Life in the Freezer...........

It is usual to have a cold spell at the end of November, but it feels more like February and is apparently the coldest November for 17 years, going to be a tough long winter for the birds. Yet it is the hottest year on record according to the Met Office! Freeman's Pools are frozen, apart from usual corner, with 18 Coot and a couple of Swans paddling about. Marsh Point saw gulls and Lapwing. Despite the blue skies it was freezing, and everywhere iced up, apart from the river of course, which was busy with gulls, Lapwing, Grey Herons, Wigeon and Goldeneye etc. In the channel at Cadaver Corner were Little Grebes and 2 Little Egrets. 

The highlight was the track down from the Wildfowlers’ Pool, here there were at least 2 Water Rail showing well, along with Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Redwing, Robin, Wren and mixed tit flock. A Kestrel was perched nearby watching all the Lapwings and Gulls in the fields. Mixed in with these were a number of Golden Plover, Curlew and Redshank.  I had a look for the Barnacles but all the geese were way out on the marsh, and as I had no scope I couldn't be sure.

Steve

Wild goose chase

2 peregrines were in the vicinity of the pylons putting every wader up between Glasson and Snatchems.
The barnacle geese were still on the marsh at the north eastern end.
10 goldeneye were at Freemans pools with 2 tufties.
The fields are still being prepared with lovely black stuff. I'd quite like some of that for my veggie patches.
20 fieldfares in the area. Lots of berries still on the hawthorns. Will waxwing enter my Aldcliffe list?

Guy

Happy Monday.....

Began at the sewage works, in the fields were roughly 200 BH Gulls and a Med Gull, un-ringed. Along the track were a handful of Pied Wagtails, Chaffinch, Blackbirds and Robins. A Little Egret near the pylons was feeding; also 2 Rock Pipits by the fence, and a few Wigeon floating up the channel with the tide, and a Snipe flew up stream.

At the railway cutting I saw 2 Goldcrest, a handful of Redwing, 2 Greenfinch, 2 Bullfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits and a flock of 6 Long-tailed Tits. On the marsh were 4 Little Egrets, plus all the usual Curlew and Redshank. The Flood had a flock of 30 Redshank feeding. 2 Fieldfare were in the hedge.

Freeman’s Pool had a Little Egret and 3 Goldeneye, along with the usual Coot. Had a walk along the river bank and found the Barnacle Geese, I could only count 15, though they were quite mobile, despite all the Greylags and Canada’s they all stayed in their small group.

Steve

Barnacle geese

Ray Hobbs had a flock of 16 barnacle geese at Aldcliffe on Thursday 18th Nov.
I'm pretty sure that's a record for the site. I assume they're Caerlaverock overshoots, rather than fence-hoppers?

Jon C.

All work.... not much play........

Managed A couple of hours down the patch today, though things were very busy down there. Farmers, hedge cutters and workman all doing jobs at key areas, so fairly quiet while I was there. Freeman’s Pool had a dozen Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, 1 Goldeneye, 2 Teal and Coot numbers appear to be on the increase. Still loads of water on the Wildfowlers’ Pools and the Flood, so not much on there. On the marsh were Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank and 2 Little Egret. All the geese were way out, usual Canada and Greylags.

Plenty of gulls Great/Lesser Black-backed, Herring, Common and Black-headed. On the mud were hundreds of Lapwing and approx 185 Wigeon, there were a good number of Golden Plover mixed in.

On the pylons were 2 Ravens.

Steve