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Monthly Reports

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  • June 2014
    Sunday, 1 June 2014 to Monday, 30 June 2014
    Highlights: A first-summer Glossy Ibis lingered obligingly on the River Bela just south of Milnthorpe (from 17th), relocating briefly to Ulpha Meadows (30th).
  • May 2014
    Thursday, 1 May 2014 to Saturday, 31 May 2014

    Highlights: A White-winged Black Tern that flew east past Walney Island (25th) was the first in the county since 2001. A Great White Egret was found on the Duddon Estuary at Askam-on-Furness (28th).

    Bassenthwaite Lake: The Ospreys’ incubation of their three eggs continued smoothly with the first egg hatching (30th).

  • April 2014
    Tuesday, 1 April 2014 to Wednesday, 30 April 2014

    Highlights: The adult Black Brant continued to associate with dark-bellied Brent Geese at Roa Island (to 1st).

    Bassenthwaite Lake: The male Osprey was already present at the nest site when the webcam was switched on (3rd) and was soon joined by last year’s female. The first egg was laid (23rd) and incubation continued smoothly.

  • March 2014
    Saturday, 1 March 2014 to Monday, 31 March 2014

    Highlights: A Common Crane flew east over Walney Island (30th). The adult Black Brant continued to associate with dark-bellied Brent Geese at Roa Island all month.

    Furness: The Foulney/Rampside Brent Goose flock numbered 60 dark and 26 light-bellied. An early White Wagtail appeared at Newbiggin (5th).

  • February 2014
    Saturday, 1 February 2014 to Friday, 28 February 2014
    Highlights: A drake American Wigeon at Haverigg (22nd-25th) was the first in the county since 2006 while a drake Green-winged Teal was found at Ravenstown near Flookburgh (20th), a new site for the species. The adult Black Brant continued to associate with dark-bellied Brent Geese at Roa Island and occasionally straying to nearby Walney Island. An unseasonable first-winter Sabine’s Gull was reported from Bowness-on-Solway (13th).
  • January 2014
    Wednesday, 1 January 2014 to Friday, 31 January 2014
    Highlights: A drake Green-winged Teal was found on flooded fields near Lindal-in-Furness (1st). The adult Black Brant continued to associate with dark-bellied Brent Geese at Roa Island and nearby Walney while the Todd’s Canada Goose was relocated with the Barnacle Geese on the Inner Solway at Cardurnock (5th). A Great White Egret made a brief appearance at Whitrigg (15th) and an unseasonable juvenile Sabine’s Gull appeared off Nethertown (11th).
  • December 2013
    Sunday, 1 December 2013 to Tuesday, 31 December 2013
    Highlights: The adult Black Brant continued to associate with dark-bellied Brent Geese at Roa Island and nearby Walney while a Todd’s Canada Goose was found with the Barnacle Geese on the Inner Solway, initially on Skinburness Marsh (20th) before relocating to Cardurnock (28th-29th). A Great White Egret turned up briefly in the far south of the county near Hale (4th). A Black Guillemot on Talkin Tarn (20th-22nd) was a truly exceptional inland record, probably the first in the county.
  • November 2013
    Friday, 1 November 2013 to Saturday, 30 November 2013
    Highlights: An adult Black Brant associating with dark-belied Brent Geese at Roa Island (26th) and then Snab Point, Walney (30th) was surely the ‘first-winter or hybrid’ seen in the area earlier in the year. A drake Green-winged Teal returned to Hodbarrow for another winter (5th-15th) then it or another appeared on the Esk Estuary south of Ravenglass (14th). The Great White Egret remained on Rockcliffe Marsh (to 2nd) before relocating to Bowness-on-Solway (28th). A Great Grey Shrike was found in the far northeast of the county at Waterhead Common (4th)
  • October 2013
    Tuesday, 1 October 2013 to Thursday, 31 October 2013
    Highlights: An exceptional influx of Yellow-browed Warblers produced one in Vickerstown Park on Walney Island (from 1st) where it was joined by a second individual (4th-6th) one of which lingered (to 13th) followed by another that was photographed in a Cockermouth garden (4th), a heard-only bird at Humphrey Head (6th) and then a further flurry with singles at Lowca near Whitehaven (19th), St Bees Head (20th-23rd) and Rickerby Park in Carlisle (21st). Meanwhile, at least seven Glossy Ibises continued to linger around the Kent Estuary (to 5th) with up to four remaining (to 17th) and a Great White Egret appeared on Rockcliffe Marsh (2nd-30th) with presumably the same bird relocating temporarily to Campfield Marsh (17th). A juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper was found at Ulpha Meadows (1st) and a Great Grey Shrike hunted around the eagle viewpoint in Riggindale, Haweswater (15th).
  • September 2013
    Sunday, 1 September 2013 to Monday, 30 September 2013
    Highlights: A Black Stork circled over Portinscale (23rd) while up to 13 Glossy Ibises graced the Kent Estuary at High Foulshaw (from 28th) and another flew east over Drumburgh Moss (29th). A first-winter Red-breasted Flycatcher trapped and ringed at Walney Bird Observatory (20th) was the first in the county since 1988. An adult American Golden Plover was reported on three occasions at Anthorn (20th-27th).