Wading In

Still one green sandpiper on the Wildfowlers' Pools this morning along with 5 little ringed plover and 4 snipe. The fluffy lapwing chick was present as were young broods of moorhen and mallard.
On Freeman's Pools both well-brown and recently hatched moorhen and coot chicks seem to be faring relatively well, which is more than can be said for the little grebes who seem to have just one young.
A single drake tufted duck, just starting to moult into eclipse plumage, was also present on the pools. Darter Pool and Frog Pond were quiet, the latter just hosting a mute swan pair.
Good numbers of house martins and swifts were wheeling around, rekindling thoughts of past summers when occasional hobbies have appeared in the Aldcliffe area.

A single raven flew over, attracting attention with its distinctive 'cronk' call.
If water levels and muddy fringes remain reasonable at the Wildfowlers' and the upper Freeman's Pools in the next few weeks there's a good chance that they'll attract some interesting waders. Most years we can expect a few greenshank and one or two wood sandpipers plus the odd avocet or something much scarcer...

Jon