The (re)Turn of the Smew

 

Black Tailed Godwits on the Flood

Met up with Guy for a trawl round the parish. Quiet day, surprisingly mild, spring like, especially as we heard throughout the patch Chaffinch’s singing. The female first winter Smew was back on the pools, literally flitting from one to the other. Other highlights…………

Freeman’s Pool

Shoveler 4

Gadwall 7

Smew 1

Little Grebe 2

Wigeon 1

Mallard, about 8 or 9

Coot, about 8

Mute Swan 2

Kestrel 1

Frog Pond

Little Egret 1

Marsh Point, numerous gulls, Black-headed, LBB, Herring and Common.

Lapwing 450. We also noticed massive flocks further down river. Oystercatcher, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwit present.
Grey Partridge 3 in the field.
On the marsh were Shelduck, Little Egret, Canada Geese and Mute Swans.

 The Flood, Water Rail gave us excellent views for ages, along with Black-tailed Godwit 2, Green Sandpiper 1 and Redshank 3.

Wild Fowlers’, quiet, Mallard, Moorhen and Snipe 1.

Track had numerous finch and the hedge on stubble field saw Reed Bunting 4.
Steve 

Gulls Provide the Interest and Frustrations..

 

Peregrine from Railway Crossroads

A good selection of gulls viewed from Marsh Point held a ringed LBBG which waded in to the river before I was able to photograph it and a possible yellow legged gull. This gull had a slightly darker mantle than the surrounding herring gulls, small spots on the primaries, bright yellow legs and bill. I made the schoolboy error of taking my scope away from the bird to compare it to a nearby herring gull and then lost it despite going through the gulls again several times.

Other birds in the vicinity were 8 gadwall, 4 shoveller and a widgeon (but no smew) on Freemans, 10 reed buntings and 3 meadow pipit on the high tide mark and the above peregrine eating breakfast.

Guy

Merlin, jack snipe and smew too.

Merlin settled on the marsh

A bit of disturbance down here today with slurry lorries delivering their goods.
90% of Freemans pool iced over. You should see the smew whilst you can.

2 water rail in the ditch between the top and bottom paths.
5 skylark and 50 plus linnet in the stubble fields.
Smew still on Freemans pool. It looks very settled and is associating with the three tufties. 10 gadwall, a kestrel and a green sandpiper also.
2 dunlin and 40 golden plover on the marsh.
1 little egret.
Merlin attacked a couple of pipits on the high tide mark before settling on a tree stump.
17 moorhen together at wildfowlers.
Presumed jack snipe flushed at snipe bog. Shorter bill, silent when flew off and only flew about 100m before settling again. 12 of its common cousins scattered about the place.
Dead GBBG round cadaver corner.

Guy

Sunday.......
Smew still on Freeman's Pool, reported on LDBWS.

That Friday Feeling……

Flying start to the weekend! Freeman’s Pool saw some excellent birds starting with the first winter female Smew, tagging along with 2 Goldeneye. Also present were Tufted Duck, Shelduck, Gadwall, Shoveler, Mallard, Little Grebe,
Green Sandpiper, Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Snipe, Moorhen, Coot and 2 Roe Deer. On the marsh saw Lapwing, 1 Little Egret and Redshank. There was a flock of about 35 Linnet flying around the stubble field and 2 Reed Bunting in the hedge by the manure. Mute Swans and Mallard frequented darter pool and Frog Pond. While the Wildfowlers’ Pool saw Teal, Moorhen and 2 Shelduck.
Steve

Smews of the World

Snapped by Dan.

Met up with Steve for an owl session late afternoon. At Freemans pool Steve saw a bird we first thought was grebe. Neither of us had a scope and the bird was swimming down the western end of the pool. Thankfully Dan was free to come down with his scope and he identified it as a smew, a life tick for Steve and myself. The bird was very flighty and flew up a couple of times before settling again. We finally lost the bird at 4.30. It may have ended up in the Lune at high tide.

Other birds were a green sandpiper, 6 gadwall, 4 tufted ducks and a little grebe.

Guy.

Mist opportunity……

Today had a very foggy wander round Freeman’s Pools, which have now thawed, and just managed through the murk to make out a pair of Gadwall and Shoveler, there was a number of shadowy objects on the island, though they remained a mystery. Also, present 45/50 Fieldfare in the trees, along with a charm of 9 Goldfinch. In the hedge by the stubble field were up to 6 Reed Bunting, 5 Dunnock and a few Chaffinch. There was also a flock of up to 50 Linnet flying about the place. The Wildfowlers’ Pool had a pair of Shelduck and usual Mallard, Moorhen and Redshank 8.
Steve

Peregrine Adventures......

Aldcliffe Mid Morning, low tide. Dull, poor visibility.
Via Stodday, noticed birds much more vocal than of late, very pleasing to the ears. Was on bikes today and only got as far as Wildfowlers’, was hoping to catch up with the 2 Green Sandpipers as spotted by Pete Woodruff yesterday, no worries the weekend is here!

Lapwing 3800 on the riverbanks.
Wigeon, numerous.
Shelduck 14
Little Egret 3
Curlew 5
Redshank 45 in stable field
Peregrine, initially heard then spotted flying over The Flood with what looked like a Redshank in its talons, I watched it fly towards the pylons easily outmaneuvering the corvid in pursuit.
Mute Swan 9
Grey Wagtail 1

Wildfowlers’ Pool
Goldeneye 2
Snipe 1
Redshank 9
Mallard, Moorhen.
Little Egret 1

Steve