Dies Veneris, Vanellus vanellus…….

Aldcliffe 09.00 – 11.00, SSE 7-10, 7 oktas,
First time to the patch for a while, weather was looking dodgy, thankfully apart from a light shower it kept fine. A noticeable increase in Lapwing numbers since the last WeBS count which is good news, lets hope for at least twice as many again over the coming weeks. This time last year the Wildfowlers’ was more like a shallow lake and had good numbers of waders present, today hardly anything.

Marsh
Lapwing, up to 2000, numbers increasing from last WeBS which was 1200.
Little Egret 3
Canada Geese 130
Shelduck 2
Peregrine 1

Freeman’s Pools
Gadwall 2
Tufted Duck 2
Goldeneye 2
Mallard and Coot usual.
Little Grebe 2
Mute Swan 2
Pheasant 4
Grey Heron 2

Frog Pond had 2 Mute Swan
Darter Pool also had 2 Mute Swan, Moorhen 2

Wildfowlers’ Pool
Mallard
Moorhen
Nothing else of note, water levels rising.

Flood
Moorhen 8
Redshank 2
Pied Wagtail 2

Track
Fieldfare 6
Redwing 4
Chaffinch a flock of 16, moving south along hedgerows.
Goldfinch, Greenfinch small numbers.
Dunnock 4
Robin 7/8
Blackbird 35/40, from Freeman’s to meadow.
Reed Bunting 6/8
Wren 7/9
Maize fields have been cropped, a large number of Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Greylag Geese 220 and Woodpigeon 90+, Starlings

SteveW