Today we were busy cutting and removing gorse from the main grassland at Hodbarrow. The idea is to create open areas with the odd Hawthorn left to provide perches and areas for birds such as White Throat to nest. It is also quite fun to try and get the gorse burnt as the leaves tend to burn faster than the stems meaning you have to get a really hot fire going first(I didn't have to bother about this when I was burning…

I was down at Hodbarrow last night just as it was getting dark at 4.30 and the place was just alive. As I watched to see the 6 Little Egrets come into roost in their usually position a large flock of starlings came swooping over me in our very own Hodbarrow mini murmuration. Not even in the same league as places like Leighton Moss but enough to make me stop and watch and write about it today!

After this I was particularly…

Blustery weather today on the point almost blew me away! I love days like this when the weathers wild you can go have a tramp about come back into a nice cuppa and the heating (if you've got it on yet!) I was away at the weekend so haven't had much of a chance to update the blog so here's a quick update.

I had my first of the winter thrushes overhead last week 25^th of October with Fieldfares passing over…

If you are a regular at Hodbarrow you will have noticed a flurry of activity lately at both ends of the reserve. As part of our project we have been using the funding to do some large pieces of work.

The first 'facelift' is to provide easier access to the site for people. We have had contractors in to level out the carpark and put in a new path into the reserve. We hope to follow this up by levelling up some of the other…

Just a quick update from me as I have been traipsing around the reserve today with school groups looking at the birds and berries I haven't had time to update last night. On the main lagoon last night (5.00 pm) near the ski bank end was a winter plumage slavonian grebe. Presumably the one that was mentioned on here earlier in the week. Also near to the ski bank were two female scaup.

Going along the sea wall with…

The Timber is delivered.......

The slope......

The solution......down the slope and a loaded up boat (Spot the Gaffer!)

This was all then made into floating islands for terns, they are nearly finished except for a gravel top! Thanks to everyone for helping!!

And.... as promised a picture of the floating fence and it's maiden voyage...just a few more panels to go!

Firstly let me invite anyone who’s interested to come down to Hodbarrow and help with our floating tern island and fence work party. We have another one going on this Thursday meeting at 10.00 am at the wildlife watching hide on the sea wall. Same things as before apply please bring sturdy shoes, lunch and outdoor clothing. We need people to help move timber and construct the wooden platforms.

Mergansers are definitely…

With this wild and windy weather about the team ventured down to Hodbarrow today to carry on some of our work with the islands and a new floating fence (all will be revealed next week when we start making the sections). Despite the rain the wind wasn't so bad and we all mucked in. Thanks to all that came. We have another work part day next Thursday the 4th is anyone is feeling brave we are meeting 10.00 am at the hide…

Here is yet another brilliant blog by one of our regular volunteers Andy. Andy is a keen cyclist and kindly offered to write a few words for us about cycling around Hodbarrow. There are some photos in the gallery aswell although I think I would also like to see the hilarious outakes that Andy described to me! Thanks Andy!

The Hodbarrow reserve is a great spot to cycle.

My favourite spot is Hodbarrow Point, the views are fantastic…

A quick update from me today. I was out and about in the morning and with all this reasonably wild weather about I thought there might be something lurking in the scrub on the sea wall. Two wheatears were flitting about passing infront of the hide today being accompanied by a single Meadow pippit both species on the move at the moment so hoping for a few more. Out to sea of the sea wall although I didn't linger too…

The first work party went brilliantly yesterday with three of the islands constructed and ready for gravel. A big thanks to all of the volunteers that came down to help out. We still have quite alot left to do on the islands but certainly have broken the back of the work thanks to everyone yesterday!

Anyway here is the photographic evidence from the Gaffer!

Tomorrow we start a major part of the It's Your Tern Project and it's very exciting. The timber is ordered (Thanks to Travis Perkins, Millom) the barrels are on their way and volunteers are raring to go (I hope!).

