Acro Action

Blimey, what a difference! This morning's trundle around the parish was delightful; no blustery wind, not a hint of drizzle, it was pretty mild and the air was positively filled with the sound of singing birds.
There were at least 5 sedge warblers in song around Freeman's Pools with a further 2 along Dawson's Bank and another near Walled Meadow. Whitethroat were blasting out all over the place, and a couple of lesser whitethroat were still bothering to proclaim territory. Reed buntings too were in fine voice with at least 3 singing males on the patch. Swift numbers appear to have risen significantly and a couple of dozen birds were wheeling around over the marsh and the adjacent pools.
A lone wheatear was on Aldcliffe Marsh, near Marsh Point but the bird of the day was undoubtedly the showy and very vocal reed warbler at the imaginatively named Corner Pool. This hitherto often overlooked spot shall forever now be associated with last week's magnificent shrike but in the past it has hosted a few other decent birds including garganey, water rail and wood sandpiper. And with that area currently in HLS it may yet become even more productive in coming years.

Out on the estuary highlights included a whopping 26 eider (8 ducks, 18 drakes) and more than 120 mute swans - plus a splash of exotica in the form of the returning black swan.
A female sawbill with a brood on her back had me excited briefly. Up to 3 red-breasted mergansers have been hanging around here lately and thoughts of successful breeding on this stretch of Lune had me rather giddy. However, a quick scan through my binocs soon confirmed that it was a goosander with 7 hitchhiking ducklings.     
A single whimbrel was near Cadaver Corner and little ringed plovers were in situ at the Wildfowlers' Pools and another nearby location.

Jon