I
will publish another Webpage in 2012!
6th July:- Between today and
yesterday I have seen that all Nine chicks have fledged and are
mobile. I intend to end this exercise now! Please take the figures
above
as the final breeding results!
5th July:- 8am to 8.30am, Much
flying about between The Flood and The EM Pool! The result was One
Avocet on The Flood and One Chick (this
is the smallest chick and is probably? the only one that has not
fledged). Three Avocets on The EM
Pool and Two fledged Chicks. There
is a report on the LDBWS site
of Nine Avocets by John Wilson! Apart from the single chick on
The Flood the remainder have all fledged and are very mobile, (probably
feeding in The Gulleys [more water] hence out of sight)!
4th July:- 12pm, only One
Avocet seen on The Flood. The Flood is reduced to
Two Small muddy pools. The rest of the flock have probably flown
away to find better feeding areas!
3rd July:- A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers
2nd July:- 8.30 to 9am, Six
Avocets on The Flood and Nine Chicks (4+2+2+1). Most of the time the chicks
were resting (they had probably been feeding since daybreak)!
1st July:- 7.30am to8am, Six
Avocets on The Flood and Nine Chicks (4+2+2+1). Two
Avocets on The
EM Pool. Water levels are dropping every day, The EM Flood Pool
is dry and the other Three Pools have very low water levels!
30th June:- 9.15 to 9.45, Five
Avocets on The Flood plus Nine Chicks (4+2+2+1).
All the pools are rapidly drying up leaving muddy pools where The
Cows have churned
up the mud! Two Chicks seen flying today and I am confident Two
more of a similar age can fly too! Most of the Cows have moved
to The
Saltmarsh behind the EM Pool.
29th June:- 7.15 to 7.30am,The
Flood Six
Avocets and Nine Chicks.
EM Pool, Two Avocets. There are also Thirty
Six Cows on
The Flood and EM pools. The adult Avocets are trying to keep The
Cows at a
distance (they don't take any notice)! The Allen Pool still has
an Electric Fence (I'm not sure whether it is live)?
28th June:- A day away in the
Bassenthwaite area, (seeing Ospreys Fishing and Otters)!
27th June:- Much
disturbance on The saltmarsh today! LM Staff taking down the
electric fence and
paddling in the pools. The local Farmer also present. I would have
thought R.S.P.B would have had more sense than to disturbs the
Avocet Chicks at this stage, (before they had fledged)! The
sightings today are fragmentary due to The Disturbance! The Flood Two
Avocets and Three Chicks "seen".
EM Pool, One
Avocet and Two
Chicks "seen". Allen Pool,
Four Avocets. Perhaps things will
have settled down by the 29th June. The Elecric fence around The
Allen Pool had not been taken down when I was present, (this will
course another big disturbance if it is done!)
26th June:- A day away in the
upper Eden Valley!
25th June:- 9am, Five
Avocets on The Flood plus Eight
Chicks seen! Three Avocets on
The EM Pool. Today and yesterday the larger
chicks were seen exercising their wings! The nineth and
smallest Chick is almost certainly present as the parent birds
are obviously
in a Guarding posture (The chick
seems to be hidden by the grassy bank near the railway). Horendous
weather for viewing (sea mist and strong winds).
24th June:- 10am, Five
Avocets on The Flood plus Nine
Chicks. Three Avocets on The
Allen Pool. The Chicks were sheltering much of the time from the
strong winds!
23rd June:- 8.30am, Seven
Avocets on The Flood plus Nine
Chicks, (4+2+2+1). The Chicks seem to have escaped the attention
of The Fox, but I noticed that a non flying Whooper Swan seems
to be missing!
22nd June:- 7.30 to 8am, Six
Avocets on The Flood plus Nine Chicks,
(4+2+2+1). Two
Avocets on
The EM Pool plus A Fox! Three
of The Chicks are still being brooded to keep warm.
21st June:- 8am, Six Avocets
on The Flood plus Nine Chicks, (4+2+2+1). All the birds were active
today in the strong winds. It should not be long before the larger
chicks fledge.
20th June:- 1pm to 1.30pm, Six
Avocets on The Flood plus Nine Chicks,
(4+2+2+1). The Chicks were spending long periods resting.
