Tuesday 12 May 2020

More Migrants on the Move

With no further sightings of Saturday's RB shrike and the notable change in weather (from positively Mediterranean to classic Northern European) one would expect things to have quietened down on the patch in recent days.
However, a couple of very welcome late migrants were added to the Aldcliffe yearlist with an active female redstart by Freeman's Pools yesterday (Monday) and a couple of whinchats there this morning.

Female whinchat (from archive, J Carter)
I had gone out this morning with the express intention of finding a whinchat, so I was pleased when I finally clapped eyes on them in an area where they often turn up.
That's the thing about local patch birding; over the years one builds up a picture of a site and often the same areas attract the same species when passing through. By checking certain favoured spots at certain times of year, one increases the chances of finding specific birds.
When I first noticed this morning's whinchats they were feeding in much the same area but one of the birds seemed to take offence to the other and chased it off.

Other birds of note included a pair of great crested grebes on the pools - prospective breeders?

Jon

Monday 11 May 2020

Bike / Hike Shrike

One of the concerns of local patch birding is how to treat news if one finds a rare bird? Can we manage parking and access, how far might people wish to travel in order to see a scarce visitor and how many birdwatchers might descend on this relatively quiet spot?

Male red-backed shrike (J Carter)
Of course, in lockdown these questions are to some extent moot - we would not wish to encourage anyone to get in a car in order to twitch a regional or national rarity. So while the small band of Aldcliffe patch birders have continued to search for noteworthy birds we have been, uncharacteristically, hoping not to discover anything that might draw the crowds.

However, when news broke on Saturday afternoon that a male red-backed shrike had been discovered along the Dawson Bank hedgerow, a small gaggle of West Lancaster birders suddenly found the need to take their daily exercise (as per government guidelines, after all).

Personally, I've spent time on the patch pretty much every day since I was furloughed but I'd given Saturday a miss due to the glorious weather and the likely hordes of walkers, cyclists etc, as a result of the lack of coherent messaging about staying at home... I believe the phrase may be Sod's law!

Local birders observing social distancing (P Crooks)
News reached the grapevine just before 4pm (huge thanks to finder Joe Murphy) and despite my immediate reservations about dropping everything (decorating, as it happens) I soon found myself leaping on my bike and heading towards the patch, which is literally just minutes from home. Despite the bird having disappeared from view, and news of its last whereabouts being vague, less than half an hour after deciding to leave the house I was stood watching this most dazzling of continental overshoots. Within an hour of news breaking, most of the local patchers were on site enjoying good views of the bird.

Red-backed shrike is a long-overdue first the Aldcliffe area and it represents the third species of shrike to be seen here to my knowledge.
A great grey shrike spent some time in Freeman's Wood back in December 1991 and a stunning woodchat shrike was in almost the same area as the red-backed (and remarkably close in date) on 8/9 May 2014. So, which next: Lesser grey? Steppe grey? Brown? Masked? Watch this space!  

RB shrike brings the known Aldcliffe list to 204 and my personal patch list to 201.  

Jon    

Friday 8 May 2020

May Magic

As April gave way to May the optimistic amongst us were out in search of more incoming migrants and while there were few surprises, we did at least see the continued arrival of commoner species.

Newly arrived swallow stops for a brief rest at the pools (J Carter)

A short trek anywhere along the cycle path between Freeman's Wood and Stodday is sure to be accompanied by a soundtrack provided by multiple warblers. Blackcaps, chiffchaffs, whitethroats, lesser whitethroats and sedge and willow warblers can all be heard with ease, blasting out their territorial rights. Reed warblers too are back in their usual nesting sites. Overhead swallows, house martins and swifts regularly sweep through while on the saltmarsh a few late wheatears, probably bound for Greenland, can still be found.
The majority of lingering white wagtails moved on last week with just a handful remaining into May. 

