18th September Update

The Barnacle Geese have moved back to the Lochar Field after moving yesterday afternoon to the merse. The numbers have slightly increased to 132. 2 Whooper Swans were heard, then seen flying out towards the merse, joining some Mute Swans. We are unsure whether they have over summered somewhere nearby or whether they have arrived from Iceland. This makes a total of 4 Whooper Swans on our reserve, with the other two being on the Whooper Pond and the merse.

Lots of bird calls can be heard whilst walking down the Avenue, including Long-Tailed Tits, Goldcrests and Reed Bunting. There is also an increasing variety of wildfowl on Whooper Pond with a Pintail being spotted today, with several hundred out on the tide edge.

Today's high tide is at 11:48, 9.0m

Around the reserve:

Whooper Pond
Whooper Swan 1
Mute Swan 14+ 4 cygnets
Mallard 135
Gadwall 1♂
Tufted Duck 7
Wigeon 1
Pintail 1
Cormorant 2
Canada Geese 20
Shoveler 13

Folly Pond

Teal 80
Shoveler 20
Wigeon 2
Gadwall 5
Lapwing 27
Moorhen 1
House Martins - 39 nests on Farmhouse Tower (youngsters now flying)

Teal Pond

Mallard 12
Coot 1
Moorhen 3

Avenue Tower
Barnacle Geese 132
Whooper Swan 2
Mute Swan 15 & 1 cygnet
Mallard 12
Wigeon 2
Little Grebe 1
Moorhen 1
Curlew 2
Grey Heron 1
Peregrine 1
Brown Hare 1
Roe Deer 3

Saltcot Merse Observatory
Kestrel
Buzzard

Swallows
Skylarks
Whooper Swan 1
Mute Swan 16
Linnets - flocks of up to 60
Pink-footed Geese 458
Canada Geese 300+
Greylag Geese 100+
Roe Deer 5
Hebridean Sheep 10
Longhorn Cattle 3

Avenues & Feeders
(notable species)

Reed Bunting
Sparrowhawk
Coal Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Linnet
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Treecreeper
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Garden Warbler
Goldcrest

Twitter & Facebook

Follow us on Twitter @WWTCaerlaverock for instant WWT Caerlaverock bird news, wildlife news and upcoming events to your mobile phone or computer. This is a great way to get instant news as we update from our mobile phones as we are finding the birds.

You can also ‘Like’ us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/wwtcaerlaverock.

 

lottie.glover@wwt.org.uk

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