My Local Patch (1 Viewer)

[Binocularface]

Hi

In the area I live in I am lucky enough to have several decent areas to bird. The area I call my local patch is Campfield Marsh RSPB. This reserve comprises of Salt Marsh, Estuarine Mudflats, Farmland, Wet Grassland and some woodland!

The main features of the reserve is Waders and Waterfowl. During the summer the reserve is home to many breeding waders and ducks with a strong passage of waders in both spring and autumn. Good numbers of Redshank, Dunlin, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Knot etc pass through in Autumn and Spring. There is usually a good passage of 'Icelandica' Black-tailed Godwits. There is also usually quite a small passage of Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Green Sandpiper in Autumn. Winter time is excellent for ducks and geese with good numbers of Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler, Pintail, Pinkfooted Geese and Barnacle Geese. There is usually a few Whooper Swans present.

The reserve is also excellent for birds of prey in winter with Peregrine, Merlin, Short-eared Owl, Barn Owl and Hen Harrier frequently being observed!

During spring we are lucky to have the spectacle of the 'Solway Skua Passage'. This spring I have been lucky to observe over 150 Pomarine Skua, c30 Arctic Skua, 8 Great Skua and 1 Long-tailed Skua!

On the Passerine front, the reserve has a good population of Linnet, Reed Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Willow Tit and in the summer months there are usually several Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and a few Lesser Whitethroat!

In recent years Spoonbill and Little Egret have been recorded annually!

I have not yet compiled a Patch List as I have only been watching this reserve for about 10 months (I only moved into area last July!). Scarce Bird highlights since I have been watching the site (in chronological order!) have been Common Crane, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, and a stonking spring male Red-backed Shrike! I did not find all of these birds myself, in fact I only found the Green-winged Teal!!!!

Regards
Tristan Reid

 

[Surreybirder]

Good to read about your local patch, Tristan, sounds close to perfect!
You've already seen two species I've not seen in close to 30 years of birding... the crane and the l-t skua (although I'm almost sure I saw an immature once.
Keep us posted.

 

[Charles Harper]

Sounds like a great patch, Tristan. You're lucky to be so near the sea. and what a chance to study skua! Looking forward to reading your reports.

 

[Binocularface]

Hi Surrey Birder

Yes it is a pretty good local patch! Last year Campfield Marsh RSPB had its first ever Common Crane in early spring this bird was a 1st summer bird. This bird soon moved on, but was shortly followed by another individual (a 2nd summer bird). This bird stayed the whole summer, departing sometime in September (if my memory serves me correctly!). As well as these individuals there was a Crane on the Irt estuary (near Ravenglass) and I was lucky enough to find two adults that spent a day on the Wampool off Anthorn (about 5 miles from Campfield Marsh RSPB). In addition to these Campfield Marsh RSPB has played host to yet another crane this year (a second summer bird)!
All in all I during the 12 months I have been living in Cumbria I have managed to observed five common cranes in the county!

Now Long-tailed Skuas are not so easy! The individual I observed this year was only the second of this species I have ever seen! I had put in many hours in South Westerly gales before I got this one!!

Regards
Tristan Reid

 

[Binocularface]

Hi Charles

Yes, I feel very lucky to be so close to the Solway! There is not much that can beat the experience of seeing a flock of over 40 Pomarine Skuas 'spiralling' in from the distance getting closer and closer before gaining height and flying off overland on their way to their breeding grounds!

Unfortunatly the Skua passage is over for this year (we don't get many through in the Autumn!) so it will be next year before I will be posting any reports on this!

Regards
Tristan Reid

 

[Karl J]

Hi there, sounds pretty similar to my area in several respects - more than a few sp. in common by the look of it.
The skuas sound quite a sight, never seen one personally.

I'll be interested in any reports you post up.

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Tristan,

Do you (or anyone!!) know where the Solway Skuas go after they head off? What direction do they go in?

They're never (or almost never) seen in inland Northumberland, yet the Solway can be seen clearly (in good weather) from the summit of Deadwater Fell. I'd have thought there'd be a few more records from Kielder Reservoir, for example, or as Goshawk or Peregrine kills in the area (Kittiwakes do turn up regularly in Peregrine nests up there!).