Yep, I'd be knackered too if I'd flown from South Africa (J Carter)

On the ponds, as the water levels continue to drop due to the mostly rain free conditions of late, the number of birds has similarly dropped. The local breeding species remain alongside a few non-breeders. At least a dozen gadwall are hanging around along with a pair of teal. A lone drake wigeon looks set to spend the summer with us.
This morning (Friday 8) a single pink-footed goose was at the Wildfowlers' Pools - a couple of days ago Dan came across an unseasonal (and doubtless un-wild) barnacle goose. I failed to catch up with this May mega and had to do with the sight of a rather attractive, if incongruous, black swan on the Lune this morning in order to fill my quota of well-dodgy-wildfowl.   
Talking of pointless web-footed birds, the first Canada goose goslings emerged this week while multiple mallard broods of various sizes can be spotted by anyone bored enough to look.
A Freeman's Pools the garrullous black-headed gull colony continues to grow - it will interesting to see how many young they get off this year.

Roe deer by Freeman's Pools
The doomed lapwings in the fields have continued to get repeatedly clobbered by the need to grow maize for indoor cattle. There have now been three separate assaults on these fields ensuring that any second or even third nesting attempts have been rendered pointless. The handful of birds sat in the fields now may yet have a further visit by large agricultural plant to contend with. Let's the solitary nesting lapwing by the pools has some success.

On a less depressing note, other notable birds to have been seen around the Aldcliffe patch in recent days include: whimbrel, common sandpiper, common tern, eider and osprey.

With the forecast set to change significantly it will interesting to see how this affects the local birds and other wildlife in the coming days...

Jon



Monday 27 April 2020

Dan Gets Wood Again

After the relative thrills of having a spring wood sandpiper on the local patch, Dan got wood for a second time in two days when he found a singing wood warbler near the FAUNA nature reserve on Sunday morning.

Wood warbler record shot by Dan H
Yet another rapidly declining species nationally, wood warblers are not easy to find anywhere in North Lancashire these days and they are extremely scarce off-passage migrants. Only a handful have been recorded on the Aldcliffe patch by local birders in recent years with the last at Stodday on 25 April 2016 (almost four years to the day; also found by Dan). Prior to that, the last sighting I'm aware of was in early May 2011. So with that context, it is quite easy to see why Dan's Sunday discovery was exceedingly notable!

I was unable to get out yesterday but thankfully (if somewhat surprisingly) the warbler stayed around overnight and was still in the area this morning. Dan heard it in Admiralty Wood early on and I caught up with it along the tree-lined Aldcliffe Hall Drive where it was singing intermittently and eventually showed well.

Cetti's warbler by Dan H
On the subject of warblers, Dan's persistence and dedication paid off once more when he located a Cetti's warbler between Lunecliffe Road and the canal. Again, this is an uncommon species locally but unlike wood warbler, this colonising warbler is increasing across the UK. Once regarded as a major rarity confined to the south coast this skulking but vociferous bird can be found at nearby hotspots such as RSPB Leighton Moss at Silverdale and Middleton NR near Heysham.
With just one previous record on the patch (October 2015) Cetti's is long-overdue as a breeding bird on this side of the Lune. Let's hope that this signifies the arrival of the species as a regular bird to the patch!

Jon

 

Saturday 25 April 2020

Wood In The Hood

A great find by Dan on the Wildfowlers' Pools this morning - a dazzling, spangled wood sandpiper.

Although just about annual on the Aldcliffe patch, these scarce waders are more likely to be found in late summer when failed / post-breeding or juvenile birds are heading south. Spring records are far less common and it's great to see such a pristine adult wood sand on the pools!

Other waders at the pools included ringed plover, little ringed plover, dunlin, common sandpiper, black-tailed godwit, lapwing and redshank.

Nearby a small flock of 7 swifts were feeding high over the quay.



Photos by Dan Heywood


Thursday 23 April 2020

Seeing Red (Kite)

Yellow wagtail (Barrie Cooper)
Spring continues to bring us sunshine, and easterlies with no rain. As a consequence, we have seen relatively little in the way of off-passage migration but the regular stuff returning to territory has certainly been noticeable. And in many cases, quite early too.

Of course the two species totally defying the 'no off-passage stuff' comments are the wagtails, which have continued to drop in in varying numbers over recent days. The one-day peak count of flava wags currently stands at six birds; astonishing anywhere in North Lancashire in spring these days. Among the classic British flavissima yellow wagtails we have also had a nominate flava blue-headed male and a smart 'Channel' male (the latter being hybrid blue-headed x yellow).

