Lake district HELP! (1 Viewer)

[Parabuteos lad]

Mum & Dad are headed to a wedding in Sedbergh at the weekend and im just wondering if there is anywhere closer than Bassenthwaite where i can see osprey. If not, how are the view points for taking pictures with a 400mm lens? whilst there im going to try get to Haweswater too for the Goldie. But is there anywhere else where i am likely to see:
Merlin
Hen Harrier
Hobby
Little Owl
Long Eared Owl
Goshawk
In the lakes or somewhere between Liverpool and the lakes????

 

[Mono]

There are some osprey still passing through but if you want to be sure then Bassenthwaite is it. They are usually distant so a 400mm would be problemamatic.

Merlin & Hen Harrier it would be the Forest of Bowland.

Hobby we get a few each year up here but no reliable sites. It tends to be later in the year.
If you go up to Haweswater to see the Golden Eagle then there is a chance of a Merlin there plus lots of other stuff.

 

[Parabuteos lad]

Mum didnt fancy driving to either of them so we had a negotiation, i dont go lake district with her and that saves her money, in exchange, she's taking me to bowland to try find hen harrier, merlin & gos. any tips? any where in particualr?

 

[kendalcottages]

Hello from Kendal (not far from Sedbergh)

I think it'd have to be Bassenthwaite for osprey.

For some of the others:

Merlin - the higher fells
Hen harrier - Walney, Duddon, Solway, Bassenthwaite
Goshawk - NE Cumbria

Don't forget there's the RSPB place at Leighton Moss, too, which is pretty good. (Good place for bittern.)

There's also the owl place at Muncaster Castle on the west coast if that rocks your boat...

 

[captaincarot]

Mum didnt fancy driving to either of them so we had a negotiation, i dont go lake district with her and that saves her money, in exchange, she's taking me to bowland to try find hen harrier, merlin & gos. any tips? any where in particualr?

you're not going to see gos in bowland, unless you're freakishly lucky, and for the other 2 species, you would be massively more likely to see both of them standing on parkgate old baths carpark in october to march than you will in bowland in summer.

 

[saluki]

you're not going to see gos in bowland, unless you're freakishly lucky

That's untrue. There's a reasonably well-known watchpoint in Bowland to watch gosses (and other raptors) from. There are other places too, probably best left unsaid.

Cheers
Jonathan

 

[Boom]

yeah that`s true-i`ve been freakishly lucky there quite a few times.

Winter time at Parkgate is excellent for raptors-Hen Harrier/Merlin/Peregrine.

Try Risley Moss for Hobby-very reliable site in the summer and not too far from Liverpool-25 mins away just off the m62.

Theres a few sites for Little Owl in Bowland and best bet for Long Eared is the winter roost at Marton Mere by Blackpool.

hope this helps, good luck

cheers

Boom

 

[Farnboro John]

I believe there are sites in Cheshire/Welsh border for Gos but I don't know them. You want someone like James Andrewes to guide you. He's a good lad and very knowlegeable (sorry to dick you with it Arch).

John

 

[acipiter]

Your 400mm lens is not man enough, you will need at lest 600mm plus strong arms and a mortgage to pay for the kit:-O you could always go for a good bridge camera, one with a 30times + lens, not as good but a darn lot cheaper. As for seeing a goshawk not much chance, unless you don't mind seeing a distance dot in the sky. The only ones Iv'e ever seen have been by chance, and then just a quick glimpse. Unless you can get hold of someone with inside knowledge.:t: good luck anyway.