Obsessive, moi?

I managed a quick hour on the patch yesterday afternoon. After the excitement of the lesser yellowlegs, I resumed my almost obsessive searching in the bushes for a decent phyll warbler. Two  sizeable tit flocks with two chiffchaff and three goldcrest in tow were located. These flocks seem to move quicker as the weather gets colder and it was hard work keeping up with them. 5 pied wags and 2 grey wags were at the sewerage works.
I made a quick visit to the flood where the lesser yellowlegs was feeding with 8 black tailed godwits and a similar number of redshank. This really is a fantastic bird and well worth a twitch.

Guy

3 patch ticks in one visit

Ticked off the lesser yellowlegs which is fairly mobile between wildfowlers and the flood. In the same scope shot I could see a ruff hobbling around and by moving my scope down a little, I got the wood sandpiper. This was spotted in the arm of wildfowlers pool which runs parallel with the cycle track. 3 black tailed godwits and about 20 snipe would have made the visit wortwhile even without these three birds. Hopefully the expected drop in temperature will slow down the rate water levels are falling and keep these birds in the area.

Guy

Leg work...........

Got down to the Wildfowlers’ Pool for 08.15, had spare forty minutes to find something, saw Ruff and 11 Snipe, Canada Geese were roosting then flew. Second visit 11.15, Ruff was on the Flood, I then walked along river bank to Wildfowlers’ Pool, found Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper flew in, and there was also Goldeneye, Redshank, Curlew, Lapwing, Little Grebe but no Lesser Yellowlegs. Other birders present said someone had paged it in this morning. Eventually another birder arrived saying the Lesser Yellowlegs was now on The Flood. It took a while to spot, then it flew a few yards with a handful of Redshank and then I could see the difference, initially I couldn’t see it amongst them. Also present were Curlew and Black-tailed Godwits. 

Steve

Yellow is the colour...........

Well another ace bird spotted by Pete Crooks, Wildfowlers' Pools, the water levels have dropped and perfect for waders.................not been able to get down but here is a copy from LDBWS

Lesser Yellowlegs - juvenile still showing well at Aldcliffe Wildfowlers' Pools this afternoon, but somewhat flightly.

Wood Sandpiper - juvenile much easier to see this afternoon and nice to be able to firm it up from a 'probable' during my brief lunchtime visit.

Also: 1 female Scaup, 1 Goldeneye, 10 Little Grebe.

20 Redshank, 7 Black-tailed Godwit and 1 Ruff


Pete C

Territorial pishings

I'd have liked to spend the whole day on the patch but work limited my visit to a quick hour. Pishing round the bushes at Stodday revealed two chiffchaff and 6 goldcrest amongst the tit flocks. A merganser and great crested grebe were under the pylons. A mystery bunting flew over with a metallic call. The tone was rather reminiscent of a yellowhammers sound.
4 pied wags and 2 grey wags were at the sewerage works and 4 skylark flew over.

Guy

Two in the bush......

09.30ish. Freeman’s Pool had a handful of widgeon and gadwall along with coot, moorhen, little grebe and mallard. Wildfowlers’ Pool scaup fem was here this morning plus little grebe, lapwing and redshank. 130 canada geese were in the fields. On the marsh were little egret, gull bank were 450 golden plover, 30 dunlin and 1000 lapwing, wigeon 25. 2 redwing near chat wall. Plenty blackbird with up to 20 seen near to and along sewage track. A chiffchaff was calling, possibly 2. A kestrel was hunting along the cutting. A mixed flock of goldfinch, greenfinch and chaffinch in the bushes. A sparrowhawk was taking a bath in one of the flooded parts of a field made for great viewing.

Steve

Arrivals and Departures.....

09.30. Freeman’s Pool saw Gadwall 8 and Coot. Wildfowlers’ Pool Little Grebe 4, Shoveler, Tufted Duck 1, Grey Heron 1, Lapwing 70, Snipe 5, Redshank 12, on the track where it’s flooded there was an adult swan with signet, unfortunately since yesterday the signet has perished, it appears to have got stuck in the wire fence and drowned. On the marsh Greenshank 1, Goosander 2, Redshank 5, Little Egret 5 on the same small pool, a further 15 Little Egrets present. Golden Plover and Lapwing. Skylark 2 and a pair of Meadow Pipits. The sewage works and track, saw Redwing 1, Blackbird 6, Song Thrush 2, Long-tailed, Coal, Blue, Great Tits, Chiffchaff 2, Pied Wagtail 30+ and 2 Grey Wagtail, a Kestrel was hunting close by.