'Channel' wagtail (Dan Heywood)
Meanwhile, the maximum estimations for white wagtails has been around the 60 mark - equally remarkable!

Of the aforementioned regular and expected arrivals, the past couple of days has seen a marked increase in warblers around the Aldcliffe patch. As one travels along the cycle track between Freeman's Wood and Aldcliffe Hall Lane the cacophonous sound of various species' songs is all-but impossible to ignore. Joining the chiffchaffs, willow warblers and blackcaps which have been present for a couple of weeks or so, there are now lesser whitethroats, common whitethroats and sedge warblers adding to the aural spectacle. Of course added to these newcomers' vocal contributions are the songs of the 'resident' goldfinches, wrens, song thrushes,  blackbirds and robins, amongst others.

Ringed plover (Jon Carter)
As the water levels continue to drop, the diversity of birds on the Wildfowlers' Pools is equally diminishing. Just a hand full of black-tailed godwits remain along wth a few redshank and lapwing plus single common sandpiperdunlin and common ringed plover in recent days. At least two pairs of little ringed plover remain and avocets continue to drop in from time to time, adding a splash of the exotic.

Wheatear (Dan Heywood)
Other birds of note recorded by local birdwatchers in recent days include swiftwhinchat, grasshopper warbler, tree pipit
and whimbrel.

The highlight of the week so far was the appearance of a smart adult red kite that materialised over Aldcliffe Marsh on Tuesday, attracting the attention of the local gulls and as a result, me!
The bird was clearly following the Lune and heading inland and was last seen as it veered over the old Salt Ayre tip and headed off in the direction of Morecambe. Fortunately I was able to alert a couple of other Aldcliffe regulars who were able to spot the elegant raptor before it vanished from local patch airspace. This is only the second red kite I've seen here in around thirty years of birding at Aldcliffe and as far as I am aware only the third ever record for this site.

Jon

Saturday 18 April 2020

Flava of the month

Yellow wagtail (Dan Heywood)
Despite the lack of forecast (then un-forecast) rain this morning there was still enough to entertain the early bird. I had rather hoped to be tripping over freshly dropped migrants but with a steady easterly wind and not a hint of water in the air this didn't seem too realistic a prospect as I cycled my way onto the patch.

First stop at Freeman's Pools revealed little to get excited about - the gang of prospective nesting black-headed gulls were loafing on the island as per usual. A couple of tufted duck, a lone lingering goldeneye and a pair of little grebes were the only things on the water other than the odd coot and moorhen. A small number of sand martins and a swallow were hawking over the pools.
The cycle track was soundtracked by multiple species in fine song; blackcaps, chiffchaffs, willow warblers, robins, blackbirds, wren, dunnock and a song thrush. A family (?) group of 7 jays were making their way noisily along the track edge.

It was business as usual at the recently trashed maize fields - pairs of lapwing rebonding and preparing to nest once again. Of course, we know this to be futile as the fields will be ravaged once more in the next stage of the effort to grow animal fodder. In most years, one or two nests may get chicks off but the successful ones come mostly from the adjoining fields, owned and managed by the Wildfowlers Association.

Common sandpiper (Dan Heywood)
The water-levels at the aforementioned Wildfowlers' Pools continue to drop, revealing more fabulous mud. While the bulk of the ducks and waders have cleared off, leaving just a few teal, 4 wigeon, the odd gadwall and a small number of black-tailed godwits and redshanks, this wet sloppy vista is certainly attracting a few passing migrants.

Top of the list is yellow wagtail - once a frequent spring passage bird here but shockingly scarce in recent years (reflecting the worrying, wider decline of this once common summer visitor). At least one dazzling male and rather cryptic female were seen by the pools this morning, though their mobility made keeping up with their whereabouts entertaining!
Dan contacted me just after 8.30am to say he'd found a couple more males on the Flood; they certainly hadn't been there when I'd checked around 7.30am. This is turning out to be the best year for this species on the Aldcliffe patch for literally decades.
Associated with this mega-event is the presence of large numbers of white wagtails. Ordinarily this area sees steady numbers moving through, mostly in the teens, but this spring we have been virtually inundated! There were at least forty feeding around the pools and the flood today. Quite impressive.

