds to the trip list that now stands at 119 for the year.

Report by Philip Burnham