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Birding
the harbours of West Cumbria |
Workington Harbour differs from its counterpart in Whitehaven in that it lies at the mouth of a substantial river, the Derwent. Consequently it has more the character of a small estuary than a harbour. There is a dock with standing water but, as part of the working port, it is not easily accessible. The outer harbour (1 on the map) can be viewed from several places along the road from the small marina to the lighthouse and shore. On the rocks upstream of the outfall good flocks of gulls gather, perhaps enjoying the fresh water of the river. The wooden jetty opposite is a loafing area for Cormorants and gulls, particularly Great Black-backs. 
Apart from the commoner species of gull, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls were regular winter visitors up until the last few years when, as in the rest of the county, they have become rather scarce. Little Gulls sometimes feed in the harbour, finding the outfall pipe and the spring particularly attractive. In winter Kittiwakes occasionally shelter in the harbour and can sometimes be found on the pier wall near the scrapyard. Of course Workington’s most famous gull visitor was Fred Gould’s Ross’s Gull in the summer of 1994. An amazing find at any time, let alone in June! The weed-covered rocks and small areas of sand and mud are feeding grounds for common waders such as Oystercatcher, Redshank, Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Dunlin, with occasional visitors like Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling and Whimbrel. In winter the blocks at the beginning of the pier (2) and those around the lighthouse hold a roost of Purple Sandpiper, numbering up to the high forties. The fresh water of the river brings ducks such as Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pochard and Goldeneye; a cold snap, locking up the local inland waters, can produce good numbers of these species. Other more or less regular waterfowl include Wigeon, Teal, Shelduck, Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser and Mute Swan. The lighthouse at the end of the short pier is a very good sea-watching location, with shearwaters, petrels, divers, gannets, terns and skuas all passing reasonably close in during the appropriate season and weather conditions. It is a particularly good place to watch petrels when a high tide in July brings them flitting amongst the marker flags of the lobster pots just off-shore. Similar views (with a little more comfort) can be had from a car parked at the top of the beach next to the lighthouse. >From the lighthouse a track runs south for about half a kilometre along the top of the beach. In late autumn and winter flocks of Skylark and Linnet frequent this area and are joined by a few Rock Pipits and the occasional Snow Bunting or even Twite. In spring, the bank rising on the inland side of the track is landfall for migrating Northern Wheatear which sometimes appear in good numbers, for example eighteen together in spring 2001. Rock Pipits can be found in the car-park where close views of Raven can be enjoyed as they sort through the overflowing bins. Away from the harbour, to the south, lies The Howe,
an area of reclaimed land covered in rough grass and shrubby patches.
There are several viewpoints and footpaths which cover this area (3, 4 and
5). The bushes and grassland provide cover for common migrants such
as the commoner
warblers, Spotted Flycatcher and Goldcrest, so are worth a look for
something more unusual. The area at the end of Isabella Road (3),
for example, has more than once hosted Black Redstart. The Howe, being
attractive to passerines, provides hunting for To the north of the Harbour, beyond the inaccessible
part of the port, lies the wind farm. This Derek McAlone
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Sparrowhawk and the
occasional Merlin. Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl can sometimes be found
hunting the rough grassland. On the way to some of the access points for
The Howe, the berry-bearing bushes on Derwent Drive provide food for
Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing and Song Thrush and must have potential in a
‘Waxwing winter’. Just off the end of Adams Road lies a freshwater
pond associated with the steelworks. Gulls bathe here and in winter
Kingfisher and Water Rail can sometimes be seen. The floodlights and
pylons in this area are used as hunting perches by Peregrine Falcons. Back
toward the harbour, just off the road to the town centre, is a small
bridge that gives access to Workington Town’s rugby ground. Kingfisher,
Dipper and Grey Wagtail can be seen in the small stream below the bridge.
area, including the roads built for the maintenance of the generators, has
good areas of scrub and pasture where a few pairs of Lapwing breed and
migrating passerines, including Lesser Whitethroat, find shelter (NB:
access to parts of this area and the locking of barriers is somewhat
random). The bay below the car-park has the usual waders as well as
Sandwich Tern and occasionally Little Tern. Grey Partridge, increasingly
scarce in inland Cumbria, also finds a haven here.