Hodbarrow-Birdwatching

On Thursday 15th May the Birdwatching Group set out for Hodbarrow R.S.P.B. Reserve on the West Coast of Cumbria.  Eight members travelled by train enjoying the scenery on the West Coast Line and three travelled by car to join us at Millom.  The weather was ideal and everyone enjoyed a perfect day of sun, sea, walking and lots of birds.

The first stage of the walk took us through scrub trees and gorse full of birdsong. As the trees were in full leaf identification was mainly by song with fleeting views of the birds. A fresh water area provided family sights with swans and very young cygnets, mallards with ducklings and a greylag goose with goslings. As we emerged from the scrub to more open land several willow warblers and a stone chat showed well. The way then led along the shore to the metal lighthouse and seats for lunch.  Sandwich Terns entertained us flying busily too and fro above  with small fish dangling from their beaks . 

                    
Before starting again with serious birding we enjoyed the sight of four shire horses as they were ridden past us.  Our total bird sightings by this time had reached 45 and we entered the hide in anticipation of adding many more to the total by viewing birds that showed in the open.  We spent some time watching the behaviour of the common terns as they dive bombed the black backed gull who wanted the same portion of the shingle.  The third species of tern normally seen here is the little tern but none were seen in spite of diligent searching.  However since our last visit two years ago many black backed gulls and herring gulls are nesting on this sight threatening the future of eggs and chicks of the terns so hopefully little terns are nesting elsewhere where we could not see them.
        
Plenty of gulls, terns, ducks and waders provided the opportunity to become familiar with their identification.
Leaving the hide the group strolled back along the shore watching the terns diving into the water to fish. We returned towards Millom through more scrub enjoying along with the birdsong the wonderful views of the water and the mountains.  A  total of 51 species of birds were found and admired. 
                   

                             

Back in Millom some members settled for tea or ice-cream and the rest visited the excellent Folk Museum at the railway station before we caught the train back to Lancaster.

Report by Kay Saunders

Photographs by Tina Harrup