Record numbers of Brent Geese

31st January 2011 – overcast SW2
Offshore
Early morning observations (0840-0940) produced 51 Red-breasted Merganser, 45 Common Scoter, 23 Kittiwake, 15 Red-throated Diver, 2 Great Crested Grebe and a Razorbill.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock increased to 129 pale-bellied and 58 dark-bellied individuals – the largest gathering ever recorded on the island.
Miscellaneous
Two Little Egret were the best of the rest.
Ringing
January is traditionally a quiet month; however, numbers were boosted by a visit to a private site on the island that produced a number of less frequently caught woodland species. A total of 61 birds of 16 species were ringed during the month – the second highest total ever recorded and only surpassed by 162 in 1979 a year which – unlike 2011 - saw a large cold weather influx of several species, most notably Starling and Greenfinch. Individual species totals were as follows: Long-tailed Tit (13), Blue Tit (9), Great Tit (8), Linnet (8), Greenfinch (3), House Sparrow (3), Song Thrush (3), Dunnock (3), Coal Tit (2), Blackbird (2), Starling (2), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1), Redwing (1), Robin (1), Goldfinch (1), Moorhen (1).

Images
Long-tailed Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker


Knot begin to build

30th January 2011 – overcast/cold S2
Offshore
A check over the sea on the high tide revealed 26 Common Scoter, 17 Red-breasted Merganser, 7 Red-throated Diver and 2 Shag.
Grounded Migrants
Two Fieldfare were newly arrived but quickly moved on.
Wildfowl and Waders
Wildfowl included 116 pale-bellied Brent Geese, 25 Barnacle Geese and a Pink-footed Goose. A flock of 5000 Knot was the largest recorded so far this winter and 2 Greenshank were logged.
Miscellaneous
A group of 50 Twite and a Merlin were seen.

Excellent selection of woodland species!

29th January 2011 – bright and frosty/calm
Offshore
A check over the sea mid-afternoon produced just 100 Common Scoter and 7 Red-throated Diver.
Wildfowl and Waders
A group of 9 Barnacle Geese were the pick of the wildfowl while waders included 95 Bar-tailed Godwit along with Greenshank and Purple Sandpiper.
Miscellaneous
Three Raven included the regular colour-ringed individual but only 2 Little Egret and a single Merlin were logged. A visit to some of the less regularly frequented areas of the island provided 3 Tree Sparrow and an excellent selection of woodland species including 13 Long-tailed Tit, 3 Coal Tit and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Little Egret origins uncovered

24th January 2011 – sunny spells W3
Wildfowl and Waders
Totals from the fog hampered monthly WeBS count included: 8350 Oystercatcher, 2766 Dunlin, 1170 Redshank, 759 Wigeon, 740 Curlew, 697 Lapwing, 740 Curlew, 493 Shelduck, 392 Turnstone, 378 Teal, 345 Golden Plover, 267 Sanderling, 267 Eider, 238 Grey Plover, 199 Knot, 125 Cormorant, 95 Mallard, 52 Bar-tailed Godwit, 48 Red-breasted Merganser, 35 Pintail, 39 Goldeneye, 23 Purple Sandpiper, 9 Greenshank and 7 Little Egret.
Ringing
Further details have just been received on the colour-ringed Little Egrets that toured the island during the autumn of 2010. The majority had been ringed as nestlings earlier in the year at a colony near Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales with DXWY also seen on the Esk Estuary, Cumbria prior to its arrival on Walney Island. Perhaps of more interest was BBWY that had been ringed at Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales during 2009 that had been previously reported at Runcorn, Cheshire and Leighton Moss, Lancashire earlier in 2010 and a bird that had been ringed as a nestling at a confidential site in Lincolnshire during 2010.

Little new to report!

