Dave's Birdy Bit

29/09/14 - Pink-footed Geese dropping in to the hide pool on their way south on migration.

As autumn migration is in full swing, it will not be long before the first redwings and fieldfares being to appear in the fields and hedgerows around the parish. These thrushes are continental migrants, arriving here from Scandinavia and Iceland to escape the harsh winters. They arrive in time to reap the harvest of berries on the hedgerows and build up fat reserves for the winter.

The first sign of the redwing’s arrival can be their thin ‘seeep’ calls as flocks migrate overhead, often overnight. Once here, the flocks will roam widely over the countryside in search of fruit and berries, often seen hungrily feeding on the hawthorn hedges. As the berries dwindle, redwings turn increasingly to earthworms and can then be seen on fields mixed with fieldfares, blackbirds and song thrushes.

The redwing is a little smaller than a song thrush, and with a good view is easily told apart by the striking creamy white stripe over the eye. The rusty red flanks and underwing which give the bird its name can often be hidden when the bird has its wings folded.

In April the birds will gradually disappear as they move back to their breeding grounds, though around 20 or 30 pairs will stay in northern Scotland to breed.

Meantime around our area both pink-footed and barnacle geese are returning for the winter and the number of little egrets is gradually building up once more. To date (18/ 09/15) up to 23 have been seen between Port Carlisle and Cardurnock and now tend to outnumber the familiar grey heron on the inner Solway. Up to 8 ruff were present in September and 3 ospreys were around the saltmarsh pool at Campfield as they halted momentarily on their way to west Africa.

For more information about Campfield Marsh Reserve and the regularly updated blog, or 200 others throughout the UK visit www.rspb.org.uk/campfieldmarsh