The Waxwings were to numerous to list but were present in virtually every village at one time or another with some of the biggest flocks being; Wetheral 400+ on the 20/11, Dalston 450+ on the 29/11/10, Carlisle 250+ on West walls on the 11/11/10, Penrith 323 on the 13/11/10 and 200 in Warwick Bridge on the 22/11. Interestingly if you add up all the reports from the 13/11 they total just over 1000 birds over the whole County. On a sadder note I picked up 11 dead, with 2 dead male Bullfinches on the 20/11 in Wetheral, all the result of window strikes on the same window. Another was reported dead from a window strike near Workington on the 29/11. Interestingly many of these birds particularly early in the month were seen to be fly catching
rather than berry feeding, but as the cold weather hit normal service resumed.
Other than Waxwings there were some decent birds around. I was pleased to find a juvenile Dotterel with c15oo golden plover near Gretna, just south of the border, it was first seen distantly on the 8/11 when I thought it could have been a Lesser Golden Plover but closer views on the 11/11 showed it to be a Dotterel at a very unusually late date.
Another reward for scanning roadside flocks came in the form of 2 Eurasian Whitefronted Geese in a flock of c800 Pinkfeet opposite Scotby by the A689 on the 1/11/10.
Snow Buntings were around in small numbers with 1 at Mawbray on the 13/11, 2 at Bowness Railings on the 21 and 22/11and a very unusual group of 30+ reported from Anthorn on the 22/11.
A Great Grey Shrike was found on a tetrad visit at Butterburn on the 13/11/10.
A huge count 500+ Twite was recorded at Newton Marsh on the 15/11/10, with 200+ on Skinburness Marsh on the 2/11.
An unusual bird in the north of the County a Slavonian Grebe was present on Tindale tarn from 8-26/11/10 until the cold weather caused the tarn to virtually freeze over sending the grebe on its way.
The cold weather did have a postive side thought with over 400 Brambling feeding confidingly at Talkin Tarn on the 29/11/10 and a Rough Legged Buzzard reported from nearby Tindale Fell on the 30/11. Another Rough Legged Buzzard was reported earlier in the month on the 12/11from Campfield Marsh. Also at Campfield Marsh 2 Hen Harriers, Merlin and large numbers of Tree Sparrows (100), Reed Buntings (120) and Yellowhammers (40) were seen on the 25/11.
Nearby at Port Carlisle the wintering Spotted redshank was seen intermittently all month.
On the river Esk at longtown a juv Long Tailed Duck was seen on several dates while the Ross' Goose continued to be seen on Rockliffe Marsh.
No comments:
Post a Comment