8th February.
High tides flooded the marsh and roads in the area today about 11.50 am - causing plenty of bird activity.
Teal on flooded Saltmarsh Pool.
A good flock of Curlew near Maryland, were waiting out the high tide.
Oystercatcher and Curlew packed close together as the waves pile in.
Busy scene under masts at Cardurnock . . .
. . . with a leucistic Barnacle present too.
LOGBOOK SIGHTINGS
DB - 1080 Teal, 120 Pintail, 850 Lapwing, 320 Wigeon.
Trev and Darren - 60+ Curlew in field from hide, around 30 Pintail.
R/ham, S Yorks - Teal, Wigeon from hide; Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Chaffinch on feeders; Avocet amongst Oystercatchers on shore.
John and Susan Ireland - 1 Avocet roosting with Oystercatchers, several Grey Plover, 300 Dunlin, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, lots - Curlew and Lapwing, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, 2 Grey Heron, 12 Fieldfare.
9th February.
Still a high water series causing plenty of bird movement.
Oystercatchers and the Avocet gleaning from the flooded saltmarsh.
Barnacles over the flooded marsh.
Flying into a brisk headwind.
Avocet with Oystercatchers braving the incoming waves . . .
. . . and clinging onto unflooded bits of saltmarsh as the tide covers the marsh.
Snipe pushed out into the open, waiting for the tide to subside - Saltmarsh Pool.
LOGBOOK SIGHTINGS.
Visitor - Reported 50+ Snipe on saltmarsh at high tide. Female Brambling on roadside feeders in hamlet.
10th February.
Bright and sunny with light north-westerly. A few brief showers during the afternoon.
A skein of Pinks (37) flew over the Wetlands Centre in a south-easterly direction at 12.45pm - just ahead of the high tide.
Shortly after, a Guillemot chugged along the tideline right on the edge of the saltmarsh at Scargavel Point. A couple of pairs of Shoveler were spied there also.
The afternoon was punctuated with the most spectacular flights of Dunlin, flying back and forth in twisting formation, across the width of the bay from the Viaduct as far as the boundary fence.
A visit to the Lonning caught up with 'sheep gathering' in progress. Stephen, who had been tending the flock on its winter lowland pasturing for the last couple of months, was found leading the way along the Lonning back to the farmyard with the flock dutifully following him. What healthy animals they looked to be too after their lowland surjourn, before returning to the hill pastures of Haweswater for lambing.
Guillemot sailing by.
Pairs of Shoveler offshore.
Dunlin formation along the bay . . .
. . . looking spectacular against the sunny backdrop
.
The enormity of this flock is quite breath-taking!
A young Grey Heron gleaning what it could on the saltmarsh.
Stephen leading the way.
Fine looking sheep - must have enjoyed the good pastures here!
11th February.
This being Thursday, the Campfield Workparty were out in force this morning. Hedge-laying was the order of the day. The plan was to lay about 500 feet of old hedge bordering the road west of North Plain. Work had been progressing on this front now for a couple of weeks, with the Workparty sorting out the thicket and brash - leaving upright stems for Stephen to work away at laying and then, subsequently fencing during the following week. Today was no different, with another stretch to tackle . . .
Looks like a daunting task for the Campfield workparty . . .
. . . but not them - they soon bring some order to bear!
. . . and Stephen puts the finishing touches to it during the week.
Progress so far, after several weeks of work on all fronts.
Further along the road at Saltmarsh Pool, now that the high tide has flooded the marsh and pools, Snipe could be seen scuttling back and fro between the clumps of rushes left exposed. A Little Egret suddenly comes in to land.
Snipe flying amongst flooded rushes.
Snipe dibbling in the inundated Saltmarsh Pool.
Little Egret landing on Saltmarsh Pool.
A Redshank picks its way across pools left by the tide.
All along the saltmarsh a multitude of birds were gathering as they wait for their feeding grounds to be uncovered.
Mixed flock at Scargavel Point.
Curlew and Grey Plover fly along the marsh edge . . .
. . . and Dunlin drop in.
Massed Oystercatchers and some Curlew lining the marsh edge towards the boundary fence.
As the tide ebbs the mudflats soon become populated with thousands of birds as feeding commences.
Waders and duck populate the mudflats as the tide recedes.
A hundred or so Wigeon and a number of Pintail just offshore.
Back at the Wetlands Centre a grand old Rook could be seen striding about under the feeders and a pair of Yellowhammers flitted to and fro from the bushes.
An old Rook looking resplendent in the sunshine - ever opportunistic.
A Yellowhammer near the feeding station at North Plain.