Yesterday was the one chance for a visit to this iconic location ... a childhood dream that never happened to a place that seemed impossibly far away at the time ... and a place that I've become incresingly fond of over the handfull of times that I've been there since ...
The last Bewick's Swans to be recorded in Cumbria were over ten years ago so they were on my wish list ... despite the mist the close proximity of the birds proided great views of this rather special species ...
... it was not recognised as a species util the early 19th century, having previously been lumped with Whooper Swan under the name Wild Swan ...
... there was a single Whooper Swan among the fifty or so Bewick's Swans and it was interesting to compare the two side by side ... first in the morning mist ...
... and later as conditions improved for a while ...
... this is such a great plae to get close views of wonderful and striking species like Pintail ...
... Wigeon ...
... Gadwall ...
... and Shoveler ...
... the pool frequented by the Bewick's Swans hosted a lone Black Swan that had apparntly been around for a while ... non-natives can be interesting too ...
... out towards the Estuary there were twelve Cranes which included a family party of four ...
... a single Barnacle Goose that was consorting with some Greylag Geese was perhaps of questionable origin and its companions undoubtedly did it no favours in that respect ... but who knows ?
... the other species on my wish list for the day was Russian White-fronted Goose and a group of forty or so fed obligingly in fields to the west ...
... a closer look revealed the pinkish bill, reduced belly barring and broader white terminal tail band compared with the Greenland race ...
... nearby a female Kingfisher posed nicely to the obvious delight of the occupants of the hide ...
... then moving away from th Estuary the South Pool provided rich pickings ... a juvenile Spoonbill roosted by the shore ... not the most obliging pose but the pink bill was at least partly visible ...
... a large flock of Curlews circled ...
. and even more Golden Plovers wheeled arond in tight formation ...
... on the pool some Avocets fed ...
... while others roosted ...
... and fifteen Cattle Egrets flew in and onto an island ...
... nearby a mixed flock of waders included Ruff, Lapwing, Dunlin and a Curlew while some Teal drifted by behind ... a rich mix !
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