Michael

 

[StevieEvans]

Maybe they go in overland high up and out of sight ?

Ive have 2 records of Arctic Skua going inland (Westwards) at the back end of the year and they were both way up. (N.E England)

 

[Michael Frankis]

My personal guess is that they go almost straight north, only a touch of east, direct for the Firth of Forth - that's the quickest way back to the sea, and misses Northumbs completely. But let's see what Tristan says.

Michael

 

[Binocularface]

Hi Michael & Steviewol

The bottom line is no-one really knows what route the Pomarine Skuas take to there breeding grounds. There are plenty of theories out there though! As Steviewol suggests the Skuas do move accross land at a great height (when the get past the Viaduct they will start spiralling up until they are out of view).

I would suggest that Michael's theory that they head straight for the Firth of Forth as this would be the shortest route maybe be correct, but we cannot be sure about this especially as there are very few spring records from Hound Point! (There are good numbers recorded in the autumn from Hound Point but very few recorded on the Solway)!

I think the only way we will really know the truth about the Pom' Passage is if a sattelite tracking project is carried out!

Regards
Tristan Reid

 

[christineredgate]

Hi Tristan,I'll say hello to you ,as i have read your sightings on the Cumbrian bird site.I'm glad Cumbria is getting more mentions.I put Hodbarrow on here as my local patch,but i am nowhere near as highly informed as both yourself and Stephen(dunstan) are.I remember reading the various dicussions as to where some Storks had appeared from,i found it quite amusing,but one can learn a lot from the experienced birders ,such as yourself.I must confess i just enjoy watching birds and studying their habits and watching them with their young etc.I remember watching an adult gull with her offspring on silecroft beach.Mum had a shellfish,which the youngster wanted but was not allowed near until it had been broken open.Every time junior went towards the mussel,Mum pushed him and this pantomine carried on for at least half and hour.i was fascinated.Also whilst on haverigg beach(where I live),an adult gull had caught a plaice(flat fish,fluke),but did not know what to do with it,and kept dropping it in the water,picking it out and shaking it,this went on for at least 45mins.
I hope some of the little tern chicks survived the predators.one day there were about 6 visible chicks,I actually managed to take a digi scope pic of one with the adult,but 2 days later ,no little terns to be seen,so i only hope they moved to the end of the lagoon with the rest of the terns.This was in the bird reserve itself,not on the ski slope where the terns always gather to breed .
regards christine.

 

[Andrew]

Missed this before, sounds like a great local patch. Good to see you found the GWTeal.

 

[Nina P]

Sounds like you have the part of the british Isles that I don't have nearby, so make the nost of it Tristan, Didn't you post on another site a few months back? as it seems like a mass defection from another site is happening here!!!! Still there loss is BF's gain!!! NIna.

 

[Binocularface]

Hi Christine

Glad to see another Cumbrian based birder on BF. I don't know Hodbarrow too well, but I am sure I will visit it sometime. I don't tend to go to the South of the County too much as I have got my hands pretty much full up here!

I have managed a few trips to Whitbarrow Scar and Arnside Knott recently but that was more for butterflies than birds!!

Cheers
Tristan

 

[Binocularface]

Hi Nina

Your right I am lucky to live up here, but your part of the UK is pretty special too!

You asked if I posted on another site a few months back. I am not sure what your are referring to here?!

Cheers
Tristan

 

[Nina P]

BBC nature site, the one where they are limiting users posting times, I recognise quite a few names from that one on this site, and no doubt whoever reads this and uses the other site will know who they are too, but I thought I'd replied to one of your postings on there once, but I may be wrong, as I am a bit of a name muddler, Nina.

 

[Binocularface]

Hi Nina

Nope wasn't me!

 

[Nina P]

Ooops, must be another Tristan, come to think of it the other one was Read, which reminded me of my old English teacher a miss Read, but Tristan is not a very common name, and on the other site not all areas of posters are known. Sorry if this maligned you but no offence intended, promise!! Nina.