Today is the first decent day of Spring that we've had on the Solway - everything looks fine!
Saw two or three small flocks of Barnacles http://www.flickr.com/photos/46441928@N07/4376298271/ flying along the tideline this morning. What a glorious sight! These beautiful black and white geese won't be leaving us for Svalbard just yet. - they'll be hanging around for a little time more. The majority of the Pinkfeet http://www.flickr.com/photos/46441928@N07/4319794193/seem to have departed - this has been taking place over the last few weeks and we now have a decent southwesterly wind to help them on their way. However, we are reliably informed by our grocer, Bruce, that there are still good numbers around the Newton Marsh, Moricambe Bay area. http://www.flickr.com/photos/46441928@N07/4390378923/
Walked down the lonning to the hide this afternoon. Other birders informed us that there are a few Wigeon and Pintail hanging on. Shoveller and Shelduck were also in evidence, showing up in the sunshine. Big numbers of Teal were now showing up all over the Reserve. Highlight of the afternoon was a magnificent confrontation between 2 male Roe Deer, resulting in a wild chase around the rushy meadow with the dominent male seeing the lesser one off the premises.
Joe, our neighbour, reported later a careful count of Blacktailed Godwits on the flooded wetland in front of the hide. He had observed a fine aerial display by 8 of these brilliant flyers coming into their summer plumage.
Good count of 14 Bumble bees on Gorse and Willow shows, at least, that some have survived the Winter.
Bird of The Day: Slightly unusual for us, a fall of small birds on the hawthorn bushes on front of the marsh. Assumed to be pipits but on closer inspection turned out to be 5 Twite. Watch out for them!
From John
Took a quick afternoon walk down to the hide. Good numbers of Shoveller showing and a few Pintails - Wigeon are still hanging about. Loads of Teal.
Dave showed up at the hide and amazingly spotted a male Wheatear in a distant ploughed field adjacent to the reserve - goodness knows how many hundreds of yards away! Made a mental note to get same make of scope - although rather attached to my old Kowa!
On returning homewards for tea, spotted a warblery bird in hedge about 7 yards away. Unfortunately did not have have binoculars and could only eyeball this bird. Kept up a gentle pace with it as it picked nonchalantly in the undergrowth - and because of its size, general dullness and lack of song, I put my money on a female Chiffchaff.
On arriving back on the marsh edge, I again saw a single Twite in the hawthorn bush in front of my house.
Unusual sighting in the garden this morning - mopping up remains of old stale loaf - Six Magpies. I have forgotten what precise momentous event they foretell in folk legend! Could it be that I am due to win the Lottery?
Calm Spring-like day with very little wind. Plenty of feeding activity here in the garden; Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Tree and House Sparrows, Green Finches and Great, Blue and Coal Tits. The Meadow Pippit seems to have taken up residence on the marsh in front of the house.
Blackbird heard singing well. These birds are great mimicks - 'our Blackbird' does a particularly good cat yowling and is not bad at a curlew either.
Have not yet heard Blackcap, Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler in the orchard but expect to do so shortly. Spring is late, definately.
We seem to have attracted a Moorhen http://www.flickr.com/photos/46441928@N07/4461495164/ from the Reserve to feed in the garden amongst the rest of the birds - quite a dominant animal and likes its own space.
The morning dawned perfect... wall to wall sunshine - no wind! We don't often get this sort of weather on the Solway. We decided to walk down the lonning to the the flooded meadows at the end, taking the digiscope, tripod and all with us - but got no further than the first pool on the right. We were immediately put to work by feeding Teal and Lapwings - all very tranquil and relatively near. Pairs of Teal were dabbling about in the flooded areas and the Lapwing were making use of the recently dredged up small islands. After having spent a most enjoyable hour watching and photographing, decided we had enough material and returned home for lunch.
The lonning itself produced two butterflies: a peacock and a small tortoiseshell - rather tattered specimens having just emerged from hibernation. Here's a note on bushcraft for those interested. If a butterfly, sitting in the sunshine, refuses to open it's wings - cast a shadow with your hand just slowly and gently to simulate a passing cloud. Wings should obligingly open!
Beautiful sunshine this morning. We set out to see what was happening on the farm.
Found the first action by the Natterjack Pools on the marsh front. Stephen can be seen here with the tractor setting up poles and wire to protect the pools from the grazing cattle which are to arrive soon.
Stephen then informed us that if we hurried we would just be in time to see ploughing in the Kale field, in preparation for sowing this year's oats and sunflowers - last year being a great success, the Kale being left to go through it's full growing sequence and seed this coming year. The fields sown this last year had proved to be a life saver for many birds in the area.
On the way along we passed work that had taken place to make an embankment to a ditch as containment of winter water levels. It also serves as a good viewing point along the length of that ditch from the path.
Looking through the screen to the second pool new Spring growth of the yellow Flag Iris was showing well.
Walked on to the hide at the end of the lonning and were greeted with the sight of three Hares infront of us, cavorting and being generally playful as Hares are wont to do.
Plenty of butterflies out this morning and also bumble bees who appear to appreciate the willow catkins. On returning, the tractor had, by now, moved on to a further field of bird seed crop out towards the Moss - performing the same task there. As the weather is drying up conditions are right for good deep ploughing. The wardens have to be opportunist here as the Reserve land is generally wet.