Just a quick write up about how the day went. Craggy and I went. Just arrived after sunrise. Big welcome by a Song Thrush singing away with other smaller birds - a mini dawn chorus already. We stopped off at the Lillian's hide for a few minutes and most of the pool was frozen. Next stop was the Public Hide where two different Jay's were showing very well. At the grit trays a man told us some Otters were showing very well at the Public Hide. We moved quickly and we were greeted by two heads bobbing up and down with one feasting on an eel. A Marsh Harrier also floated over the reeds. They porpoised in the water but did not come out on the ice for us. Next stop was the Lower Hide - on the way Marsh Tits showed very well, along with Pheasants and the usual passerines. Had we stayed at the Public Hide for a few more minutes we may have got a Bittern which sadly eluded us. I heard a brief Chiffchaff but not heard again.
We did stop at the Public and Lillian on the way back and then to the highlight of the day - the café. I ordered a Café Mocha Cake, a Mocha and a bottle of Lemonade. The next two stops were at the Jackson and Grizedale Hides where a Little Egret and three Red Deer running down the slope in the distance. We stopped off at the feeding trunks where one of the major highlights of the day, in fact thee highlight of the day, was a vole peeping it's head out of a hole in a tree and it's burrow. It would be most likely a Bank Vole from what I had heard previously. Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Robin, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Mallard, Pheasant, a Wren and a Grey Squirrel helped themselves to the food put out.
In a small flock of Chaffinches a single Brambling showed well briefly before flying off. We told the reserve warden and he was quite excited. At the visitor centre we were told about a Black Redstart showing very well quite nearby. We were told by someone it sat on a red brick chimney on a farmhouse and I think one of the easiest Lifers Craggy had. He picked it up as we drove towards it. It was a British tick for me. It flew off and then eventually made it's way back
At the Morecambe and Allen Hides a large flock of Lapwing greeted us. Lifers for Craggy included Greenshank and Spotted Redshank. Other waders out there included Godwits, Curlews, Dunlin. Within the area we missed a Kingfisher and a Barn Owl. Here is a list for all the birds we saw and all in all a very good day. I had not been for 5 months and it was a Great Return. List of birds seen:-
1. Mute swan
2. Canada geese
3. Greylag Geese
4. Shelduck
5. Mallard
6. Gadwall
7. Pintail
8. Shoveler
9. Wigeon
10. Teal
11. Tufted Duck
12. Pheasant
13. Cormorant
14. Little Egret
15. Grey Heron
16. Marsh Harrier
17. Kestrel
18. Buzzard
19. Mooren
20. Coot
21. Oystercatcher
22. Lapwing
23. Dunlin
24. Greenshank
25. Redshank
26. Spotted Redshank
27. Black tailed Godwit
28. Curlew
29. Snipe
30. Black-headed Gull
31. Common Gull
32. Herring Gull
33. Lesser Black Backed Gull
34. Great Black Backed Gull
35. Feral Pigeon
36. Woodpigeon
37. Collared Dove
38. Great Spotted Woodpecker
39. Green Woodpecker
40. Meadow Pipit
41. Pied Wagtail
42. Dunnock
43. Robin
44. Song Thrush
45. Blackbird
46. Chiffchaff (brief in song)
47. Goldcrest
48. Wren
49. Marsh Tit
50. Coal Tit
51. Lue Tit
52. Great Tit
53. Nuthatch
54. Treecreeper
55. Magpie
56. Jay
57. Jackdaw
58. Carrion Crow
59. Rook
60. Starling
61. House Sparrow
62. Chaffinch
63. Brambling
64. Linnet
65. Goldfinch
66. Greenfinch
67. Bullfinch
68. Reed Bunting
69. Black Redstart
-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 7th of February 2015 10:05:04 PM
Thanks for the comment. We missed Long Tailed Tit, Tawny Owl, Peregrine, Cetti's Warbler, Raven - some of the birds seen or even heard regularly over the area. Siskin, Redpoll, Bearded Tit and Bittern also missing - the last two were sighted on the day. Had I got all those I think I would have broken the record of the number of birds seen in a particular area in a day, although I was not really counting.
Cetti was heard by others but not by us. It would have been nice to introduce Craggy to the explosive song of the Cetti Warbler - not often a warbler declares war on you!
I did not ask any of the staff or volunteers about the controversial policy although did chat to some visitors and views are very divided. The photos are very good. Can't wait to get up that watch tower but I am sure there will be massive queues for it. The reed shots are very good - first one giving a real good sense of scale of it. I will add some photos hopefully soon!
