10 12 15 - a large accumulation of wildfowl on the wetlands - as seen from the hide late afternoon.
Since the beginning of the month, which according to the meteorological calendar is the start of winter, good numbers of wintering waders : Oystercatchers, Dunlin, Curlew, Golden and Grey Plover - wildfowl: Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Mallard and Shelduck and, of course, Barnacles have all been seen.
10 11 15 Oystercatchers sitting out the high tides.
Shelduck on the mudflats.
10 12 15 Oystercatchers, Grey Plover and Dunlin at high tide on the saltmarsh.
10 12 15 - part of the flock of Dunlin (c 500) and Grey Plover spread out along the mudflats.
11 12 15 - Curlew on Saltmarsh Pool.
11 12 15 Mallard on the edge of Saltmarsh Pool.
8 12 15 - Shoveler at dusk on 2nd Meadow Pool
The recent storms, Clodagh and Desmond, which have brought heavy rain to Cumbria, have filled up the wetlands areas and pools nicely. The new scrape in front of the 1st Screen now looks as if it has been there forever and the surrounding grassland is suitably wetted, for the large numbers of Lapwing, Teal and Wigeon that are using it. The wetlands in front of the hide are suitably flooded and Dave Blackledge recently recorded Teal numbers in the region of 3,000 with 43 Shovelers. In recent days over the high water period, a substantial flock of Dunlin with some Grey Plover have been putting on aerial displays west of the Viaduct and periodically landing with the roosting Oystercatchers on the marsh edge. Then, at low tide, they return to feeding on the mudflats.
10 12 15 - the new scrape and surrounding meadows, seem from the 1st Screen.
10 12 15 - Lapwing and Snipe on the wet meadows beyond.
10 12 15 - Wigeon and Teal, 1st Meadow Pool.
10 12 15 Teal basking in the sunshine.- 1st Meadow Pool
10 12 15 Wigeon and Teal, 1st Meadow Pool.
10 12 15 - Lapwing and Wigeon on the far bank of the 2nd Meadow Pool.
10 12 15 Lapwing, Wigeon and Golden Plover - 2nd Meadow Pool.
6 12 15 - wildfowl on the wetlands, as seen from the hide.
10 12 15 - Wigeon, Teal, Pintail and Shoveler on the well flooded wetlands.
10 12 15 - Shoveler and Pintail on the wetlands.
10 12 15 -Three Curlew with Wigeon, Teal and Shoveler on the edge of the wetlands.
A particularly noticeable feature of the early part of the month has the presence of Barnacle Geese grazing on the saltmarsh most days - seemingly taking advantage of the shelter afforded during the storms and lashing rain of the recent days. Although not regularly seen here, we did see the Snow Goose with a small flock of Barnacles, heading west along the marsh on the 11th. The Avocet, that was seen with a flock of Oystercatchers last month on the marsh, is still here and has been regularly sighted by a number of birdwatchers including ourselves. Grey Heron are present most days on the Reserve.
1 12 15 - Barnacles landing on the saltmarsh at Scargavel Point.
1 12 15 - Another flock flying at Scargavel Point.
2 12 15 - Barnacles, waders and duck in the corner west of the Viaduct.
3 12 15 - Barnacles landing on the mudflats near the Viaduct.
3 12 15 - eventually they clamber up onto the saltmarsh to graze.
3 12 15 - Barnacles grazing the salt marsh west of the viaduct.
4 12 15 - the next morning groups were grazing all along the saltmarsh.
1 12 15 - Avocet sieving through the water with its long up-curved bill at Scargavel Point.
13 12 15 - Avocet roosting with the Oystercatcher flock on the marsh edge near Maryland farm.
10 12 15 - Grey heron flying into the 2nd Meadow Pool.
13 12 15 - Grey Heron on the foreshore.
Now quite regular inhabitants, the Little Egrets ( mostly two or three in number) enjoy the offerings the saltmarsh affords them and can be seen almost anytime of the day from the marsh road - scavenging, along the marsh or in the dubs, for tasty morsels left by the tides.
9 12 15 - Little Egret hunting amongst the sedges on the saltmarsh.
11 12 15 - Little Egret can be seen most days at present, along the marsh front.
The autumn had been very dry and we had concerns that the 'wetlands' would not be in a state to hold many wildfowl . . . but the lashing rain and storms we have experienced in the last couple of weeks have clearly changed all that.
Barnacles flying over the wetlands at dusk.