11/02/2015 Dippers on the River Derwent

Wednesday11th February 2015
In and around Workington

River Derwent
Went with Brian along the banks of the River Derwent from the Old Bridge in Hall park to the Yearl.

• As expected we saw and enjoyed a pair of superb Dippers as they moved up and down and across the river.  This is always the highlight of any trip for me as this bird is a a particular favourite of mine and Sue's.

• Also seen were several Goosanders as they moved regally through the water.

Loweswater Lake
Picked up Kenny on the way to Loweswater Lake.

• The highlight was undoubtedly the 50+ Bramblings we saw feeding on the ground in the woods by the lake.  They were accompanied by Chaffinches and Tit flocks.

• Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch and Tree Creeper added to the enjoyment of the experience.

Soddy Gap
We relocated to Soddy Gap expecting to find large numbers of Goosander.  On arrival we were surprised to find none at all.

• The Snipe was the most interesting of the species that were present.

• Buzzards were very much in evidence.

• The bulk of the birds were the usual ducks, namely Wigeon and  Teal

Workington Harbour
I was desperate to meet up with "Stumpy", the one-legged Mediterranean Gull that is a local celebrity in these parts.  Brian and I tried on 3 separate occasions to catch sight of it but each time we were unsuccessful.

• We did see at least 4 Purple Sandpipers on the rocks during one visit at high tide time.

Drove home, non stop, after a fish and chip dinner with my sister Joan, arriving at 11.20 p.m.  A lovely trip - 4 additions to my year list, and great company of friends and family.




Addition to BUBO UK 2015 Bird List:
Dipper   (157)