Wheatear (Dan Heywood)
Also on the Wildfowlers' Pools were just 3 little ringed plover (there were 7 there yesterday) and the common sandpiper was still picking its way around the pool edges. Good numbers of sand martin, with a few house martins and swallows were moving through while small groups of meadow pipit could be seen feeding among the wagtails or passing overhead.

A sedge warbler continues to sing at Reedy Corner, where there are still a few tufted duck hanging on, while a couple of wheatears were in the general area (saltmarsh and fields). I only heard one lesser whitethroat this morning and, surprisingly, I have yet to see or hear a common whitethroat.

A redstart was reported from near the Wildfowlers' Pools yesterday. Other birds seen by regular Aldcliffe patch birders in the last last 2-3 days include whimbrel, ringed plover and a rather late fieldfare.

Jon (thanks to Dan for the photos)
    

Monday 13 April 2020

Return of the Blog

Hello there!
Well, once again I find myself posting for the first time in ages and offering an apology of sorts...

The lack of updates doesn't necessarily reflect a lack of visits to the Aldcliffe patch on my part, more a reflection of my ability to be bothered to log in and write a post! I suppose with spending my working days at RSPB Leighton Moss, my free time spent on the patch is a little escape from the public face of birdwatching and a space where I can retract a little and call my own.
However with the extremely unusual change in circumstances that we're all going through (to varying degrees) it seems that perhaps now is the time once again to share my love of this area on my doorstep.
Of course living so close to my favourite birding spot, I can easily walk or cycle here while observing government guidelines around exercise, etc. The fact that I live within spitting distance is not merely some piece of luck - it was one of the key deciders when we bought the house.

Flooded fields (with garganey centre!)
So, it's spring! Migration is well under way and the patch has been delivering.
One of the things that has changed recently, and is certainly influencing the birding, is the breaching of the seawall along Dawson's Bank which occurred earlier in the year.
Thanks to the efforts of some 'terrier men' (i.e. those who like killing wild animals for fun) a while back, the bank was seemingly structurally weakened by these fine countryfolk digging out a fox den and doing naff all to repair the damage once they'd had their fun.  The wettest February on record coupled with massive tides resulted in some significant damage leaving the maize fields and those around the Wildfowlers' Pools inundated with seawater.

Black-tailed godwit
The positive result, from a birder's perspective, is that the area between the cycle track and saltmarsh has become a temporary lake and latterly a very tasty muddy wetland; highly attractive to birds. In the past few weeks this area has hosted huge numbers of black-tailed godwit, along with good numbers of redshank and plenty of wildfowl. The regular teal, wigeon, gadwall, goldeneye and tufted ducks have been joined by pintail, shoveler and even a spanking drake garganey which spent a few days wowing local birders.

One of the outcomes of the restrictions being placed upon people and how they access the outdoors has been the massive increase in those using the Freeman's Wood / Aldcliffe Marsh footpaths and cycle track. I have never seen it so busy. Even when out at first light, where I may ordinarily see two or three dog-walkers and the odd jogger in the course a couple of hours, now I will encounter 20+ people in an hour. And while such excellent local birdwatching sites as Leighton Moss are closed, more local birdwatchers are visiting the Aldcliffe area too.

Avocets at the Wildfowlers' Pools
It would seem that some joggers and cyclists appear to believe that lycra offers protective powers against Covid-19, and therefore there's no need to observe 2m distancing from others, which does make birdwatching in the area much less enjoyable I have to say. A constant stream of panting individuals along one metre wide paths isn't all that appealing right now and I for one am steering clear of some the spots I would usually check. But, I shall continue to make visits of sorts and post my sightings, and those of others, while doing my utmost to avoid the masses.

If you too live within walking distance of the area and decide to go birdwatching please do observe the guidelines and please pass on your sightings by commenting on this site, or posting on the LDBWS website.

Recent highlights include:
Garganey
White-fronted goose (Greenland)
Marsh harrier
Osprey
Avocets
Ruff
Little ringed plover
Yellow wagtail
20+ white wagtails
Tree pipit
Whinchat
Sedge warbler
plus good numbers of common migrants including: wheatears, sand martins, swallows, house martins, chiffchaffs, willow warblers, blackcaps,

Jon