Cold Fronts

Dan here.

Checked Aldcliffe Marsh from the Heaton side of the river this chilly afternoon, and was pleased to see sixteen European white-fronted geese (three 1st-winter birds) in the company of 80 pink-footed geese and 200 greylags.

I've been wondering whether we might see some white-fronts in the early weeks of 2012 given the influx we had in November. Nice birds.

A few waders were on the former tip throughout the day including 32 black-tailed godwits and around 200 lapwings.

It seems that the recent glossy ibis was last seen on the morning of the 12th.

DH.

A Winter's Tale........

                                              Admiralty Wood. 

Great winter weather and had a trawl around the Parish with daughter Molly today. We made our way through Fairfield Orchard where a great number of volunteers busied themselves,  the path is now open, was chatting to one of the main organisers and he had seen a number of Snipe. It looks a bit bare at the moment and will come into its own in a few years when everything grows.  They have created three scrapes, planted hedges and more.

Making our way down to the river we saw Nuthatch near the village. In the field was a mixed flock of gulls, Lapwing and Starlings. We walked along the river bank towards Marsh Point and made a note of birds, Little Egret 2, Shelduck 17, Curlew 14, Redshank 8, Mute Swan 32, Greylag Geese 143, Canada Geese 84, Oystercatcher 69, Lapwing 335, Grey Heron 3, Cormorant 2, BH Gulls 49, LBBG 6, HerrG 5, CommG 6, Black-tailed Godwit 23, Goosander 4, Mallard 7, Starling 130.

No sign of the Glossy Ibis the area was frozen. Freeman’s Pool had a few Gadwall of note.

Yesterday Redwing 16 near Lunecliffe. Buzzard, Kestrel and Ravens 2 at river.

Steve.

Glossy Display.....

Got the news last night, via Mike Lynch LDBWS site, that a Glossy Ibis was feeding at the back of Keyline builder’s merchants. Popped down at 10-ish to find Dan already getting excellent views of the bird. The bird tended to be just by the fence and looked superb. Dan mentioned it was an adult, speckled neck, and no ring. Great patch tick, and then I got thinking about roost potential and headed to Skerton Weir Heronry at dusk, and after dozens of Cormorants had flown in the Ibis appeared, double patch tick, great day.

Steve.

Hello Kitty!

Dan here.

A 2nd calendar-year kittiwake was feeding on the river with a few black-headed gulls off Marsh Point late morning.

This attractive maritime gull can be numerous at Heysham in times of strong onshore winds (a respectable 44 today), but Aldcliffe kitts are a much scarcer proposition. My first here, at least.

Around four hundred pink-footed geese were on the marsh, along with over six-hundred lapwings.

A great black-backed gull was making a baleful noise as it mobbed a buzzard near Freeman's Wood.

DH.

Hunkering for better weather.......

Happy 2012 to all,  here’s to a prosperous birding New Year.
Freeman’s Pool had six Gadwall, Coot, Mallard, Swan, 2 Wigeon, 1 Oystercatcher and a few gulls. At Marsh Point a Little Egret was making slow headway in the very windy conditions, eventually giving up and landing opposite. Fields saw a few Crows, Magpies and Chaffinch. Hedges were quiet with only Wren, Blackbird seen in the foul weather. On the marsh were a further 2 Little Egret, Curlew and on the mud flats a couple of thousand Lapwing. The Flood had 1 Redshank and 42 BH Gulls. Further down river towards the pylons it was much the same, quiet as the weather deteriorated. 9 Blackbirds near sewage works.  Hunkered down Buzzard perched on fence post.

Steve