19th June:- A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers
18th June:- 8.00 to 10.30am, Six
Avocets on
The Flood plus Nine
Chicks, (4+2+2+1). Two Avocets on
The EM Pool. Two of The Chicks with their accompanying Parents
were close in to the bank, near to the Railway so were very difficult
to see!
17th June:- 7.30am, Four
Avocets on The Flood plus Nine
Chicks, (4+2+2+1). A Quicky today, I could
see all of the birds present in a few minutes.
16th June:- 8.30 to 10.30, Five
Avocets on The Flood plus Nine Chicks (4+2+2+1). Since
yesterday morning Two Chicks have been taken (probably by
a Fox). A Fox has been seen recently on The Saltmarsh!
15th June:- 7.30am, Six
Avocets on The Flood plus Eleven
Chicks, (4+4+2+1). No other Avocets visible!
14th June:- A day away in the
River Ure/Eden area!
13th June:- 1.30pm, Seven Avocets
on The Flood plus Eleven Chicks (4+4+2+1). Two Avocets on The EM
Pool. Strong winds today, the chicks were brooded often!
12th June:- 8am, Eight
Avocets on The Flood with Eleven
Chicks, (4+4+2+1). Two Avocets on
The EM Pool, no chicks. No Avocets
on The Allen Pool.
11th June:- 8.30 to 9.30am, Exactly
the same results as yesterday i.e Eleven
Chicks found!
10th June:- 7.30 to 8am, Seven
Avocets on The Flood plus Ten Chicks! The
Chicks were in Four families i.e. (4+3+2+1). One Avocet on the
EM Pools with One Chick. No
Avocets on The Allen Pool.
9th June:- 8.30am, Four
Avocets on The Flood with Three
Chicks (2+1) The Two chicks were obviously
older! Five Avocets on The EM Pools
with Five
Chicks (4+1), all well
grown chicks! No Avocets or chicks on The Allen Pool! The Three
Nests on The Allen Pool seen on the 7th seem to have hatched in
my absence,
but have been walked towards The Flood and are proving difficult
to find!
8th June:- 1.30 to 2.30pm, Two
Avocets on The Flood with One Chick. Five
Avocets on The EM Pools
with Five Chicks. Four
Avocets on The Allen Pool, no Chicks,
there has been reports of Ten Chick today see Leighton
Moss Sightings Page
7th June:- 7 to 9am, Two
Avocets on The Flood with Two
Chicks. Four
Avocets on The EM Pools with Four
Chicks, (One pair with a single chick plus Three chicks
with another pair). Five Avocets on
The Allen Pool (no
Chicks), however there are still
three nests that have not hatched young yet!
6th June:- 11.30am, Two
Avocets on The Flood with Two Chicks. Eight
Avocets on The EM Pools with Five
Chicks (Two
families 4+1). Six Avocets on The Allen Pool, No
Chicks! Only Three sitting Avocets found on the Allen Pool. It
looks like the chicks have been decimated since my last visit on
the 4th of June.
5th June:- A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers
4th June:- 9 to 10.30am, The
Flood Two adults and Two
Avocet Chicks. EM Pool and flood, Six
Adults and Eight Avocet
Chicks (Two families). The Allen Pool, Twelve
adults and Five
Avocet Chicks. The chicks consisted of a single (very well
grown) and another family of Four chicks!
3rd June:- 8 to 9am, Eight
Chicks (2 families) on The Allen Pool plus Six
Chicks (2 families) on the
EM Flood
2nd June:- 9am, Eighteen Avocets
on The Allen Pool plus Four Chicks. 1.30pm, Now
Eight Chicks (another
nest has hatched chicks), Two Families!
1st June:- 1pm to 2.30pm, Allen
Pool Eighteen Avocets plus Two on
The EM Pool. Only Four Chicks Found.
They have been swum back to the birth Island.
31st May:- 1.30pm, Twenty
one Avocets on The Allen Pool. The Chicks from the
Two Nests that have hatched have left their birth island and swum?
over to a large muddy area near the Sluice. There are now Two
Chicks from one of the nests plus Four
Chicks from
the other! There are at least Eight more Nests due to hatch chicks
in the near future!
30th May :- 11am, Two Nests with
Young! A total of Five young seen! There
are probably more. The chicks seem reluctant to show themselves
due to the cold winds!
29th May:- Evening, report by
LM Staff that Two Nests have young!