23rd January 2011 – overcast/calm
Offshore
A calm sea over the high tide period revealed 17 Razorbill, 16 Red-throated Diver, 14 Shag and 3 Guillemot.
Wildfowl and Waders
At least 35 Barnacle Geese continue to linger and 8 Shoveler, 8 Greenshank and a Black-tailed Godwit were seen.
Miscellaneous
Two Little Egret, a total of 90 Twite and the long-staying Common Buzzard were logged.

Tree Sparrow brings up the first 100!

22nd January 2011 – early fog and frost/calm
Grounded Migrants
Two Redwing and a Fieldfare were newly arrived. Four Tree Sparrow visiting a garden feeding station would appear to be the first documented wintering record for the island.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock held 124 pale-bellied and a single dark-bellied bird while waders included 22 Purple Sandpiper and a Greenshank.
Miscellaneous
Three Little Egret, 3 Merlin, a Common Buzzard and 17 Rock Pipit were the best of the rest.

More of the same!

19th January 2011 – bright and sunny WNW1
Offshore
A check over a calm sea at high tide produced just 9 Red-throated Diver.
Diurnal Migration
A skein of 4 Pink-footed Geese headed north.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock contained 124 pale-bellied individuals and waders included 28 Purple Sandpiper and a Greenshank.
Miscellaneous
A total of 40 Twite, 10 Rock Pipit, 3 Little Egret, 2 Merlin and a Little Owl were the best of the rest.

At least it stopped raining!

17th January 2011 – sunny spells WSW1
Offshore
Another check over the sea produced 12 Common Scoter, 10 Red-breasted Merganser, 8 Red-throated Diver and single Kittiwake and Razorbill.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock contained 90 pale-bellied individuals.
Miscellaneous
Three Little Egret were seen and the high tide period saw 14 Rock Pipit in the flooded fields along Biggar Bank.

Standard winter selection

16th January 2011 – rain SW3/4
Offshore
A check over the sea in persistent rain produced 1550 Eider, 18 Red-breasted Merganser, 10 Shag, 9 Red-throated Diver, 9 Common Scoter, 7 Razorbill and a Guillemot
Wildfowl and Waders
The flock of Barnacle Geese increased to 40 individuals, including the three darvic ringed individuals and 2 Greenshank were the best of the waders.
Miscellaneous
The Common Buzzard and at least one Merlin remain and 100 Twite and 7 Little Egret were seen.

Water Pipit reappears

9th January 2011 – early rain, clearing to sunny spells later W7/6/5/4/3
Rarities
Heavy overnight rain saw a Water Pipit once again taking advantage of the flooded fields and horse paddocks near Biggar.
Offshore
A quick check over the sea early morning produced 12 Red-throated Diver, 7 Common Scoter, 4 Kittiwake, 4 Razorbill and 2 Shag. A Slavonian Grebe was seen later in the day.
Grounded Migrants
Single Woodcock, Fieldfare, Redwing and Brambling were considered leftovers from previous arrivals.
Wildfowl and Waders
The flock of 35 Barnacle Geese continue to linger and the Brent Goose flock held 120 pale-bellied individuals while waders included 120 Sanderling, 3 Purple Sandpiper and 2 Greenshank.
Miscellaneous
Raptors involved single Common Buzzard, Hen Harrier and Peregrine.

Following last years postponement due to the severe winter weather a team from Walney Bird Observatory again took up the challenge of the annual Cumbria Winter Bird Race and amassed a total of 109 species within the county boundaries to retain the trophy for another year. An early morning incursion on to the mainland accounted for Tawny Owl before a return to more familiar territory saw a further 67 species added on the island with a Little Egret providing a fine flypast to a 1030hrs departure. Many of the commoner woodland species – the majority rarities on the island - were then added in the darkest depths of Cumbria, including Treecreeper to bring up the century at 1350hrs. However, highlights en route to a 1700hrs finish at Cockermouth included Green Sandpiper in flooded fields at Newbiggin and a Long-tailed Duck hiding behind a Red-necked Grebe at Waterhead, Windermere.

