Silver Meadows

Took the Westies out first thing and had a look in at the flood, ahh, now I've got to explain here. The Thacka area is becoming more official as a birding area, this is because of the new pool area created by the flood alleviation scheme, and when finished will become the Thacka Beck Nature Reserve. It will be looked after by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust, and so for keeping birding records all birders have to be singing from the same hymn sheet, so henceforth the flood will be known as the Thacka flash, and the settleing pond will for the time being continue to be called simply "the pond"
       So on "The Flash" yesterday the Shoveler was still present although Lapwing numbers were down a bit and no Snipe, 7 Oystercatchers, also down a little. Talking to Roy at one point when a small party of Long-tail Tits came through the trees along the top track.
       After lunch Mrs W and I had a ride over to Silver Meadows wetland nature reserve at Dubwath. the feeders were doing a good trade as usual but that was about it.

                                     Three Coal Tits.

                                               Male Siskin, and Blue Tit

                                  Female Greenfinch This is just a fraction of birds coming to the the feeders at Silver Meadows.

This morning on the Flash, Lapwing numbers up, 220 , 3 Snipe, 14 Oystercatchers, a few Mallard, but no Shoveler this morning. In one of the nearby trees a Kestrel was perched, first that's been around for a while