28th May:- 11.30am, One Avocet
on The EM Pool plus Fourteen on The
Allen Pool.
27th May:- 3.30pm, Five
Avocets on The EM Pool
plus Thirteen on The Allen Pool. There
are still at least Ten Nests and there should
be young before the end of May!
26th May:- 11.30am, Twenty
Avocets on The Allen Pool. Still Ten Nests but
no young as yet! However an
Oystercatcher on the same Island now has Three Young.
25th May:- 2pm, Three Avocets
on The Flood plus One on The EM pool
plus Thirteen on The Allen Pool. There
are still Ten Nesting Pairs, (there should also be some Chicks
before the end of this month).
24th May:- 5pm, Three Avocets
on The EM Pool plus Fourteen on The
Allen Pool. One nest has been Abandoned/Robbed since my last visit,
however I have found another nest so there are still Ten
Nesting Pairs!
23rd May:- 2pm, Seventeen Avocets
on The Allen Pool. Still Ten Nests! Very
strong winds!
22nd May:- A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers
21st May:- 9.00am, Three Avocets
on The Flood plus Two on The EM Pool
plus Nineteen on The Allen Pool. Unfortunately
One Nest has been Abandoned/Robbed, leaving
Ten Nesting Pairs!
20th May:- 7.45-8.45am, Four
LM Staff on the breeding Islands! I think they were putting temperature
loggers on The Nests? Twenty Four Avocets
on The Allen Pool. The Avocets went back to their nests after the
disturbance but were then alarmed by a visiting Raven, then a Carrion
Crow!!!
19th May:- 10am, One Avocet
on The EM Pool plus Twenty Two on
The Allen Pool. There are now Eleven Nesting
Pairs some
of which are only visible from the public footpath on The Causeway,
or the EM Hide
18th May:- 1.30pm, Eight Avocets
on The EM Pool plus Fourteen on
The Allen Pool. Another nesting
pair found.
There are now Eight nesting pairs and Two more probables that
can only be seen from the EM
Hide!
17th May:- 8am, Twenty
Four Avocets on The Allen Pool. Still
Seven nesting pairs.
16th May:-12.30pm, Twenty
One Avocets on The Allen Pool, there are probably
more on The Flood but it is too wet to go to the viewpoint. There
are still Seven Nesting Pairs!
15th May:- 10am, Twenty
Five Avocets on The Allen Pool. There
are now Seven Nesting Pairs, with more to come?
12th May:- 10am, Twenty
Three Avocets on The Allen Pool. Unfortunately One of
The Nests (the first I found on The Allen Pool) has been Abandoned/Robbed.
However
The female had spent too much time away from this nest in recent
days so the eggs were probaby chilled!
10th May:- Two Avocets
on The EM Pool plus Nineteen on
The Allen Pool, however I could only find Six Nesting Pairs.
There
are possibly more, but if they do not return to their nests
in a One Hour period I am reluctant to count them!
9th May:- Unable to visit today,
however LM staff have counted Eight Avocet Nests! I found
Six on the last visit! Meanwhile at Marshside the first
Avocet Chicks have hatched.
8th May, A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers
7th May, Twenty Avocets
on The Allen Pool plus Two on The
EM Pool. And then it rained, so was unable to Check The Flood
from 'The Bride's Chair'. At least Six
Nesting Pairs.
6th May:- A day away, however
J.W saw Twenty Eight Avocets.
5th May:- 11.30am, Five Avocets
on The Flood plus Twenty Seven on
The Allen Pool. There must be new birds on The Pools today! Still
Two definite Nesting pairs and a possible third nest (probably
not a full clutch yet).
3rd May:- 12 30pm, Twenty
Four Avocets on The Allen Pool. Much fighting over territory
today. There may possibly be more nests?
1st May:- 12pm, Eighteen Avocets
on The Allen Pool. Yet another Nesting pair found
on the Allen Pool!
30th April:- 12pm, Seventeen Avocets
on The Allen Pool. Zero Avocets on The
EM Pool. All
Four Nests seen on the 28th have been Robbed/Abandoned. (I
have been told that the nests were destroyed by a Mob of Crows) A
New Nest found on an Allen Pool Island!
29th April:- Twenty Six Avocets
seen by AN Other.
