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Monthly Reports

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  • 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).
  • August 2013
    Thursday, 1 August 2013 to Saturday, 31 August 2013

    Highlights: A Wryneck at Torver Low Common (31st) was a good inland find.

    Bassenthwaite Lake: The Ospreys successfully fledged their two young. Other sightings included a drake Common Scoter.

  • July 2013
    Monday, 1 July 2013 to Wednesday, 31 July 2013

    Bassenthwaite Lake: The Ospreys and their two young continued to thrive.

  • June 2013
    Saturday, 1 June 2013 to Sunday, 30 June 2013

    Highlights: Cumbria’s fourth Spotted Sandpiper was found at Workington harbour (12th) but failed to linger.

    Bassenthwaite Lake: The Ospreys hatched two young.

  • May 2013
    Wednesday, 1 May 2013 to Friday, 31 May 2013
    Highlights: A male Subalpine Warbler, Cumbria’s third and the first for 20 years, was an elusive visitor to Rampside (15th-18th). A Bee Eater briefly hawked over horse paddocks at Biggar on Walney Island (1st) and a male red-spotted Bluethroat was photographed at nearby South Walney N.R. (20th). A drake Green-winged Teal was found at North Plain RSPB (5th-10th) and a Common Crane flew over Wedholme Flow (13th).
  • April 2013
    Monday, 1 April 2013 to Tuesday, 30 April 2013

    Highlights: A singing male Serin, Cumbria’s fifth, was a brief visitor to the observatory garden at South Walney (19th) and a Hoopoe was photographed in a garden at Penton (22nd). The Todd’s Canada Goose was seen again among the Barnacle Geese at Whitrigg (10th).

  • March 2013
    Friday, 1 March 2013 to Sunday, 31 March 2013
    Todd's Canada Goose, Whitrigg, Darren Robson
    Todd's Canada Goose, Whitrigg, Darren Robson

    Highlights: The Todd’s Canada Goose was seen intermittently among the Barnacle Geese around Kirkbride and Whitrigg (11th-14th). A Great White Egret, perhaps the regularly returning bird, was