Sunday April 25th 2021

Whitethroat

Aldcliffe has never been a nature reserve but birders have been enjoying it as one since the inception of LDBWS in the 1950s– and no doubt long before. In the lockdown of spring 2020 even Aldcliffe birding veterans gained a newfound appreciation for what they (and the people of Lancaster) have on their doorstep. The seasons and years have brought a host of brilliant bird species to its estuarine mud, saltmarsh, farmland, pools and copses.

The society is choosing Sunday April 25th for an Aldcliffe ‘Open Morning’—a field meeting where members can explore the area together, sample its avian delights and feel good about the sights and sounds of spring in our district. Non-members are welcome to join in the morning’s activities and get a feel for the bird club and enjoy its collective expertise.

Rather than a mere guided walk, we’ve decided to station a number of LDBWS Aldcliffe fanatics (including Jon Carter, Barrie Cooper and Dan Haywood) at various bird hotspots so that we can walk (cycle or mobility scoot if you like) between them, all the while building up a mouthwatering list of warblers, wagtails, waders and more.

Whimbrel

With an early morning bird sound appreciation session, visual ID help from our members, and an eyes-to-the-skies visible migration station who knows what we might see and hear in an area where we’ve recorded scarcities over the years including White-spotted Bluethroat, Woodchat Shrike and Black Kite? Displaying Little Ringed Plovers and singing Lesser Whitethroats, Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings are on the cards– as are passage migrants like Whimbrel, breeding Lapwings and overflying raptors.

If you want to join us for all or part of the morning, please keep 7AM till noon free in your diaries and e-mail our secretary via [email protected] to let us know you’re keen. Then we’ll have an idea of numbers of interested parties and be able to update you with further details including a full itinerary of meeting points and activities.