28th April:- 10.30am, Twelve Avocets
on The EM Pool plus Ten on The Allen
Pool. New Recruits?
27th April:- 1.30pm, Nine Avocets
on The EM Pool plus Nine on The
Allen Pool, at least Four sitting pairs. There may be more nests
but if so they can only be seen from above!
26th April:- 8am, Sixteen Avocets
on The EM Pool. Several birds dispersed later to The Allen Pool!
Very difficult to see exactly how many pairs are sitting at the
moment!
25th April:- 1pm, Twelve Avocets
on The EM Pool. There are probably more hiding behind the Islands!
24th April:- A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers
23rd April:- 10am, Two Avocets
on The Flood plus Fifteen on The
EM Pool plus Three on The Allen
Pool. At least Two Pairs sitting!
22nd April:- 7.30am, Five Avocets
on The Flood plus Fifteen on The
EM Pool. Looks like a sitting bird at last!
21st April:- 10am, Five Avocets
on The Flood plus Twelve on The EM Pool. Several pairs are looking
at Nest Sites but no birds actually sitting as yet!
20th April:- 1.30pm, Six Avocets
on The Flood plus Six on The EM
Pool plus Two on The Allen Pool. Ten
less birds than yesterday, perhaps they were passing through,
though
the Fencing Contractors may have something to do with it!
19th April:- 7.30am, Thirteen Avocets
on The EM Pool plus Eleven on The
Allen Pool. There seems to have been a small influx lately, perhaps
from the River Lune
Birds???
18th April:- 12.30pm, Two Avocets
on The Flood plus Nine on The EM
Pool plus Six on the Allenen Pool.
High Tide today but it didn't quite reach the Pools!
17th April:- 9am, Two Avocets
on The Flood plus Eight on The EM
Pool plus Seven on the Allen
Pool. Three Pairs seem to be interested in Nesting!
16th April:- 9.30am, Seven Avocets
on The Flood plus Five on The EM
Pool. The birds have returned to The EM Pool but still no signs
of nesting
as yet.
15th April:- 9.30am, Nine Avocets
on The Flood plus Two on The Allen
Pool. I suspect there has been a Fox in the area. The Numbers
are down from yesterday! The EM Pool has no Avocets and the pair
who
looked likely to breed have
moved
away!
14th April:- 12.30pm, Sixteen Avocvets
on The Flood plus Four on
The EM Pool plus Two on The Allen
Pool. Still very flighty and no real evidence of breeding!
12th April:- 8am, Fourteen Avocets
on The EM Pool, however Tom Walkington had Twenty in
total so it looks like there are more Avocets in The Area!
11th April:- 1.30pm, Nine Avocets
on The Flood plus Eight on The EM
Pool. Only One pair seem to be settled, i.e. claiming a territory!
10th April:- A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers
9th April:- 8.30am, Seventeen Avocets
on The EM Pool. Again much chasing arround and fighting!
8th April:- 10am, Ten Avocets
on The EM Pool. Much chasing and agression today, (amid all the
chaos one pair seem to have chosen a nest site)!
7th April:- 9.30am, Two Avocets
on The Flood plus Seven on The EM
Pool plus One on The Allen Pool.
6th April:- 1.45pm, Ten Avocets
on The Allen Pool. The Avocets are still very flighty (seven
of the Ten were on the EM Pool at 1pm). There
were no birds of any kind on The Flood! There is a report
in the LM Log of Fourteen Avocets
yesterday
5th April:- 9am, Nine Avocets
on The EM Pool plus Two on The Allen
Pool. The pair from yesterday on The EM Pool are keeping seperate
from the newcomers/returnees. Weather wet as
usual!
4th April:- 2.30pm, after the
heavy Rains! Three Avocets on The
EM Pool plus Three on The Allen
Pool. The Pair on the EM Pool seem to have settled in nicely!
3rd April:- 1.30pm, One Avocet
on The flood plus Three on The EM
Pool. Where have all the Avocets gone?
2nd April:- 10am, Two Avocets
on The Flood, plus Three on The
EM Pool, plus Three on The Allen
Pool, a total of Eight! John Wilson has had Thirteen Avocets
reported (they were not there at 10am today)!
1st April:- 9am, Two Avocets
on The Flood plus Two on The EM
Pool plus Three on The Allen Pool.
John Wilson saw Nine Avocets in
total!