Routine fare

8th January 2011 – sunny spells NE2/3
Offshore
A quick check over the sea produced 12 Common Scoter, 6 Razorbill, 4 Red-throated Diver and 3 Shag.
Grounded Migrants
A solitary Fieldfare provided the only evidence of movement.
Wildfowl and Waders
The flock of 35 Barnacle Geese remain and Brent Geese included 56 dark-bellied and 7 pale-bellied birds while a Pochard was an unusual island record. Waders included Black-tailed Godwit and Greenshank.
Miscellaneous
Other sightings included 2 Barn Owl, 2 Little Owl and 2 Little Egret.
Ringing
The flocks of Barnacle Geese and Brent Geese continue to hold previously identified darvic ringed individuals.

If visiting the island please try to avoid disturbance to roosting and feeding birds, the recent severe weather had a very noticeable affect, especially amongst wildfowl and waders which were beginning to struggle and although the recent thaw saw an easing of conditions some species are still struggling to survive.

Snow and frost return

7th January 2011 –overcast/snow E2/3
Grounded Migrants
A heavy overnight frost and early morning snowfall saw a small Blackbird and Song Thrush influx amongst 20 Redwing, 5 Fieldfare and a Brambling.
Wildfowl and Waders
Several Purple Sandpiper were seen amongst the usual species along the maritime shore.
Miscellaneous
A small covey of 4 Grey Partridge was the most unexpected sighting of the day – this species has become an increasingly scarce sight on the island in recent years. A Peregrine was the pick of the raptors.

If visiting the island please try to avoid disturbance to roosting and feeding birds, the recent severe weather had a very noticeable affect, especially amongst wildfowl and waders which were beginning to struggle and although the recent thaw saw an easing of conditions some species are still struggling to survive.

The freeze takes its toll

5th January 2011 –overcast/rain at times S3
Grounded Migrants
A small Blackbird influx was noted and both Grey Wagtail and Coal Tit were unusual at this time of the year.
Wildfowl and Waders
A total of 115 pale-bellied Brent Geese were logged and a flock of 40 Pintail were seen along with 6 Shoveler.
Miscellaneous
Raptors were again to the fore with Hen Harrier, Common Buzzard, Peregrine, Merlin, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel all seen. The itinerant flock of Twite held 80 birds and 3 Little Egret were along the eastern shore.

Moths
Perhaps predictably 2 Winter Moths were the first sightings of the year
Images
Sparrowhawk


Recent casualties of the freeze included 3 Woodcock and a Grey Heron while the island’s wintering Stonechat population appears to have been wiped out with a search of all the usual haunts failing to locate a single bird.


If visiting the island please try to avoid disturbance to roosting and feeding birds, the recent severe weather had a very noticeable affect, especially amongst wildfowl and waders which were beginning to struggle and although the recent thaw saw an easing of conditions some species are still struggling to survive.

Hen Harrier is the pick of sightings

3rd January 2011 – overcast/calm
Grounded Migrants
A group of 4 Fieldfare were seen early morning and a Goldcrest – scarce on the island at this time of the year was also logged.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock held 121 pale-bellied individuals, including 4 colour ringed individuals.
Miscellaneous
Raptors included Common Buzzard and ringtail Hen Harrier.

Here’s hoping for a bird filled year!

1st January 2011 – overcast/drizzle at times NE2/3
Offshore
A check over the calm sea early morning produced 44 Common Scoter, 12 Red-breasted Merganser, 10 Red-throated Diver, 4 Razorbill and a single Great Crested Grebe.
Grounded Migrants
A Redwing was the only hint of movement.
Diurnal Migration
An adult Whooper Swan headed south.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock held 108 pale-bellied individuals and the Barnacle Geese increased to 38 birds. Waders included 3 Greenshank and a Black-tailed Godwit.
Miscellaneous
Four Little Egret were seen and the Common Buzzard continues to linger.