Return of the Blog

Hello there!
Well, once again I find myself posting for the first time in ages and offering an apology of sorts...

The lack of updates doesn't necessarily reflect a lack of visits to the Aldcliffe patch on my part, more a reflection of my ability to be bothered to log in and write a post! I suppose with spending my working days at RSPB Leighton Moss, my free time spent on the patch is a little escape from the public face of birdwatching and a space where I can retract a little and call my own.
However with the extremely unusual change in circumstances that we're all going through (to varying degrees) it seems that perhaps now is the time once again to share my love of this area on my doorstep.
Of course living so close to my favourite birding spot, I can easily walk or cycle here while observing government guidelines around exercise, etc. The fact that I live within spitting distance is not merely some piece of luck - it was one of the key deciders when we bought the house.

Flooded fields (with garganey centre!)

So, it's spring! Migration is well under way and the patch has been delivering.
One of the things that has changed recently, and is certainly influencing the birding, is the breaching of the seawall along Dawson's Bank which occurred earlier in the year.
Thanks to the efforts of some 'terrier men' (i.e. those who like killing wild animals for fun) a while back, the bank was seemingly structurally weakened by these fine countryfolk digging out a fox den and doing naff all to repair the damage once they'd had their fun.  The wettest February on record coupled with massive tides resulted in some significant damage leaving the maize fields and those around the Wildfowlers' Pools inundated with seawater.

Black-tailed godwit

The positive result, from a birder's perspective, is that the area between the cycle track and saltmarsh has become a temporary lake and latterly a very tasty muddy wetland; highly attractive to birds. In the past few weeks this area has hosted huge numbers of black-tailed godwit, along with good numbers of redshank and plenty of wildfowl. The regular teal, wigeon, gadwall, goldeneye and tufted ducks have been joined by pintail, shoveler and even a spanking drake garganey which spent a few days wowing local birders.

One of the outcomes of the restrictions being placed upon people and how they access the outdoors has been the massive increase in those using the Freeman's Wood / Aldcliffe Marsh footpaths and cycle track. I have never seen it so busy. Even when out at first light, where I may ordinarily see two or three dog-walkers and the odd jogger in the course a couple of hours, now I will encounter 20+ people in an hour. And while such excellent local birdwatching sites as Leighton Moss are closed, more local birdwatchers are visiting the Aldcliffe area too.

Avocets at the Wildfowlers' Pools

It would seem that some joggers and cyclists appear to believe that lycra offers protective powers against Covid-19, and therefore there's no need to observe 2m distancing from others, which does make birdwatching in the area much less enjoyable I have to say. A constant stream of panting individuals along one metre wide paths isn't all that appealing right now and I for one am steering clear of some the spots I would usually check. But, I shall continue to make visits of sorts and post my sightings, and those of others, while doing my utmost to avoid the masses.

If you too live within walking distance of the area and decide to go birdwatching please do observe the guidelines and please pass on your sightings by commenting on this site, or posting on the LDBWS website.

Recent highlights include:
Garganey
White-fronted goose (Greenland)
Marsh harrier
Osprey
Avocets
Ruff
Little ringed plover
Yellow wagtail
20+ white wagtails
Tree pipit
Whinchat
Sedge warbler
plus good numbers of common migrants including: wheatears, sand martins, swallows, house martins, chiffchaffs, willow warblers, blackcaps,

Jon

               

Tasty Duck as Spring Rolls On

Regular visitors birding in the Aldcliffe area may have noticed that the maize fields have yet to be ploughed and seeded, so fingers crossed the lapwings might just get some chicks hatched again this year. That said, I haven't seen many pairs in there compared with previous years - I suppose that's what happens after several consecutive years of nest destruction; numbers go down. Worth noting too that the most northerly of the two maize fields has now been converted to grass production, thus reducing nesting habitat for lapwings. No wonder they, like many breeding waders reliant on quality farmland, are declining rapidly across the UK.

I did get word that a pair of grey partridge had been seen in the fields beyond Freeman's Pools - perhaps they're not quite extinct in the Aldcliffe area after all. However, one pair clinging on for dear life is hardly something to celebrate!

On a more positive note, little ringed plovers finally arrived (better late than never) with the first report from The Flood on April 3. They peaked at 7 on 13th and there were still 5 present yesterday (Easter Monday) but just 2 there this morning.

