The Flood Mud Comes Good

Spent a couple of hours this morning trawling around the patch in search of early migrants. It was pretty quiet on the ground, with just multiple singing chiffchaffs to imply that spring is on the way. A very light trickle of meadow pipits in 1s and 2s were passing over plus a grounded feeding flock of 8 near Freeman's Wood.

Little ringed plover

Skylarks were singing over the marsh and the stubble fields and lapwings were half-heartedly displaying in the morning sunshine.
On the Flood, single little ringed plover, green sandpiper and black-tailed godwit were alongside several feeding redshank and oystercatcher.
Out on Aldcliffe Marsh there were still c700 grazing pinkfeet.
With the weather forecast looking unhelpful for the next few days, it looks likely that we'll have to wait a little longer for any major arrivals. Evens so, the odd wheatear and hardy sand martin or swallow should still battle through, so it's always worth getting out and having a look.

Late morning, I decided to head out to RSPB Leighton Moss as I had a marquee to drop off there. Of course I made the short detour to the Allen Pools where I enjoyed the sight of multiple avocets and a mass of feeding black-tailed godwits. I'm still not completely used to seeing so many avocets at Leighton; it's not all that long ago that this species would have caused a great deal of excitement among local birders...
After a spot of lunch in the cafe I had a quick walk down to Lilian's Hide. Scanning out beyond the squabbling black-headed gulls I could see the long-staying female long-tailed duck mucking about with a handful of goldeneye. A cracking male marsh harrier soon drifted by causing alarm among the teal and as I watched a couple of sand martins zipped through.

I quick return visit to Aldcliffe around 5pm revealed the green sandpiper and little ringed plover still on the Flood. An optimistic scan over the marsh and around the Walled Meadow alas proved fruitless as far as wheatear were concerned... several have been seen along the nearby coast today (Heysham, Carnforth, etc) but it would seem that none have filtered up the estuary as yet.         

Jon

Stop in the Name of Plove

Guest blogger Dan Haywood here. Happy March to you all.


A few small signs of Spring on the patch this afternoon, most notably the first Little Ringed Plover of the year on The Flood. Looked to be a male. What a handsome devil.

Not for the first time, this summer visitor seems to have beaten fellow early-starters Wheatear & Sand Martin back from Africa. No sign of either of those two on (or over) the patch so far this month.

A flock of eighteen Linnets was by Darter Pool. My highest 2014 count of an Aldcliffe species perhaps best described as a partial migrant. They can occur here in Winter but are more regular as the sap rises, being a scarce breeder and common vis-migger.

A total of nineteen Gadwalls were around the various pools. At least 8 Lapwings were on territory in the maize stubble fields and giving a Carrion Crow a bit of a battering.

Around 500 Pink-footed Goose were on Heaton Marsh today.

Over the past week I've been enjoying the work of a pair of Long-tailed Tits. Starting base-first, their domed nest is now almost complete, woven into a track-side bramble bush.

It appears to be final touches at the moment, with appliqué lichen scraps (and even gossamer) on the exterior and feathers being appropriated for the lining.

Please inspect my snap of one half of the pair at the foot of this posting. It seems to me an unusually pale-bonced individual. Obviously not in the caudatus race category, but much less badger-headed than most, including its partner. Any thoughts?

Speaking of stripy head-sides, the hybrid Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon I had on the patch on February 6th has quit its subsequent haunt of Glasson and has re-appeared up the hill at Blea Tarn Reservoir, 4.5 kilometres to the NE.

DH.

Super Duper Whooper

Unfortunately I've been somewhat infested by an unpleasant hacking cough & banging headache ailment and had to reluctantly take today off work. I don't suppose it would do to go spreading my vile malady to the general public...
On the plus side, fresh air was very much in need and I took a morning stroll around the Aldcliffe patch. The optimism created by last week's lovely weather was rather diminished as the cool westerly breeze and menacingly overcast conditions reminded me that spring hadn't truly sprung.
That said, I did hear at least four singing chiffchaff on my rounds, so it's good to see that a few summer migrants are braving the elements. Sadly, my target bird - wheatear - was nowhere to be found. Looks like I'll have to wait a few more days...
The only other things of note passerine-wise were a handful of meadow pipits moving through and a few skylark here and there, including one feeding in Snipe Bog.
There was still a wintry feel all round to be honest, with around 1,300 pink-footed geese on Aldcliffe Marsh and up to 30 fieldfare bouncing along the hedges.

