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January 2010
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Highlights:
The juvenile Rose-coloured Starling
remained in residence in a private garden near Hodbarrow: A Slavonian Grebe appeared (15th). Wildfowl included a drake Ruddy Duck and 20 Gadwall while pick of the waders were nine Black-tailed Godwits. Sightings at nearby locations included 32 Red-throated Divers, 12 Razorbills and 100 Common Scoters at Silecroft (24th) and two Little Egrets and 1000 Pink-footed Geese on Green Road Marsh. Inner Solway:
At least one Little Egret roamed the area. Whooper Swans
included 160 at Newton Arlosh and Campfield. Pink-footed Geese
were present in higher then normal numbers for the time of year,
with 11000 roosting in Moricambe Bay mid-month, and a white morph
Snow Goose associated with 500 of them at North Plain (13th)
whilst a pale-bellied Brent Goose was at Anthorn (1st). No
less than seven Long-tailed Ducks were seen at Grune (17th).
At least three Hen Harriers hunted the area. Pick of the
waders were a Little Stint and a Kent Estuary: At least six Little Egrets roamed the estuary. Wildfowl included much reduced numbers of Pintail (max. 389 on 16th). Both Hen Harrier and Merlin were aeen. Blackcaps included three in an Arnside garden whilst two Tree Sparrows nearby were the first the observer had seen in Arnside.
Walney Bird Observatory: An adult Little Gull (16th) and an early Gannet (18th) provided the offshore highlights, though good numbers of Red-throated Divers (max. 48 on 31st) and Razorbills (max. 140 on 31st). were on the move late in the month. Up to 15 Shags were ever present and a flock of 2000 Common Scoters were still in residence at the turn of the year. A raft of 4460 Eiders was counted (24th) and small numbers of Kittiwakes and Guillemots were seen. A total of 2681 Pink-footed Geese and six Whooper Swans flew through and 124 pale-bellied and three dark-bellied Brent Geese and 40 Barnacle Geese lingered along with up to 15 Shoveler, four Gadwall and two Scaup. Waders included an influx of Snipe early in the month (max. 245 on 2nd) and associated with this movement were around 12 Woodcock. Also seen were 22 Purple Sandpipers, eight Greenshank, five Jack Snipe and a Black-tailed Godwit amongst the commoner species. A ringtail Hen Harrier was logged (9th), both Peregrine and Merlin were regular and 16 Little Egrets saw out the freeze. Passerines were led by at least six Water Pipits amongst perhaps as many as 40 Rock Pipits scattered around the island. The cold weather produced influxes of Skylarks (max. 405 on 15th) and thrushes with Fieldfare (max. 185 on 17th), Redwing (max. 33 on 18th) and Mistle Thrush (max. four on 17th) amongst increases in the numbers of Blackbirds and especially Song Thrushes present. Finch flocks included 130 Linnets (10th) and 150 Twite (15th) while up to three Ravens toured the island. Other Sites:
Two Little Egrets frequented the Esk Estuary near Ravenglass,
with a Ruff and a first-winter
Mediterranean Gull in nearby fields (24th). Longtown
hosted 38 Whooper Swans.
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New
Hutton (to 12th) and was, surprisingly, relocated a couple of miles
to the west in a garden in Kendal (from about 27th). Meanwhile, the
Long-billed Dowitcher continued
to linger
at
Port Carlisle (to 4th) and one Great White
Egret remained on the Outer Kent Estuary between Humphrey
Head and Grange-over-Sands (to 2nd). A drake Green-winged Teal
was discovered (3rd) south of Ravenglass on the Esk Estuary where
one was last seen in February 2005.
Outer
Solway: A Bittern was seen standing on the ice at the
traditionally favoured Siddick Pond (8th) where an impressive 90
Goosander were counted once the thaw set in (28th). Some
23 Red-throated Divers and 34 Goosander were on the
sea off Maryport. A Little Egret was at Sellafield
while Mediterranean Gulls were
limited to adults at Flimby, Dearham and Parton and the long-staying
second-winter at Workington where 47 Purple
Sandpipers were also present. Parton also hosted
Purple Sandpipers (max. 19).
Two Smew, a drake and a redhead,
frequented Talkin Tarn (13th-19th) before relocating to Tindale Tarn
(from 20th) and the Long-tailed Duck remained on Loweswater.
An impressive 87 Black Grouse were counted at Geltsdale where
large groups of Red Grouse, numbering into the hundreds, were
seen at unusually low levels in the hard weather and three
Short-eared
Owls were also present. Woodcock appeared in some unusual
locations whilst an unprecedented 41 were shot in one day at
Plumpton near Ulverston. A Black Redstart
frequented an area of waste ground in Penrith (from 13th). The
prolonged spell of severe weather took its toll on a number of
species with Fieldfare and Redwing, in particular,
noted to be suffering.