As part of the project we have been looking into ways of providing top notch habitat for Little terns to use during the breeding season. As some have commented on in the past the numbers of Terns have…

A quick update from me about birds on the reserve. Wader numbers have been increasing greatly on the reserve with redshank numbers topping 500+ on the tern island. There are a few other types of waders to keep an eye out for within those flocks which is good for brushing up on wader i.d. 5 Greenshank only became apparent today when the rest of the waders had a mini dread (I couldn't pin down the cause of this and couldn…

Again...back to me to update you on the goings on of the reserve after Chris' kind contribution. Really interesting to hear about some of the monitoring on site. Hodbarrow is an amazing site not only brilliant wildlife but also the brilliant people. The community have really got behind the project and the things we are doing so big thanks to all for that. It shows with the volunteers that we have as well as the people…

Another of Hodbarrow's volunteers Chris Taylor has kindly written a blog. Chris has been monitoring breeding bird numbers for us this year making several visits throughout the spring and summer. Here he gives us a summary of his thoughts on how the seasons went so far. Thanks for taking the time Chris and I hope that everyone enjoys reading it.

Looking at the Walney Observatory website this morning there was confirmation…

You may have read or heard this in the media recently but we have exciting news at Hodbarrow. Natterjack toads have returned to the reserve!

The natterjack toad once bred on the reserve as part of its Cumbrian stronghold but in recent years we had not found any in the area. As I reported back in May of this year natterjack
tadpoles were discovered in a pool on the island within the lagoon.  Adult natterjacks and more tadpoles…

Just a quick update on sightings for anyone visiting at the weekend . Wader numbers are picking up nicely and there is mixed flock on the island and lagoon. Amongst the throng of redshank there are a couple of turnstone, dunlin and ringed plover. Also still about are the common sand flitting about the channel between the island and the hide. A good variety of waders and really great to try and pick them out of the bigger…

It’s interesting to see juveniles popping up from their hidey holes all around the site. Birds that we haven’t seen for a while seem to be making themselves known with a trail of youngster behind them. For me the highlight was the Tufted duck chicks yesterday on one of the pond near the old quarry also amongst them were little grebe and their offspring.  The mute swan cygnets seem to be getting to a good size…

 Well the sandwich mystery refers to the sudden appearance of young sandwhich terns on the reserve. After reporting earlier in the season that the sandwich terns have dropped off in number and non had bred on site just this week I have noticed a couple of family parties flying around the reserve. The young terns are easily picked out with a white forehead where the adults black colouring should be. I think they look…

Well after Chris’ brilliant blog its back to me to give you an update of the goings on at Hodbarrow. The first good day for a wee while now and I was up good and early this morning to have a wander round and a bit of a tidy up.

Numbers of waders are increasing again signalling the beginning of the end of the breeding season for many of our birds. The main birds we have on site are redshank, common sandpipers, oystercatchers…

WILDLIFE AROUND THE PONDS

Next time you pass one of the many ponds on the reserve, stop for a few minutes and look carefully around you. It’s amazing what life in and out of the water you can see.

Another Day another litter pick! Last Thursday saw Hodbarrow take part in the North West Evening News Big Clean. Every year they help communities to clean up their areas and we saw this as a great opportunity to pick up the last little bits we didn't get last time. Last little bits turned into 20 to 30 bags. Amazing! The RSPB volunteers from West Cumbria Local Group came down and helped in between looking for Butterflies…

Well If the weather forecast is anything to go by we had better make the most of today’s sunshine though I would love to be proven wrong on that one.

Tern numbers have dropped of dramatically these past couple of weeks with sandwich, common and little terns turning into the odd record rather than everyday. There are a few pairs of common tern on the Ski Bank which is worth having a look at. Predation is one of…

Wow! Having asked a few people I have met with cameras around Hodbarrow if they fancied putting some photos on to the community website I didn't think we would get the reaction we did! There's some really amazing photos on there from some new and not so new members! Thanks so much and it really helps to highlight the great wildlife we have here. I've been away this week so haven't been on site very much. I hope to get…

What a great afternoon we had on Wednesday. It was the Hodbarrow Community Clean Up and with a crowd of about fourteen we managed to tackle some of the litter and fly tipping hot spots at Hodbarrow.

A BIG THANK YOU to all that attended it really has made a big difference to the site and ultimately the wildlife.

Tyres and Tiles were the order of the day with a few car seats and even a bikini (!?) thrown in for good…