Keep Moving....

....or freeze to death.

Freeman's Pools. Pete Woodruff.

I decided the best bet was to do the walk from Skerton Bridge to Glasson Dock, the alternative was to stand around counting waders/gulls/geese and freeze to death and I wasn't really up for that. Above was the view over the 100% frozen Freeman's Pools obviously a no go birding area until we have a thaw. On the perimeter fence I saw a Wren and couldn't help but wonder how long these tiny birds could survive this continuous frost. 

Herring Gull. Pete Woodruff.

This brute was on the River Lune at Green Ayre and I grilled a few hundred other 'gulls' between here and Marsh Point to no avail but found 4 Little Grebe, 26 Goldeneye, 3 Goosander, a Tufted Duck, and 4 Grey Heron. On Aldcliffe Marsh I found a similar number of 1,000 'geese' seen on Thursday 25 November, being c.650 Greylag and c.320 Canada Geese, 12 Barnacle Geese are also still here having decreased in number since sixteen were reported a week earlier on 18 November. Before I had any chance to grill these birds any further two 'tankers' with dogs decided to exercise them out on the marsh with the obvious result, c.10 Fieldfare were seen, and  from here I saw an estimated 2,000 Pink-footed Geese in the air over fields between the A683 by-pass road and Oxcliffe Road.

Between Aldcliffe and Conder Green I noted at least 54 Blackbirds, 6 Blue Tits, 5 Robins, and 3 Song Thrush, 2 Wren, c.160 Wigeon were on the river, and c.120 Dunlin noted below Nansbuck Cottage. At Conder Green, the Common Sandpiper put in an appearance, with 2 Greenshank, 4 Little Grebe, a Goosander, Snipe, and 10 Dunlin feeding in the creeks, 5 Long-tailed Tits were by the old railway bridge.

A healthy walk taking in the birds which will continue to struggle as this weather looks set to continue in which case it may well become more serious than a struggle for them.

And finally....

Jackdaw. John Bateman.  

I readily rate this photograph of the Jackdaw as a winner. Thanks for this John....excellent.