The main highlight from this morning was a cracking drake garganey on the Wildfowlers' Pools. other migrants were pretty thin on the ground, 3 wheatear on Aldcliffe Marsh and another one on The Flood being the only obvious passage birds. I was rather hoping for something of the whinchat / redstart variety (see Heysham Obs blog).
I only counted 3 each of lesser and common whitethroat in the two-and-half hours I was out though blackcaps were absolutely everywhere.
The sedge warbler I heard on Sunday had either moved on or was just keeping quiet.
Of course, there are lots of swallows, sand martins and house martins around now along with willow warblers and chiffchaffs too.

A few other recent sightings of interest from the Aldcliffe area include: osprey, marsh harrier, white wagtail and yellow wagtail

Please note there is an up-to-date Save Freeman's Wood Facebook group 

Jon

Scattering of Spring Migrants

A few highlights from a morning trawl today included: 

House Martin - my first of the year with with a few sand martins at Freeman's Pools
Sand martin - several passing through plus birds feeding at Freeman's pools. 
Wheatear - 11 (8 on tideline, 3 in fields)
Blackcap - 2 singing in Freeman's Wood 

Green sandpiper on Frog Pond
Black-tailed godwit c250 on The Flood & c300 on Wildfowlers' Pools 
Wildfowl included 4 goldeneye, 3 pink-footed geese, 3 shoveler, 4 tufted duck plus a fe gadwall and teal. 
Great White egret on Colloway Marsh 
Multiple chiffchaffs singing around the patch.

Sadly, no sign of any little ringed plover. 
Last year the first (late, thanks in part to the 'Beast from the East') arrival was on April 1. 
The Flood has no appealing muddy edges thanks to high water levels at the moment and although the Wildfowlers' Pools are crawling with waders it's presumably also too wet for LRPs. 

For context, recent years LRP arrival dates at Aldcliffe as follows - all March: 21st 2017, 18th 2016, 19th 2015 & 2014, 17th in 2013. 

Of note, I didn't find any evidence of breeding at Aldcliffe last year...

Jon

Annual Aldcliffe goose fest

As to be expected in later winter / early spring, Aldcliffe saw an arrival of good numbers of pink-footed geese in mid-February. Peaking at around 3,000 birds (relatively low by some years standards) the flock included one or two other species of note.
So far, both subspecies of greater white-fronted goose have been seen - 3 Russian birds (1 adult and 2 juvs) were found by Dan Heywood (pic of adult by Dan) on the 10th, and a Greenland bird on the 19th while a fine tundra bean goose was discovered by Matt Jackson on the 18th. This latter scarcity had the decency to hang around for a few days and was seen by many local birders.

Of course there were also plenty of greylags and Canada geese around too.
Other birds of note in recent weeks include water pipit, up to two great white egrets, merlin, barn owl, black-tailed godwits and pintail.
Dan came across a yellowhammer - very much a rarity in North Lancashire these days - on the morning of 24th in the Fairfield stubble fields. The last Aldcliffe area record (I think) concerned a fly-over in the autumn of 2011!
If the decent weather continues we can hope for some early migrants in the next few days and weeks; first to appear are usually little ringed plover, sand martin, wheatear and chiffchaff. Last year's famously late spring saw many delayed arrivals, so fingers crossed this year gets off to a better start.
Jon   

Save Freeman's Wood

For decades, the area of mixed woodland and scrub (known locally as Freeman's Wood) to the south west of the Lune Industrial Estate off Willow Lane, Lancaster has been a well-used and popular space for local residents.

Children have built dens, dog walkers have exercised their pets and, for me and many other Lancastrians, it has been a great area to connect with nature.

It is a significant nesting site for an array of nationally declining woodland and garden birds, an important wintering site for long-distance migrants from the north and an essential stopping-off place for summer visitors freshly arrived from Africa and continental Europe.

Once again, this prime piece of wildlife habitat is under threat. An application to build 250 houses on the land has been submitted. Obviously, if this goes ahead we will not only lose the space for our own recreational use but it will also destroy a vital area of rare biodiversity within the city boundaries. 

Campaigners are asking for your help to save this invaluable local resource.

You can object to the proposal:
Visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/planning and place an objection online.

Write to Planning, PO Box 4, Lancaster Town Hall, LA1 1QR or email dcconsultation@lancaster.gov.uk

Quote the reference number 18/01520/OUT

There will be a public meeting at Hornets Function Room (off Willow Lane, behind the Spar shop) on Feb 26 at 7.30pm where the proposal will be discussed. 

Freeman's Wood as viewed from Marsh Point overlooking Freeman's Pools