Steve

Scoop......

Midday, Wildfowlers’ Pool (lake) Scaup female juv I think, Tufted Ducks, 1 Goldeneye f, Lapwing 25, BH Gull 70, Snipe 1, Little Grebe, Teal, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen, Willow Warbler. On Aldcliffe Marsh a Greenshank was showing well, Little Egret 7, Canada Geese and 2 Barnacle, a few Skylark flying over. 2 Buzzards were also present.

Steve

Pished and miffed......

09.00 - 12.00

Had a slow walk along the track from the crossroads towards the sewage works and a few things of interest. There were up to 12 Robin and a few more Chaffinch flitting about. A Blackcap and a few Chiffchaff in the bushes. 2 Flocks of Long-tailed Tits, a GS Woodpecker and 2 Jays. A pair of Grey Wagtails and 8 Pied Wagtails near the works. A Comma and Speckled Wood here as well. On the river a GC Grebe, Dunlin 250, Lapwing and Curlew along with up to 8 Little Egrets. The 2 Barnacles still present. A large number of river birds were disturbed by something, on the return walk I bumped into a couple who thought they had seen a Marsh Harrier, I missed it as I was pishing yet more Robins and Wrens! Definitely not a Buzzard as this was still circling above. A Raven and Kestrel was also seen and 2 Skylark and Linnets. 

Steve

Barnacles

2 barnacle geese were on Colloway Marsh before re-locating to the parish properly at snipe bog. 5 goldcrest and 5 little egrets were seen. 2 swallows moved through with a few meadow pipit and skylarks.

Guy

Two flew over

Two whooper swans entered Aldcliffe airspace this morning and flew down the estuary towards Glasson. Other sightings included 4 goldcrests, 6 swallows, 30 pink footed geese and approx. 100 golden plovers on Gull Bank.
There was a bit of finch movement until about 9.30. One of them had a "tchup" call which got my attention but by the time I had a view of it, it was over my head and flying away from me, so couldn't get an ID from the silhouette. I fear I may have missed a lapland bunting.

Guy

Marsh Hurrier...........

09.15 – 12.00

Highlight was Marsh Harrier female adult, flew low over Aldcliffe Marsh, hassled by everything, even Little Egrets screeching and mobbing. After recent wet visits it was a proper treat to be strolling in the sunshine, without doubt the birds were also enjoying the fine weather.  Ravens 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Kestrel 1, Com Buzzard 1. As I walked along the river bank towards Snatchems there was plenty to see, Long-tailed Tits, Blue/Great, Linnet, Reed Buntings, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Blackcap, Robin, Wren, overhead going south up to 25 Skylark, 30 Meadow Pipits, 6 Swallow and other small birds I couldn’t ID. On the marsh were 4 Snipe, 40 Curlew, a good 400 Dunlin spooked with hundreds of Lapwing. Pink footed Geese x2 of 70 over, Little Egret 3. Wildfowlers’ 2 Green Sandpiper, Little Grebe, Tufted Duck, Mallard and 30+ Pied Wagtails, saw 2 Alba.
Freeman's Pool nothing as some idiot was walking a dog round the pool!

Steve

Barnacle......

09.30. Mixed with the Canada Geese was a Barnacle, let’s hope for more to follow. Greylag, Lapwing and at least 6 Little Egret also on the marsh. A few Swallow heading through plus a stream of Meadow Pipits. Pink Feet also flying over, 70, 120, 90 and a couple of smaller groups. A bird of prey was spooking birds over the marsh looked Merlin sized from a distance. Gadwall, Shoveler and Mallard plus variations on the Wildfowlers’ Lake. Also a still present are Pied Wagtails and saw 1 Alba. Jay on fence post.

Steve