Short Visit

Short-eared owl

I spent around 3 hours trundling around the patch this morning. As usual I checked out Freeman's Wood and Pools and then made my way along the cycle track towards the Flood.
From there I headed up to check to Lune from Cadaver Corner, bumping into Dan along the way. He'd seen much the same stuff as me, though added a short-eared owl which had flown upriver before gaining height and spiralling off (Dan's pic posted here).
After scanning the river and adjacent marsh I headed back along Dawson's Bank to Marsh Point and then back down through Freeman's Wood.

One of the most notable things this morning was the steady, if light, movement of swifts. Good numbers of swallows and house martins were seen too, along with a pair of sand martin.

Whitethroat

As has been the theme in recent days, common whitethroats (pictured) and lesser whitethroats were singing all over the place while blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs were occupying all available habitat.
A handful of sedge warblers were chuntering away in the undergrowth here and there. Dan mentioned he'd heard a feeble bit of sub-singing by a seemingly non-committal grasshopper warbler near Reedy Corner.
A few wheatears were scattered around on Aldcliffe and Colloway Marshes - most were robust individuals, presumably headed for Greenland and the like.

Whinchat

A single whinchat certainly brightened up the already sun-kissed morning (pictured).
There wasn't much going on on the river; a lone drake eider, a pair of gadwall and a single common sandpiper being the highlights.

Whimbrel

At least 3 whimbrel (pictured) were probing away on the marsh near The Creek while another was out on Aldcliffe Marsh.
A kestrel was hunting around the area while buzzard and sparrowhawk were both kicking around the Freeman's Wood area.
As is customary at this time of year, (bar the odd visit from garganey, etc) Freeman's Pools was pretty quiet. A trio of snoozing gadwall were on the island while coots were still sat tight on nests. A couple of little grebe were lurking in the poolside vegetation.

Jon