4th December - Leucistic Barnacle with flock on the saltmarsh near Biglands.
The month started off with sunny warmer weather. Barnacle flocks were continuing to graze the saltmarsh along its length; sometimes roosting overnight. Frequently seen amongst them was a leucistic bird. Because of its light colouring it stood out from the group and even looked larger.
3rd December - Barnacles flying in.
4th December - Barnacle flock near the Viaduct.
2nd December - Barnacles landing at dusk.
Waders predominately featured both on the mudflats either side of high tide and in roosts on the saltmarsh, at high tide: Oystercatchers, Curlew, Grey and Golden Plover, a few Black-tailed Godwits and Redshank. Aerial displays of Dunlin could regularly be seen, weaving and turning, back and forth along the length of the foreshore. They are spectacular when they turn in unison - sometimes catching a ray of sunshine as they do.
2nd December - Dunlin, Shelduck and Oystercatchers on the ebb tide.
2nd December - Small group of Black-tailed Godwits on the tideline.
2nd December - Redshank feeding on the mudflats.
13th December - Dunlin in aerial display.A feature of this winter has been the large number of Pintail coming in on the high tide. Sometimes up to 300 have been seen at any one time, feeding along the tideline.
2nd December - Pintail flying by at high tide.
2nd December - Pintail dabbling on the tide's edge.
Good numbers of Wigeon and Teal, Shelduck and Shoveler have been present both on the Estuary and inland on the wetlands now they are wetting up substantially. A small number of Whooper Swans occasionally frequent the pools and wetlands, also.
11th December - A family of Whooper Swans ( 2 adults and 4 juveniles) with Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler on 1st Meadow Pool.
11th December - Wigeon and Teal always provide plenty of colour.
10th December - A juvenile Whooper Swan with Pintail and Wigeon on wetlands in front of the hide.
Little Egret and Grey Heron are an ever present sight, with up to 5 Little Egret being seen together.
12th December - Little Egret hunting along the saltmarsh.
3rd December - Grey Heron Flying along the saltmarsh towards the Viaduct.
After a few days of mild misty conditions about mid-month, which disorientated some of the goose flocks, brighter cooler conditions prevailed thereafter. On several occasions the sound of Geese flying overhead in the mist had been heard and often at dawn and dusk their babbling could be heard back over on the Reserve. Dave, on the 15th, had recorded seeing a group of about 800 Barnacles lift off from beyond the hide early morning but on 18th Marjorie Hutchin had walked the Red Route and spotted about 200 Pinkfeet and a small group of Barnacles, in front of the hide.
Thursday morning work parties coppicing gorse had been continuing a pace throughout November and early December. On 15th December, Dave and Stephen laid on a splendid Christmas Barbeque for all the volunteers including those who man the Wetlands Centre at weekends and carry out other tasks also (of which there are in the region of 40 in total). It was a great spread and enjoyed by all.
15th December - BBQ being expertly handled .
A good social occasion, too.
Storm Barbara (23rd December) hit overnight and brought in blustery SW winds and rain, making for rough seas the next day as the tide came in. At dawn small flocks of Barnacles flew west from the inner estuary and at 8.48 am about 70 Pintails flew by, keeping low over the water out of the wind.
24th December - Barnacles flighting at dawn.
24th December - 50+ Pintails flying west at 8.48am.
24th December - Two of the five Little Egrets plying up and down the saltmarsh.
Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Very mild moist days. The high tide flooded well up onto the saltmarsh leaving a good collection of birds using the mudflats on the ebb-tide.
Christmas Day - flooded saltmarsh.
. . and a good collection of waders and duck on the ebb-tide.
Boxing Day - Shelduck ,in good numbers, are still frequenting the mudflats towards the Viaduct corner.
Over the next few days, while the rest of Britain seemed to be suffering from dense fogs, we on the Solway Firth, were blessed with cooler sunnier days. Wader flocks continued to swirl along the saltmarsh front and Little Egret were ever present hunting along the saltmarsh.
29th December - Mallards like jewels in the sunlight.
29th December - Shelduck flying west.
29th December - Dunlin repositioning themselves along the saltmarsh.
The last two days of the month were very mild and damp. There was little bird activity on the saltmarsh but good numbers of birds were using the feeders. Of note particularly, were the good numbers of Goldfinch and Tree Sparrows.
A juvenile Grey Heron even ventured into the orchard searching along the field drain, but eventually flew back towards the Discovery Pool.
30th December, 2nd winter Grey Heron in hamlet orchard.
30th December - niger seed seems a popular favourite at the moment.