Update...

Today Freeman’s Pools were quiet, a Kestrel doing the rounds. A Green Sandpiper on one of the smaller pools.  At marsh point were 65 LBB Gulls, 26 Herr Gull and 6 GBB Gulls, along with a few dozen BH Gulls. Wildfowlers’ Pool had 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 Snipe, Lapwing, Mallard and Moorhens.

2 Wheatear were on the marsh, a roughly 8 Pied Wagtails in the area. Chiffchaff’s at the cutting, about 4. 7 Common Sandpiper at gull bank. Apprx 350 greylag now presnt, increasing numbers of BH Gulls and Lapwing. Cormorant 7. 

Midweek, 7 Greenfinch at the cutting, again up to 7 Common Sands, and a Med Gull scoped. 1 Bar-tailed Godwit present. 30 Curlew on the marsh and single Little Egret.

Steve

Shanks on the Banks

Dan here.... but no pictures today blurry photo lovers...

A good high tide roost of waders and gulls along the estuary at Gull Bank this afternoon Over a hundred redshanks, 5 greenshank, 70 adult dunlins, 4 common sandpipers and a bar-tailed godwit were to be picked out here.

Elsewhere an adult mediterranean gull was roosting in a field.

DH.

It's nice to have a Hobby

Dan here, bringing you the latest Aldcliffe wildlife news and the best in bird photography....ahem...

An adult hobby was hunting swifts over much of the parish in heroic fashion this afternoon.

Observed for about fifteen minutes over the marsh, the wood, trig-point hill and Aldcliffe village, and briefly again over the wood.

Increased numbers of gulls included the first commons for weeks and 3 mediterranean gulls (2 ads and a juv).

Waders included four green sandpipers and a juvenile little ringed plover.

DH

Common Cause........

Highlight this morning was 24 Common Sandpiper on the mud opposite gull bank. Also, in the hedges were Goldfinch, Linnet, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warblers, Whitethroats etc. A Peregrine was screeching from the pylon, and up to 7 Ravens were showing interest in a carcass, think it was a cow. A flock of 30 Starling, Shelduck with young, Lapwing, Curlew and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits were on the marsh.

The Flood saw 1 LRP, Wildfowlers’ 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 LRP. Freeman’s Pool saw 1 Little Egret which was good to see, also, 2 Common Sandpiper, 30 Lapwing, Little Grebe etc. Pair of Kestrel was also present. House Martin, Swallow and Swift numerous.

Steve

Dan here with a different slant on the day's birds (5 green sandpipers, 2 skylarks in song over marsh and one over the maize fields, 3 little ringed plovers including a juvenile, an early-ish common snipe) and some insect sightings:

A few dragonflies were braving the nagging wind, namely 8 emperors, 2 brown hawkers, 2 black-tailed skimmers and 5 of the season's first common darters. One of the latter pictured above. Sadly a speedy but inquisitive female/juv male. hawker species evaded identification. What an amateur!

Butterflies were largely unremarkable with a few red admirals, meadow browns and speckled woods, though a single painted lady was my first of the year.  DH.

Hedges for Sedges.........

Plenty going on this morning, 2 LRP on the island and I think a youngster though not positive, also 2 Common Sandpipers, 30 Lapwing, 4 Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, Swan, Oystercatcher. Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting. Two Kestrels were doing the rounds followed by numerous Swallows. A few House Martins and Swifts over the pools. Also, two Sedge Warbler in the open wooded part, along with Whitethroats, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Greenfinch etc. The Grasshopper Warbler was present the other day showing well, today quiet.

On the track, 2 Sedge Warbler, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Whitethroats.  On the Wildfowlers’ were 3 Green Sandpiper. Plenty of butterflies around, including two Red Admiral.

Steve.

In the family jay

A family party of 6 jay were in freemans woods this evening.
Talking about famillies, my wife has just gone in to labour with our first child. will I ever bird at Aldcliffe again?

Guy

Young Plove

Dan here.

Waders at the various pools in the parish this afternoon included three green sandpipers, five common sandpipers and five little ringed plovers.

Happily, one of the LRPs was found to be a  juvenile, under the watchful gaze of its parents.

A grasshopper warbler was singing strongly and showing well atop an umbellifer in Freeman's Wood.

Dragonflies on the patch today included 5 black-tailed skimmers, 6 emperors, 2 four-spotted chasers, and 2 brown hawkers.  It seems that common darters  have yet to emerge.

DH.

Common Uprising.....

Following on with the Common Sandpiper theme, there were at least 18 today in the same spot, I reckon there could have been more on the rocks as well. Also, 2 Bar tailed Godwits, Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew, Swan, Cormorant and half a dozen Grey Heron present. Shelduck with juvs, Herring Gull, LBB Gull and BH Gull. A family of 5 Ravens on the marsh. House martins, Swallow and Swift. On the track were Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Both Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and quite a few Robins noted.

The Flood had 1LRP, Wildfowlers’ 1 LRP and 1 Green Sandpiper. Freeman’s Pool 1 LRP, 6 Oystercatcher, 1 Little Grebe, Coot with 1 young, Moorhen with 5 chicks. Reed Bunting 2, and 1 Kestrel.

Steve