Langdon Beck - Way Out West

Too far for me & Mr Wilson to walk out West for these....

 Ten Blackcocks -
63 male Black Grouse seen in Upper Teesdale mid afternoon - all feeding away from Lekking grounds.

 Ten Greyhens

 Beautiful greyhen - 28 seen today in upper Teesdale - a new one for me was hearing 2 calling in flight

 and you thought Jack Snipe could hide - these things vanish behind next to nothing.

 Sadly a dead male- nowhere near road, perhaps natural dead, although in open position, had been partially scavenged....

REMEMBER:
ALL sorts of people go up for these birds - not all of them will have the birds welfare in mind.

My advise to "Birders" and fellow Birdwatchers is DONT visit Lekking birds - Theres No need, you can see them well enough simply driving around mid afternoon.

STAY in your vehicles. (there are mantraps & pitfall traps set out for the unwary..)

If you are unsure - google for the Code of Conduct for watching Black Grouse.

If you're on TWITTER follow Black Grouse Man  (half man half grouse)

Support
Durham Bird Club
- some of their members really are Birdwatchers ! 💃

We saw another 16 or so up Rookhope, so a 100+ Black Grouse day !