Aldcliffe Irregulars

A walk round with Steve after not seeing him for a couple of months was an enjoyable experience although I think he may have got a bit sick of me listing all the birds I saw on a recent Polish trip. We also bumped in to a couple of birders from Leyland who follow the blog. It is always good to get new birders down here. I hope Ted and Alec come back soon.
A juvenile lrp was on the island on Freemans pool today with a parent bird. The bird looks developed enough to be able to leave the island. Another LRP was on wildfowlers. The 2 oystercatcher chicks are also thriving well. They can be seen from the eastern viewpoint feeding in the margins on the west bank.
4 lesser whitethroats were in the hedge by wildfowlers with a similar number of commn whitethroats.
a male sparrowhawk was hunting over the maize.
2 raven, 2 little egret and about 40 curlew were on the marsh.
Sedge warbler, reed  bunting and blackcap in Freemans wood.
Stodday sewerage works had a 20 plus flock of LTT's and 2 chiffchaff and a juvenile blackcap.

Guy

Juvenile behaviour

1 little egret on the marsh.
1 juvenile coot on Bank Pool
2 oystercatcher chicks with 2 parents at the far end of the main pool. These were quite well hidden in the margins. Hopefully they will avoid predation.
Juvenile blackcap near the black poplar
Juvenile linnet and 2 juvemile  common whitethroats near the abandoned football pitch. Still some singing and display flight common whitethroats and 1 singing chiffchaff.
Sedge warbler closeby.
Lesser whitethroat tekking in the hedge.
I'll put the juveniles on the bto breeding atlas in due course.

Guy

Saturday morning.......

21 Canada Geese on Freeman's Pool, as well as the usual Tufted, Little Grebe, Coot and Moorhen, along with a single Lapwing and Oystercatcher on the island. Hedgerow saw Reed Bunting and Whitethroats looking very handsome in the morning sunlight. On the track were up to 10 Lesser Whitethroat and Common Whitethroat, Dunnock and Greenfinches. Wildfowlers’ Pool was quiet apart from Little Ringed Plover and 1 Lapwing, this area is now looking more like a muddy puddle and the Flood is dry as a bone.

On the river was a single female Eider and plenty of Shelduck with a brood of up to 16 chicks. Also, plenty of common butterflies about the place.

Steve

Falco tinnunculus.......

My earlier posting of missing Kestrels was thankfully wrong, there were a pair today hunting around Freeman’s Pool. Also of note on the pools were 1 Little Ringed Plover, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Coot, Moorhen and Swifts and Swallows flying about the place.

A stroll into the wood and perimeter was worthwhile, a Sparrowhawk was hunting over the field. 2 Sedge Warblers added interest as well as Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Reed Bunting along with Greenfinch and Jays. Also to be seen at various points Collared Doves, Woodpigeon, Wren, Blackbird, Dunnock and Song Thrush. A Raven was seen flying above Frog Pond.

Wildfowlers’ Pool saw 1 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Lapwing.

Steve 

Summer Breeze.......

Good walk through Freeman’s Wood this morning and saw plenty of Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap though no Willow Warblers, it was the same last year, low numbers. Also, Chaffinch feeding young, Greenfinch, a stunning male Linnet, Jay and along with all the flowers all adding up to a brightly coloured summer scene.   

Freeman’s Pool saw 2 Little Ringed Plover, Gadwall, 2 Tufted Duck and Little Grebes. Swifts, Swallows and House Martins all present. In the field saw 2 Grey Partridge. Saw numerous Blackbird, Wren, Robin and Tits all with fledglings as I made my way to the river, tide was almost in, and began WeBS survey to weir. On the river at Marsh Point were 7 Lapwing, 3 Grey Heron and 4 Oystercatcher.

Steve

People are strange............

Aldcliffe is not a rubbish dump.......

Freeman’s Pool was quiet apart from a Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Shelduck, a couple of Little Grebe and usual Coot and Moorhen. On the maize fields there is still a dozen or so Lapwing and a post breeding flock of 25 was seen on the river along with 6 Eiders on the far bank. The Wildfowlers’ Pools had a Shelduck and Little Ringed Plover. On the track were plenty of fledged Chaffinch, Tits and Greenfinches. Numerous Whitethroats, both species, and a Sedge Warbler were also present. On the marsh were a few Oystercatchers and 2 Skylark. Throughout the patch were Swallow, House Martins and Swifts. I have not noticed the Kestrel pair this year, I maybe wrong but it’s probably due to the demolition of the old building at Keyline, which, for a short while, was also home for the Barn Owl.
Steve

Not what the fence is for!

Swimming squirrel ?

The first visit for me for about a month. A fortnight in Poland, home improvements and a new job have forced me in to semi-retirement. Highlights from Saturday included 2 pairs of tufted ducks and a single male gadwall on Freemans pools. A little ringed plover was valiantly defending it's territory from overflying LBBG's. Had an odd sighting of a squirrel running across a sandbank in the middle of the river being mobbed by the local gulls. Had it just swam across the river ?? A male reed bunting and whitethroat were singing at Darter pool and a lesser whitethroat tetting near wildfowlers with a chiffchaff nearby.

Guy