This afternoon I was back at Wedholme Flow, this time with Kath and Shannon. Wedholme Flow is a restored lowland raised bog and is part of the South Solway Mosses National Nature Reserve. It’s an interesting site, often quiet for people. It’s just a nice place to spend time.
There is an area of mature bushes not far from the reserve entrance, this habitat was busy with songbirds during our visit today. Blackcaps, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were definitely making their presence known. Barn Swallows were feeding overhead as we approached the raised bog habitat.
The soundtrack to the moss seemed to be that of calling European Stonechat, displaying Northern Lapwing, bubbling Curlew and singing Common Redshank.
A single male Common Kestrel was hunting over the moss before landing on the top of a small isolated tree. It had been a good day for odonata emergence as there were clouds of Large Red Damselflies everywhere as well as a few fresh Four-spotted Chasers. The pools were busy with Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Shelduck and Northern Shoveller. Redshank and Oystercatcher were the only shorebirds observed feeding and roosting on the edge of the pools. A Common Redstart was singing from a nearby area of woodland and Lesser Redpoll flew overhead.
It had been a really pleasant afternoons birding, with a nice selection of birds seen or heard. I think I’ll be spending a lot more time on this reserve in the coming months.
