A ponder and a wander

Visit with Steve this morning. We debated the merits of the gulls settling on the island. If it's colonised by the gulls would there be a danger of predation by the BHG's or would they offer a degree of protection from other predators. A carrion crow was patrolling the island today - probably the same one which predated the second clutch of LRP's last year. Time will tell.

Peregrine, raven, merganser and 8 meadow pipits in the vicinity of the pylons.
2 little egrets on the marsh.
1500 pinkies on trig hill
Green sandpiper, 2 teal and redshank on the flood.
Sparrowhawk at Aldcliffe village.
Kestrel, smew, 3 goldeneye in the vicinity of Freemans pool.


Guy

Gull Island.......

Quick visit to Freeman's Pools before WeBS back to the weir.
Black-headed Gulls appear to be resident on the island these days, 60 today.

Herring Gull 2

Common Gull 5

Lapwing 7

Smew 1

Teal 6

Tufted Duck 10

Little Grebe 3

Canada Goose 7

Redshank 1

Usual Coot

Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blue, Great Tit, Blackbird, Wren and 2 House Sparrows.

Steve

Spring into action......

 

Adult Med. Gull at Gull Bank

Beautiful early spring morning, not a cloud to be seen. Bird wise not a bad trawl round. Joined up with Guy for a wander up to the pylons.

Freeman's Pool

Smew 1

Ones and twos of Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Teal, Snipe and Grey Heron plus the usual Coot. The Black-headed Gulls still present on the island along with a few Lapwing and Oystercatcher.

Little Egret and a Grey Heron by the dead trees.

Buzzard circling over the marsh.

Frog Pond, Canada Goose 65

Pink Footed Goose 275 in fields.

Track.

Water Rail 2 possibly 3.

Greenfinch 2

Dunnock, Robin and Blackbird.

Gull Bank

Black-headed, Common, Herring, Lesser Black Backed and Great Blacked Gull with 1 Med Gull on far bank.

Goldeneye 3

Raven 3

Carrion Crow 14

Sewage Works Track

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tit.

Sparrowhawk 1

Kestrel 1

Steve 

Rockits……

Rock Pipit courtesy of Dan 

Another big tide and more Rock Pipits. Today started off from sewage works and headed north to Freeman’s Pools. Got off to a good start 3 Rockits and male Merlin………

Rock Pipits, 16 in total along the length of the route.
Meadow Pipit 2
Merlin 1
Raven 2, on the corner pylon.
Peregrine, 2
Snipe 4
Skylark 20, flock of 9 heading NE.
Greenfinch 4/5, numbers increasing.
Stock Dove 8, amazing number for Aldcliffe, in the stubble field with Woodpigeon.
Little Egret 3
Dunlin 100
Golden Plover 110
Curlew 150
Lapwing, couple of thousand.
Pink Footed Goose 17 heading east

High Tide

Freeman’s Pool

Smew 1
Green Sandpiper 1
Black-headed Gulls, 110 on the island, I noticed similar number yesterday, we were wondering if they were planning to breed and colonise! There were also 65 Lapwing jostling for space. Usual Coot and Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Goldeneye, Shelduck.
Steve




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High Tide and Rising……

Mon 1st March. 

With a big tide forecast I headed down the Parish with Rock Pipits in mind and was not disappointed, saw at least 3 possibly 5. Other highlights were….

Skylark 2
Reed Bunting 5
Linnet 12
Raven 1
Plenty of waders in fields…..
Curlew 35
Oystercatcher 9
Lapwing 75, good couple of thousand flying around.
Snipe 2 on the tide line and 1 on Wildfowlers’ Pool along with….
Teal, Moorhen, Oystercatcher 2.
Smew on Freeman’s Pool along with one or two of…..
Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Shelduck, Gadwall, Mute Swan, Grey Heron
Little Owl showing well enjoying the Sun at Admiralty Wood.

Steve