14th May
A wet hazy morning but birds were in full song down the Loaning. A cuckoo could be heard out on the Moss. A Mallard and her seven ducklings were visible on the 1st Pool.
Mallard and ducklings
A Roe deer could be seen from the hide, grazing away across the rushy meadow.
Met Stephen Paisley along the track with the tractor, making a splendid job cutting the grass up to park standard.
Track grass cutting
15th May
Good Skua passage reported from Bowness
16th May
Report from Saltmarsh Pool of 2 Mute Swans, 2 Canada Geese and a Common Sandpiper.
Further reports by local birders of sporadic Skua passage with Arctics, Long-taileds, Pomarines and Greats (Bonxies) seen from Bowness.
18th May
At 4 pm Loaning alive with the sound of birdsong: Willow and Sedge Warblers, and Goldfinch too.
A pair of Moorhen and five chicks could be seen scuttling about under the overhanging branches of the first pond. Both were feeding the young.
Moorhen feeding young
Moorhen pair and four chicks
The island on the first pool seems to be most attractive to the Mallard, Lapwing, Oystercatchers and Black-headed Gulls.
It was noted that the Kale crop in the Seeded field was showing well in the late afternoon sunlight. Should produce a good crop of seed later on in the year.
Kale crop in flower
19th May
Canada Geese again reported on Marsh Pool. They are quite a rarity in this area of the Solway although most visitors do not view them that way as they are used to having them on their local ponds.
Local birding fraternity report a halt, for the moment, in the Skua passage, due to wrong weather patterns. However they do report small numbers of Eider Duck, Scoter, Comic Terns, Great Crested Grebe, Sanderling, Dunlin, Curlew and Whimbrel, seen from the Bowness Viaduct.
20th May
This morning was grey and misty with a cold wind blowing. The hardy Work Party still turned out, however! We caught up with them, Dave Blackledge and Stephen, as they were coming back from weeding the new hedge near the hide, as hedges need help initially, otherwise they become overwhelmed by other rank growth. Next year it should have developed enough to be able to deal with this. We left them heading out to the moss to do a Snipe count.
Work Party tending and weeding new hedge
Sedge and Willow Warblers, as well as a Blackcap, were in good form along the Loaning Hedges. The Blackcap was singing vigorously but remained obscure; the Warblers, by contrast were showing well.
Sedge Warbler on Loaning 20 05 10
Sedge Warbler singing heartily 20 05 10
Willow Warbler on Loaning 20 05 10
Willow Warbler 20 05 10
Evening report from Norman Holton of sighting at 9.30 pm of 2 Spoonbills feeding on the Saltmarsh pool.