Mute swan and whooper swan

A pleasant surprise came in the form of an adult whooper swan sat among a small group of mutes on the marsh. This is only the second one that I've seen here all winter (one back in November - details here) so it was a most welcome sight.
Not too many years ago Aldcliffe was just about the most reliable site in the area for wintering wild swans, often hosting good numbers of both whooper and Bewick's swans. Nowadays, either species is a good find on this stretch of the Lune. The majority of birds visiting our region in recent years end to favour the Cockersands/Glasson area.

A trawl around the patch on Tuesday was notable only for a few vis-mig siskins, meadow pipits and pied wagtails plus my first chiffchaffs of the year - one in song in Freeman's Wood the other busily feeding.
A cracking male linnet was singing by some prime gorse in the wood, and reed bunting were singing their hearts out at Freeman's Pools and Darter Pool.
A single rock pipit was near Snipe Bog and 8 grounded meadow pipits were feeding in Walled Meadow.
The green sandpiper was on the upper pools at Freeman's Pools again while 3 black-tailed godwits were at the Wildfowler's Pools.

Jon

It's Not Easy Seeing Green

After a day slogging away at nature's coalface, I managed to find some time to pop along to Freeman's Pools for a dusky wind down this evening.
All the usual stuff was present and correct, though tufted duck had increased to 10 and gadwall numbers had risen to 16.
A little egret was fishing on the upper pools but the real surprise came in the form of a green sandpiper. Anyone familiar with Aldcliffe or indeed this blogsite, will likely be aware that the area is traditionally one of very few places in the north west where this species regularly over-winters. However, thus far they've been completely absent in recent months with my last sighting of green sandpiper at Aldcliffe being October 16, 2013.
A trio of goosander were on the river and I could hear and see good numbers of pinkfeet out on the marsh.

Yesterday, Jenny and I went for a walk in Dunsop Valley. Given the time of year and the bright forecast I was hoping for some raptor activity. Unfortunately it was just a bit too windy for much in the way of displaying but nonetheless we still saw the expected commoner species; sparrowhawk, common buzzard and kestrel. Just as I'd given up hope of anything more interesting a male goshawk made a brief appearance, lazily and half-heartedly having a go at a display flight before dropping out of sight. It soon reappeared but then quickly abandoned its showy efforts but gave decent views as it flew back over and then into the wood.
There were no crossbills seen or heard - again I expect the wind was not entirely blameless... a couple of red grouse were the only other things worthy of note. 

Jon  

Easy Ansers

Pink-footed geese

Spent a bit of time pre-high tide rooting around the Aldcliffe area this morning.
To my delight the goose numbers had continued to build and there were approximately 1600 pink-footed geese grazing in the fields. For a change I'd actually bothered humping my 'scope along with me and I was able to scan through the mass of barely-honking birds pretty thoroughly, thanks in part to the fact that they were relatively close.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any other species mingled in amongst them. That's not strictly true, there were 6 greylags in the gaggle but sadly no stringy (or otherwise) bean geese, white-fronts, barnacles or anything else. Not even a dodgy snow goose...
Equally disappointing was the lack of rings or neck-collars on any of the birds.
Hopefully we'll see yet larger numbers moving through in the next few weeks, and among them something to make scrutinising the flock a little more worthwhile.

Elsewhere around the parish it was business as usual. The expected ducks and waders were all evident in varying numbers. Oystercatchers and curlews are especially numerous at the moment and lapwing have finally started showing an interest in displaying over the stubble fields.
Similarly, a skylark was singing over Aldcliffe Marsh further adding to that feeling that spring is definitely a step closer.

Spotted redshank (left) & common redshank

At high tide I headed to Conder where I first had a look on Conder Pools to see if any waders were roosting there. It was pretty quiet really, with a few redshank snoozing on the far bank. Close by, however was the over-wintering common sandpiper, picking its way slowly along the shoreline.
A female goosander was asleep while the usual assortment of ducks and a couple of little grebe were bobbing about on the water. 
Scanning through yet more redshank huddled around the flooded estuary I picked out a single spotted redshank. Later I saw another, or perhaps the same one having moved, from the bridge.

Sunset on the Lune: looking towards Heaton

With the very welcome calm, clear days we've been having lately I've been making a point of making a few dusk visits to Freeman's Pools. My main focus has been on trying to determine whether there are any eared or barn owls, or woodcock in the area this winter. So far, I've drawn a blank only hearing the occasional tawny owl calling from within the wood.
The best things I've seen during my crepuscular visits involved a kingfisher coming in to roost in the reedmace, a grey partridge pair getting rather amorous and the sight of roe deer emerging from the dense vegetation to graze in the twilight.
      
Jon