Last orders?

Managed to get an hour in round the patch today - the first time I've looked through a pair of bins in a week! An utter disgrace...

Anyhoo, the highlights were relatively few - though it may just turn out to be my last visit (eek).

Freeman's Pools
20 wigeon
3 tufted duck (1stw m, 2f)
6 mute swan
15 coot
1 little grebe
Usual other bits and pieces

Marsh Point
What looked like a 3rd yr yellow-legged gull was on the river briefly, though the drizzle reduced views somewhat. Structurally convincing (large & 'square' headed), darker mantled than the herring gulls and light than any of the LBBs wit no visible mirrors in the primaries. Streaky headed with a dark eye effect. Legs looked pinkish.

Frog Pond
2 pinkfeet with Canada geese in the field

Wildfowlers' Pools
1 green sandpiper
6 snipe
20+ teal
4 shoveler

Aldcliffe Marsh
4 little egret and a further 3 on the river by the pylons plus another at the back of Colloway Marsh.

4 swallows seen.

Very few passerines noted in general with nothing of note amongst the singe tit flock I came across.

Pluvialis apricaria, couldn’t resist……

Met up with Guy and we had a trawl round the patch. Highlight was a flock of Golden Plover with a wonderful Latin name that rolls off the tongue, and a flock of Dunlin, all seen on mud just beyond Cadaver Corner. Other birds today……
Marsh.
Golden Plover 50
Dunlin 25
Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank.
Greenshank 1
Little Egret 4

Flood saw Snipe 3/4,Redshank 1, Moorhen, numerous finch in hedgerows.
Frog Pond, Mallard and Mute Swan 4
Darter Pool couple of Moorhen.
Wildfowlers’ Pool Green Sandpiper 1, Kingfisher 1, Snipe 4, Teal 5/6
Track, Reed Bunting 6/8, numerous Green Finch and Chaffinch, Robins 12/15. Woodpigeon 25 in fields. Kestrel 1,
Peregrine 1, Raven 1.

Freeman’s Pool
Wigeon 11, Tufted Duck 2, Gadwall 2, large number of Greylag and Canada’s, usual Coot and Moorhen. Linnet 12/15 in dead tree’s, Goldfinch 100+. In the wood, Sparrowhawk 1, Blackcap 1.

Pink-footed Geese, 2 skeins over 30/40 in each.
Swallow 1
SteveW

Lune Surfers......

Just arrived at Gull Bank to watch everything flushed by the Lune Bore, a big tide racing in as it did yesterday, great sight. Initially some birds, especially geese, attempted to surf the wave but then gave up and took flight. A Peregrine was hunting along with a Sparrowhawk on the Marsh pursued by Ravens. Three Green Sandpipers at the Wildfowlers’ Pools along with a Kingfisher, more below......
Freeman’s Pool
Canada Geese 150/170
Greylag Geese 45
Gadwall 2
Mallard, Coot and Little Grebe.

Marsh
Peregrine 1
Sparrowhawk 1
Raven 3
Curlew 80/90
Little Egret 3

Flood.
Snipe 2
Moorhen 3
Redshank 1
Grey Wagtail 1

Track, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tits.

Wildfowlers’ Pool
Kingfisher 1
Green Sandpiper 3
Snipe 2
Usual Moorhen etc.

Swallow 15/18
SteveW

Having a gander

Took a hangover-easing walk with Jenny round the patch over the hightide today. And what a tide!

A green sandpiper was again in the wet field at Fairfield and a pair of jay were nearby.

9 little egret were visible on the marsh and a mobile flock of 24 teal were whizzing around. A peregrine was busting up the waders and a kingfisher was on the Wildfowlers' Pools.
Another kingfisher was at Freeman's Pools, where there was also a 500+ mixed flock of Canada and greylag geese (plus 3 scabby white things).
The female tufted duck was still on the main pool.

A handful of swallows were feeding in the area.

A few common darter were seen and a common/migrant hawker briefly put in an appearance as did a couple of red admirals.

................................................

I returned for an early evening visit where the following were among the highlights:

A very high common buzzard over the tip

3 raven were honking about.

40+ swallows were feeding over Freeman's Pools with the gadwall pair, a little grebe and a female sparrowhawk present plus the other usual suspects.

Half a dozen snipe were feeding on the Flood along with 4 teal and a grey wagtail.

2 shoveler and another couple of snipe were visible on the Wildfowlers' Pools.

Noticed lots and lots of long-tailed tits in the hedgerows throughout the area.

A stoat ran across the path near Frog Pond.

Owl, osprey & others...

Guy McLelland's Saturday morning posting:

Decent morning down here.
Short-eared owl, high over the tip and being mobbed by a crow at 8am
Decent selection of migrant common warblers in Freeman's Wood.
Wheatear on high tide mark, 2 reed buntings at Bank Pool and 5 little egrets on the marsh.
Kingfisher at wildfowlers' Pools.
2 kestrels, 2 gadwall and tufted duck on Freeman's Pool.
Highlight was an osprey flying down the Lune at 11am.