Grasshopper warbler

One reeling this afternoon, heard but not seen, from the top path opposite wildfowlers.
2 sedge warblers still calling close by.
A very confiding common whitethroat near the bund.
A little ringed plover on the flood.
Mute swans reoccupying their nest site on darter pool.

Guy

Swift Session

Dan here.

A brief early evening visit didn't turn up too much, but 75 swifts sweeping up flies over Freeman's Wood as low rainclouds hit the town was a pleasant sight.

So was Guy's splendid drake pochard on Freeman's Pools.

Also noted in the parish were a pair of red-legged partridges near the sewage works, a whimbrel and 3 little ringed plovers.

DH

pochard

A male pochard was present on Freemans pool this afternoon.

Guy

Mob Handed....

Miserable weather today doing WeBS count, brightened up by a female Marsh Harrier, seen from Conder Green, headed up to Aldcliffe with a mob of corvids and Oystercatchers. Met Guy briefly, he saw Sedge Warbler on the track, Buzzard and Kestrel at trig point. I heard plenty of Whitethroats and Blackcaps. The Lapwing with chick is still present on Wildfowlers’ Pool, the maize fields have been cultivated so who knows about any others! Freeman’s Pool was pretty quiet, Little Grebe and Tufted Duck. There were a number of Swifts, Swallows and few House Martins over pools. 9 Eider were present on the river.

Steve 

Winter lingerers and scarce summer visitors

A couple of winter lingerers were at Aldcliffe today. A lone wigeon at freemans pools and a snipe on wildfowlers. A little ringed plover was in this area also. One of the advantages of being a patch watcher is experiencing annual occurences of eccentric bird behaviour. Today this was provided by house sparrows. Small numbers of  house sparrows use the hedges between darter and wildfowlers for feeding before flying off in the direction of Willow Lane, presumably to feed their broods. What attracts them to these specific hedges is a mystery but must make the round trip of about a kilometre worthwhile.

4 singing sedge warblers, chiffchaff, willow warblers, whitethroat and blackcap were noted. 3 wheatear and two tufties were also present.

Guy

Sunday Morning............
Much the same, including 3 Wheatears, Wigeon and 2 LRP on Wildfowlers and Peregrine on pylon.
Steve