Johnny Two-Swifts

Dan here.

Passage migrants have been a bit thin on the ground (and in the air) the past few days in Aldcliffe.

(This will make parish patch-watchers Jon and Guy feel a little better as they slum it elsewhere-- Canada and Southern Spain respectively. I hope you are receiving this out there).

This morning, unable to commune with any scarcities, I sat on the wooden fence near Cadaver Corner and called upon The Great Spirit for a sign-- is my hunting in vain?

A few seconds later the earth shook and the Great Spirit fair threw me from my perch. Blimey.

After this 3.7 Richter wake-up my sense of purpose was renewed. Still didn't find owt though!

The pick of today:

2 swifts, 3 or 4 whimbrels, a mixed hirundine rain-flock including twenty house martins and 15 sand martins...5 eider were by the pylons while just downstream twelve knot (3 in summer plumage) and a grey plover thought about crossing the parish line.

Warblers were fairly inconspicuous but one or two blackcaps appeared to be new in, and I noted my first female whitethroats of the year.
Micro-siters might have been impressed by two house sparrows by Darter Pond.
Other than hirundines and swifts vis mig was minimal- with only one siskin and a meadow pipit noted!

Dan.

Sylvia's Cover

Pictured: a newly-arrived common whitethroat pops out to check it's in the right place....it is...(it's above the 'th' of footpath)..

Dan here.

Had hoped the downpours would re-invigorate the patch somewhat, but the only definite off-passage birds were a whimbrel, three wheatears and two sand martins. Better this evening perhaps.

A little owl, siskin, nuthatch and willow warbler were in the Pony Wood/Aldcliffe village area of 'the parish'.

Evening visit saw quite a number of House Martins and Swallows with 1 Swift. Also, LRP 2 on Freemans and a Little Egret on Frog Pond. Stevew

Tide Cycle

This morning me and Steve led a Birding by Bike trip organised by the cycling team at Lancaster City Council, as part of their events programme aimed at getting more people riding and healthy.

Aldcliffe performed quite well for the nine novice birders- we were able to show them little-ringed plovers (which were much admired), whimbrel, reed bunting, little egrets and more.

We also got them enjoying the song of common whitethroat, blackcap, goldfinch and raven.

Other highlights included a sedge warbler, common sandpiper, a few house martins and the continued presence of two pairs of gadwall. Sand martins were still moving through at about 20 per hour today.

Dan

Wader Go!

Dan here.
Wherever I am I'm always thinking of Aldcliffe. So when I was passing Snatchems (the dark side of the Lune) at midday I couldn't resist having a lingering look to the south and east.

A north bound flock of twenty-two whimbrels (my first of the year)dropped in to have a closer look at Freeman's Pools, a pleasant sight and a lovely sound. A minute or so later seventeen of them headed back south, perhaps leaving five behind on the gravel island?

Had an evening scoot around the parish proper but could only find one whimbrel - near Cadaver Corner.

Three handsome Icelandic black-tailed godwits were feeding at Wildfowler's Pools.

The picture is one I took near Cadaver Corner three springs back.

Tripit Hazard

Highlights this morning included an off-passage short-eared-owl which was flushed and then headed off high to the North, a low-flying tree pipit and a male whinchat.

3 each of common and lesser whitethroat.

Northward passage of mipits, siskins and redpoll spp. (faintly-audible only- very high). Sand martins, swallows and 3 or 4 house martins moving also.

4-5 little-ringed plovers, a green sandpiper, four gadwall and two shoveler were also present in the parish.

Willow warblers present but fairly low numbers-- none in Freeman's Woods!

Dan H and Steve W