Monday 26th November - Reserve Sightings - Plenty of Passerines!
Good morning all! It's a very frosty morning on site today and the 130 Whoopers on the pond have had to spend their first feed breaking through sheets of ice; winter has truly arrived.
And with this arrival of the colder weather there are plenty of birds around the site! Keep an eye out in the hedgerows up to the Peter Scott observatory and at the start of both the Avenue and the Saltcot for plenty of passerines. We've spotted Reed bunting, Yellowhammer, Tree sparrows and Long-Tailed tits.
The Great Egret is still around with a second one spotted yesterday to the west of the Saltcot Hide. Plenty of raptors to be seen perching and flying from the same viewpoint; with all 6 species spotted yesterday!
With the colder winds far more Whoopers have arrived so for those of you who have named swans check out our updated list below. And those of you wishing to name a swan please feel free to speak to a member of staff on the reserve. (makes an ideal Christmas gift!!)
Named Whooper Swan arrivals:
YHS - Solway Siren
Lost Darvic - Hagar
YJL - Linda H
YSJ - Sheldon Whooper
ZVY - Orchid
YFS - Obi Swan Kenobi
Lost Darvic - Princess Layer
XLN - Gylfi
YFU - Magnus
YHV- Wowsie (+ 1 cygnet)
ZXJ - Ruth C (+ 4 cygnets)
Z6L - Rooby & Z7S - Bowie (+ 2 cygnets)
Z5N - Andy
YFB - Eric Anthony
YTC - Margaret Ruth
Z9F - Hendrick
APR - Elsie Barbara
YRG - Lucky Linda
ZJA - Annabelle
YRS - Stephen
YSK - Countess of Boulogne
YFF - Solway Annie
ZXP - Mary
ZGT - Butterbur
YRN - Douglas Flintoff
YSF - Topsy
Lost darvic - Kate Two
Lost darvic - New York Lady
Lost darvic - Atty
Lost darvic - Renfrew
Lost darvic - Paisley
Z4A - Argyll
Lost darvic - Aspen
APC - George
YFP - BeckahJo (+ 3 cygnets)
YHH - Lady Ela (+ 1 cygnet)
XKA - Eleanor
ZVB - Eilidh
Z6R - Archie
YPH - McMurdoston
YTF - Odette
Around the reserve:
Whooper Pond
Whooper Swan 130 (including 23 cygnets)
Mute Swan 55 (including 7 cygnets)
Canada Goose 60
Mallard 180
Tufted Duck 48
Greater Scaup 1
Teal 5
Wigeon 68
Moorhen 4
Folly Pond
Teal 500
Wigeon 100
Shoveler 30
Mallard 10
Black-tailed Godwit 50
Redshank 2
Lapwing 2
Teal Pond
Moorhen 5
Mallard 4
Wigeon 9
Avenue Tower
Mallard
Teal
Shoveler
Wigeon
Gadwall
Pintail
Curlew
Lapwing
Golden Plover
Mute Swan
Whooper Swan
Barnacle Geese
Longhorn Cattle 2
Saltcot Merse Observatory
Pink-footed Geese
Barnacle Geese
Greylag Geese
Canada Geese
Peregrine
Merlin
Hen Harrier
Buzzard
Mute Swan
Shelduck
Mallard
Lapwing
Oystercatcher
Curlew
Little Egret
Great Black-backed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Herring Gull
Hebridean Sheep 9
Great Egret 2
Avenues & Feeders
(notable species)
Yellowhammer
Bullfinch
Redwing
Fieldfare
Reed Bunting
Sparrowhawk
Coal Tit
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Robin
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Long-tailed Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Treecreeper
Great-spotted Woodpecker
Goldcrest
Webcam
The winter webcam is now showing the Whooper Pond during the day and the badger feeding area from 5pm onwards.
https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/caerlaverock/experience/webcam/
Twitter & Facebook
Follow us on Twitter @WWTCaerlaverock for instant WWT Caerlaverock bird news, wildlife news and upcoming events to your mobile phone or computer. This is a great way to get instant news as we update from our mobile phones as we are finding the birds.
You can also ‘Like’ us on Facebook https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/caerlaverock/
joe.bilous@wwt.org.uk