31st March:- 1pm, Six Avocets
on The Allen Pool, all the birds were sheltering from the Gale
Force winds!
30th March:- 2pm, Two Avocets
on The Flood plus Five on the Allen Pool. Looks like Three Pairs
and a Single.
29th March:- 9am, Two
Avocets on The Flood
plus Six on The Allen Pool. Are
the numbers slowly building or are the Wanderers returning?
28th March:- 2pm, Seven Avocets
on The Allen Pool. Not sure whether these are The
Seven from the
20th of March or new blood?
27th March:- A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers, however Four
Avocets seen on
The EM Complex (John Wilson)
26th March:- 9.30am, One
Avocet on The EM Pool fast asleep. 5pm, One
Avocet on The Flood feeding. The Question is where have
the Six birds of yesterday gone?
25th March:- 8.30am, Six Avocets
on The Allen Pool. I am not convinced these are new arrivals,
they may be birds that have got the wanderlust and returned!
24th March:- 9am, Two Avocets
on The EM Pool. They moved to The Allen Pool in the Afternoon.
23rd March:- 1.30pm, One
Avocet on The Flood.
22nd March:- 7.45am, One
Avocet on The Allen Pool. Is this
the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning???
21st March:- 12.30pm, Five
Avocets on The Flood. 2pm, Two Avocets on The EM Pool and Three
on The Allen Pool. It was very Misty at 12.30pm and the whole
Saltmarsh was flooded with a 10.63metre Tide!
20th March:- 10.30am, Seven
Avocets on The Allen Pool, Status Quo! No flooding as yet but
the highest tide is tomorrow.
19th March:- 11am, Seven Avocets
on The Flood. I do not know where the other Six or Seven birds
seen in recent days are. They may return???
18th March:- 7.45am, Six Avocets
on The Flood plus Six on The Allen Pool.
17th March:- 9.30am, Two Avocets
on The Flood plus Eleven on The Allen Pool. Perhaps eight Avocets
have moved on since yesterday??? There
are several 'Ten metre plus Tides' for the next few day which
may??
cause some flooding!
16th March:- 1.30pm, Twenty
One Avocets on The Flood. One pair mating! Misty.
15th March:- 8.30am, Eighteen
Avocets on The Allen Pool. The pairing of yesterday has now come
to nothing due to the new arrivals!
14th March:- Still Nine Avocets
feeding on The Allen Pool. Looks like Four pairs and a single.
13th March:-A day away with Lancaster
Fellwalkers , However, 9 Avocet at
rest on Allen Pool Sun 13th at 16:30pm (Tony Riden)
12th March:- 10am, Four Avocets
on The Allen Pool.
10th March:- 10.30am, Three
Avocets on the EM Pool and very little else as there were Six
LM Staff working on the Salt Marsh. (Strimming and working on the
Electric Fence)!
9th March:- 1.30pm, Three Avocets
on The EM Pool sheltering from the strong winds.
8th March:- A day away in deepest
Richmondshire!
7th March:- 1pm, Two Avocets
on The Allen Pool. Seen earlier in the day by A.N Other (Leighton
Moss Log)
3rd March:- 10.15am, One
Avocet on The Eric Morecambe Flood. The Electic Fence
to protect the Nest Sites was being erected!
2nd March:- Fifty Avocets at
Martin Mere, (there must be a chance that some birds will fly
through to Leighton Moss)!
28th February:- Thirty Eight
Avocets at Martin Mere.
25th February:- Twenty Five
Avocets at Martin Mere today! Perhaps a few may venture farther
north and visit Leighton Moss?
23rd February:- Thirteen Avocets
at Martin Mere today, see Wildlife
Sightings
19th February:- Eleven Avocets
at Martin Mere, Some Mating! At the Eric
Morecambe Pools (Leighton Moss) there is tidal flooding and no
sign of any Avocets as yet!
17th February:- Nine Avocets
at Martin Mere. New arrivals???
16th February:- Only two Avocet
at Martin Mere today, Four Avocets at Marshside.
15th February:- 15 Avocets
at Martin Mere, at the back of The Mere!
13th February:- 5 Avocets at
Martin Mere, see Martin Mere Wildlife
Sightings Five Avocet returned this morning. I think we are
right in saying that they are the earliest we have had since
they returned to breed in the North West.